Fender/Squier stock preamps-not very good?

[kjpollo]

Am I the only one who thinks that the stock pre's in active Fender/Squier instruments are just lackluster?

The only couple of times I tried active Fenders or Squiers in a music store, I just couldnt find a tone that made me go "Wow"! They werent getting scratchy sounding like the batteries were crapping out, but they just didnt seem to do much with the tone.

I think Fender/Squier should partner up with a well-known preamp maker and get something really good under the hood without wrecking their price points.
Bartolini does stuff for Ibanez and EMG does for Schecter and ESP. Heck, even Traben hooked up with Aguilar and those basses were well under a grand! That brand didnt crash because of the electronics, thats for sure.

Dont get me wrong, I know Fender is famous first-and-foremost for their iconic passive instruments, but if they're going to offer pre's at all, they should do a better job of it.

[lonote]

So, how much more would you be willing to pay for a better preamp? Don't forget, these instruments are built to a price point.

[tdub0199]

I'm just not an active guy, I prefer passive electronics.....

[kjpollo]

Originally Posted by lonote

So, how much more would you be willing to pay for a better preamp? Don't forget, these instruments are built to a price point.

The Deluxe Active Squier J $70 more than the Standard Jazz.
When you move along to the MIM's, the Deluxe Active is $100 more than the Standard. I dont think the entire price differential on either model is 100% due to the cost of a preamp module. Its partially the additional parts & build costs but they also add in some additional profit.

On a couple of sites, Bart & Aggie pre's start around $120. Obviously, thats the price to the general public. I guarantee Fender/Squier would get a MUCH better deal buying a bunch of units wholesale.
I think the price difference would be small to add a better pre to the Deluxe Active models. I'm guessing $20-50 max.

Originally Posted by tdub0199

I'm just not an active guy, I prefer passive electronics.....

Thats what I meant by the last line of my post. I know Fender/Squier is much more famous for the passive instruments. My point is that if they're going to play in the active marketplace, I just think they could do a better job than they do now.