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 Old Post Promoter

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