NAMM 2019: Fender debuts the American Acoustasonic Series Telecaster, an innovative hybrid acoustic/electric guitar

NAMM 2019: When Fender CEO Andy Mooney teased a new line of American-made acoustic guitars, we certainly didn’t expect a launch model like this, but the American Acoustasonic Series Telecaster is the first to land.

A hybrid acoustic/electric guitar, the Acoustasonic Telecaster promises to deliver diverse tones while eliminating feedback and retaining classic Telecaster playability.

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Those sounds come courtesy of Fender’s patent-pending Stringed Instrument Resonance System, which aims to deliver “a naturally loud voice with lively harmonics”.

That’s paired with the Fender and Fishman-designed Acoustic Engine, which offers a blend of analogue and digital technologies that “optimise the guitar’s natural sound, and then modify the resonance to deliver a curated collection of voices”.

These voices can be blended via the Mod Knob and used at the same time courtesy of the hum-free Fender Acoustasonic Noiseless magnetic pickup.

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In terms of the instrument itself, the fully hollow Tele body features an integrated forearm contour, plus a smooth-playing mahogany neck and open-pore satin finish, available in Natural, Black, Sonic Gray, Surf Green and Sunburst.

“Our objective was to develop an acoustic guitar for contemporary artists,” says Andy Mooney, Fender CEO.

“The end result of our three-year R&D exploration met all these criteria and exceeded our most optimistic expectations with the launch of the American Acoustasonic Series.”

“If the American Acoustasonic were a car, it would be a high-performance SUV,” he adds. “It is not just a state-of-the-art acoustic guitar that sounds great on stage - it’s a state-of-the-art electric guitar that sounds great on stage. That’s a challenge Fender was proud to take on.”

Well, this is certain to turn a few heads at the show, although this isn’t the first time Fender has tried its hand at an Acoustasonic Telecaster - there was also 2010’s effort, which proved to be a pleasant surprise, so perhaps doubters should reserve judgement for now.

What will raise eyebrows is the price tag, which clocks in at £1,649. Given the American build and newfangled tech, that’s not unreasonable, but it does mark this out as a serious purchase.

Of course, the proof of the hybrid acoustic/electric, as they say, is in the hearing, so we’ll be getting to grips with this one ASAP. For now, you can head over to Fender for more info.