New Fender Standard Series Basses!

[bassace97]

 

Just spotted these among the NAMM '25 releases.  Looks like a great move by Fender, and possibly a great modding platform, at £549.

[neepheid]

I wouldn't mind knowing what sets these apart from the Squiers being made in the same place, save for a change of decal.

[mikebass456]

8 minutes ago, neepheid said:

I wouldn't mind knowing what sets these apart from the Squiers being made in the same place, save for a change of decal.

You've probably hit the nail on the head there - they're made in Indonesia apparently, so can't think that they'll be any higher spec than the squiers....🤔 The blurb says they feel like the classic vibe range, with swapped out pickups.

Edited January 24 by mikebass456

[lemmywinks]

[80Hz]

This product / price positioning makes a lot of sense though. The MIM instruments used to occupy the circa $/£500 mark a few years ago, but with inflation and the Ensenada plant making "nicer" lines such as Player Plus, there's a gap for a new standard Fender series that hits that price point. Of course it will be interesting to see a side-by-side CV to FS comparison.

[Lozz196]

Agree, good to see the Fender name on a reasonably affordable instrument again.

[BassApprentice]

2 hours ago, 80Hz said:

This product / price positioning makes a lot of sense though. The MIM instruments used to occupy the circa $/£500 mark a few years ago, but with inflation and the Ensenada plant making "nicer" lines such as Player Plus, there's a gap for a new standard Fender series that hits that price point. Of course it will be interesting to see a side-by-side CV to FS comparison.

As others have said it's not going to be any different and/or better than a Squier.

 

It's to get an extra £100 out of punters who need Fender on the headstock rather than Squier.

[Cato]

I like the Candy Cola colour.

 

 

I imagine they're pretty decent instruments, probably not going to set the world alight but there will likely be a decent demand just as there was for the Mexican stuff that used to be at the same price point.

Edited January 24 by Cato

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

Wot no mustangs?

[80Hz]

11 minutes ago, BassApprentice said:

As others have said it's not going to be any different and/or better than a Squier.

 

 

If anything it seems to me that the Squiers have been a bit more adventurous / creative in choices of colours, special editions etc. The new releases are fairly, well, pedestrian in that regard.

 

Let's hope a few bucks of that 100 price difference goes into tight QC.

 

 

[mikebass456]

18 minutes ago, 80Hz said:

 

If anything it seems to me that the Squiers have been a bit more adventurous / creative in choices of colours, special editions etc. The new releases are fairly, well, pedestrian in that regard.

 

Let's hope a few bucks of that 100 price difference goes into tight QC.

 

 

If they're up to the CV standards then there shouldn't be any worries...🤞

[gjones]

Might be cheaper to buy an Indonesian Squier and get yourself a Fender decal on Ebay?

[jezzaboy]

4 hours ago, neepheid said:

I wouldn't mind knowing what sets these apart from the Squiers being made in the same place, save for a change of decal.

Sod all more than likely. I recently bought a Player 2 with the "rolled edges" and to be honest they aren`t rolled like a Sire for example, I got a good deal on it but if it was full price it would have been going back.

 

It`s getting to the stage where US models are getting out of the reach of most players, Mexican stuff is creeping up to the US price of a few years ago so this range makes sense I suppose. 

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

As someone who is greatly impressed by having the right logo on the headstock of a bass, it would need to have a much nicer Fender logo to convince me to purchase one of these over a Classic Vibe.

 

Edited January 24 by Jean-Luc Pickguard

[Beedster]

It’s all bollocks guys, really 👍

[cocco]

I was initially quite impressed that fender had brought these out, it can't be a bad thing to have the F on the headstock of a budget friendly bass. But like everyone else has said it's really hard not to draw comparisons to the squier CVs, which will no doubt be objectively pretty similar quality and to my eye better looking. 

[Terry M.]

2 hours ago, Lozz196 said:

Agree, good to see the Fender name on a reasonably affordable instrument again.

Only with the ceramic pickups and poplar body and place of manufacture it's actually just a Squier rebadged at a higher price point. 

I would compare these to the Squier Affinty Series based on the ceramic pickups. 

Edited January 24 by Terry M.

[karlfer]

Price, poplar bodies, laurel freeboards. 🤔 

I think it's time to brace for MIM, MIA price increases.

Oh wait, it's NAMM, must be new price time 😑

[nige1968]

Or maybe looking ahead at possible trade barriers between US and Mexico? Not sure Indonesia is in any different position, though

Edited January 25 by nige1968

[mikebass456]

2 hours ago, nige1968 said:

Or maybe looking ahead at possible trade barriers between US and Mexico? Not sure Indonesia is in any different position, though

All Fender and Squier guitars will probably end up only being made in the USA, and only be available in a lurid orange colour that's not seen in nature........😆😆😆

[80Hz]

3 hours ago, nige1968 said:

Or maybe looking ahead at possible trade barriers between US and Mexico?

 

Yeah, you make a good point, and I was thinking about this the other day. From a manufacturing perspective tariffs could be disastrous for a company like Fender which, if what one reads on the interwebs is true, regularly transport parts between the US and Mexico facilities. They're only 180 miles away from each other.

 

Perhaps the line of thinking is, if import tariffs increase the price of this manufacturing model, its inevitable that will raise both the price of USA made and Mexico made instruments, for the US domestic market at least. As many counties will likely respond with retaliatory tariffs on American made luxury goods, the cost of a brand new instrument with an F logo may well get hit twice, and that's not even taking into account general inflation and the likely disruption to international markets if a trade war happens.

 

So the Indonesian made line will be a good entry point for ordinary folks without big budgets. Or buy used, it's not like they're rare!

 

Just conjecture of course, I'm no expert in international economics 🤔

[tegs07]

24 minutes ago, 80Hz said:

 

Yeah, you make a good point, and I was thinking about this the other day. From a manufacturing perspective tariffs could be disastrous for a company like Fender which, if what one reads on the interwebs is true, regularly transport parts between the US and Mexico facilities. They're only 180 miles away from each other.

 

Perhaps the line of thinking is, if import tariffs increase the price of this manufacturing model, its inevitable that will raise both the price of USA made and Mexico made instruments, for the US domestic market at least. As many counties will likely respond with retaliatory tariffs on American made luxury goods, the cost of a brand new instrument with an F logo may well get hit twice, and that's not even taking into account general inflation and the likely disruption to international markets if a trade war happens.

 

So the Indonesian made line will be a good entry point for ordinary folks without big budgets. Or buy used, it's not like they're rare!

 

Just conjecture of course, I'm no expert in international economics 🤔

Tarrifs are inflationary. What is bluff and bluster to bully other nations into getting your own way is another question.

 

As for the Indonesian made Fender if people want a budget bass with an F logo then I am sure it will sell. Personally I would buy a used CV or Mexican Fender but each to their own.

[AndyTravis]

I really like the blue.

 

As for the price/origin…

 

if they play right…sound good…🤷🏻‍♂️

[Terry M.]

1 hour ago, AndyTravis said:

I really like the blue.

 

As for the price/origin…

 

if they play right…sound good…🤷🏻‍♂️

Which Squiers tend to do in my personal experience. 

[Sean]

After they going to making Fender-branded instruments in China in 3-5 years?