Fender Coronado

Fender Coronado II
Manufacturer	Fender
Period	appr. 1966–1972, 2013–present
Body type	Hollow (original), Semi-hollow (reissue)
Neck joint	Bolt-on neck
Scale	25.5"
Body	Maple, Beech on Wildwood models
Neck	Maple
Fretboard	Rosewood
Bridge	Fixed or tremolo (reissue fixed only)
Pickup(s)	1 or 2 DeArmond single coil (original), 2 Fidelitron humbuckers (reissue)
Sunburst, Cherry, custom colors, Wildwood

The Fender Coronado is a double-cutaway thin-line hollow-body electric guitar, announced in 1965, it is manufactured by Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. The aesthetic design embodied in the Coronado represents a departure from previous Fender instruments; the design remains an uncharacteristic piece of Fender history.

The very un-Fender like instrument was designed by Roger Rossmeisl (who had previously also designed instruments for Rickenbacker, but who went on to create numerous models for Fender) in an attempt to capitalise on the increasing popularity of semi-acoustic guitars following the high-profile use of hollow-bodied instruments, such as the Epiphone Casino by bands like The Beatles. During Rossmeisl's time designing for Fender he also designed the Fender Montego, a "jazz box" style guitar which shares the Coronado's fixed F tailpiece; and the 1967 Fender Wildwood which shares the headstock.

Three versions of the Coronado guitar were produced from 1966 through 1972. The Fender Coronado I, discontinued in 1970, was the original single pickup design. The Coronado II had an added bridge pickup (with relative tone and volume controls). The Coronado XII, released in 1967, was a twelve-string version of the guitar. Coronado basses were also manufactured. The Coronado was a true hollow-bodied electric guitar; like the Gibson ES-330 and Epiphone Casino, it did not have a central solid wood block in the body. This is in contrast to guitars such as the Gibson ES-335, which, although appearing similar, were constructed with a solid central block running lengthways through the archtop body.

The top, sides and back of the body on the Wildwood body were constructed from laminated beechwood, and maple was used for the non Wildwood versions, the top being slightly arched, and featuring two generous, routed and bound "f" holes. The body of the instrument was finished in a high-gloss nitrocellulose lacquer, a finish which is no longer frequently used in the manufacture of modern guitars. A number of Coronado II and Coronado XII guitars were offered in a special "Wildwood" finish. This involved specially prepared, heavily-grained beechwood; a chemical dye was injected into the growing trees, years prior to harvesting, which stained the grain pattern of the wood. Only one Blonde Coronado is known to exist, it is in a private collection in California. (If this Blonde Coronado has Black Binding, it is Olympic White that has "yellowed" over the years)