T-Bucket 300 CE Review

For an acoustic it is not overly loud but can defiantly be heard if you want it to be heard. It is my everyday player and I have yet to find any real flaws.

Features:	8.5
Sound:	7.5
Action:	9
Reliability:	8
Impression:	8
Overall rating:	8.6
Reviewer rating:	8.2
Users rating:	9
Votes:	23

overall: 9

Reviewed by: ApatheticMe, on september 05, 2011

Price paid: $ 299.00

Purchased from: John Michael's Music

Features: Here is what I got.....It is simply copied from some spec list on the net.

Fender T-Bucket 300 CE Cutaway Acoustic-Electric Dreadnought Guitar Specifications:
Instrument type: HOT rod design
Model name: T-Bucket 300 CE 3-color sunburst
Series: HOT rod design
Body style: single-cutaway Fender style dreadnought
Finish: gloss, (Polyurethane)
Top: laminated quilted maple
Bracing: scalloped X bracing
Back and sides: laminated mahogany
Neck: nato
Fingerboard: rosewood
No. of frets: 20
Bridge: rosewood with compensated saddle
Machine heads: chrome, (die-cast)
Fishman electronics
Scale length: 25.2"
Width at nut: 1.69"
Width at heel: 2.24"

Inlaid "f" and pinstriping motif by Vince Ray at 12th fret
Inlaid pinstriping motif on headstock and rosette
Dual action truss rod
Scalloped X-bracing
Side dot position inlays
Factory-mounted forward strap button with internal block reinforcement
Ivory body and neck binding
Urea nut and saddle
White with black dot bridge pins
Chrome end pin

It looks good and is above all very playable. Mine Is the blue version that just looks beautiful. The only thing I can find to complain about is the bad electronics they put in this guitar. The adjustment knobs on the built in tuner are hard to turn and made of cheap plastic but if you do not plug in all that much it is not a problem.

This Guitar came with a free hard case, free electronic tuner, a free capo and 10$ worth of store credit to buy picks. // 9

Sound: The sound was the reason I bought this guitar in the first place. I have played almost every genre of "rock" on this guitar and they all sound great. For an acoustic it is not overly loud but can defiantly be heard if you want it to be heard. I have tuned this guitar as far down as dropC with no problems. The only little thing I can say bad about it is that it will come out of tune often enough were I just keep my tuner attached to the Head stock and tune it every time I pick up the guitar. // 8

Action, Fit & Finish: This guitar was set up ready to play from day one. When I took it down from the rack it had fresh strings and was properly tuned. None of the frets buzzed. The finish was perfect not a scratch or even a finger print smudge to be seen. // 10

Reliability & Durability: I personally have played a few events with this guitar, just some stuff for school and a few odd little hangouts, and it has held up great. The tuners appear built to last as does the nut, bridge, and frets themselves. THE STRAP BUTTONS ARE SOLID! No worries about just playing the guitar and having to the floor and shatter. I always have a back up just in case but have never had to use it. The finish is beautiful and has kept its looks as of now. Take Care of this guitar and it should last you quite a while. // 9

Impression: I love this guitar. It is my everyday player and I have yet to find any real flaws. I have only been playing for a little bit longer than 2 years, but I have played 100's of other guitars whether the be from stores or friend's acoustics. This guitar holds its own with everything I have played to date. My local dealer I bought this guitar from was very helpful and included a fair bit of free merch with the guitar. I would recommend this guitar to anyone who is looking for a good guitar in this price range. If I could change one thing on this guitar it would be the electronic setup as it is mealy adequate and nothing else. Overall it is great guitar and I would recommend it for anyone looking in the under 500$ price range.

Good Luck and Good Playing. // 9

overall: 7.4

Reviewed by: dogsbrekky, on january 17, 2013

Purchased from: Musician's Friend

Features: 2012 Fender 300 CE T Bucket in Blue (nice finish); China - country of origin. This Fender T-Bucket 300 CE is a single-cutaway dreadnought beauty with a laminated quilted maple top and laminated mahogany back and sides. Other features on the Fender T-Bucket guitar include scalloped bracing, die-cast machine heads, all-solid rosewood bridge with compensated saddle and Fishman electronics.

Fender T-Bucket 300 CE Cutaway Acoustic-Electric Dreadnought Guitar Features:

- Inlaid "f" and pinstriping motif by Vince Ray at 12th fret
- Inlaid pinstriping motif on headstock and rosette
- Dual action truss rod
- Scalloped X-bracing
- Side dot position inlays
- Factory-mounted forward strap button with internal block reinforcement
- Ivory body and neck binding
- Urea nut and saddle
- White with black dot bridge pins
- Chrome end pin

Fender T-Bucket 300 CE Cutaway Acoustic-Electric Dreadnought Guitar Specifications:

- Instrument type: HOT rod design
- Model name: T-Bucket 300 CE 3-color sunburst
- Series: HOT rod design
- Body style: single-cutaway Fender style dreadnought
- Finish: gloss, (Polyurethane)
- Top: laminated quilted maple
- Bracing: scalloped X bracing
- Back and sides: laminated mahogany
- Neck: nato
- Fingerboard: rosewood
- No. of frets: 20
- Bridge: rosewood with compensated saddle
- Machine heads: chrome, (die-cast)
- Fishman electronics
- Scale length: 25.2"
- Width at nut: 1.69"
- Width at heel: 2.24" // 8

Sound: The sound can be really weird and sometimes will be described as tinny or hollow metallic (on acoustic only) but running through my amp with some basic distortion it sounds good... Go figure. I would say when strummed or picked it sounds better than trying to burst power chords. Overall sounds are quite basic. I use this purely for practice in my NY apt as my neighbours would kill me if I used my electric here (Fender Strat). The Fishman electronics are very good. Played it through my amp and it sounded very nice as an electric but a little HOT unless the mid and low range were sub mid setting. // 7

Action, Fit & Finish: Action is GREAT. Very low and quite fast for a Acoustic-Electric but this is a big ass guitar so it takes some getting used to after playing a Std Strat. I changed the stock strings which sucked and put on some 9-42 D'Addario EXLs which improved the playability 50%. The strings really were a disgrace. Spend another $2 Fender and improve your game there. My neck is perfect and the tuners etc are all spot on. The finish around the neck and back is excellent... Zero flaws and the color runs are spot on everywhere. I went over this thing very closely and it really is finished well despite the cheaper wood/s and components. The rest of the set up is fine 82/100 would be higher except for the strings. I am kind of harsh here but as we make stuff in China, Korea, India and USA we know how bad China can be at times. This is really well made for China. // 8

Reliability & Durability: This is a very nice looking guitar but the top and finish will be fragile as it is very "fine". There is no pick guard and that perfect blue finish on mine will scratch up a bit and I have already dropped the beast... No damage but I wouldn't like to do it too often. The strap buttons are good.. The tuners are actually very good for the kind and although many will whine that they are stock cheapies, they do the job well.

Tuning - mine goes a little out of tune around the G/B strings if I am overly aggressive but overall no biggie. The tuner on this thing is pretty good for an "on" guitar/side tuner. I bought a cheap gig bag and I have kept some foam on the base as I just carry it around my apartment and haven't got a stand as yet. // 7

Impression: For the price this is a 9/10 given all the simple features which are highly usable but the overall sound can be a let down... I use it for practice so no biggy at at $279 on sale (new) I thought it was fine. Do not kid yourself that this is comparable to a $1000 electric acoustic or some of the mid range models.

Love - looks
Hate - overall size

I compared this to a few $500+ models but because this was really a part time guitar I bought it as saved the few hundred spondoolies. Overall I would say 70/100 (higher at this price level). // 7

Comments

[thrash-it-up]

i bought one of these last summer, after a year of playing it every day i have yet to find a single fault with it, definitely a 10 in my opinion

[busted_hater]

thrash-it-up wrote:

i bought one of these last summer, after a year of playing it every day i have yet to find a single fault with it, definitely a 10 in my opinion

how can it be a 10! I can name you 10 other guitars that play better, sound better, built better and look better. If everyone just gave things 10 because they like it we would be stuck with a lot of dud reviews. there is already enough of them on here anyway!

[ApatheticMe]

I agree with that guy there are better guitars out there. Compared to some 1000$+ guitars out there it is a 6 at best. But in this price range it is a very good guitar. If a reviewer gives a ten to what he is reviewing then what is the point of even reviewing it?...this is not the slam dunk competition...

[thrash-it-up]

busted_hater wrote:

thrash-it-up wrote:

i bought one of these last summer, after a year of playing it every day i have yet to find a single fault with it, definitely a 10 in my opinion

how can it be a 10! I can name you 10 other guitars that play better, sound better, built better and look better. If everyone just gave things 10 because they like it we would be stuck with a lot of dud reviews. there is already enough of them on here anyway!

you have to take into account value for money, sure a £1000+ guitar is going to sound better, but for the price you pay this guitar is definitely worth a 10

[Fjurg]

Got this guitar about 6 month ago. Was really impressed by the sound when i first tried it. Although it wasn't the reason I bought it. Partly it was the price (kind of thin budget), but most important, the super-comfortable neck.

I play mostly fingerstyle and picking songs (John Mayer, Thomas Leeb, José Gonzales etc.) This guitar is sooooo perfect for those kind of fast chord transitions.

I paid 2184 SEK ($246) for this guitar and will continue to use this until I can afford the guitar of my dreams; The Martin OM-42 Koa.

[gage1103]

I got one of these and like Fjurg i use it for fingerstyle and blues...its a really good guitar to play...i hear people saying that Ibanez and Yamaha rules this price range...i say: SUCK IT. this Fender kills them all

[frallson]

just bought one of these (blue, of course) and imo it actually played better than for example a yamaha for about $1000 wich i also tried. fenders just kick ass

[IABart]

I have a Yamaha FGX-730 (solid spruce) and 2 T-Buckets (1 on CL for too good too pass, 1 from Hello Music for $150, sunburst with Isis III and blue with Fishman).

Solid-tops outperform the T-bucket. For the money, the Mitchell MD-100S is a better guitar-better bass, more resonance, better neck. Fender CD-140S also outperforms the T-bucket.

That said, if you can get the guitar for $180 or less, you won't be dissatisfied. They are GORGEOUS, the detailing is great. Plugged in they sound fantastic especially the Fishman. Unplugged, they are kind of "bright" and I suppose laminate and maple over solid and spruce gives you a brighter sound. Not bad, but play next to someone with a solid top, and you'll overpower them with treble while their bass will overplay you.

Fantastic looking and fun to play, which means you'll practice more, but only average sounding when you play side-by-side with even a $200 solid top guitar.

[dogsbrekky]

After just 3 months, my poor T Bucket has issues... some "dead" fret areas and an even tinnier sound than before... meh.. would drop my rating from 7.2 to about 5