Fender is Uninspired for 2013
 

Regretfully, 2013 has so far been a letdown in regards to new offerings from Fender.

- Cheap looking new colors

- only 2 new models, both Custom Shop (the Precision Pro is a huge step back from 2012, including the boring black color).

- No new announcement for the American Vintage line.

I mean, I'm a Fender guy to the bone (got four of 'em!) but the lack of innovative, let alone, new, offerings is simply disappointing.

This is a surprise? I love my Fender don't get me wrong, but I don't look to Fender for innovation and freshness. The only big, major mass produced American bass company that constantly pushes the innovation envelope IMO is EMBB.

Fender has been juggling with the same 5 models for 40 years.
I'm not sure how this comes as a surprise to you.
They are doing the right thing though. Every time they bring an innovation on the table, it fails. People want Fender to be Fender.

I'm not really sure when Fender has been truly and successfully innovative in the last 50 years. Minor tweaks and new colors is what they do. The jaguar has been a cool addition, but I wouldn't call making a bass model of a guitar innovative.

I don't intend this as bashing. I own several Fenders, but they are the baseline, not the innovator.

2013 just started...i'm pretty sure they will release the new american vintage basses sometime around winter namm show!
the colors may look cheap on photo...but no one has seen them in person yet and they are not new colors just revamped from 2001 or 2003.
the precision pro may or may not be for everyone, but it's not a huge step back from the 2012 model (i own one and its great)...it's just different. some people will like the 2013 more than the 2012 model.

There's only so many things one can do with a bass. Fender's got too much stuff IMO

As much as i am dissapointed (was hoping to see some new mim or high-end squier models), I am not surprised and agree fully with the comments above.

Ernie Mall BusicBan? ;-)

"High-end Squier" made me smile. They have made those for years. They put "Fender" on the headstock.

Actually there are quite a few changes coming out to the American Vintage Line. New colors, for both Precision and Jazz. Just wait!

FMIC spent 2 years avoiding bankruptcy. Apparently, 4 string Jazz and Precision basses keep the wolves at bay.
I whine a lot too, however these are tough times. I own a small business and let me tell you, if I am in business this time next year I might be surprised!

I see what you did there.

Yeah, them... Lol

Well the innovation of fender design had been made by shadowsky, lakland, and alleva copollo.

+1

i could've sworn when they released the Select series they said they were going to make new ones each year, i hope they still do that, i'd like to see what they come up with this year

QFT. The landscape is littered with "innovative" Fender models that didn't sell. For better or worse, people want Fender to make P's, J's, Teles, and Strats.

Fender understands their place in the market. They are not trying to be innovators. There are plenty of other companies who try new designs, most of which fail. Fender has been the leader for over 50 years because they know what the Fender customer wants. Why mess with a good thing.

Agreed Fender is not the innovating type. And Agreed that EBMM has brought fresh ideas, but other than the stringray and the sterling, the basses this brand offers simply do not impress me. the bongo looks like a toilet seat, the big al looks like gumby's head, and neither of them have impressed me when i've gotten a chance to play em. The bongo, big al and reflex are basses i've tried a couple times, i wanna like them, but i find them uncomfortable and i don't find anything special about the tone. EBMM's sound will always be a stingray in my head. my 90s stingrays are so much better than the ones they sell now. just my opinion. Fender is the company that produces the tried and tested models that set a standard. There are plenty of brands that make fenders better than fender (lakland, sadowsky, etc..), look there for innovation.

Who gives a crap if they're innovative or not? Only their designers who stand to get paid if a new design catches on. Innovation is highly overrated if you ask me. What good is innovation if nobody likes it?