Back in 2019, Fender released the acoustasonic line of guitars. A midpoint between electric and acoustic. These guitars are extremely popular, taking up interest from both sides of the guitar world. That extra freedom to play a little bit more bluesy while keeping an acoustic tang. It’s irresistible, and their build quality and voice fidelity is unlike anything else on the market. Until now… Fender has released the all-new Highway line of acoustic guitars. These guitars answer the question: what would happen if an acoustasonic, was an acoustic? It sounds simple enough, but there’s a lot more to it than meets the ear.
There are two bodies to choose from in the initial lineup, a dreadnaught and a parlour. Both hold within them the same electronics and tech and both come out at the same price, so the shape and size is a choice for you to take up with yourself, and not your wallet. Nice! The aim with the Highway series is to create this balance between playing acoustically and having a little more headroom in the electric space, all the while using new tech and everything Fender learned from the acoustasonic to make these guitars as slimline as they could possibly be. Both the dreadnaught and the parlour are incredibly thin for acoustic guitars. And no, they don’t have the full body of sound, that’s just dynamics, but they come surprisingly close, and importantly, they are head and shoulders above the acoustasonics. The Highway series should be thought of as acoustic guitars first. They don’t have pickup selections or any bells and whistles that electric guitars have. They have a volume and a tone and that’s your lot. It makes for a simpler and more analogue playing experience which is what acoustic players are more often than not looking for.
The Highway guitars are compact, well-made, incredibly voiced, and pack a hell of a punch for their size. Their price sits at £899.00 on Andertons and Gear 4 Music, so wherever you pick one of these up you’ll be happy. If you want that acoustic feel but you want the flexibility to be able to pack light and plug into any amp that suits your fancy, then the Highway series is the way to go. (And if you want my advice, I’d consider the parlour over the dreadnaught. That little puppy really has some bark!)