Buzz Bin Fender Paramount PD-220E Dreadnought

WHEN IT COMES to mid-priced acoustics, your choices are boundless. And to make matters more complicated, once you've set your sights on a particular brand or model, along comes one of your trusted guitar-playing buddies to make a strong case for another. Well, let me be that friend for a moment.

Fender makes a dizzying amount of musical instruments, and if there's one category that's often overlooked it's their more traditional acoustics that get passed over for their cutting-edge Acoustasonic, which has garnered a great deal of cachet.

Fender aims to change that perception with their excellent Paramount Series of acoustics that are not only budget-friendly, but also include all the classic body styles of a Dreadnought, Orchestra and Parlor. For a few weeks, I was able to brush up on my (poor) bluegrass chops with the mighty Fender Paramount PD-220E Dreadnought. And after digging into its nimble playability and loud projection, I might persuade you to seriously consider this acoustic over anything else in a room full of dreadnoughts.