Where's the love for the Fender American Series (2000-2008)?

[Bongolation]

Originally Posted by FunkRenegade

Sounds like you're drinking the koolaid by the bucketload. I'm a fan of fender, but that makes me even more critical of their products.

That's how experience, education and discernment works.

That's how it's supposed to work.

In another thread, a long-time technician said he doubted 5% of TalkBass users could competently assess the build quality of a bass, and therefore their input on the subject was meaningless.

I said it was probably less than 1%, but that he was right.

More significantly, they couldn't care less.

If they have some magical hippie experience in their new gear honeymoon, then the bass is awesuuum.

Critical analysis just isn't in their remit and it bunks their high. Marketing flacks love people like this and the industry is geared toward their manipulation. Marketing isn't about higher quality, but about putting more high-fructose corn syrup in the Kool-Aid and calling it progress.

So, if you're sick of poor QC or overpriced crap or marketing that's a blunt insult to an adult's presumed intelligence, put the blame where it belongs: On dumb buyers who gleefully go along with it.

[boristhespider9]

Originally Posted by Bongolation

That's how experience, education and discernment works.

That's how it's supposed to work.

In another thread, a long-time technician said he doubted 5% of TalkBass users could competently assess the build quality of a bass, and therefore their input on the subject was meaningless.

I said it was probably less than 1%, but that he was right.

More significantly, they couldn't care less.

If they have some magical hippie experience in their new gear honeymoon, then the bass is awesuuum.

Critical analysis just isn't in their remit and it bunks their high. Marketing flacks love people like this and the industry is geared toward their manipulation. Marketing isn't about higher quality, but about putting more high-fructose corn syrup in the Kool-Aid and calling it progress.

So, if you're sick of poor QC or overpriced crap or marketing that's a blunt insult to an adult's presumed intelligence, put the blame where it belongs: On dumb buyers who gleefully go along with it.

Oooohhhh....cool elitism! I am so impressed with your education, experience, and discernment. Whatever makes you feel good about yourself. In the meantime, the world turns and Fender sells their basses (to the sheeple of which you're one of the few non-members). Thanks also for enlightening us that a marketing department, well...markets products. Seriously, I see the light! We've been so manipulated! I can't think for myself!!! Ahhhhh! Please...send me some discernment!

Rock on!

[FunkRenegade]

Elitism? Hardly. I'm certainly not making up or blowing anything out of proportion to bash fender. I call it as I see it. If you're willing to accept the flaws, fender has no reason to improve any further. They certainly will charge you more for a new and improved version that should have been in the first place. It's pretty sad that fender set the bar so low in the past, that even an improved version is still not where it should be.

Japanese consumers are known to be very picky and products for Japanese domestic market reflect that. If you can't satisfy the consumers, you won't be selling too many.

[thiocyclist]

Originally Posted by FunkRenegade

Japanese consumers are known to be very picky and products for Japanese domestic market reflect that. If you can't satisfy the consumers, you won't be selling too many.

Are you really saying people on TB aren't picky? I have seen people whine about the dumbest stuff here.

[boristhespider9]

Originally Posted by FunkRenegade

Elitism? Hardly. I'm certainly not making up or blowing anything out of proportion to bash fender. I call it as I see it. If you're willing to accept the flaws, fender has no reason to improve any further. They certainly will charge you more for a new and improved version that should have been in the first place. It's pretty sad that fender set the bar so low in the past, that even an improved version is still not where it should be.

Japanese consumers are known to be very picky and products for Japanese domestic market reflect that. If you can't satisfy the consumers, you won't be selling too many.

It wasn't your post that was quoted.

[Mojo-Man]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

i also hated the s1 switch. otherwise, they're fine basses.

I agree, no s1 switch for me.

[suvdecropp]

Originally Posted by Mojo-Man

I agree, no s1 switch for me.

If you hate S1 switch -> just don't use it

[JimB52]

I had a 2000 Jazz, trans-white ash body maple neck that was just superb. 8 lbs exactly, by far the lightest Fender Jazz I've ever owned. I sold it six years ago and have regretted it terribly.

I still have a Special Edition 2000 Jazz that sounds and plays like melted butter. Looks OK too.



I have a 2008 Hot Rod Jazz with the S-1 switch that I like to use live. Adds a lot of tonal variety. Looks great, too, with the matching headstock.

[boristhespider9]

No love from me for this era.

[walterw]

funny, i really like all of the USA basses since the "reintroduction" in '95 or whenever, and i really got to see all of them over the entire production runs when they hit the back door of the store.

they all have really good upgrades that don't change the "vibe"; a thicker headstock to reduce dead spots and twisting, the graphite rods in the neck for stability and evenness, and the string-through low-mass multi-grooved bridge (a nice combo of the '50s string-through with the later threaded-rod bridge) that finally let you get the string spacing right with your jazz pickup magnets again.

the '90s ones are actually my favorite, with often lighter bodies and the first-gen bridges with actual steel saddles. (my own is a '96 P). i've never noticed the finish being any thicker, and these (as i understand it) had stiffer graphite rods in the neck than later versions, so much so that there was a tech bulletin released about adjusting the truss rod on these, how you had to "assist" the neck like when tweaking a ric. swap in some lightweight keys and you have a winner!

the american "series" were also great, except that the new bridges had wider grooves in the saddles which made it a lot harder to get the string spacing truly dead-even. the S-1 was a novelty except on the passive 5-string jazz, where it totally woke up the otherwise anemic low B.

they always felt "thicker" than the first-gen american standards to me though, less like vintage basses.

the newest ones are basically the same except for lighter keys (a big plus) and that higher-mass bridge (meh).

i really think you can't lose with any of them!

[Warhawk]

I have the electronics, pickguard and bridge from a 2005 American Series P in my '99 MIM P and it sounds great. The S-1 is still there but I simply ignore that as it doesn't do anything good in my opinion. While I don't think the higher mass bridge does anything for the sound I do like the partially threaded saddles and the heavier bent plate just looks nicer than the thinner regular one.

I think I might actually prefer to have a American Series bass (especially a Jazz) to a slightly older American Standard.

[Ezmar]

Maybe I'm just a lucky duck, but I got a 2005 Fender Jazz from the Classifieds, with the S-1 switch removed and Lindy Fralin Pickups put in. It feels and sounds amazing. It's so easy to play, only a matter of time before I'm walking around and suddenly find it in my hands, playing it.

"AAAAAh! Where did you Come from?! I LEFT YOU AT HOME!"

Also, can anyone tell me what the purpose of the S-1 switch was? And what it did? And what was wrong with it?

[boristhespider9]

Well, the mods don't really make it a Fender from that era.

[Ezmar]

Originally Posted by boristhespider9

Well, the mods don't really make it a Fender from that era.

I suppose, but I do like the body and neck as well.

[Pet Sounds]

Originally Posted by Ezmar

Maybe I'm just a lucky duck, but I got a 2005 Fender Jazz from the Classifieds, with the S-1 switch removed and Lindy Fralin Pickups put in. It feels and sounds amazing. It's so easy to play, only a matter of time before I'm walking around and suddenly find it in my hands, playing it.

"AAAAAh! Where did you Come from?! I LEFT YOU AT HOME!"

Also, can anyone tell me what the purpose of the S-1 switch was? And what it did? And what was wrong with it?

The claim was that engaging the S-1 made a P sound more like a J and vice versa. I didn't think it really achieved that. Might have been more useful on the J. But they seem susceptible to breakage, as I've seen numerous nonfunctioning switches at stores. To each his own, but they didn't float my boat.

[Bongolation]

Originally Posted by Pet Sounds

The claim was that engaging the S-1 made a P sound more like a J and vice versa. I didn't think it really achieved that.

Fender always has to add some temporary, two-bit monkey-motion to the electronics for Marketing to bray about and make the credulous bubbas think they're getting some magical improvement for the price increase -- Delta-Tone, S-1, blah-blah and currently the 3¢ Greasebucket silliness.

It all comes and goes. Pfft.

The less electronics the better. Improve the QC and detailing and actually stick with it for a change. That's my dream.

[Tonari]

I have American Series Jazz 2000, ash body, maple fingerboard, natural color. It's amazing.
Maybe quality control passed not-so-good basses along with the superb ones, but I think most of the poor quality basses from that time (2000-2008) are already burnt. Only very good basses are still with us. So I don't understand how someone can blame this great instruments only because some of it's brothers was not so good some time ago.

[Bongolation]

Originally Posted by Tonari

I have American Series Jazz 2000, ash body, maple fingerboard, natural color. It's amazing.

If it's an actual "American" from 8/2000>, it's probably great.

The first wave of these were priority QC instruments with beautiful detailing and fretboard work, and every one of the ash ones I saw had well-matched two-piece bodies with beautiful wood.

Fairly quickly, this started rolling back to lackluster materials and indifferent workmanship after the introductory honeymoon. Typical.

My only beef with these was the propensity of the neck finish to badly check and crack from fairly modest atmospheric flux. It took a long time for Fender to address this and there were lots of complaints about it.

[walterw]

Originally Posted by Bongolation

My only beef with these was the propensity of the neck finish to badly check and crack from fairly modest atmospheric flux. It took a long time for Fender to address this and there were lots of complaints about it.

do you mean around the frets on maple-board instruments? from the edge where the finish has been scraped off the frets themselves?

because otherwise i've never seen this on american standard or series anything, guitars or basses, and we get all 4 seasons here in southeast VA, from muggy summers to freezing winters.

OK, i have seen some finish cracking around the skunk stripe of really old (like late '80s old) american standard guitars.

[akdmx]

I have an 05 (bought in 05, made in 05 according to serial#) American deluxe 4string jazz with swamp ash body (which I believe was an option at the time). No "S-1" switch to be found. What's up with that? Factory freak?

Great sounding bass -- had multiple people ask me to let them know first if I ever sell it. Got lucky with the wood I guess.