Fender only produced acoustic guitars during a brief period in the company's history, but the guitars made during that time have become favorites of collectors and musicians alike. The advent of online auction sites such as Ebay has created an active market for used acoustic instruments. Unfortunately, there are a limited number of models available to collect because Fender only manufactured acoustic guitars from 1963 until 1971.

The same design features that make Fender electric guitars so popular are also used on their acoustic guitar line. This includes a bolted on neck with a solid metal neckplate, two screws in the pickguards and a six on one side tuner setup. This construction makes them more durable and playable than the other guitars produced at the time.

The first Fender acoustic guitar was the King model, first produced in 1963 and later reintroduced as the Kingman in 1966. Production of the Kingman model lasted until 1971, when the entire acoustic guitar line was discontinued by the company. The King used the innovative Fender bolted on neck design, which required an additional aluminum bar through the middle to strengthen the body. This gave the Fender acoustic guitars a distinctive sound and made them feel more like an electric guitar.

The King and Kingman models were offered in a number of top quality guitar woods, making them a popular choice for musicians of all types. Each year, Fender made some minor cosmetic alterations to the King model, distinguishing it from prior years' guitars. Collectors can use the design changes in hardware neck inlays to determine the instrument's date of manufacture. The serial numbers on Fender acoustic guitars do not generally list the construction date, so it can be difficult for collectors to verify that they are buying what they were promised.

In 1966, Fender brought out the Wildwood line of acoustic guitars. The Wildwood was a flat-toped variation on the original Fender King model. The main difference was the assortment of dye colors for the wood body and headstock, hence the "Wildwood" name. Fender's innovative beech dye process actually injected living trees with dye so the color would be distributed throughout the wood itself. The most popular colors for the Wildwood line of guitars were green, navy blue, gold, brown, purple, dark blue, and hybrid colors like bluish green and purple mixed with blue. The Wildwood name was the only thing to survive from the acoustic guitar line, with it continuing to be used for certain electric models with multicolored options.

The last major Fender acoustic guitar was the Wildwood II. Similar to the Wildwood model, it used Fender's standard neck design, along with a resonator bar to increase tone. The height of the Wildwood II's popularity came in the late 60s, when Charlie Pride was seen playing it onstage. Shortly after that, interest waned in Fender's acoustic guitars and the entire line was discontinued. At the time, they were not missed by the marketplace, but collectors have since some to appreciate their value and sound.

Originally posted 2008-12-04 05:12:51. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Related Posts

• The Electric Acoustic Guitar The acoustic guitar provides music through strings that were made from a variety of materials, most notably nylon. Nylon is not only kind to the fingers, but the sound it produces is good and crisp. It is especially important for beginners to use nylon since it is easier to learn.......
• Manufacturers: Gibson Orville Gibson started the Gibson Guitar Corporation by making specialized mandolins in 1894. From the beginning, Gibson established himself as a quality instrument builder who added his own innovations. His mandolins were modified in such a way that they had a richer sound. Eventually, Gibson mandolins became the instrument of......
• Acoustic Bass Guitar There are a number of different types of guitars, which produce a variety of different sounds, and offer a myriad of different features. One of the most demanding types of guitars out there is the acoustic bass guitar. This is a bass instrument that offers a hollow wooden body which......
• Anatomy of an Acoustic Guitar The Bridge The bridge of a guitar is found between the middle and the end of the body, though generally very near the end of the body. Depending on your guitar, your strings may originate at the bridge, or they may just be supported by it. Most guitar bridges are......
• Book Review: The Hal Leonard Acoustic Guitar Method The Hal Leonard Acoustic Guitar Method book includes real songs you can hear on the radio to teach a variety of acoustic guitar concepts. Included are songs by Eric Clapton, Robert Johnson, James Taylor, the Indigo Girls, and many others. There are lesson sections on topics such as finger picking,......

Related Websites

• Fender Guitar Dealers -> Musical Instruments -> String A Fender guitar is one of the best guitars you can purchase in the world today, whether it's a new instrument or a vintage one. Fender began with Leo Fender releasing the Esquire model guitar in 1950, but production only lasted for about......
• Bass Instruments: The History of the Bass Guitar Instruments teach the people who use them a great deal. For playing an instrument, you can have your first example of love without need of love in return from a person loving their instrument, you can learn notes and patience and many other valuable lessons, some of which have to......
• Playing Bass Guitar in a Band People choose one instrument over another, like a bass guitar over a regular guitar, for a variety of different reasons. What makes someone choose a tuba over a flute or drums over a glockenspiel is mostly just the person's preference.  People choose what they like to listen to, what they......
• Headphones and Mikes Hi. I'm looking to mix with these which have a nominal freq respponse 5Hz - 35kHz and weigh 270g and block out all sound. They should be good. I like Beyer. I used to use a Beyer M501 ribbon mike by them which could pick up flies sniffing with a......
• FOTD Chanel eyes + Arbonne Lips Something soft and simple for a Saturday. To remind you of the set: Chanel Les Quatre eye shadow Sublimes: Marine, Beige Rose, Granite, Clear Blue This set leans toward teal especially in the darker shades. If you make an X, the upper right and lower left are both light shades,......

Online Stores

• Ovation Acoustic Electric Guitar Musical Instruments
• Dean Right-Handed Acoustic Guitar Musical Instruments
• Travel Acoustic Guitar Musical Instruments
• Acoustic Guitar Strings Musical Instruments
• Takamine Acoustic Electric Guitar Musical Instruments

If you liked this article, vote for it on del.icio.us and stumbleupon.



Categories:

Acoustic Musical Instruments, Guitars, Manufacturers

Tags:

acoustic instruments, active market, alterations, aluminum bar, design changes, design features, distinctive sound, ebay, electric guitar, fender acoustic guitar, fender acoustic guitars, fender electric guitars, guitar line, guitar woods, kingman, online auction sites, pickguards, quality guitar, screws, serial numbers