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Pros:
- Affordable
- Easy to play
- Durable
Cons:
- Not the best amps
- Not the highest quality tonewood
The best of the two world – acoustic-electric guitars are an answer to a lot of players’ problems and requirements. Fender is not known for having the cheapest guitars but then again there is a reason for it – their guitars are usually of exceptional quality. So if you find a Fender at a nice price, you know that it is a winner. The CD-60CE is one of those models. So let’s get into some details.
Build
This electric-acoustic guitar with a cutaway has an all-mahogany body that creates beautiful, sweet tone. Although the tonewood is laminated I do not think it affects the sound too much. With guitars in mode affordable price range, there always are aspects of them that need to be economized on. The key is to take more affordable methods and apply it so that the sound is not affected to the level where it is noticeable. Otherwise, what you will be getting is not an affordable guitar but a cheap one. The fingerboard and bridge are made of Rosewood, an amazing material that complements the balanced tone of the guitar. This model has scalloped X-bracing with black body binding providing durability and sturdiness while also helping create better resonance. The neck is made of nato, which is not the fan favorite but it gets the job done and lasts quite a while.
Hardware
This model comes with die-cast tuners and dual-action truss rod. Both are standard and will work well for the usual playing. As a bonus, you also get the hard-shell case. With most guitars that are shipped with some sort of protective accessories, it is usually low cost, not-so-good quality gig bags that will rip apart in a month or two. BUT you cannot buy a Rolls Royce and park it in the street. That is why you get a hard-shell case that will protect your one in any weather, even in storm.
Electronics
When it comes to electronics, Fender went with Fishman Isys III with volume, bass, mid, treble. You also get on active board preamp and tuner. It is a decent one but not their best one. All in all, this system reproduced the guitars tone pretty well and for the price I think the combination of this system with the hardware and tonewood produced decent results.
Fender CD 60CE Sound
Although the CD-60CE has all-mahogany laminate tonewood, the guitar still delivers a great punch. The tonewood seem to be chosen well and Fishman Isys III helps reproduce the tone really well. Overall, this might not be the best sounding guitar with the best electronics but in its price range it is very nice and does a decent job of creating nice tone and sound.
Conclusion
Fender has been renowned for decades for their craftsmanship. They have also been somewhat infamous for quite expensive models but that definitely is not the case with the CD-60CE. Like many affordable electric-acoustic guitars this model also has certain flaws, some corners had to be cut but, overall, this baby delivers what you are paying for and a lot more. The sound is surprisingly good for laminated tonewood and hardware is quite decent. I would say that the electronics are not the highest quality and there are a few people I know that have had some issues with amps but otherwise this is a decent guitar for the nice price. If you are a beginner, just getting your first acoustic-electric guitar, this might be a great option for you.
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