Fender announces new Standard line at $599

[Dave W]

"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

Made in Indonesia
Branded Fender, not Squier
Includes Precision and Jazz basses at that price.

Basses starting at the 18:45 mark

[Dave W]

Looks nice!

[Rob]

This could be their saving grace!

[Pilgrim]

Looks nice!

It ought to sell, especially in that color. And that's what a solid body bass should be selling for, not twice that orice.

[Alanko]

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.

[Dave W]

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.

Sweetwater has 5 Precisions with laurel in stock. All I can say is that they all look nice.

[Dave W]

[BTL]

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.

[godofthunder]

 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.

[Pilgrim]

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.

[ilan]

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.

[Pilgrim]

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.

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. 

[Dave W]

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. 

Same here, I care about the overall look, not the minutiae. But I appreciate that we have people who know this stuff.

[doombass]

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.

Specs are seemingly exactly like the Affinity including the ceramic pickups and no, they don't have vintage specs.

[BTL]

Specs 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.