Description
Review of the Fender FA-15 3/4 Scale Steel String Acoustic Guitar
The Fender FA-15 is a three-quarter scale steel string acoustic finished in blue, built with a laminated agathis top, sapele back and sides, a nato neck and a walnut fingerboard. It ships with a gig bag and carries a two year warranty. It is aimed at children, at smaller adults, and at anyone wanting a compact steel string to travel with.
Pros & Cons
- The listing states the top is laminated rather than hiding it. Most guitars at this level simply say spruce top and leave the buyer guessing. Naming a laminated agathis top is straightforward, and laminate is genuinely more suitable for a guitar that will be carried around by a child, since it resists humidity change far better than solid wood.
- A gig bag is included. That is the difference between a guitar that gets carried to lessons and one that stays at home collecting knocks against furniture.
- Steel strings sound like the recordings a learner is copying. Unlike a nylon string classical, this produces the bright, ringing tone heard on pop, folk and rock records, so a child hears the sound they expected.
- A two year warranty is stated. Warranty terms are rarely published at this price, and two years is longer than the statutory minimum in many markets.
- The feature bullets on this page contradict the manufacturer. The bullets describe a mahogany neck, while Fender’s own specification for this model states nato. Nato is a mahogany substitute and behaves similarly, but the two are different timbers and the page is not consistent with its source.
- No specification table is published at all. There is no weight, no dimensions, no scale length in inches, no fret count and no nut width anywhere in the data. For a guitar sold on the strength of being smaller, the absence of an actual measurement is a real gap.
- Three-quarter scale is a label, not a number. The listing says 3/4 scale and never converts it. Guitars sold as 3/4 vary between roughly 22 and 23.5 inches of scale length, which is a meaningful difference for a small hand.
- Steel strings are harder on young fingers than nylon. Higher tension and thinner strings mean sore fingertips in the first weeks, which is the point at which many children stop.
- Nothing else is in the box. There is no tuner, strap, capo, spare string set or picks, so a tuner in particular has to be bought before the guitar can be kept playable.
Detailed Product Description
The top is laminated agathis. Laminate means several thin layers glued together, which makes a top stiffer, more durable and much less prone to cracking when the air is dry. It does not develop tone over the years the way a solid top does, but on an instrument meant to be carried to school and back, durability is the more useful property. The solid top versus laminate guide sets out that trade in full.
Back and sides are sapele, a hardwood related in character to mahogany, which tends toward a dry, midrange-focused voice with a clear fundamental note. The neck is nato, a common mahogany substitute that behaves similarly under string tension, and the fingerboard is walnut. Walnut has become a common alternative to rosewood on entry level instruments: it is dark, reasonably hard, and left unlacquered so it does not feel sticky under the hand.
Because no measurements are published, the practical picture has to come from the shape rather than the numbers. A three-quarter scale steel string sits between a full size dreadnought and a small nylon string classical: quieter and thinner in the bass than a full size instrument, but louder and brighter than a nylon string guitar of the same size. Reading nylon versus steel strings is worthwhile before deciding which suits the player.
What Comes with the Product
The listing includes the guitar and a gig bag. There is no tuner, no strap, no capo, no spare strings, no picks and no lesson material. A clip-on tuner should be treated as necessary rather than optional, since a new acoustic drifts constantly while the strings stretch and an out-of-tune guitar puts a beginner off faster than anything else. The gig bag is soft, so it protects against dust and scuffs rather than impact.
Who It Suits
This suits a child of roughly seven to eleven, or a smaller adult, who wants a steel string rather than a classical guitar, and a household that values a recognised brand and a stated warranty over a bundle of accessories. It also works as a travel guitar for a full size player. Look elsewhere if soft fingertips are the concern, in which case a nylon string is kinder, or if the buyer wants published measurements before ordering. Sizing is covered in what size guitar for a child. Comparable options include the FA-15 sold as a fuller bundle, the Donner 36 inch dreadnought kit and the Oscar Schmidt OG1P 3/4 size. More sit in kids and junior guitars and acoustic guitars.
How to Maintain
Wipe the strings down after playing, because steel strings on a small guitar are cheap to replace but tiresome to keep changing. Keep the guitar in its bag between sessions rather than leaning it against a wall. A laminated top tolerates dry air better than solid wood, but the neck still moves with humidity, so keep it away from radiators and out of unheated rooms. Condition the walnut fingerboard occasionally when the strings are off, and use a soft dry cloth on the finish.
Tips and Recommendations
Buy a clip-on tuner with the guitar. If the child finds the steel strings painful in the first fortnight, switching to an extra light gauge set reduces the tension noticeably without changing the character of the sound. Short practice sessions every day beat one long one, particularly while fingertips are hardening. If the action feels high, a saddle adjustment at a local shop is inexpensive and makes a small guitar far easier to fret.
Warranty & Support Information
The product listing states a two year warranty on this guitar. No further detail about what the warranty covers or how a claim is made appears in the listing data.
Product FAQ
Is the top solid or laminate? Laminated. The listing states a laminated agathis top.
What is the neck made of? Fender’s specification says nato. The feature bullets on this page say mahogany, which does not match the manufacturer’s own listing.
Does it come with anything? A gig bag. No tuner, strap or spare strings are included.
What is the scale length in inches? The listing does not say. It describes the guitar only as 3/4 scale.
