Introduction to the Fender Redondo Special Acoustic-Electric Guitar
Fender’s California Series acoustic guitars represent a bold new direction, emphasizing unique and innovative body shapes crafted from all-solid tonewoods. The Redondo Special model exemplifies this vision, featuring Fender’s distinctive Redondo body shape and an all-mahogany construction that promises rich, resonant tone.
The Redondo takes its name from the Southern California beach town of Redondo Beach. Its origins can be traced back to the mid 1960s, when Fender first experimented with the small, rounded body shape on early acoustic prototypes. However, the Redondo body shape never saw wide production until Fender revived the design as part of the cutting-edge California Series.
At the heart of the Redondo Special is its all-solid mahogany construction, a major selling point that sets it apart from other acoustics in this price range. The use of solid mahogany for the top, back and sides provides superior resonance, projection and balanced tone. This guitar highlights the warm, smooth voice that mahogany is known for, ideal for a wide range of musical styles.
Body Shape and Dimensions
The Redondo Special features Fender’s exclusive Redondo body shape, which is a compact dreadnought style. It has a total length of 41 inches, width of 15 inches, and body depth of 4.25 inches. This makes it slightly smaller overall than a traditional dreadnought body.
The benefits of the Redondo’s reduced dimensions include:
- More comfortable and ergonomic feel, especially when seated
- Improved balance on a strap due to lighter overall weight
- Slightly more controlled and articulate tone compared to larger dreadnoughts
- Easier transportation due to smaller case size
The Redondo’s shape provides a rich, resonant tone with nice projection and volume, while retaining the focused and balanced characteristics of a smaller-bodied acoustic. For players who find full-size dreadnoughts too bulky, the Redondo Special hits a nice sweet spot.
Tonewoods
The Redondo Special features an all-solid mahogany construction, with a solid mahogany top, back, and sides. Mahogany is a popular tonewood for acoustic guitars, known for its warm, rich, rounded tone. The mahogany top produces a smooth, balanced sound with pronounced mids and excellent resonance. The mahogany back and sides further enhance these tonal characteristics, adding warmth, depth, and projection to the Redondo Special’s voice.
Mahogany is a relatively lightweight wood that is tonally superior to laminate woods. Being solid wood rather than laminate allows the top to vibrate and resonate freely, resulting in better volume, sustain and tone. The all-mahogany construction gives the Redondo Special a beautifully coherent and focused sound.
The fingerboard and bridge are made of Pau Ferro, an extremely dense and stiff wood that helps transfer vibration efficiently. This further enhances the resonance and sustain of the guitar. The Pau Ferro fingerboard also provides a smooth playing feel.
Overall, the all-solid mahogany build with Pau Ferro appointments makes for an acoustic guitar with incredible tonal richness. The wood combination produces a balanced, warm, resonant tone with singing highs, pronounced mids, and tight lows.
Electronics and Controls
The Redondo Special comes equipped with Fishman electronics, featuring an undersaddle pickup and preamp system that accurately captures the guitar’s natural acoustic sound.
The Fishman preamp has volume and tone controls that allow you to shape your amplified tone. The volume knob controls the overall output level, while the tone knob lets you dial in more bass or treble response. This gives you the flexibility to adjust your plugged-in sound based on the room acoustics or PA system you’re playing through.
The preamp’s interface is straightforward, with the volume and tone knobs mounted discretely just inside the soundhole for quick adjustments on the fly. The undersaddle pickup blends in seamlessly without altering the guitar’s inherent tone, and it effectively translates the Redondo’s balanced mahogany sound when plugged in.
Overall, the Fishman electronics package is well-suited for the Redondo Special, providing natural acoustic amplification for live performances or recording scenarios where you need to plug in. It captures the guitar’s warm, resonant voice without excessive coloring.
Unplugged Sound
The unplugged sound of the all-solid mahogany Redondo Special showcases the tonal properties that make mahogany such a prized tonewood for acoustic guitars. The solid mahogany top produces a balanced, well-rounded tone with pleasing highs and tight, articulate bass. There’s a natural compression and warmth to the Redondo’s unplugged voice, with rich overtones that fill out each note. It has impressive sustain and resonance for an acoustic of its size, with the solid mahogany back and sides projecting the top’s tone outward with authority.
Compared to rosewood, mahogany typically has a lighter, more balanced tonal profile that highlights the midrange. Rosewood tends to emphasize the low end and can sound darker in comparison. Mahogany produces clear, punchy mids and highs, while rosewood leans into a robust low midrange and smoother treble. The Redondo Special’s all-mahogany construction puts its focused, balanced tone on full display and allows for the nuances of the player’s technique to shine through. The crisp note definition is ideal for fingerstylists and those seeking an articulate, responsive unplugged voice.
Plugged-in Sound
When plugged in, the Fishman electronics and undersaddle pickup do an excellent job of accurately translating the Redondo Special’s all-mahogany acoustic tone. The amplified sound retains the guitar’s natural warmth and resonance for a very authentic acoustic-electric experience.
The Fishman preamp provides simple but effective tone shaping controls, including volume, bass, mid, treble, and phase switches. This allows you to easily dial in just the right amount of low-end punch and top-end shimmer to suit your individual playing style and amplification setup. The result is an amplified tone with plenty of richness and character that sounds pleasingly close to the unplugged tone.
The Fishman pickup captures the guitar’s dynamics nicely, and is able to convey subtle playing articulations from hammer-ons and pull-offs to fingerstyle techniques. Notes bloom naturally without getting too boomy on the low end or overly brittle on the highs. Strummed rhythm parts come across very balanced and full. The pickup is also good at rejecting feedback when playing live, even at higher volumes.
Overall, the Fishman electronics package is an ideal pairing for the Redondo Special, allowing you to take its exquisite all-mahogany acoustic tone from the practice room to the stage. It’s a great option for amplified coffee shop gigs or larger live performances where you need to cut through the mix. The guitar’s plugged-in performance punches well above its price class.
Playability
The Redondo Special features a comfortable C-shaped maple neck profile that provides a smooth and balanced feel. The neck width measures 1.69" at the nut, which gives enough room for fingerstyle playing while still being manageable for chord melodies and strumming.
The action on the Redondo Special is set low and comfortable right out of the box. Combined with the smooth neck shape, the action allows easy fretting and makes the guitar accessible for players of all skill levels. The action can be further adjusted to suit personal preferences if desired.
Overall, the Redondo Special offers excellent playability and comfort. The C neck profile nestles nicely into the player’s hand, while the smooth low action facilitates intricate fingerstyle lines as well as rhythmic strumming patterns. The guitar feels natural to hold and play for extended periods of time without fatigue.
Musical Versatility
The Redondo Special’s compact yet deep body produces a focused and articulate tone that excels in a variety of musical settings. Its all-mahogany construction gives it a balanced, warm, and rich voice that enhances its versatility.
While dreadnoughts and jumbos are known for their booming bass and projection, the Redondo Special has enhanced midrange and treble definition. This allows it to cut through the mix better in an ensemble situation. The notes have a clear attack and decay, allowing for more intricate playing.
Fingerstyle guitarists will appreciate the Redondo’s ability to articulate complex patterns cleanly. It also has enough bass warmth to accompany vocals or other instruments. Strummers will find that the mahogany provides a nice percussive chop. Flatpickers can dig into leads without getting lost in the overtones.
The focused nature of the Redondo Special makes it a great choice for a range of musical genres:
- Folk
- Rock
- Country
- Bluegrass
- Blues
- Jazz
- Singer-songwriter
It’s an extremely responsive guitar that excels with dynamic playing. Compared to a dreadnought, players note an ability to control the tone and dynamics with more nuance. The Redondo shape is often described as a hybrid that combines the focused treble of an auditorium guitar with the strong mids and bass of a dreadnought. This gives it a very playable and balanced voice.
Pricing, Options & Value Assessment
The Fender Redondo Special has a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $599, which positions it in the upper mid-range bracket for an acoustic-electric guitar. However, the typical street price that most retailers sell it for is around $499. This makes the Redondo Special a high quality, all-solid wood acoustic-electric at a quite affordable price point.
When you consider the use of premium tonewoods like solid mahogany and Pau Ferro, along with the Fishman electronics, the Redondo Special represents excellent value for money. Many all-solid wood acoustics with similar specifications and build quality retail for $700-900. So getting the Redondo Special at a street price under $500 is a bargain.
The Redondo Special comes in three different finish options: Matte Black, Natural, and Honey Burst. So you have some nice choices when it comes to aesthetics. It also includes a deluxe Fender gig bag, providing a good level of protection. Players wanting maximum protection could opt to purchase the available hardshell case separately.
Overall, with its impressive specs, great playability and sound, the Redondo Special offers fantastic value for any player looking for a quality all-solid wood acoustic-electric guitar under $500. When you consider what else is available at this price point, the Redondo Special stands out as a superb option.
Conclusion
The Fender Redondo Special acoustic-electric guitar offers players a unique option with its eye-catching body shape and all-mahogany construction. This guitar sounds fantastic both plugged in and unplugged, producing warm, resonant tones that any player would appreciate.
Overall, the Redondo Special is best suited for fingerstyle players, singer-songwriters, and those looking for a rich acoustic tone in a more compact body size compared to a dreadnought. While not as budget-friendly as Fender’s entry level models, the Redondo Special delivers premium build quality and components that make it well worth the price.
Pros:
- All-solid mahogany body for excellent tone and sustain
- Unique and appealing Redondo body shape stands out
- Quality electronics translate acoustic tone when plugged in
- Premium materials and attention to detail
Cons:
- More expensive than beginner level acoustics
- Limited color and finish options
- Lacks traditional dreadnought shape that some prefer
The Fender Redondo Special will appeal most to players looking for resonant warm tones in an accessible package. While the unique body shape gives it a different flavor than a traditional dreadnought, this guitar still delivers impressive sound across various playing styles. For intermediate players and beyond, the Redondo Special is an excellent choice for an all-purpose acoustic with stage-ready amplification.