This thing has been out forever, but I only recently got a chance to spend some time with one. It’s kind of rare for me to review an “expensive” guitar, but every so often I do.
The Good
It is very possible that this guitar will go up in value in the future. It all depends on how many they continue to make as the years go by. If they stop making them, future collectors might want them.
Amplified, the Acoustasonic is its own animal. It can pass for an acoustic guitar, and it can pass for a Strat, and it can sound like its own thing. Does it sound as good as an acoustic, when plugged in? Sure. Maybe even better, but that depends on your tastes.
The fretwork and construction where perfect – I couldn’t find any flaws. For 2 grand, that’s what I’d expect. And the body feels very comfortable. Like, you know, a Strat.
The Bad
I was hoping this guitar would have super low action and play amazing, but sound like an acoustic. Instead, it has acoustic guitar action and sounds like an acoustic. It’s like a beefy Telecaster neck with high action and thick strings. Does that sound easy to play? But let’s save my primary gripe for…
The Ugly
This is a two thousand dollar acoustic guitar that doesn’t sound much like an acoustic when not plugged in, and doesn’t play anywhere near as nice as a Strat. For the same amount of money I could buy a great acoustic guitar (that DOES sound good when not plugged in) and an actual Strat. At about $800, I think this instrument would deserve consideration. But two grand? Ha ha ha ha ha ha! I mean, the rich dude can buy one and put it next to his PRS Ten Top, right? It’s either a neat hybrid, or it’s a bad acoustic combined with a bad Strat. For two grand. I can understand how you can charge two grand for something that’s expensive to make, but that doesn’t actually mean it’s worth two grand. You can pay me $100 an hour for 40 hours to compose a poem, but that won’t make it worth four grand. If only!
As usual, I feel a little bad for someone who dropped two grand on this thing and then found and read this review. They’re thinking “What does this guy know, anyway?” Hey, it’s just my opinion. If you love that thing, great. I’ll give you something: This guitar sounds unique. It is definitely its own thing. Maybe that’s worth the extra money to you. Maybe you can pay to have it set up better. Go for it! Enjoy.
