Fender Acoustasonic Player Telecaster is the ideal Christmas gift for the guitar hero in your life

It's like having six guitars in one, making it perfect for home jams, in the studio or on stage performances

Fender Acoustasonic Telecaster
(Image credit: Future)

The Fender Acoustasonic Player Telecaster is the latest edition to the Acoustasonic line. These hybrid guitars offer a solution for those that want to switch between the natural sounds of an acoustic and the grit and wail of an electric, whether it's through convenience or cost. The Acoustasonic's can do both, as well as various in-between stages. 

The new Player Telecaster is a Mexican-made guitar and has paired-down features compared to the American Telecaster, which makes it more affordable. Mexican Fenders are highly sought-after models and this new Acoustasonic is likely to be no exception, which is why it's one of the best Christmas gifts for the guitarist (or wannabe guitarist) in your life.

The hollow body means that you can play it quietly at home without an amp, or plug it in and get that big electric sound. This makes it the perfect choice for someone looking to get their first guitar, as well as those adding one more to the collection. Once you've ticked this one off your list, take a look at the rest of T3's Christmas content in our handy hub. 

Why the Fender Acoustasonic Player Telecaster is a great Christmas gift

Fender Acoustasonic Player Telecaster in all four colors

Just look at it, it's a great looking guitar

(Image credit: Fender)

Okay, I'm a bit biased here. As a guitarist myself, I love good guitar and the regular Telecaster happens to be one of my all-time favorites. But if this was gifted to me for Christmas, I'd be over the moon. 

As I already mentioned, the Acoustasonic range has been around a while and includes versions of the Telecaster, Stratocaster and Jazzmaster – Fender's big three designs. While all of these were American-made, the brand new Acoustasonic Player Telecaster is handcrafted in Ensenada, Mexico.

The guitar comes in a choice of four colors: brushed black, butterscotch blonde, shadow burst and arctic white. It features two pickups: a Fender Acoustasonic Noiseless for those acoustic sounds and a Fishman Under-Saddle Transducer for the electric tones, all powered by a 9V battery. You can switch between these using the three-way voice selector and a blend knob, which lets you vary the sound to your liking. Yes, you can get the extremes of an acoustic and an electric here but you can also get everything in between.  

The other great thing about the Fender Acoustasonic Player Telecaster is the price. At £1,049/$1,199/AU$1,799 it's considerably cheaper than the original American Acoustasonic Telecaster. 

Fender Play: learning online

If you're gifting a Fender Acoustasonic to someone new to the guitar you might also want to add on a Fender Play membership. It costs £9.99/$9.99 a month or £89.99/$89.99 for a year's subscription and gives you access to thousands of songs, lessons and backing tracks to help up your playing. In fact, you really don't need to be a beginner to make the most of it. 

Fender Play

Learning to play guitar no longer needs a mountain of books or in-person lessons

(Image credit: Fender)
Mat Gallagher

As T3's Editor-in-Chief, Mat Gallagher has his finger on the pulse for the latest advances in technology. He has written about technology since 2003 and after stints in Beijing, Hong Kong and Chicago is now based in the UK. He’s a true lover of gadgets, but especially anything that involves cameras, Apple, electric cars, musical instruments or travel.