Fender releases its travel, couch and budget friendly California Mini acoustic guitars

Fender California Series Mini Acoustics
(Image credit: Fender)

Fender has released its California Mini Series, a compact range of acoustic guitars that make would an ideal travel guitar or simply a small-bodied short-scale instrument that's fun to have around the house – and a serious option for younger players looking for a more accessible guitar.

The series comprises the Redondo Mini and Sonoran Mini, which look the business with their six-in-line Strat headstock. The guitars share a lot of design DNA, with walnut fingerboards and bridges, nato slim-taper C profile necks, Nubone nuts and saddles, and satin finishes. 

The Redondo Mini has a half-sized body comprising a spruce top, mahogany back and sides, and a short scale length of 22.75". The Sonoran Mini meanwhile has a slightly larger 3/4 sized body and a 24.1" scale length, and offers the choice between a spruce top and mahogany back and sides, or an all-mahogany build.

The Redondo Mini is offered in Natural or Sunburst finishes, while the Sonoran Mini is offered in Natural Mahogany. Staying on-message with the travel-friendly vibe, these acoustics come with their own gig-bag.

Other cool little touches include the aged white plastic buttons on the nickel tuners, and we particularly like the three-ply gold pickguard on the Sonoran Mini.

The prices are not bad either, with both listed at £179 / $199. See Fender for more details.

Jonathan Horsley

Jonathan Horsley has been writing about guitars and guitar culture since 2005, playing them since 1990, and regularly contributes to MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitar World. He uses Jazz III nylon picks, 10s during the week, 9s at the weekend, and shamefully still struggles with rhythm figure one of Van Halen’s Panama.