Fender DG-8S Solid Spruce Top Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar Ultimate Review

Some say it is one of the best choices for a beginner’s guitar.

Fender DG-8S Solid Spruce Top Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar

Do you want to start playing an acoustic guitar but don’t have the time to find out which one to buy? It would help if you started with the Fender DG-8S Solid Spruce Top Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar. It is one of the best acoustic guitars for beginners, and not only some of you, but I’m sure you will love it. This is the reason why I choose to review it.

I loved it during the ten days I borrowed it from a friend, during which I had the chance to try it thoroughly. And I am not the only one that loved it. All the people that hear it and many professional guitarists agree with that. Some say it is one of the best choices for a beginner’s guitar. But what makes that guitar unique?

First of all, the company that originated this guitar consists of a guarantee. Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC), previously named the Fender Electric Instrument Manufacturing Company or just referred to as Fender, was founded in California by Clarence Leonidas “Leo” Fender in 1946. So it is a company with many years of experience in the field and has learned to listen to the needs of the guitarists and answer back with suitable instruments.

This American manufacturer of stringed instruments and amplifiers is well known for its solid-body electric guitars and bass guitars, some of which are the Telecaster (commonly referred to as the “Tele”), Stratocaster (commonly referred to as the “Strat”), Jazz Bass, and the Precision Bass.

The company also makes acoustic guitars, mandolins, banjos, electric violins, electric basses, and musical equipment like guitar amplifiers, bass amplifiers, and PA (public address) equipment. The Fender did an excellent job with this instrument. The guitar belongs to the DG series, which means Dreadnought, referring to the body’s design. The name Dreadnought is inspired by a battleship of the early 20th century that had a significant impact in the First World War by the side of the United Kingdom.

This is ready for the music battle – the product has been available since 2003 with a NATO top wood, but Fender decided to remake it and release it in 2013, and here we are. One of the changes of the past model is the laminated NATO top that becomes a Solid Spruce top. This one is made in Mexico, and the previous one was made in China. Also, it has some extra features, including a gig bag, a tuner, and much more.

Fender DG-8S Review: Design

The design is well made for a beginner’s guitar, as you can expect from a well-known company. It has a beautiful top wood which is light enough to be played standing up. The tuners are of good quality.

Moreover, the guitar’s body is based on aesthetics and human anatomy, with an excellent sound result to be added to the perfection.

The space between the strings is good enough if you want to use your fingers and not a pick. The dual-action truss rod is a plus to this guitar. This shows the company’s high quality, even in the cheapest models.

The quality of the bridge and the nut from Graphtech are some of the high standards the company has placed, which makes this guitar different from other brands in the same price range.

Furthermore, the additional gifts that accompany the guitar are worth naming. It comes with a well-made gig bag to protect the guitar, and you can take it everywhere you go. A tuner to keep always in tune (but I don’t believe you will need it, it stays in tune long enough), strings, picks, a strap to hold it closer to you and safer, and an instructional DVD with some lessons for beginners. In some cases, it comes with a lifetime warranty. What else could you possibly need?

Fender DG-8S: What I Love This Guitar?

And what not to like about this guitar? It is an exquisite and well-made instrument.
The tone is warm and rich with a bit of bass.
It is loud enough as it is connected to an amp. So you will not need to add heavy picking to be loud enough. This is very handful if you use fingerpicking.
As it is cheap (yes, it costs only $199), the Spruce Top wood makes all the difference. It adds a bit of velocity to this guitar which makes it unique. It gives all the range of sound an acoustic player wants. It adds some warmth, and it balances the sound of the guitar. The guitar’s clearance and a little attack give a beautiful output sound that can be retained as long as you play. The combination of the top wood with the mahogany gives a “fat” tone to a wide range of sounds. The Solid top wood makes this difference compared to a laminated top wood. This shows us that the company has emphasized this product. Solid wood is more stable and with a better tone than laminated wood.
The solid wood is easier to target a particular sound characteristic because it doesn’t color the tone. The coloring tone is a characteristic of laminated wood.
The feel of the well-known Fender neck is easy and stable, and with the shape of the neck at “C,” we get excellent through-neck playability for a beginner and intermediate user.
The well-made rosewood fretboard is high quality, so your fingers will not hurt much. The fretboard combines well with the mahogany neck and gives a tighter tone.
The rosewood, combined with mahogany, gives all the warmness that the guitar needs.
The deepness that mahogany wood adds is incredible.
A little itchy bass is enough for this guitar. Also, it doesn’t gain much, which is weird for a mahogany guitar, but it gives a bright tone.
The pickguard is placed well enough and won’t need to be switched.
The guitar stays in tune after some use.
The frets are in good condition from the factory, and the buzzing noise will disappear if you get it in tune.
When it came from the shop we ordered it, the strings that were already on the guitar were wound so loose that they were buzzing and flapping against the body. You must get the tuner out and find the right notes to tighten them properly. But after properly tuning the guitar, it sounds as good as it did in the store where you first tried it. What is highly recommended is a guitar stand that would come with padding so it won’t hurt the guitar. It will help you base the guitar vertically, saving you a lot of space, and it will always be within reach if you want to play something quickly.

And What I Dislike When Taking The Fender DG-8S Review?

Unfortunately, after the pros come to the cons. You will need a much more expensive acoustic guitar if you want to make a professional recording. Because you will need exotic and rare woods for better sound and the best craftsmanship for the guitar to be built or even handcrafted. So these two things, which the guitar under question misses, would have made it more professional but expensive.

So for a beginner and intermediate user is still one of the best choices. Another disadvantage is that the gifts that come with the guitar are of poor quality, but this does not influence the quality of the guitar. Lastly, the guitar could have been cheaper if the gifts weren’t given to it.

Conclusion

Overall is a well-made instrument with high quality and a beautiful tone. Some of you might say it is a value for money. I believe it is. It could cost twice that much if the company has decided so, but it would still be one of the best guitars in this price range. While Fender DG-8S is about ten times cheaper than premium guitars, this one gives you much more value for money.

If you are taking your first steps in learning guitar but aren’t sure if you will continue playing, then this is a good investment that can give you a good idea of guitar playing and your future with that activity. You will be delighted with this guitar. Fender DG-8S is so good that it will get old enough after probably a decade of playing, while other instruments get old after one or two years of playing.

So it will not need a quick replacement for another new one if you go on with guitar playing. It is recommended for beginners and intermediate users that want an all-around instrument to start practicing or taking lessons. Last but not least, it is made by one of the most significant guitar companies.

Fender DG-8S Solid Spruce Top Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar Ultimate Review