If you’re in the beginning stages of learning the guitar, trying to decide on what guitar to get can be overwhelming. After researching, looking, and playing different guitars, I recently purchased the Fender California Malibu and I couldn’t be happier. I’ve played guitar off and on but never truly stuck with it. But now since we are writing our own music, it’s time for me to step up my instrument skills and challenge myself to be a better musician. I’ve been practicing a lot and I’m loving my guitar, Glinda, more and more each day.

The Fender California Malibu’s price sits at about $400. According to Drew (who is a big nerd and has played guitar consistently for roughly 21 years), this is a lower cost guitar, and despite the price tag, he has genuinely been impressed with the quality and the sound of this guitar at this price range. His one complaint while playing it was that it felt very stiff to him. For me, since I’m a novice, I did not notice any stiffness, but he said most guitars feel this way for a while when they are fresh out of the box.

Being a very visual person, I fell in love with Glinda for the color and the subtle light gold shimmer she has when the light hits her just right. There aren’t a ton of “cute” guitar options that are marketed to adult women. Most of the ones I saw in stores were very masculine or were meant for a little girl with a bubblegum pink color. But the Fender Malibu has 4 different colors that are fun and more feminine without being girlish.

The size was also a major selling point for me as well. It is smaller than your average guitar, which for me and my “tiny baby hands” as Drew loving calls them, it fits just right. We put Elixir Custom Light Acoustic strings on Glinda once we got her to help with my calluses as well (a side note from Drew: these strings will not offer any kind of deep or robust tone, but surprisingly they provide good sound even though they are so light).

Fender smartly added some on-board electronics to the Malibu – specifically the Fishman® Isys III System with Active On-Board Pre-Amp and Tuner.You have on board volume and tone controls, which are wonderfully responsive, and when amplified, deliver solid tone.

I’ve been working since the Thanksgiving holidays on a guitar part for our song “Mama” and soon we will post of video of the Fender California Malibu in action.

Fender Malibu Review