Fender CD-60SCE Guitar Review

Written by Mark Le. Last updated on September 3, 2023.
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Fender CD-60SCE Guitar Review

The Fender CD-60SCE is a versatile and reliable acoustic guitar that caters to players of all skill levels.

With its dreadnought cutaway body style and solid mahogany top, this instrument delivers a warm and crisp sound.

Equipped with a Fishman Classic Design pickup/preamp system, the CD-60SCE offers powerful onboard electronics and a built-in tuner.

Although some users have reported tuning difficulties and quality issues, the guitar's playability, sound projection, and sustain make it a popular choice among musicians.

Key Takeaways

  • The Fender CD-60SCE is a dreadnought cutaway acoustic guitar with powerful onboard electronics and easy playability.
  • It is ideal for beginning to intermediate level players and is designed for use in coffeehouses, beaches, or patios.
  • The guitar has a solid mahogany top with scalloped X-bracing for increased volume and a warm sound.
  • It has received positive feedback on its playability, sound projection, and sustain, but there have been complaints about tuning difficulties and quality issues with certain components.

Features of the Fender CD-60SCE

The Fender CD-60SCE features a single-cutaway body for easy upper-fret access and powerful onboard electronics with a built-in tuner. This guitar is designed for beginning to intermediate level players looking for great tone and easy playability.

The solid spruce top and mahogany back and sides contribute to increased volume and a crisp sound. The CD-60SCE is often compared to other similar models in its price range, such as the Yamaha FGX800C and the Epiphone DR-100CE.

One of the pros of the CD-60SCE is its warm-sounding solid mahogany top, which adds richness to the overall tone. However, some users have mentioned minor cosmetic flaws and quality issues with the battery compartment door and frets. Additionally, there are mixed opinions on the sound quality, with some finding it too bright or tinny.

Overall, the CD-60SCE offers a good balance between affordability and quality.

Design and Construction of the CD-60SCE

Featuring a dreadnought cutaway body style, the CD-60SCE is designed for easy upper-fret access. This design feature allows players to reach higher notes effortlessly, making it ideal for those who enjoy playing solos or intricate melodies.

Pros of the CD-60SCE design and construction:

  1. Solid mahogany top with scalloped X-bracing, providing a warm and rich tone.
  2. Mahogany back and sides contribute to increased volume and a crisp sound.
  3. Easy-to-play neck with rolled fingerboard edges, ensuring a comfortable playing experience.

When comparing the CD-60SCE with other similar acoustic guitars, it stands out due to its powerful onboard electronics and built-in tuner. However, some cons include minor cosmetic flaws and occasional quality issues with the battery compartment door and frets. Additionally, there are mixed opinions on the sound quality, with some finding it bright or tinny, but adjustments can improve the overall tone. Suggestions to replace composite components with bone for improved volume and sustain have been made by some users.

Despite these drawbacks, the CD-60SCE is popular among beginning to intermediate level players for its great tone and easy playability.

Electronics and Amplification

The CD-60SCE offers amplified sound and convenient tuning options for players. With its powerful onboard electronics and built-in tuner, it's easy to amplify your sound for performances or recordings. The Fishman Classic Design pickup/preamp system accurately reproduces the guitar's natural tone when plugged in. The onboard controls allow for volume and tone adjustments, so you can customize your sound to your liking. Plus, the built-in tuner ensures your guitar is always in tune, eliminating the need for additional tuning devices. Overall, the electronics and amplification capabilities of the CD-60SCE enhance the playing experience and provide sound customization options for achieving your desired tone.

Sound Quality and Projection

The CD-60SCE's sound quality and projection are praised by customers, with positive feedback on its playability, sustain, and sound projection.

The guitar offers clear and balanced tones, allowing players to express themselves with ease.

The solid mahogany top with scalloped X-bracing contributes to improved sound quality, offering a warm and rich tone.

The dreadnought cutaway body style enhances the projection of the guitar, making it suitable for both intimate settings and larger venues.

In terms of amplification options, the CD-60SCE comes equipped with a Fishman Classic Design pickup/preamp system. This onboard electronics system provides a clear and natural sound when plugged into an amplifier or PA system. Additionally, the built-in tuner ensures accurate and convenient tuning.

Overall, the CD-60SCE is a reliable and versatile guitar that delivers excellent sound quality and offers amplification options for various performance settings.

Playability and Comfort

Customers have praised the CD-60SCE for its comfortable playability, allowing players to easily navigate the neck and fretboard. The guitar's ergonomics and fingerboard playability have been highlighted as key features by satisfied users.

The easy-to-play neck with rolled fingerboard edges provides a smooth and enjoyable playing experience. The design of the guitar ensures that players can effortlessly reach the upper frets, thanks to the single-cutaway body style. This makes it an ideal choice for beginners and intermediate level players.

However, some customers have mentioned minor cosmetic flaws, as well as tuning difficulties and quality issues with the battery compartment door and frets. Despite these concerns, the CD-60SCE has received positive feedback for its playability, with users recommending replacing certain components to enhance volume and sustain.

Customer Reviews and Ratings

Users have expressed mixed opinions on the sound quality of the CD-60SCE. Some find it bright/tinny, while others enjoy it after adjustments.

Here are the pros of the Fender CD-60SCE in comparison to other acoustic guitars:

  • Powerful onboard electronics with built-in tuner
  • Easy playability and great tone
  • Single-cutaway body for easy upper-fret access

And here are the cons:

  • Some users find the sound quality to be bright/tinny
  • Tuning difficulties and quality issues with the battery compartment door and frets
  • Recommendations to replace composite components with bone for improved volume and sustain

When compared to other acoustic guitars, the CD-60SCE stands out for its onboard electronics and easy playability. However, some users have noted issues with sound quality and construction.

It is important for potential buyers to consider these factors before making a purchase.

Tips and Recommendations for Improvements

Players have suggested replacing the composite components with bone for improved volume and sustain. Some users of the Fender CD-60SCE have expressed the desire to upgrade the guitar's pickups for enhanced sound quality.

While the guitar has received positive feedback on its playability and sound projection, there have been mixed opinions on the overall sound quality. Some users found the sound to be too bright or tinny, but others enjoyed it after making adjustments.

In addition, there have been complaints about tuning difficulties and quality issues with the battery compartment door and frets. Despite these concerns, the built-in tuner and pickups have been praised for holding tuning well.

Overall, replacing the composite components with bone and upgrading the pickups could potentially address some of the sound quality issues and improve the overall performance of the Fender CD-60SCE.

Conclusion: Is the Fender CD-60SCE Worth It?

Based on the feedback and recommendations, upgrading certain components and pickups could potentially enhance the overall performance and sound quality of the Fender CD-60SCE.

Here are the pros and cons to consider before making a decision:

Pros:

  1. Easy playability and comfortable neck design.
  2. Powerful onboard electronics with a built-in tuner.
  3. Solid mahogany top for warm and rich sound.

Cons:

  1. Tuning difficulties reported by some customers.
  2. Quality issues with the battery compartment door and frets.
  3. Mixed opinions on sound quality, with some finding it bright/tinny.

Alternative options:

  1. Consider replacing composite components with bone for improved volume and sustain.
  2. Explore other models with similar features and price range, such as the Yamaha FG800 or Epiphone DR-100.

Ultimately, the decision to invest in the Fender CD-60SCE depends on individual preferences and priorities.

Article written by Mark Le
An enthusiastic and charismatic Christian – dedicated to living a life of full service to the ministry through helping churches in bridging the gap between the Gospel and Technology.

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