Introduction
The Fender Paramount Series represents the company’s push into the acoustic guitar market, offering players high-quality instruments with classic Fender style. The flagship of the series is the PM-1 Deluxe Dreadnought model, featuring an all-solid wood construction and premium features.
As an all-solid guitar, the PM-1 utilizes solid tonewoods for both the top and back/sides. This includes a solid Sitka spruce top and solid mahogany back and sides. Together, these woods provide a balanced and articulate tone. The guitar also features a comfortable dreadnought body shape, which offers excellent projection and volume.
Overall, the PM-1 Deluxe aims to deliver premium acoustic sound and playability, while maintaining Fender’s signature vibe and aesthetic. With its all-solid woods and dreadnought design, this model provides vintage style merged with modern acoustic performance.
Vintage-Inspired Styling
The Fender Paramount PM-1 Deluxe Dreadnought features a classic Fender dreadnought body shape with vintage styling appointments. It comes in standard finishes like Natural and Sunburst, as well as limited edition vintage-inspired colors and bursts.
The PM-1 boasts an all-solid wood construction, with a solid Sitka spruce top and solid mahogany back and sides. These premium tonewoods not only sound great, but give the guitar a beautiful, vintage-inspired aesthetic. The spruce top has a warm honey-brown color, while the mahogany has an elegant reddish hue.
Vintage design details abound on the PM-1, including a striking herringbone rosette around the soundhole, along with checkerboard purfling along the top, back and sides. It also features pearloid dot inlays on the fretboard and bridge, along with vintage-style open-gear tuning machines. Altogether, the PM-1 Deluxe looks and feels like a well-crafted vintage acoustic.
Playability & Feel
The PM-1 Deluxe has a very comfortable and playable feel right out of the case. It features a smooth C-shaped neck profile that will accommodate most hand sizes. The neck has a satin finish, which enhances playability by allowing your hand to easily glide up and down the fretboard.
The factory setup on the PM-1 is impressive for an acoustic in this price range. It has low action and accurate intonation, providing an enjoyable playing experience with no sharp fret ends or buzzing notes. Fender did an excellent job with the nut and saddle on this guitar as well. Both are made from bone, with the saddle being compensated to ensure proper intonation across the fretboard.
When strummed or picked, the PM-1 resonates loudly and sustains notes with ease. The all-solid wood construction allows the guitar to vibrate freely, resulting in excellent resonance and sustain. Whether gently fingerpicking or aggressively flatpicking, this dreadnought has the dynamic range to handle both ends of the spectrum. The solid spruce and mahogany tonewoods provide the foundation for great feel and response.
Unplugged Tone
The PM-1 Deluxe Dreadnought delivers a balanced, articulate unplugged tone thanks to its all-solid wood construction. The solid Sitka spruce top provides brightness and clarity in the highs and mids, while allowing for good volume and headroom. The solid mahogany back and sides add low-end warmth and richness to the EQ.
Overall, the tone is very well-balanced across the frequency spectrum, with clear note separation and no muddiness. Chords have excellent definition, allowing you to hear each individual note ring out. The mahogany warmth blends nicely with the spruce’s clarity.
When strummed or picked with more aggression, the PM-1 has no problem projecting thanks to its large dreadnought body shape. It’s capable of filling a room with sound when needed. Notes sustain for a pleasing amount of time as well.
The all-solid wood construction allows the PM-1 to produce very resonant, organic tones. It has the unplugged volume to play small coffee shop gigs while also capturing subtle nuances during soft fingerpicking. Overall an extremely versatile unplugged tone.
Amplified Sound
The Fender Paramount PM-1 Deluxe comes equipped with a preamp and pickup system designed in conjunction with Fishman. This gives the guitar excellent amplified tones that sound natural and organic through an acoustic amplifier or PA system.
The preamp features easy-to-use volume and tone controls, allowing you to shape your amplified sound. There is also a built-in tuner that is very accurate and convenient to use. The LED display on the guitar’s side makes tuning a breeze on stage or in the studio.
One of the best aspects of the PM-1 Deluxe’s electronics is how well they handle higher gain levels before feedback. You can push the volume for solos or heavier strumming without getting unwanted feedback squeals. This gives you more flexibility when using effects or playing live.
The natural amplified tones let the guitar’s woody acoustic voice shine through. Rather than feeling like an electric guitar, the PM-1 retains its acoustic character when plugged in. This gives it an extremely versatile amplified voice that works well for any genre.
PM-1 vs Other Models
The Fender Paramount PM-1 Deluxe stands up well when compared to other models in the Paramount line and competitor acoustics.
Within the Paramount series, the PM-1 is the flagship model. The mid-range PM-2 has laminate back and sides rather than solid mahogany, while the entry-level PM-3 uses laminate for the back, sides, and top. So the PM-1’s all-solid woods give it the edge in looks, resonance, and tone over its stablemates.
Compared to similarly priced all-solid wood acoustics from Martin, Taylor, and other big brands, the PM-1 is very competitive. It can’t match the reputation of the established names, but it does offer comparable build quality and tone. The inclusion of a hardshell case also gives the PM-1 an advantage in value.
Some pros of the PM-1 over other models:
- All-solid wood construction at an affordable price point
- Quality workmanship and attention to detail
- Articulate and balanced tone from premium tonewoods
- Contemporary dreadnought design with vintage vibe
Potential cons compared to competitors:
- Less brand prestige than Martins and Taylors
- Electronics and preamp system not as advanced
- Limited color and finish options
Overall, the PM-1 provides an excellent combination of vintage style, quality materials, and accessible pricing that makes it stand out in the crowded acoustic guitar market. It punches above its weight class.
Ideal Users
The Fender Paramount PM-1 Deluxe Dreadnought is an ideal acoustic for players wanting a high-quality, all-solid wood guitar at an affordable price point.
With its vintage-inspired dreadnought body shape and stylish appointments, it will appeal to acoustic players who love the look, feel and vibe of classic acoustic guitars. The all-mahogany back and sides and solid spruce top give it a balanced, warm and articulate tone perfect for guitarists coming from the world of finely crafted vintage acoustics.
The PM-1’s versatile sonic palette means it can handle a variety of musical genres with ease. Its crisp trebles, scooped midrange and tight low-end make it a great fit for flatpicking and strumming chords in folk, country and rock settings. Players who need an acoustic that can cover a lot of ground would do well to consider the PM-1 Deluxe.
The combination of high-end appointments, quality tonewoods and Fishman electronics also make this a stage-worthy workhorse for gigging acoustic acts who want the vintage vibe and organic tone of an all-solid dreadnought. For an affordable price, the PM-1 punches above its weight in terms of looks, tone and versatility.
Price and Value
The Fender Paramount PM-1 Deluxe Dreadnought offers incredible value for money considering its street price and included case. This all-solid wood acoustic can be found for around $599 at most major retailers, making it very affordable for a guitar with solid Sitka spruce and mahogany tonewoods.
The inclusion of the hardshell case is a major bonus, as comparable cases would cost $100-150 on their own. Having a quality included case makes the PM-1 an even better value proposition for players wanting to protect their instrument.
Overall, the combination of all-solid wood construction and the included hardshell case makes the PM-1 Deluxe a fantastic value at its street price under $600. Players get pro-level build quality and versatile, organic tone at a price point well below similar all-solid wood acoustics from bigger brands. For those wanting great playability, vintage vibe, and an affordable price, the PM-1 is hard to beat.
Pros and Cons
Pros
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The all-solid wood construction using quality tonewoods like Sitka spruce and mahogany gives the PM-1 a balanced, warm, and articulate tone perfect for any playing style.
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The smooth satin neck, low action, and overall setup make the PM-1 feel great to play right out of the box.
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The vintage styling appointments like the checkerboard binding and herringbone rosette give the guitar a classic, timeless look.
Cons
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The PM-1 only comes in a couple standard finish options. Players wanting more variety may be disappointed.
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While decent, the onboard preamp and electronics are pretty average compared to higher-end acoustic-electric systems from other brands.
Verdict
The Fender Paramount PM-1 Deluxe Dreadnought is highly recommended for players looking for a quality all-solid wood acoustic at an affordable price point. It delivers everything you could want in a great acoustic guitar – vintage vibe, resonant tone, comfortable feel and versatile sound – all at under $600 including a hardshell case.
Overall, the PM-1 provides exceptional value and will make an excellent choice as a primary acoustic for fingerstyle, flatpicking and strumming. The vintage aesthetics combined with modern playability allow it to appeal to a wide range of players. While the electronics and preamp system could be more advanced, they deliver quality plugged-in tone that complements the guitar’s excellent unplugged voice.
Considering its impressive construction and components at this price point, I give the Fender PM-1 Deluxe Dreadnought a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars. It’s an easy recommendation for anyone wanting a great all-around acoustic guitar that covers all the bases. The PM-1 manages to blend vintage vibe with modern playability and quality amplified sound – all while keeping costs down thanks to Fender’s large-scale production capabilities. Overall an excellent value that punches above its price range.