"The neck really doesn’t feel all that different from my Fender Telecaster": Fender California Standard Monterey E review

What is it?

With no shortage of acoustic guitars for beginners around, the abundance of choice in the modern era of guitar makes it an amazing time to pick up the instrument for the first time. Combining comfortable playability and low cost with tried and tested build quality, the Fender California Standard Monterey E represents another arm of Fender’s budget-friendly acoustic offerings, giving players an additional choice with a rather unique look.

The mid-sized orchestra/auditorium body is paired with a typical, 25.5-inch scale found on most Fender guitars. Fender’s slim ‘C’ profile neck features here, hewn from okoume and aiming to deliver a playable instrument that won't shred delicate fingertips, encouraging repeat play when first picking up the acoustic guitar.

A built-in tuner and preamp give the option to plug in and play, while a Micarta nut and Modern Viking bridge pair with die-cast sealed tuning machines to complete the hardware offering. Add in that unique - and potentially divisive - 6-in-a-line headstock, and you’ve got a potentially great value guitar that could be just the thing to send beginners onwards onto their guitar journey.

Specs

• Launch price: $/£/€
• Launch price: $262/£249/€239
• Made: China
• Body shape: Orchestra/Auditorium
• Body top: Laminated sapele
• Top bracing: X
• Back & sides: Laminated sapele
• Neck/shape: Okoume, ‘C’ shape
• Scale/length: 25.5" (648 mm)
• Nut/width: Micarta, 1.6875" (42.86 mm)
• String spacing at bridge: 55mm
• Fingerboard/Radius: Walnut, 12" (305 mm)
• Body depth: 104mm
• Finish: Natural (as reviewed), 3-Color Sunburst, Surf Green gloss
• Bridge/pins: Modern Viking, plastic pins
• Tuning Machines: Die-cast sealed
• Electronics: Fender FE-A2 preamp with Volume, Tone (treble roll-off) controls and chromatic tuner.
• Case: No
• Left-handed options: No
• Contact: Fender

Build quality

Build quality rating: ★★★★☆

I’ve played a few Fender acoustics over this past year and the build quality has always been generally impressive. It’s the same story with the California Standard Monterey, which I’m pleased to report bears very few defects I can speak of or see with a well-trained eye. Everything feels very nicely put together, with some nice aesthetic touches like the electric guitar-inspired headstock and the modern, notched pickguard.

I can see that headstock being quite divisive, and it is an initially jarring design when I first look at it in this context, despite the electric-style shape being part of Fender's acoustics since the early '60s. It’s the classic Fender headstock you’d find on a Mustang, but because it’s on an acoustic guitar, it’s angled backwards to create a better break angle. It takes me some getting used to tuning it up, too, as my muscle memory tuning acoustic guitars immediately makes my hand reach underneath when I get to the G-string. Nonetheless, it gives Fender a distinctive identity in a packed market for affordable guitars.

Taking a closer look at the build, I do spy a few tiny aesthetic issues in the guitar’s construction. There are light dents on the wood that make up the bracing in the interior, visible when peering through the sound hole.

I also catch some visible lines where the binding has been joined in multiple pieces, and a small overrun of glue where the fingerboard meets the soundhole. None of these will affect playability though, so I can’t be too hard on it here, especially considering the price point.

Playability

Playability rating: ★★★★½

Picking up the California Standard Monterey to play it, I can immediately feel that Fender 'C' neck profile. The neck really doesn’t feel all that different from my Fender Telecaster. Yes, the strings require more effort to press down, but the carve of the neck feels very familiar, and it doesn’t take me long to get up and running with some cowboy chords and arpeggios.

The upper fret access is decent, with the neck joining the body at the 14th fret. I can get comfortably beyond that to the 16th fret before it comes a really big stretch, but to be honest, I can’t imagine many players needing to go beyond the 12th fret here. It’s nice to have though. The fret edges are very smooth too, with no sharp fret ends to speak of.

The string spacing is a nice mix between comfort for fingerpicking, while still being close enough together that it doesn’t feel like a stretch playing arpeggios with a pick. The string tension is as you'd expect for an acoustic at this scale length, with reasonable pressure required in order to press down the strings.

Sounds

Sounds rating: ★★★½

The body size means that the Fender California Standard Monterey E doesn’t have quite as much of that low-end as you’d get on a dreadnought-sized guitar, but that’s not something a beginner is likely to pick up anyway. In combination with the laminate woods, the tonality is overall characterized by a strong emphasis on the midrange, making it a versatile choice for both hard-strummed chords and fingerstyle playing.

It does compress some when you hit it hard, but gentler playing brings out some really nice sounds, with plenty of harmonic overtones that ring out nicely when I hold onto some major 7th chords. There’s a nice balance across the strings when playing fingerstyle that doesn’t require me to adjust too much to account for the more powerful low end you’d find on a larger guitar.

Moving further up the neck as I start to pick harder, it’s very easy to get the strings to buzz due to the low action on this test model. There are a couple of buzzy notes here that aren’t completely dead, but occasionally give out a not-so-nice metallic ringing.

It’s something that can be ironed out with a good setup, and thankfully only happens in the higher registers of the neck versus the likely to be far more chartered territory nearer the nut. It is something beginners may have to factor into the price point if they want their guitar playing nicely all over, however.

Plugging it into my audio interface to see how the built-in preamp sounds, I’m surprised to find that the output level is pretty low, even with the volume at full whack. I have to add a Neve preamp plugin to the track in my DAW to get decent volume out of it, adding around 15dB to really hear the quality of its tone.

There’s a nice bit of low end and midrange present, but the top delivers that typically plinky tone of undersaddle piezo pickups. It’s fine for playing a live show with some added EQ and reverb, but I wouldn’t record it in the studio this way. At this price, it is a useful addition though, meaning beginners could potentially take it to their first show if aided by a decent acoustic guitar pedal.

Verdict

Although it’s not without its flaws, the Fender California Standard Monterey E is a satisfying helping of acoustic guitar for relatively little money. It does the important things right for a beginner-level acoustic, ensuring excellent playability and delivering a very usable built-in tuner, which is one of the best I’ve seen on any acoustic electric guitar.

The sounds probably won’t be sophisticated enough for anyone beyond the beginner realm however, with the lack of low end and reduced sparkle in the top end thanks to the cheaper tonewoods used and the smaller body size. The buzzing frets in the upper registers were also noticeable to me on this test guitar, which means the extra outlay of a decent setup might need to be factored into the cost.

Guitar World Verdict: For beginner guitar players, or those who want an affordable acoustic to play on the sofa, the Fender California Standard Monterey E delivers fantastic playability and rugged build quality. It’s not going to challenge pricier acoustics in the sound department, and some will still find that headstock a little weird to look at on an acoustic, but there’s a lot to love here – especially considering the cost.

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