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Fender Redondo Classic
Fender CD-140SCE
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Playability
73
Sound
86
Build
75
Value
83
Score
78
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Playability
73
Sound
83
Build
75
Value
87
Score
77
FIND IT ON:
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Fender Redondo Classic vs CD-140SCE Specs Comparison
Fender Redondo Classic CD-140SCE
General
Brand: Fender Fender
Year: 2018 2016
Strings: 6 6
Made in: China Indonesia
Series: California Classic Design
Colors: Natural Natural
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Hollowbody Hollowbody
Body Material: Solid Sitka Spruce Solid Spruce
Sides Material: Mahogany Ovangkol
Back Material: Mahogany Ovangkol
Bridge: Modern Viking Walnut
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Set
Tuners: Sealed Nickel Chrome Die-Cast
Fretboard: Pau Ferro Walnut
Neck Material: Mahogany Mahogany
Decoration: Maple Dots 3mm Pearloid Dot
Scale Size: 25.6" 25.3"
Shape: Acoustic Slim C Acoustic Fender 'Easy-to-Play' shape with rolled fretboard edges
Frets: 20 Medium Nickel Silver 20 Vintage Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 15.75" 12"
Nut: Bone NuBone
Nut Width: 43mm (1.693'') 43mm (1.693'')
Electronics
Pickups: Fishman-designed preamp system (Preamp / Active) Fishman CD-1 Preamp (Preamp / Passive)
Hardware
Strap Lock: No No
Hardware Color: Nickel Chrome

Reasons to Get
Fender Redondo Classic over CD-140SCE

Release Year
2018 vs 2016
From a more recent year
Frets Height
Taller vs Shorter
Easier to press down strings and bend them
Sides Wood
Solid vs Laminated
Helps with richer tones and louder volume
Back Wood
Solid vs Laminated
Helps with richer tones and louder volume
Body Shape
Redondo vs Dreadnought
Large body with strong low tones
Scale Length
25.6'' (650.2mm) vs 25.3'' (642.6mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone
Fretboard Radius
15.75'' (400.1mm) vs 12'' (304.8mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend

Reasons to Get
Fender CD-140SCE over Redondo Classic

Country of Manufacturing
Indonesia vs China
Built with higher quality standards
Body Shape
Dreadnought vs Redondo
Prominent low-end tones in a large body
Scale Length
25.3'' (642.6mm) vs 25.6'' (650.2mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Fretboard Radius
12'' (304.8mm) vs 15.75'' (400.1mm)
Easier to play chords without muting strings
Value Score
87 vs 83
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Fender Redondo Classic vs CD-140SCE

Back Material
Mahogany vs Ovangkol
Different Back Material
Sides Material
Mahogany vs Ovangkol
Different Sides Material
Saddle Material
Bone vs NuBone
Different Saddle Material
Bridge Material
Modern Viking vs Walnut
Different Bridge Material
Fretboard Wood
Pau Ferro vs Walnut
Different Fretboard Wood
Headstock
6 vs 3-3
Different Headstock
Nut Material
Bone vs NuBone
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Fender Redondo Classic vs CD-140SCE

Body Wood
Spruce
Same Body Wood
Neck Wood
Mahogany
Same Neck Wood
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Hollowbody
Warm tone, lighter and acoustic sound
Switch Positions
0
Same pickups versatility
Volume Knobs
0
Same volume control
Tone Knobs
0
Same tone control
Number of Frets
20
Same maximum octave
Nut Width
1.693'' (43mm)
Same string separation at the nut
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Bridge
Fixed
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Neck Profile Type
C
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Type of Frets
Medium vs Vintage
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • Solid Top Wood
  • High-Quality Nut
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
  • Locking Tuners
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Price History Comparison

Fender Redondo Classic Prices

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SET PRICE ALERT

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Hand Size Comfortability

After taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that both favor small hands .

Fender Redondo Classic:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Fender CD-140SCE:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Beginner Friendliness

The Fender Redondo Classic meets 4 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Fender CD-140SCE meets only 2. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players.

New Player Friendliness

Fender Redondo Classic
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Soft Strings
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Fender CD-140SCE
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable shape
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Soft Strings
  • Locking tuners

Sound Quality Comparison

The most important thing that will determine the tone of an acoustic guitar is the wood. Let's take a look at the differences between both .

Woods Used in Both

Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany
Spruce wood pattern used for guitar building
Spruce

Mahogany is a fairly rare wood nowadays. It's used mostly for bodies due to its relatively lightweight. Gibson popularized it with their Les Paul guitars during their golden years, so this wood has a lot of good reputation behind it. The most expensive type comes from South America and it's still used by Gibson even today. Find out more about Mahogany.

Spruce has a light color with tight grain patterns. It's very stiff but relatively light. It's known for producing a well-rounded tone with a broad dynamic range. Find out more about Spruce.

Woods Used in the Fender Redondo Classic

Pau Ferro wood pattern used for guitar building
Pau Ferro

Pau Ferro has a dark, chocolate-like color with straight dark grains that is being used as a replacement to Rosewood due to the regulations. It produces a warm tone that is somewhere between Mahogany and Rosewood. Find out more about Pau Ferro.

Woods Used in the Fender CD-140SCE

Walnut wood pattern used for guitar building
Walnut
Ovangkol wood pattern used for guitar building
Ovangkol

It's a hard wood with a chocolate color that is often used to give an elegant finish. Since it's quite expensive and rare, it's mostly used for guitar tops. Find out more about Walnut.

Ovangkol is a beautiful wood that's popular for acoustic guitars. Its tone sits somewhere between rosewood and mahogany, meaning it has a punchy low-end and nice mid-range. Find out more about Ovangkol.

Winner: Tie.

Electronics

Both come with electronics that allow you connect them to an amplifier or interface for recording.

Winner:Tie.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Fender Redondo Classic
Sustain 90
Versatility 85
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 86
Fender CD-140SCE
Sustain 80
Versatility 80
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 83

Build Quality Comparison

When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the Fender Redondo Classic compares to the Fender CD-140SCE.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Fender Redondo Classic is built in China while the Fender CD-140SCE is made in Indonesia.

China has a bad reputation when it comes to building quality. However, times have changed and now respectable brands use China's cheap labor to build good instruments for a lower price. Don't discount a guitar only because it was built in China, but also expect more quality from countries like Korea.

Indonesia is becoming the most popular country for guitar building because they can make good instruments for a low price. Some people think that they're 'the new China' when it comes to build quality. But the truth is that Indonesian guitars are more consistent, although Chinese quality has improved a lot in the last few years.

Winner: Fender CD-140SCE

Nut Material

If you want your guitar to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.

The Fender Redondo Classic has a Bone nut. It's a type of nut found in high-quality instruments. They sound similar to Ivory since they give a lot of sustain and a bright sound (at least when striking open strings). The only problem they can run into is that you may get a bone piece that simply doesn't sound as well as others because that's just how natural materials are.

On the other hand, the Fender CD-140SCE comes with a NuBone nut. It's made by the same company that makes TUSQ nuts. It's slightly softer but hard enough to give you a brighter sound when playing open strings. It's also self-lubricating, so it's good for tuning stability.

Winner: Tie.

Fret Material

Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.

Unfortunately, none of them come with stainless steel frets.

Winner: Tie.

Tuners

Both come with regular tuners. The Fender Redondo Classic's are Sealed Nickel while the Fender CD-140SCE's are Chrome Die-Cast

Winner: Tie.

Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:

Strengths & Weaknesses
Fender Redondo Classic
  • Expensive Wood
  • Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Electronics
  • Bone Saddle
  • Solid Top Wood
  • Solid Side Wood
  • Solid Back Wood
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in China
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Fender CD-140SCE
  • Expensive Wood
  • NuBone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Electronics
  • NuBone Saddle
  • Solid Top Wood
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Indonesia
  • Laminated Side Wood
  • Laminated Back Wood
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Fender Redondo Classic
Quality of materials 81
Features 85
Quality Control 60
Build Quality 75
Fender CD-140SCE
Quality of materials 76
Features 85
Quality Control 65
Build Quality 75

Playability Comparison

Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.

Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.

Nut Width

Fender Redondo Classic Nut Width
Both Guitars Have The Same Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, both have a nut width of 43mm (1.693'').

This is within the most common range of nut widths for a 6-string guitar. It offers a good balance of string separation at the nut. It's the size that most guitarists prefer as it gives them just enough space to play open chords without muting the strings, but without spreading the strings too wide and making bar chords difficult to perform.

Scale Length

Fender Redondo Classic's Scale Length
Fender Redondo Classic's Scale Length
Fender CD-140SCE's Scale Length
Fender CD-140SCE's Scale Length

The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.

The Fender Redondo Classic has the longest scale: 25.6". The Fender CD-140SCE is only 25.3" long. This is a 0.3'' (7.6mm) scale length difference.

This longer scale means that the strings need more tension to get in tune. This is good if you want to avoid fret buzz, which can happen when the strings are too loose and touch the frets while vibrating. This is especially important when playing in lower tunings. This will also let you reduce the gap between fretboard and strings (low action) to make them easier to press down. However, this higher tension will also make it harder to perform bends and vibratos as the strings will feel stiffer.

This also means that the frets have a longer separation between each other, so this will make it harder for people with smaller hands when playing some chord positions.

Another characteristic of a longer scale is that it makes the guitar sound 'snappier' or brighter. This is due to the extra separation between harmonics and overtones produced by the tension. This influences tone more than any other factor (except the pickups).

Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.

Neck Profile

Fender Redondo Classic Neck Profile
Fender Redondo Classic's neck profile
Fender CD-140SCE Neck Profile
Fender CD-140SCE's neck profile

No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.

Both the Fender Redondo Classic and the Fender CD-140SCE have a C-shaped neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.

Fretboard Radius

Fender Redondo Classic Fingerboard Radius
Fender Redondo Classic's Fingerboard radius
Fender CD-140SCE Fingerboard Radius
Fender CD-140SCE's Fingerboard radius

Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.

In this case, the Fender CD-140SCE's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Fender Redondo Classic's. This extra arc will make playing chords easier in this model. You won't be as likely to mute the strings, especially if you have big hands. However, playing single notes and bending will be easier on the Fender Redondo Classic.

Still, both tend to favor soloing over chords, so if you're looking for a guitar for playing rhythm, you might want something else with a radius closer to a Stratocaster's 9.5''.

Fret Size

Fender Redondo Classic Frets Size
Fender Redondo Classic's Frets Size
Fender CD-140SCE Frets Size
Fender CD-140SCE's Frets Size

The Fender Redondo Classic has Medium frets, which should be taller than the Fender CD-140SCE's Vintage frets.

Some people prefer taller frets because they result in more sustain since the strings get pressed cleanly without interference from the fretboard. However, if they're too tall—like Jumbo frets—, you might change the pitch of the strings accidentally if you press too hard because you won't be touching the fretboard with your fingers. This is also why some guitarists with a heavy grip prefer smaller frets. They like to feel the fingerboard to avoid pressing down too hard and getting out of pitch.

Final Playability Scores

Fender Redondo Classic
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 80
Playability 73
Fender CD-140SCE
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 80
Playability 73