"We wanted to make Fender more affordable and to a wider amount of people": Fender launches new $599 Standard Series lineup – and it marks a major shift for one of America's most iconic guitar brands (https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/electric-guitars/fender-standard-series)
Made in Indonesia
Branded Fender, not Squier
Includes Precision and Jazz basses at that price.
Basses starting at the 18:45 mark
Looks nice! (https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/JBassStMAM--fender-standard-jazz-bass-aqua-marine-metallic-maple-fingerboard?serial=ICF24000934)
This could be their saving grace!
Quote from: Dave W on January 23, 2025, 11:04:21 PMLooks nice! (https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/JBassStMAM--fender-standard-jazz-bass-aqua-marine-metallic-maple-fingerboard?serial=ICF24000934)
It ought to sell, especially in that color. And that's what a solid body bass should be selling for, not twice that orice.
Shame about the Indian Laurel. I worked hard to make an Indian Laurel fretboard look half pleasant and it didn't work. It is like an ersatz rosewood with big grain, deep pores and a perpetually dull, dirty look.
Quote from: Alanko on January 24, 2025, 04:39:24 PMShame about the Indian Laurel. I worked hard to make an Indian Laurel fretboard look half pleasant and it didn't work. It is like an ersatz rosewood with big grain, deep pores and a perpetually dull, dirty look.
Sweetwater has 5 Precisions with laurel in stock. All I can say is that they all look nice.
There is discussion elsewhere that these are rebadged Affinitys and the $200 upcharge is for the logo. Assuming they have vintage specs, I don't see the problem. YMMV.
I've been super impressed with instruments coming oout of Indonesia, Epiphone, Guild, Squier etc. Imho similar to the golden age of Japanese guitar manufacturering. I hope Fender doest get to carried away with pricing and has features to justify the $599 MAP.
That's about what a new solid body bass should cost IMO. I really like it, especially in blue.
We all know Fender is a mass produced instrument, and there are always better ones and lesser ones. But as long as the quality of assembly is good and you have decent wood in the neck, they should be good, playable instruments.
Jazz basses with spaghetti logos look wrong to me. The original ones never had it. To me it's like a coin stamped with a BC date.
Quote from: ilan on January 26, 2025, 04:06:38 AMJazz basses with spaghetti logos look wrong to me. The original ones never had it. To me it's like a coin stamped with a BC date.
Really? You are a purist with a sharp eye! To me it's just a Fender logo. I didn't know that there was anything different about the '72 neck on my bass until someone pointed out the logo. Still can't tell the variations apart.
Quote from: Pilgrim on January 26, 2025, 01:22:36 PMReally? You are a purist with a sharp eye! To me it's just a Fender logo. I didn't know that there was anything different about the '72 neck on my bass until someone pointed out the logo. Still can't tell the variations apart.
Same here, I care about the overall look, not the minutiae. But I appreciate that we have people who know this stuff.
Quote from: BTL on January 25, 2025, 09:00:48 AMThere is discussion elsewhere that these are rebadged Affinitys and the $200 upcharge is for the logo. Assuming they have vintage specs, I don't see the problem. YMMV.
Specs are seemingly exactly like the Affinity including the ceramic pickups and no, they don't have vintage specs.
Quote from: doombass on January 27, 2025, 03:00:12 AMSpecs are seemingly exactly like the Affinity including the ceramic pickups and no, they don't have vintage specs.
I should have been more clear. Are the bodies 1.75" thick with 2.5" neck pockets on the basses?
I'm hearing conflicting information on those details. If not, that's a shame.
I've seen so much pure speculation over at TDPRI, almost all of it from the usual Fender-haters who think they know best how to run the company and are unhappy that they don't get to decide.
CorTek is the largest Indonesian factory, so these guys immediately assume these are relabeled CorTek Squiers. There are two other huge factories (Samick, Wildwood) who have made Fenders under contract, and a number of smaller ones, but I guess they're all standing idle now, right?
And ceramic pickups...they're obviously all identical, right? Which are they like, RIC Hi-gains or Gibson TB-Plus? ;D
They'll sell.
Yes, they will sell no doubt regardless what the specs say. I only brought up the ceramics in my assumption that Brad meant overall vintage specs (fretboard radius, choice of wood and choice of pickups etc). And, no, they are'nt all identical. The point being that those pickups using ceramic magnets in the Fender Standard may be identical to the Affinity's. Fender does not specify windings nor DC resistances so it is a Jazz Bass design pickup using ceramic magnets.
When it comes to pickups and electronics, I don't worry much. Easy to change if there is an actual problem, otherwise why worry? I install a set of Labella Deep Talkin' flats when I get a bass, and assume that it will take them a couple of months to settle into the sound I want. I think the strings make more difference in sound than just about anything else. If I actually need to replace a pickup or pot (almost never) it's a lot cheaper than spending double the price on a gin-you-wine Made in 'Murrica Fender.
I don't think magnet type matters unless you know a whole raft of other specs about a pickup. Ceramic magnets don't give a pickup a faster attack and colder tone. Alnico III isn't spongier, etc. if you don't know the magnet and coil geometries then you're in the dark.
Ceramic is perceived as a cheaper magnet and ceramic pickups are perceived as ersatz. I think people hear 'ceramic' and think of cookware, as criticisms tend to be that they are cold/harsh/brittle-sounding pickups. A Dimarzio Model P isn't that cheap (a Tonerider alnico P Bass pickup is far cheaper) and it isn't a bright pickup either.
Quote from: Alanko on January 28, 2025, 01:36:44 PMI don't think magnet type matters unless you know a whole raft of other specs about a pickup. Ceramic magnets don't give a pickup a faster attack and colder tone. Alnico III isn't spongier, etc. if you don't know the magnet and coil geometries then you're in the dark.
Ceramic is perceived as a cheaper magnet and ceramic pickups are perceived as ersatz. I think people hear 'ceramic' and think of cookware, as criticisms tend to be that they are cold/harsh/brittle-sounding pickups. A Dimarzio Model P isn't that cheap (a Tonerider alnico P Bass pickup is far cheaper) and it isn't a bright pickup either.
Well, as much as I dislike 'mystique' around vintage materials, and work more with speaker design than pickups nowdays, you can still have very audible differences between alnico 5 pickups vs a ceramic ones when all other parts are the same. Back when I did pickup repairs in my shop, the most common pickup request (after rewinding broken fender custom shop pickups) was to replace ceramic magnets with alnico 5 in mexican strat pickups. Probably some forum hype firing up this trend, but lots of guitar players were happy with this mod. And quite audible difference.
One can argue that the pickup in question was probably designed for alnico from the beginning, of course.
But obviously the biggest difference between the two materials is the price :)
Laurel fretboard on a new Standard Strat, posted at Strat-Talk.
(https://strat-talk.com/data/attachments/714/714372-9008c39c575d28b4b112d632fbb0a461.jpg)
(https://strat-talk.com/data/attachments/714/714373-e4f1588a6237e3007ade63137a14445e.jpg)
Looks like a cheap Fender copy. Brands like Sire and even Harley Benton are able to make guitars in this price range with rolled fretboard edges, stainless steel frets, actual rosewood, better electronics. This is an odd move by Fender.
It fits perfectly in Fender's market strategy. They will not use the same materials as the upper lines at a lower price. Rest assure they are fully aware. It still has "Fender" on the headstock. The bullseye would be an aspiring player drooling for a vintage expensive instrument walking the line all the way from Squier, Fender Standard, Fender Player, Fender Vintera, Fender American Professional to American Vintage and Custom Shop. Fender as a company, like all companies first priority is making money for their investors/owners and I'd say they have quite good knowledge what people want or rather not want. Like Dave said, the new Standard Series will sell.
Quote from: doombass on February 01, 2025, 03:31:19 PMThe bullseye would be an aspiring player drooling for a vintage expensive instrument walking the line all the way from Squier, Fender Standard, Fender Player, Fender Vintera, Fender American Professional to American Vintage and Custom Shop.
It seems that upgrading from Squier Affinity to the new Fender Standard will get him a $200 headstock decal.
Quote from: Alanko on February 01, 2025, 01:36:05 AMLooks like a cheap Fender copy.
My thoughts exactly.
Thanks but no thanks.
Especially the back of the neck where it squares off towards the heel.
Quote from: Alanko on February 01, 2025, 01:36:05 AMLooks like a cheap Fender copy. Brands like Sire and even Harley Benton are able to make guitars in this price range with rolled fretboard edges, stainless steel frets, actual rosewood, better electronics. This is an odd move by Fender.
lololol
That's literally the opposite of the truth. Harley Benton and Sire are literally cheap copies of original Fenders. NTTAWWT. Harley Benton sells direct only, Sire at least started out that way and is still limited, Fender has the expense of a large dealer network, and buyers expect that.
At any rate, it's not about what Fender can or can't do. This is what they choose to do. We'll see. I don't find it odd at all. They'll sell or they won't.
Self-appointed know-nothing schmexpert Phil McKnight apparently is "disappointed" with these, I typically like the opposite of what he does.
Phil McKnight seems the sort of chap to drive a Ford Ranger aggressively and then park across two handicap spaces. And wear shorts in freezing temperatures to demonstrate his rugged manliness to passing strangers.
Quote from: Alanko on February 02, 2025, 04:37:47 PMPhil McKnight seems the sort of chap to drive a Ford Ranger aggressively and then park across two handicap spaces. And wear shorts in freezing temperatures to demonstrate his rugged manliness to passing strangers.
At least some of his followers seem to fit that description. ;D
I still don't know what rolled fretboard edges are. Always seemed liked a marketing bullet point of some sort.
Quote from: gearHed289 on February 03, 2025, 08:22:35 AMI still don't know what rolled fretboard edges are. Always seemed liked a marketing bullet point of some sort.
Nobody knows what they are. The emperor is naked!!
All I know is the term "rolled" means you press a round tool that can roll to compress a material. For example the cylinder shelf radius in the engines at my work is pressure rolled in one of the machines to strengthen that radius and avoid cracking.
On a fretboard I believe "rounded" would be a better word.
Quote from: gearHed289 on February 03, 2025, 08:22:35 AMI still don't know what rolled fretboard edges are. Always seemed liked a marketing bullet point of some sort.
Cheap guitars have sharp fretboard edges, I hate that feeling. "Rolled" edges feel like an old guitar, worn-in. That's a real night and day difference.
Sire guitars look like they run a round over bit down both long edges of the fretboard and then sculpt the frets to match the radius.
It is more consistent and pronounced than a naturally worn in neck.
(https://www.talkbass.com/attachments/0418b3f634aa1137ef9a7fef3d56c12e-jpg.3713647/)
it means the edhes are a bit les sharp and more roundes, as if you played it for a long time. I once had two review basses in, with the same nut width. The rolled edge one, felt thinner. Like a bound neck can feel a bit wider sometimes. I like narrow necks so I lik those rolled edges.
I've gotten to play one. I'm reasonably impressed, it's a well built playable bass. My biggest complaint is that I don't think poplar is suited to a sunburst finish, it frankly looks cheap. Solid colors are a much better choice. I'll do a video at The House of Guitars when I get a chance.