Fender CD-140SCE - Overwhelming Versatility In a Traditional Design

When we think about things that made Fender one of the all-time greats of the guitar realm, we distinctively single out two factors – one would be revolutionary designs, will to experiment and proactively work on changing the very essence of the instrument, and the other would be dedication to making the instruments as accessible to wider audiences as possible. And one of the key ingredients to making the instruments accessible is mixing up top-notch craftsmanship with an affordable price tag, which is exactly what the CD-140SCE model does. We took this fella for a spin, these are the conclusions!

Body & Neck

From the moment you lay your hands upon this puppy you realize that you're dealing with one sturdy beast. The guitar is all mahogany – meaning mahogany back, sides, top, and neck – plus a standard rosewood fingerboard with 20 frets and white dot fret inlays. The body also features a scalloped "X" bracing. As for the neck, we're looking at a slim and playable piece that feels strong in your hands. Whether you're into some heavy chord strumming or fast-paced leads, it will do the job just fine. And the satin finish on the back gives a smooth feel your hands are bound to appreciate. Back to that tonewood, the all-mahogany combo secures a dense, full and warm tone with a pinch of softness in the low-end segment. Perhaps most importantly for the instruments of this price range, the bass frequencies are more than present in the mix, resulting in a well-rounded punch.

Hardware

Let's focus on the electronics first, shall we? In the electro segment, this Fender is loaded with a Fishman Presys Pickup system featuring an onboard tuner and a preamp. Overall, this combination is adequate and does a fine job in transposing the unplugged sound of the guitar into a plugged-in environment. The preamp also features tone controls that come in very handy when plugged directly into a PA system. Additional notable components include a set of die-cast tuners, a rosewood bridge with compensated Graphtech NuBone saddle and a pack of aged white bridge pins with black dots, a classy Fender headstock, a mother of pearl rosette, and a tortoise shell pick-guard.

Sound

As for the sound, massive and gritty are words that pop up first, and are followed up with smooth and mellow. If you like to jam raw blues, rock 'n' roll or heavier country, this is the guitar for you. If light jazz is your thing, there are some better options within this price range such as the Dean Exotica Cocobolo.

Value/Conclusion

When everything is taken into consideration, this guitar actually offers a stellar value for money. For the musical styles it is geared towards, it comes with a sonic quality you can't get for such a low price tag. And by staying $50 to $100 ahead of competition, Fender won a solid share of the market through this very instrument. So what we would now recommend is inspecting this fella a bit further, as well as jotting down your exact needs, expectation and spending budget to see to which extent are they matched with CD-140SCE. If the stars have aligned, don't hesitate to purchase this fella as early as today! For more info about Fender CD-140SCE, click here. For more acoustic electric guitars, click here.