Fender Dreadnaught

Isn't she gorgeous? Tones like liquid honey, and that says a lot as I can strum it with meaning, and she is being kind and sweet and hasn't made squawking noises at all!

We took a stroll around London today and after visiting a few shops, picking up various guitars (pronounced ghee-tarrs) and fiddling with them and trying to not look quite the novice, we chose this one.

She is a Fender Dreadnaught and her stats are as follows:-

TOP: Laminated BasswoodBACK

AND SIDES: Laminated Basswood

FINGERBOARD: Rosewood

NECK: Nato

BRIDGE: Black Stained Maple with Compensated Saddle

MACHINE HEADS: Chrome

Needless to say, at first this meant nothing to me but now I have a clue.

It is vastly exciting. What struck me was her sound - she had a deep body and fits comfortably on my lap and I can fit my arm around her nicely and grip the neck easily. The first shop we walked into we were offered an Aria. Which was pretty to look at but sounded like a honky-tonk gheetar. Thankfully we walked out and did some more shopping, listening intently as other people spoke about sound, comfort, etc.

Then, a tiny sign appeared which read "guitar sale" and we scooted off in there and in a shop no larger than my diningroom we found the Dreadnaught. The owner was strumming her, in demonstration. Another young girl was fingering one, looking as happy as a clam, listening to him. Then her older sister, mom, tutor or partner - who knows, there was a gaggle of them - took it over and the sounds she made on it, dropped my jaw. They decided to take one, I got handed the demo-instrument, was shown a chair and started strumming my little heart out, only to find that honey was pouring out of the instrument. I was enraptured.

The owner popped back as FG and I chatted, amazed at how beautiful she looked, her back and neck is this deep rich almost red-almost brown colour. And the fact that she was an affordable acoustic gheetar, and a Fender, sold us. (Snobbish??)

We were packaged up with a free gig-bag with backpack straps, a handful of different picks and within seconds I was transformed from Mundane Liz into Almost Acoustic Fender Rock Chick.

I am planning to pop up there on Monday to get an electric tuner. I have been promised a few books on grips and chords, so I will wait until then before buying my own books.

FG has been really sweet about it - he was the recipient of constant hugs and kisses during the day, much to his joy.

So, all I have to now is limber up my hands who have not seen strings or a keyboard for about eighteen years. Yikes! But, I hold over hope. Maybe I even do guitar lessons locally - who knows? All very exciting!