New Fender American Professional Series....

[Tee]

It's a shame the Precision doesn't come in Sonic Gray. I'm not sure I'm keen on the Olive Green and the other colours are, well, what I would associate with a 'standard' range - black, white, 3TSB. I think Fender dropped the ball on the colour choices, given this is not a 'standard' series.

[Lozz196]

I do like that Olive Green, looks nice with black pickguard and reckon it would be great with tort.

[Musicman20]

No idea why they dropped tort. Looks cheap with white on white.

[afterimage]

[quote name='JamesBass' timestamp='1480935655' post='3188110']
I'm extremely underwhelmed to say the least. I own a 2016 Elite Jazz V and the changes on that from the previous deluxe range are amazing! They are a proper step forward for Fender, the QC is great, the tone is good, but not perfect, but the pre amp and pickups are more than good enough! I had hoped to see Fender bring a few more ideas from the elites across to the passive basses, the truss wheel would have been nice as would the compound radius and neck.

The olive colour is nice, but I imagine like the AVRI line they'll stop the olive after a year and just bring out the boring old 3TSB and Oly White.
[/quote]

[Musicman20]

From the early reviews, the Strat is meant to be a very nice playing guitar.

I would opt for a Jazzmaster or Jaguar but they have simplified the electronics wayyyy too much.

The basses seem like an afterthought. I think they should have brought back a 51 style P bass as well and had it as a normal USA model.

[Tee]

Hmm, the Olive green reminds me of bad 70s bathroom suites though.

[JamesBass]

[quote name='Tee' timestamp='1481542241' post='3193018']
Hmm, the Olive green reminds me of bad 70s bathroom suites though.


[/quote]
Well I guess you could call it a vintage colour then...

[nash]

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1481535292' post='3192934']
From the early reviews, the Strat is meant to be a very nice playing guitar.

I would opt for a Jazzmaster or Jaguar but they have simplified the electronics wayyyy too much.

The basses seem like an afterthought. I think they should have brought back a 51 style P bass as well and had it as a normal USA model.
[/quote]

I like the Jag switching purely because there's loads of vintage Jag models. This one is very quick and easy.

[Tee]

I think Fender's 2008 update to their Standard range was great, some true upgrades. I kind of think that if you own a 2008 up, you don't really need to look at these, as they don't really offer much of anything 'better'. Of course, if they were to offer some enticing colours, that could be enough to swing it but they haven't really managed that either.

[karlfer]

I don't know, sometimes the "trad" colours work (for me anyway )

[URL=http://s1354.photobucket.com/user/Karl_Altdorfer/media/001_zpsfuonorqr.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q693/Karl_Altdorfer/001_zpsfuonorqr.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[Lozz196]

That`s a beauty, Karl.

[FinnDave]

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1481972887' post='3196660']
That`s a beauty, Karl.
[/quote]

You can't go wrong with black n maple!

[Thunderpaws]

When I got my P bass a couple of years ago I went for an American Special. Think it was £800 ish. The Nate Mendel was just over 700....and that's now nearly £900!!

[project_c]

Anyone else notice "Made in the USA" has been replaced with "Corona, CA"? I think the little USA flag sticker is also gone. It's a fairly big sign of the times I think, not just with California increasingly seeing itself as a separate entity from the rest of the USA, but also global attitudes towards the USA. Or maybe I'm reading too much into it.

[thodrik]

[quote name='project_c' timestamp='1482056094' post='3197182']
Anyone else notice "Made in the USA" has been replaced with "Corona, CA"? I think the little USA flag sticker is also gone. It's a fairly big sign of the times I think, not just with California increasingly seeing itself as a separate entity from the rest of the USA, but also global attitudes towards the USA. Or maybe I'm reading too much into it.

[/quote]

I dunno, maybe Fender are trying to market their stuff as being more boutique. As in 'should I buy a Sadowsky NYC or Fender CA?. I like the headstock though, very uncluttered looking

As an aside I quite like the new series. I think that they are overpriced though, as in I would probably just go the extra and get the American Elite which I think are among the nicest looking new Fenders I have seen. Everything is getting more expensive now though, so I guess that £1500 for an American made, passive Fender bass is about the going rate.

I would have liked a nice red finish as option though.

[Tee]

[quote name='thodrik' timestamp='1482059155' post='3197224']
I guess that £1500 for an American made, passive Fender bass is about the going rate.

[/quote]

Astounding, as it's almost twice the amount as back in 2008 (with the then, newly upgraded USA standards). Which is not all that far away.

I did notice that Fender realised that they overpriced their recent PJ Mustang offset basses (in the UK), shaving off about £220 from the original price.

Edited December 18, 2016 by Tee

[luckman67]

When I got my Am.Std Precision back in Jan'15 it was £1171 almost 2 years on, £329 more gets you a '63 shaped neck & taller frets. new pickups & fluted tuners.

[radiophonic]

The price differential is just silly at this point. I've seen USA Stds selling for £4 - 500 less than the new Pros, in the same store. That's a massive difference, for almost no difference. If I wanted a new Fender right now, I'd be grabbing a USA Std, without a second thought. I do like the new Olive green though.

[karlfer]

[quote name='radiophonic' timestamp='1482234094' post='3198630']
The price differential is just silly at this point. I've seen USA Stds selling for £4 - 500 less than the new Pros, in the same store. That's a massive difference, for almost no difference. If I wanted a new Fender right now, I'd be grabbing a USA Std, without a second thought. I do like the new Olive green though.
[/quote]

Just Fender helping dealers getting the now discontinued standards through.
Few months time there will be very few Standards left.

As an aside, in 1997 I bought a brand new active USA Jazz. It was £697.
The current range at that level is the Elite, which now seems to be around £1900.
That is some increase, even for nearly 20 years.

[bartelby]

[quote name='karlfer' timestamp='1482234624' post='3198638']
As an aside, in 1997 I bought a brand new active USA Jazz. It was £697.
The current range at that level is the Elite, which now seems to be around £1900.
That is some increase, even for nearly 20 years.
[/quote]

Allowing for inflation £697 is the equivalent of £1144 in 2015, according to the Bank of England calculator.
Still a large increase mind...

Edited December 20, 2016 by bartelby

[stingrayPete1977]

And yet they are still in debt for millions!

[Muzz]

All this has got to be good news for domestic luthiers - now that boggo mass-produced CNC'd Fenders are into the price territory of the luthiers, people could choose a properly hand-made, perfectly-finished bass made to their own specification (within reason, at that money, but certainly within Fender limits) - the sorry fact being, though, that people will still buy the brand rather than the object...

[stingrayPete1977]

People have been buying Gibson and Ricky basses for years for big money, I've never played a good one, neck dive, thick globby finish in the joins and the legendary binding bleed. If some one has their heart set on something they will buy it regardless.

[Muzz]

Yup, even I did it a couple of years ago (and I should have known better) - bought a brand new 4003, which went back the next day...

[Lw.]

[quote name='Muzz' timestamp='1482236326' post='3198659']
All this has got to be good news for domestic luthiers - now that boggo mass-produced CNC'd Fenders are into the price territory of the luthiers, people could choose a properly hand-made, perfectly-finished bass made to their own specification (within reason, at that money, but certainly within Fender limits) - the sorry fact being, though, that people will still buy the brand rather than the object...
[/quote]

Unfortunately domestic luthiers are going to have to put their prices up eventually too - they may have enough wood/parts in stock at the moment to allow them to cash in on boosted orders due to the Fender price but once they run out they'll find all their parts are costing more to import. I can't think of any UK luthiers whose instruments are 100% UK sourced, though would happily hear if there are any. Once they need new parts, I can't see many absorbing the higher cost - they'll pass it to consumers.