You want to get your hands on Fender’s sonically-shifting Acoustasonic Telecaster

We’ve seen guitar-maker Fender eneavour into the tech space in the past but their new Acoustasonic Telecaster has bypassed the likes of a Strat that can plug into tablets by miles. Fender’s new guitar hardware is an acoustic-electric guitar with a difference — the power of mimicry.

You see, the Acoustasonic Telecaster is more than just an unwieldy name and an unconventional frame. Fender’s outfitted this acoustic-electic guitar with a feature it calls an Acoustic Engine. The short explanation is that users can use their stringed instrument to mimic “… ten different body style and tone wood combinations”. Which could potentially replace an entire roomful of acoustic instruments and leave you more space for… amplifiers? And more electric guitars, we guess? Maybe a drum-kit? Your neighbours would love that.

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The deceptively simple-looking instrument will feature three different pickups: a Fishman Under-Saddle Transducer, a Fishman Acoustasonic Enhancer and a Fender Acoustasonic Noiseless magnetic pickup. Fender’s also dropped something it calls a Stringed Instrument Resonance System (SIRS) into the classic Telecaster-like body (if you skip over the hole in the body). The result? A slimmer guitar that can be played like an acoustic but can also sound like whatever you want it to sound like. You can even blend tones for something a little… unconventional.

Want one? You’ll have to shell out at least R30,000 when they go on sale later this week — and that’s before they’re officially in the country so add a little for import duties, shipping and handling.

Source: Fender