Gear Review: Fender Newporter Player Acoustic-Electric Guitar

Fender’s Newporter Player acoustic-electric guitar takes its name seriously in every way, and that includes the fun times any player will have whether strumming at home, outside at the beach or park, or on stage at a gig. This affordable guitar combines the best of both worlds for casual players and those looking for a take-anywhere instrument at an affordable price.

The Newporter Player is an acoustic-electric which of course means it comes equipped with a stage-ready pickup system. In this case Fender has included a Fishman preamp which performs admirably when plugged into an acoustic amp or PA system. The preamp features volume, bass and treble controls, plus a tuner- a nice touch for a guitar at this price point.

Fender Newporter Player in Natural finish

The real treat is the easy-to-play neck, which takes its cues from Fender’s Stratocaster electric guitar. It’s a comfortable C-style mahogany neck with a satin finish and 20 frets. The visual appeal here, compared to most acoustic guitars, is the 6 on a side tuning peg setup, which mimic the Stratocaster design. The painted headstock also matches the body in color and adds to its eye-catching appeal. We received the Ice Blue Satin for review, a strikingly nice-looking guitar that turned a few heads in the audience and prompted follow up questions. Other colors include Candy Apple Red (another head turner), Champagne, Natural, Olive Satin and Sunburst.

Fender Newporter Player in Ice Blue Satin

The body is a medium, rounded cutaway, which makes soloing all the way up to the highest fret a breeze. Other features include a painted solid spruce top, back and sides, a Graph-Tech NuBone nut, 15.75” fingerboard and dot fingerboard inlays.

Fender Newporter Player preamp/tuner

The Newporter is part of the company’s California series, which pays tribute to Fender’s Southern California roots. The Player Series is the entry point in the line and also includes the Redondo and Malibu body shapes. Prices range from $399 up to $799 for different models in the full series.

Street price: $429.99

Fender website: https://shop.fender.com/en-US/acoustic-guitars/newporter/newporter-player/0970743062.html

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