Fender expands their affordable Modern Player series with another classic remake – the Coronado.
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The guitar is inspired by vintage Coronados first produced in the mid ’60s, and was Fender’s first attempt at building hollow-body electrics.
If you are wondering why it looks more like a “Rick”, that’s because the original guitar was co-designed by their rival’s former employee. Although it didn’t fare as well as their popular solid body electrics, Fender is now giving this design a second chance, aiming to provide a unique instrument for players while still retaining Fender’s feel and look.
The new Modern Player Coronado follows the original closely, but introduces modern adjustments and improvements to make it a viable tool for working musicians. A notable difference between the 2013 model and the original is the use of a center block, effectively turning the guitar into a semi-hollow electric to reduce feedback. The new model also features more cost effective Fidelitron pickups.
The guitar starts out with a laminated maple semi-hollow body. It is carved into double cutaway shape that features a distinctly elongated f hole, and features an alder center block. You can pick between a variety of finish options: 3-Color Sunburst, Black, Candy Apple Red and my personal favorite, the Black Cherry Burst. The top and back of the body is bound and so is the fingerboard, adding to the guitar’s elegant and retro-ish appeal.
The neck is made of maple carved into a C shape profile and connected to the body via 4 bolts. It is topped by a rosewood fingerboard with 21 medium jumbo frets. It has a scale length of 25.5″ and a nutwidth of 1.650″. Serving as aesthetic markers are pearloid block inlays, generously spread on the fretboard.
Capturing the sound of the guitar are two Fideli’Tron humbuckers, the same pickups found on Fender’s Cabronita series. These pickups look much like the FilterTrons found on Gretsch guitars, but have a sound that sit between a regular single-coil and a filtertron. Controls include independent volume and tone knobs for each pickup, as well as a 3 way pickup selector.
Other hardware include a pinned adjusto-matic bridge, an elegant looking floating “F” trapeze tailpiece, a 3-ply black pickguard and skirted amp-like knobs.
The Modern Player Coronado is already retailing online for just under $900. Get the latest price & reviews at Amazon.com
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