Description
Review of the Fender Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar in Natural, Bundle with Gig Bag, Strap, Strings, Picks and Instructional Video
This is a right handed Fender FA series dreadnought acoustic in natural, sold through Austin Bazaar as a bundle with a gig bag, a strap, spare strings, picks and an instructional video. The construction is an all laminate body with a spruce top, a nato neck with a C profile and a walnut fingerboard. It sits in the beginner starter kits and acoustic guitars categories.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- A dreadnought body produces genuine low end. The large squared shoulders and deep body move a lot of air, which is why the shape dominates country, folk and bluegrass. It is the loudest common acoustic shape unplugged.
- A C shaped neck profile is specified. C is the shallowest common profile and the least tiring for a hand that has not yet built strength, which is the right choice on a first guitar.
- An all laminate body is more tolerant of poor conditions. Laminate is layered rather than solid, so it resists cracking when humidity swings, which matters for a guitar likely to live in a bedroom rather than a controlled environment.
- Bronze strings are fitted. Bronze is the standard acoustic string alloy and gives the bright, ringing tone associated with steel string acoustics.
- The bundle covers protection and playing accessories. A gig bag, strap, spare strings and picks mean nothing further is strictly needed to start, other than a tuner.
Cons
- The listing never states which FA model this is. The spec table size field reads simply “FA Series” and no model number appears anywhere. The FA range covers several different guitars with different woods and different bodies, so a buyer cannot identify what they are getting or compare it against a specific review.
- The body wood entries contradict each other. The spec table gives basswood for the body, laminated basswood for the back and spruce for the top, while the description says a lightweight all laminate body without naming any species. Whether the back and sides are basswood, mahogany or something else is not settled by the listing.
- The spec table lists a Guitar Pickup Configuration of S. Nothing in the description, the title or the accessory list mentions a pickup, a preamp or an output jack. This should be treated as a purely acoustic instrument.
- No tuner is included. This bundle supplies a bag, strap, strings, picks and a video but not the one accessory needed from the first minute. A closely related Fender bundle does include a tuner, so the omission here is a real difference.
- No scale length, nut width or fret count is stated. Those are the measurements that determine how the guitar feels to play, and none appears.
- The instructional material is a video from the bundler rather than the manufacturer. Its length, format and delivery method are not described.
Detailed Product Description
The top is spruce, the standard acoustic soundboard wood because it is stiff for its weight and responds readily to string energy, producing a clear attack with strong projection. The description states the body is all laminate, meaning the top is layered rather than a single solid piece. A laminate top is stiffer and quieter than solid spruce and does not open up over years of playing, but it is far more resistant to cracking. The guide on solid top versus laminate acoustic guitars covers that trade in full.
The neck is nato with a C profile. Nato is stable when properly dried and is the standard neck wood across Fender’s entry level acoustics. The fingerboard is walnut, dense enough to hold frets securely, dark in appearance and needing no finish coat. It is one of the substitutes that became common after rosewood export controls tightened.
The bridge is fixed, which on an acoustic simply means the strings anchor at the bridge with no moving parts. The stated weight is 8 pounds, though that figure covers the shipped bundle rather than the guitar alone.
What Comes with the Product
The listing states the bundle includes the guitar, a gig bag, a strap, a spare set of strings, picks and an Austin Bazaar instructional video.
Not included and not mentioned: a tuner, a capo, a stand, a string winder, a cleaning cloth and a hard case. The tuner is the omission worth correcting immediately. The gig bag is described without a padding specification, so buyers who carry the guitar regularly should not assume impact protection. There is no amplifier in the bundle and none is required, since no electronics are documented.
Who It Suits
This fits an adult or teenager wanting a first full size acoustic from an established brand, with accessories included and the durability that laminate construction brings. The dreadnought shape suits strummed accompaniment, which is what most beginners actually play.
It does not suit a child, since a full size dreadnought is a large body to hold. It does not suit a player who wants to plug into a PA, since no electronics are documented. It also does not suit anyone who wants to know exactly which model they are buying, given the listing never publishes a model number. Comparable Fender bundles include the FA-115 dreadnought bundle, which does include a tuner, the Fender dreadnought bundle with Fender Play and the Fender FA-125. The guide on what is in a guitar starter bundle is a useful checklist for comparing them.
How to Maintain
Wipe the strings after each session. Bronze acoustic strings dull mostly from skin oils rather than playing wear, and a short wipe roughly doubles their useful life.
Store the guitar in the supplied bag rather than leaning it against furniture, and keep it away from radiators and sunny windows. Laminate construction tolerates humidity swings better than solid wood, but the neck and the bridge still respond to them, and the action will shift over the seasons.
Watch the string height at the twelfth fret over the first few months, since a new guitar settles as the wood adjusts to string tension. If the guitar will sit unplayed for months, slacken the strings a little to reduce sustained tension on the top. Keep the walnut fingerboard clean rather than oiling it frequently.
Tips and Recommendations
Buy a clip on tuner before the first session. It is the cheapest accessory and the one most likely to determine whether early practice sounds right.
Expect to retune several times a day for the first fortnight while a new set stretches, then far less often. Leave the spare set sealed until the originals sound dull. A capo is the next useful addition, because it lets a beginner play in different keys using the chord shapes already learned rather than attempting barre chords too early. If the strings feel stiff, a lighter gauge set reduces the effort needed to fret a note without any change to the guitar.
Warranty & Support Information
The manufacturer states that the guitar carries a two year limited warranty covering defects in materials and workmanship. The listing does not set out the claim process, the exclusions, or whether the warranty is handled by Fender or by the bundling retailer, so buyers should keep proof of purchase and confirm the route before a problem arises.
Product FAQ
Which FA model is this?
The listing does not say. The size field records only “FA Series” and no model number appears anywhere in the product data.
Is the top solid or laminated?
Laminated. The description states a lightweight all laminate body, with spruce named as the top wood.
Can it be plugged into an amplifier?
No electronics are described in the listing. The single coil pickup entry in the spec table is not supported by the description, title or accessory list.
Is a tuner included in the bundle?
No. The bundle covers a gig bag, strap, spare strings, picks and an instructional video. A tuner must be bought separately.
