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yoTrakkz « control your sound »
Published on 12/11/11 at 22:48The Fender FS 52 is a nice little lap steel guitar that has a single pick up and a standard 1/4 inch input. There isn't anything to fancy about the characteristics of this instrument, but it has enough going on to have a really nice tone and good action.
UTILIZATION
In terms of playability, the Fender FS 52 is pretty great. I usually use a Stevens bar while playing this instrument and the combination of the good action and the bar make this thing pretty easy to play. The fret markers are pretty big and clear which is a big plus as I find that that always comes in handy while playing the lap steel just so I know where I am on the neck at all times. The weight of the guitar is pretty light and the shape is definitely pretty cool looking. If you like the way this sounds, getting a good sound is definitely easy as all you need to do is plug and play.
SOUNDS
I usually use the Fender FS 52 for recording in my home studio while using a '76 Fender Twin Reverb and I find that I generally get awesome results with this configuration. I would recommend mic’ing the amp in a traditional way as you would for a standard electric guitar as I usually just use a Shure SM57 or something similar to it. While there isn't too much control over your sound, lucky that the inherent tone is really good sounding. The only problem that I get is sometimes I get a lot of noise, but this is somewhat to be expected with an older instrument like this one.
OVERALL OPINION
Overall, the Fender FS 52 is a very solid sounding lap steel guitar. While it isn't the best one that I have heard, it has a pretty full tone and when I use it with compression it tends to sound pretty great. These are no longer made but you can usually find a few of them up a Ebay for a reasonable price. If you are a fan of vintage lap steel guitars like I am, the Fender FS 52 is definitely worth looking at as it has a good sound and great look and feel.
UTILIZATION
In terms of playability, the Fender FS 52 is pretty great. I usually use a Stevens bar while playing this instrument and the combination of the good action and the bar make this thing pretty easy to play. The fret markers are pretty big and clear which is a big plus as I find that that always comes in handy while playing the lap steel just so I know where I am on the neck at all times. The weight of the guitar is pretty light and the shape is definitely pretty cool looking. If you like the way this sounds, getting a good sound is definitely easy as all you need to do is plug and play.
SOUNDS
I usually use the Fender FS 52 for recording in my home studio while using a '76 Fender Twin Reverb and I find that I generally get awesome results with this configuration. I would recommend mic’ing the amp in a traditional way as you would for a standard electric guitar as I usually just use a Shure SM57 or something similar to it. While there isn't too much control over your sound, lucky that the inherent tone is really good sounding. The only problem that I get is sometimes I get a lot of noise, but this is somewhat to be expected with an older instrument like this one.
OVERALL OPINION
Overall, the Fender FS 52 is a very solid sounding lap steel guitar. While it isn't the best one that I have heard, it has a pretty full tone and when I use it with compression it tends to sound pretty great. These are no longer made but you can usually find a few of them up a Ebay for a reasonable price. If you are a fan of vintage lap steel guitars like I am, the Fender FS 52 is definitely worth looking at as it has a good sound and great look and feel.