Fender CD 60
Me with the Fender CD60
My Review Of The Fender CD 60
By: John Sizemore
I just love checking out beginner guitars. It’s really important for my readers to make an informed decision when buying their first guitar. 
It’s strange what has happened to mass produced acoustic guitars over the years. You’d expect them to be crap! Pardon my french! 
However, they’ve been able to improve on the laminates used and a guitar build 20 years ago of the same make and model bought today could be a whole different guitar.
I played a Fender CD-60 Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar the other day and I thought this one would be great to do a review. Here’s what I found….
“Here’s The Important Features Of An Acoustic Guitar”
First, you need to make sure you know what you’re looking for and what they mean when you make your purchase of an acoustic guitar. Many beginner guitarists have purchased a guitar with certain expectations that weren’t met. All they really needed was to be educated on what they were purchasing. Here’s some important factors to look at when purchasing an acoustic guitar.
Laminated Spruce Top
“This is probably the most important part of an acoustic guitar”
The top of the acoustic guitar is what gives the guitar its unique sound. This is probably the most important part of an acoustic guitar. So, it’s no wonder that the wood used is very important to its sound. You will find that almost all guitars made under $200 have what they call laminate tops. This is basically taking a very thin piece of a desired wood top like cedar or spruce and cutting it very thin and using much cheaper woods like nato to ply the rest of the top to get the required strength and thickness. You will find that most laminate tops have more of a dull sound and don’t resonate well. However, today’s laminates are much better and resonate quite well.
The Fender CD 60 comes with a laminated spruce top and a very impressive sound.
Finish: Gloss
“Some say that the gloss and satin have different tones”
Whether you have a gloss finish or a satin finish is really just a preference of the guitar player. However, gloss is just a little more expensive to produce and won’t show scratches and are easier to polish out. Satin on the other hand can show dirt and oil build up overtime and some players actually like this look. I on the other hand do not. Some say that the gloss and satin have different tones than each other. But, I tend to disagree. I have not been able to tell the difference in tones between a satin and gloss finish.
The Fender CD 60 comes with a high gloss polyurethane and looks really beautiful with the deep wood grains on the top and sides.
Laminate Mahogany Back & Sides
“So, don’t expect to have a guitar that sounds better with age”
I know I’ve discussed laminate wood before in detail. But, it’s important to know that this is the only reason beginner guitars are so cheap. They’re just taking a very thin piece of quality wood like mahogany and using it for the top piece to show. the rest is laminate (less expensive wood plied together). Although the back and sides don’t really affect tone that much… I would say it has to a little. Plus, the top of this guitar is laminate also. So, don’t expect to have a guitar that sounds better with age. The sound you get when you buy it is the sound you got.
All in all laminates have come a long way and this guitar sounds great right out of the box!
Nato Neck
“It’s just a way to keep beginner guitars affordable”
Nato is an actual wood. Not just some name that the manufactures use to make you believe it’s wood. However, it is a very cheap wood and you won’t find it on more expensive guitars. It’s just a way to keep beginner guitars affordable.
The Fender CD 60 comes with a nato neck and a gloss finish. I’m not really fond of the nato. But, the guitar seams to be well crafted and you can’t ask for anything more for under $200.
Rosewood Bridge & Compensated Saddle
“The saddle is very important when constructing a guitar”
Rosewood is a very good wood to use on any part of the guitar that gets a lot of wear and tear. Basically, it doesn’t show scratches and blemishes. So, no wonder it’s the most desirable wood for finger boards and bridges on a guitar.
The saddle is very important when constructing a guitar. It’s what the strings lay on in the bridge. A compensated saddle just means it has been manipulated to give the best tone and adjustment for the action (the distance between the strings and the fret board) on a guitar. Again this is very desirable.
“How Much Should You Expect To Pay & What’s Included?”
The Fender CD 60 comes as is and DOES NOT INCLUDE A CASE. However, I was able to find a great deal on a package at Amazon called the Fender CD-60 Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar Bundle with Fender Acoustic Guitar Maintenance Pack – Sunburst that doesn’t cost you anymore.
Bundle includes Fender CD-60 Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar with Fender Acoustic Maintenance Pack, which includes leatherette carrying pouch, 2 oz. guitar polish, Fender phosphor bronze 12-52 strings, wire cutters, Polishing Cloth, 5mm hex key, peg winder, and 3 Fender picks.The CD-60 has all the features of more expensive models but more like a spruce top, mahogany back and sides, die-cast tuners and a hard-shell case included.
What Others Are Saying…..
“At a buck under $200, this is a great bargain and a quality entry-level acoustic guitar. The finish is of very high quality and the sound is quite nice.”
Rating:
“The description I read did not state that a Fender hard case comes with it! The guitar is gorgeous. The Quality check tag dates the guitar to ’03. The finish was a little dusty, but perfect. I paid a buck fifty with free shipping.
Rating:
“Overall I’ve got to say this is a pretty good deal for under $200. If you are looking for a quality beater or a first guitar then this would fit the bill perfectly”
Rating:Product Reviews
4.5 out of 5 Stars Based on 10 reviews
“Here’s My Overall Fender CD 60 Review”
Sound
I was quite impressed by the sound quality from this laminate spruce top. Most laminates I’ve played sound a little tinny so to speak without a lot of full body sound. Well, the Fender CD 60 has great body and tone. I’m not sure if it has to do with the glossy finish? But, I think you’ll be quite pleased. Don’t expect a solid top sound though. You can definitely tell it’s a laminate top.
Action
The Fender CD 60 has a good action that makes it quite easy to play up and down the neck. Of course I’ve played better actions. But, for the price you’ll not find anything better in my option. The Fender CD 60 was quite easy to play around the 12th fret also. However, if you’re looking to play a lot in this area I’d recommend the Fender CD 60ce. The cutaway just makes it a little easier.
Reliability
Anything crafted by Fender has high reliability as far as I’m concerned. I haven’t heard or seen many reviews of anyone who’s had this guitar at any length. I would say this would be a great beginner guitar with the ability to play for years and years to come.
Find The Best Price On The Fender cd 60 Here
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