Fender DG-25S Acoustic Guitar > Reviews > Fender's DG25S - A Lovely Little Acoustic

Author's product rating:   

How well constructed is it?	very well
Appearance	4
Quality of sound	very good
Playability	very playable
Value for money	excellent

Advantages:	Well balanced tone,
Disadvantages:	Prone to scratches

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

I bought my Fender DG25S several years ago when visiting my brother up in Newcastle. I'd been looking to buy an acoustic guitar for some time and my brother took me to his local music shop where he was friends with the manager. On the first day we got there a little late and the shop was closing, so I only had a chance to try a couple of guitars. In particular, a blonde Gibson (think John Lennon-style) really stood out for me and I thought I'd found my guitar, for £320. We decided to go back the next day at a more respectable hour so I could spend my hard-earned cash.
On the second day we bumped into my brother's friend who about to go on his lunch, but mentioned that there was a very nice Fender going on special offer. My initial reaction was that Fender are not renowned for the quality of their acoustics and thought it couldn't possibly compare to the Gibson I'd seen the day before. I picked up the Gibson and had made my decision to buy it when I thought I should at least give the Fender a chance - after all, my brother's friend was a guitarist himself and knew his stuff, so what was the harm in trying? Having played one chord I fell instantly in love with the feel and tone of the Fender, as it was some £150 cheaper decided that this was the guitar I'd been looking for.

To me, the Fender 'DG25S' looks quite stylish with an attractive design around the edge of the guitar and around the sound-hole. Using solid cedar for the top, with a laminated mahogany for the back and sides it is both a well-built and appears to have had a lot of care and attention given to it during its' making.
It doesn't have a scratch plate (a piece of plastic that normally sits below the sound-hole to protect the body whilst playing with a plectrum), but I think this enhances its appearance. The guitar is symmetrical and doesn't have a cut-away, so access to the high notes on the fret board is a little difficult.
Because of the symmetrical shape and lack of a scratch plate, the 'DG25S' could easily be restrung for left-handers with not difficulty.

The 'DG25S' is a well-balanced guitar in terms of tone, neither too heavy on the bass-end end nor too bright on the treble. I've found over the years that the tone has matured and become a little mellower so that the guitar has a pleasant sound and is never swamped by one extreme or the other.

The neck is medium-sized and sits comfortably in the hand. I couldn't give you the actual size, but it's comparable to a Yamaha Pacifica in terms of width, though it is slightly thicker. I think most people of most ages would find this a comfortable fit, though perhaps young children would struggle with the size of neck.
There are twenty frets (which is quite standard for an acoustic of this style) but I've never really been able to use anything beyond the 15th fret comfortably.

It is of a medium body size and I find when sitting down it is comfortable and rests easily upon the leg. Reaching over the body when sitting can be a little difficult at times because of the thickness of the body, but I wouldn't say it is excessively uncomfortable. Anyone used to an electric guitar might find it a little disorienting at first, but given time I think most people would be able to find a comfortable position for themselves. I've also found this is only really an issue for me if I'm sitting down, once standing the position of my arm is much better for reaching over the body to reach the strings.
If anything, it is slightly weighted towards the headstock end, but this isn't a problem whilst playing, only if you don't use a strap or don't have at least one hand on the guitar at the time.
One criticism I do have is that there's only one strap-holder located on the base of the guitar, so in order to use a strap you have tie it behind the strings at the headstock. Saying that, this layout keeps the guitar very well balanced when standing and helps distribute the weight so that your shoulder doesn't get too tired whilst playing.

The action (how far away from the fret board the strings are) is really quite low and as such the guitar lends itself to a variety of styles. I've been able to play anything from pop/rock-acoustic songs through to finger-style and even an occasional classical piece. The 'DG25S' is a very versatile guitar in my experience and sounds good regardless of the style of music you're playing.
There is access to the truss-rod (a piece of metal that runs through the neck to keep the neck straight), but I've never had to adjust it. In fact, I've had to make no alterations to the guitar what so ever. If you found your guitar needed a little work you could always take it to a professional and have them set it up according to your personally preference, but I think on the whole to 'DG25S', (or at least my particular one) is fine as it is and requires no additional configuration.

I've found that the tuning is reliable and have found that once in tune I rarely need to adjust any of the strings. The exception to this is when there's a sudden change in temperature, but that is something that affects all guitars to some degree. Certainly once the 'DG25S' has acclimatised, I've never had to retune at the end of a song or anything like that.
I've also found the restringing process to be very easy. Like most acoustics the 'DG25S' uses a peg system on the bridge that hold the strings in place. I've found these to be very easy to remove when needed, but also very sturdy so you won't find them popping out at the wrong moment.

It has only a very light lacquer on the body, which keeps the wood looking natural, which is something I prefer compared to the more polished and prepped style of some guitars. The main problem though is because of this light lacquer the guitar is quite prone to scuffs and scratches. Over the years mine has picked up more than its' fair share, (though I have to say an awful lot of them are down to my own carelessness). Whilst it is a bit of a shame, thankfully so far they have done no damage in terms of playability or sounds, purely aesthetics.

Overall, I think the Fender 'DG25S' is a superb little guitar and an absolute bargain for the price. Whilst I only paid about £180 for this guitar on special offer, I think the normal retail price in the region of £200 is worth it and think this is a great guitar for serious players. One that lends itself to a variety of different styles of playing and is a worthy guitar for anyone of all ages I think. Though perhaps not the greatest guitar out there, it certainly holds its own against the competition at a similar price and I for one highly recommend it.