Which is better for a beginner?

The CD-60S is easier to start on if you want to strum songs right away, since it needs no amp and includes a gig bag and tuner. The Sonic Strat is better if you already have an amp and want to learn electric styles.

Can I play the CD-60S through an amp?

Not directly. It has no pickup or output jack, so you would need a soundhole pickup or a microphone to amplify it.

Which is easier to hold and carry?

The Sonic Strat. Its thin, light poplar body is smaller and lighter than the CD-60S dreadnought body, and it needs no gig bag bulk to protect a large acoustic.

Both are built to last with proper care. The CD-60S is all wood and sensitive to humidity, so it needs a case and stable moisture; the poplar and maple Sonic Strat is more forgiving of dry rooms.

Is the Sonic Strat worth the extra $20?

Only if you want electric tones. At $249.99 at Walmart versus $229.99 at Guitar Center for the CD-60S, the extra buys pickups and a lighter body, not better build.

Do both come left-handed?

Yes. Both are left-handed models, so the choice comes down to acoustic versus electric, not availability.

Fender CD-60S Left-Handed vs Squier Sonic Stratocaster Left-Handed

These are different instruments, not versions of one. The Fender CD-60S is a left-handed dreadnought acoustic; the Squier Sonic Stratocaster is a left-handed solid-body electric. Buy the CD-60S if you want to play acoustic songs without an amp. Buy the Sonic Strat if you want electric tones, bends and a thin, light body. The CD-60S is $229.99 at Guitar Center and the Sonic Strat is $249.99 at Walmart, both as of November 7, 2026, so the electric costs about $20 more.

Today the Fender CD-60S Left-Handed costs $20.00 less at its best price.

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