I recentlly got a new P Oly/tort/rosewood and the finish had some bluish staining on it,anyhow they got me a new one & it's perfect in every aspect. As an oldtimer(been playing bass for almost 40 yrs) I've played them all,& although they're a few nay sayers out there,these new american standards ,both P & Js are really well done & consistant,they are the best they've put out in ages. I'd like to thank Lakland for forcing Fender to improve there product,I'd take a new American Standard P over a skyline Glaub now, where as last year I would have gone skyline. Kudos to Fender, Now what about some cool retro colours
That bluish stain on the Olympic White basses is the buffing compound they use on the bass. It should wipe right off with a little elbow grease.
I really want an American Standard Jazz 4 in candy cola w/maple board to replace the 5 string like it that I sold. Great basses, IMO. Just got the email from The Perfect Bass announcing Fender's price increase as of Feb. 1st, though.
I was impressed enough by the new American Standards to actually purchase one , after many years of being disapointed with what Fender was putting out. As a long time Fender owner/player,(well over 25 years now) it is very nice to see Fender putting out a product in their Standard MIA line that I think is worth spending my hard earned money on. I'm hoping that I don't feel the same way about Fenders, as I currently do about Rickenbacker after the Feb.1 price increase, which would be NICE BASS, but no longer a great value.
Disagree. I had an 08 Jazz with what I can only guess was the same blue-green stain on the lower horn, about 3 inches in diameter. It definitely did not wipe off, elbow grease or no. Fender replaced mine with no problems, though.
My 08 lefty Jazz was beautifully put together and finished. its a sunburst and torte with rosewood and I could not be more pleased with it. My only complaint would be that the three piece body doesn't have the best matched up pieces but that would not likely affect the tone in any way. I got mine last year when the Canadian dollar was at par with the US. They have shot up several hundred dollars since then so I feel I got a great deal on a bass that will always hold its value. It plays and sounds like a dream. Very nice compliment to my Stingrays.
I tried an 08J for a week and now have an 08P. My P is built better than the j. Better feeling neck and tighter neck pocket. It's a black on maple and I can see the woodgrain thru its finish. Almost looks like tiny cracks. Not pretty, but its sound is amazing. Didnt care much for the high mass bridge and replaced it with older american deluxe string thru bridge.
Didnt care much for the high mass bridge and replaced it with older american deluxe string thru bridge.[/QUOTE] What exactly didn't you like about the new high mass bridge?
You have to wonder, though, "why did it ship in the first place?" Like the ghastly neck on my '08 AS Jazz. What were they thinking? They're not absolutely, flippin' blind, and they would have had to have been to miss it. No, I'm totally unimpressed with American Standard QC. :scowl:
I think it's colour bleeding from the case fur. I've played about 20 new Js & Ps & all have been fantastic,Light,resonate like crazy un plugged & excellent fit & finish. I was'nt even looking for a new bass,tried the new P & was blown away & that you can finally get em in white with tort was a major +. You may have not liked yours but I think the majority would concur that fenders americans have gottin a LOT better, & I being an old man have played em all. We like em Cheers
I have an 08 Jass that I LOVE the neck on...looks like there are still some that aren't up to snuff from what I'm hearing. I also love my 04 Fender American P the more I play it, but it isn't nearly as well assembled as the 08. I just wish it had the J neck. My Jazz was perfect out of the box though...a small tweek of the neck and setting intonation and it plays as well as the best of all my basses. The neck pocket it good but not perfect, but considering the incredible playability I can easily overlook what really isn't that important. The neck is spot on perfect!!
+1 For me, the neck is everything on a bass - my '08 Jazz is simply incredible! Straight from the Fender factory it plays as well as any boutique instrument I've owned. Beautiful instruments with a definitive emphasis based upon improvement. Although not entirely bass-related, here is a YouTube clip regarding the overall direction in the 2008 AM Std line: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qz9YHul42GQ&feature=related
That's a great way to put it. I'm a big Lakland fan and waited for a 5 string Glaub for a long time. When I heard Fender was finally making a true 5 string P bass, I was very excited. When I got a sale email from Musician's Friend that would ship a Am Std P bass 5 to my door for $959, I couldn't resist. The bass weighs 8-8.5 lbs and is beautifully constructed. I couldn't imagine paying more for an Indonesian made Lakland. As the owner of two Skylines and based on the exceptional quality of my new P bass 5, I can't see how a skyline could ever be better.
Well, I haven't seen an AS yet with properly crowned frets, something that's routine with boutique instruments. Fender simply doesn't bother -- and for the price they should. The fretwork is just indifferent, rough and incomplete.
Here are some related products that TB members are talking about. Clicking on a product will take you to TB’s partner, Primary, where you can find links to TB discussions about these products. Browser not compatible
