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18Mar2021
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Fenders Jazzmaster Acoustisonic: Beyond Versatility
Fenders Jazzmaster Acoustisonic: Beyond Versatility
By Leslie Robinson
When the Telecaster iteration of the Fender Acoustisonic arrived on the scene I immediately began fantasizing about the prospect of a Stratocaster with all the same bells and whistles. I have to be honest, I didn’t expect for Fender to deliver a Jazzmaster version in the series. But, thats what Fender does. They innovate, surprise and always deliver.
It’s three times a charm for this technology and the level of refinement Fender has reached here is pretty astounding an albeit the technology is what everyone usually talks about? Let’s talk about the foundation of the guitar first.
-Looks:
Firstly, it’s really pleasing to the eye, although I don’t love all the colors, there’s enough options to find the one that will catch your attention. The all natural blew me away.
-Wood:
The new Fender Jazzmaster Acoustisonic has a Mahogany Body, Spruce Top, Mahogany Neck, Ebony fretboard and bridge. It is really beautifully crafted with very comfortable body carves for ease of playing.
-Form:
I do think the Jazzmaster Acoustisonic has one unfair advantage over its Tele & Strat cousins. Its got more resonant surface mass. Let’s face it, the body style just has more space & wood. More wood, more resonance.
That additional surface adds a lush resonance that sets the Jazzmaster apart from its smaller more compact predecessors. Unplugged, it resonates more like a standard acoustic guitar and that really satisfying.
-Feel and Playability:
The neck is this interesting cross between an electric guitar as far as scale and playability and the porous nature of an acoustic.
The feel of the instrument has an already broken in friendly and comfortable way about it. Being one of those people that hates breaking in new guitars, this feels like its been mine for years, but don’t get me wrong it’s not a relic feel, it just feels right.
-Electronics:
Ok, so let’s get into the guts of the technology.
The Fender Jazzmaster Acoustisonic has an incredible range of sounds, tones and applications including 4 new voicing’s not found on the Strat and Tele versions.
-A newly designed Fishman under saddle transducer pickup living under the bridge
-A Fishman Acoustisonic Enhancer (this is the one that senses the body for body tapping and for giving it a good old smack for you Andy McKee fans)
-A new Tim Shaw Humbucker in the bridge position which was painstakingly designed and after five versions they landed on what I think is outstanding.
-And of course a blend knob that allows you to dial in an almost infinite number of tones.
By far this is the most versatile guitar Fender has ever designed. Its perfect for the guitarist that plays mostly electric guitar, wants to retain the feel of the electric while creating in an acoustic format. But, it sounds and feels so good, I can see some of the diehard acoustic players, being captured by its incredible range of available tones.
This is really a triumph for guitar building and I can see it inspiring other builders to think outside the box. But, you know now that Fender has done this, could a Acoustisonic Jazz or P bass be far behind? Never say never.
One can only hope…