The Fender Montecito Ukulele was introduced last fall, during a refresh of its California Coast series.
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The all-koa Montecito’s gorgeous beach-blonde and tan wood grains glisten through its
The Fender Montecito Ukulele was introduced last fall, during a refresh of its California Coast series.
The all-koa Montecito’s gorgeous beach-blonde and tan wood grains glisten through its high-gloss finish, while the snazzy blue-green abalone used for the top purfling and soundhole rosette conjure images of a sea surf lapping away at the playa. Cream-colored edge binding along the top, bottom, and fretboard adds an air of elegance. The four-in-line Tele headstock with vintage-style closed-back tuning machines invokes the unmistakable image of a classic Fender dream machine. Even the inside label bears an image of a sailboat on the ocean passing near a palm tree. Ukulele purists may scoff at a Tele-style headstock on a uke, but Fender is honoring its California roots. The tuners actually work well, too, which ain’t always the case on affordable ukes.
The Montecito is a tenor ukulele, meaning it’s the third biggest of the four main body styles: soprano, concert, tenor, and baritone. Therefore, the Montecito sounds a bit fuller than the traditional Hawaiian tones of a soprano or concert, yet it retains plenty of brilliance. The Montecito’s solid koa top produces a lovely if rather soft tone with a warm resonance many ukes lack. In fact, Fender already has a koa tenor called the Nohea on the market that’s quite similar to the Montecito, but the Montecito’s solid top is a clear distinction from the Nohea’s laminated koa top. Somehow, they’re priced exactly the same, so the Montecito is a clearly a better value.
With 19 total nickel frets—14 to the body—notes are plentiful. Excellent action via a generous 17” scale length makes them easy to come by. The frets feel fantastic under the fingers, and the fretboard binding ensures smooth edges. The Montecito comes loaded with three unwound strings, and a wound