I love my American Standard, I was going to get it in Olympic White with a Rosewood Neck, but they didn't have any in the UK for another 3 months, so I got it in Blizzard Pearl with a Maple Neck, and It's beautiful, and it plays lovely! Love the feel of the neck too.
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'08 American standard quality
- Thread starter Big Thump
- Start date
As soon as I read the "new features" list for the 2008 American Standard line and read the whole speel on thinner finish to let the tone out.... My first thought was, B.S...that is just to save money. Heck they even go to the extent to mention reduced steps in the process.
That is some gutsy wording for the marketing team to choose.
I agree, knowng that mess is under the pickguard always irked me too.
I have noticed the 5 string jazzes have a better pickup fit in the bridge pickup body route. Not as much off centered slop space as in the 4 strings.
On the tight neck to body fit- I have a 25 year old G&L L2000 that has a neck fit so tight that dust won't even fit down into the pocket. I all these years not one finish crack. Maybe it is the exception.
That is some gutsy wording for the marketing team to choose.
I agree, knowng that mess is under the pickguard always irked me too.
I have noticed the 5 string jazzes have a better pickup fit in the bridge pickup body route. Not as much off centered slop space as in the 4 strings.
On the tight neck to body fit- I have a 25 year old G&L L2000 that has a neck fit so tight that dust won't even fit down into the pocket. I all these years not one finish crack. Maybe it is the exception.
In 2006 I bought a Geddy Jazz because I liked the feel and sound compared to the MIA basses plus I didn't care for the S-1 switch. I played a few of the new models and ended up getting the Precision this past Friday. It has the best feeling neck I've played. I have a 2000 Precision MIA and a Geddy Jazz plus a MIM Jazz. I always used the jazz because I could move better on the thin neck. I don't know what it is but the new Precision's maple neck is fast.
It just cracks me up that prior to 2008, people on TB were complaining about the thick finishes that Fender used, how they wouldn't let the instrument resonate. Now Fender responds with a thinner finish "to allow the instrument to resonate" and people call BS and say that it's a cheap marketing gimmick. 
Whatever people have found, you still have to "try before you buy." I had an 08 Am.Std. Precision and I was lucky enough to be able to choose between two. One had some seriously bad lacquer reaction on the back & weighed significantly more than the other. But you're always going to get quality issues on a proportion of mass produced instruments.
Well I am one who has mention the finish quality.It just cracks me up that prior to 2008, people on TB were complaining about the thick finishes that Fender used, how they wouldn't let the instrument resonate. Now Fender responds with a thinner finish "to allow the instrument to resonate" and people call BS and say that it's a cheap marketing gimmick.
I guess I just have a mind set that when a large global company like Fender tells the potential buying customer that they did less of something and it was for your benefit...I just become skeptical.
I like sunburst finishes. So since they have come out with the 08's I have played and inspected quite a few at GC and other stores in my travels. One thing I've consistantly noticed is that it take very little showroom demo time for a sunburst Am Standard bass to develope swirls in the finish and to take on almost a satin dulled down glow. It seems that just by peoples clothing and sleeves rubbing the paint it quickly loses it's glow and starts heading towards a Highway 1 look. This shouldn't be happening.
I don't hear anyone saying the Lakland Skyline or G&L finishes are too thick and they hold a gloss for years.
More than one owner on this thread has said their bass chips or scratches extremely easily. If this is the trade off for Fender reducing a few steps in the painting process then please give me the old process.
There's plenty to like in the new 08's. I love the gloss finish on the headstock. The new tuners are nice. Even though I didn't have a problem with the old ones. And finally a tortoise shell guard as standard!
I've found the neck wood selection to be very nice myself. And body wood light. Almost ridiculously so in a few I've picked up.
As for the material they are using in the new frets...I'm very skeptical on the material they are using now. Jury is still out on that one.
Agreed, I've never heard anyone complain about them either, but many complained about Fender using the same thick poly finish prior to the 2008 models, exactly because it "doesn't let the instrument resonate." Seems like people like to criticize Fender's... but if G&L or Lakland had come out with this thinner finish, and even justified it by saying it was for the sake of tone, and Fender did not, you can bet people would be praising their Laklands ad G&Ls, and slamming Fender for their thick finishes.
IMO, IME, YMMV, etc., etc.
Fragile finish doesnt really bother me as much as the new bridge. Replaced it with low mass one on my p and sounds better now.
I just did a setup for a friend of mine's 08 Fender P bass and my only beef with the bridge is the use of hex bolts for the intonation screws on it. I prefer the classic Phillips head for no other reason than I that is what I like. Other than that everything on his bass is beautiful and it sounds great. I am very happy to see them go with a gloss finish on the necks again.
Construction is fine, but makes the bass sound very thin imo. It didnt bother me too much on the j, but the p sounds fuller now that i have a traditional bridge on it.
Well your right . There will always be double edge sword...contridictory blind defenders of a given brand. Guess you just have to sort out the people who want to have a constructive exchange on a common interest from the fan club comments.
I have no problem with the intention Fender has with thinning the finish for better tone. My gripe is it seems to have come at a big compromise to durability and rapid degrading in the glossiness. If this wasn't the case I'd be singing it's praise.
I hope your not taking my input as blind hating. My last post ended with a few things I actually like about the new Am.Standards.+1000
Let the haters hate - it's what they do.
And as I mentioned. I don't use my valued time driving around to various Fender dealers ,trying a large selection of Fender basses, just so I can spew hatered. I love Fender basses and tone . I just wish they did some things as well as other companies and basses of equal price.
I have to agree that my finish is more susceptible to damage, although it hasn't caused me any problems yet. My point is just that unlike other manufacturers (such as G&L or Lakland) Fender can't win by trying to please the market. No matter which way they turn, people will complain. I like the thinner finish myself; my old 2006 butterscotch looked like it was dipped in thick clear coat. My new one sounds better too - credit the bridge, the paint, the idiosyncrasies of this particular instrument versus those of the other one, whatever, but it is a better sounding bass.
I was not commenting on your post, I was just showing my complete agreement with BillMason's sentiment that there is always an ever-present Fender hater crowd that feels the need to dump on Fender at all costs. I am not saying your post contained a blanket hatred for Fender, but I find a lot of generalizations in your post that you seem to blame on Fender as their fault.
For example, your biggest gripe with the new '08's was:
When I read this I think - who here has ever walked into a GC and seen a pristine anything? I've seen scratches, missing knobs & 2-inch high action on $3,000+ Pedullas and other instruments, but I've yet to see a single thread saying that Pedulla's quality control is lacking.
How many times a day do these instruments get handled? I mean, every grubby-handed customer & a few hundred high school kids fondle everything to death on a daily basis in these stores. Yes, I imagine it would take only a very little showroom demo-time for any bass to get in that condition in that kind of environment. Yet apparently it's a Fender finish "flaw", unique to just the new '08's?
I'm not trying to sound like an a$$, but - c'mon. I've had my '08 for 3-4 months now & I play it almost literally everyday (yes, with clothes on) and it still looks as great as it did the day I got it. Mine's black & will show every little swirl, yet I'd be glad to upload a current closeup photo.
I'm not a blind defender of Fender basses (used to despise them myself years ago to be totally honest), but I just can't read something like this and take it for anything close to the truth (as based upon my experience with the new '08 Jazz). Does the thinner undercoat mean you may want to take extra care of your instrument as to avoid knocking it into stuff? Yes, of course it does, but I think most people try to avoid that sort of thing in the first place. But implying that if you're partial to wearing clothes while playing an AM Std, your gonna regret it because it will create a dulling of the finish is a bit much to swallow. Again, I mean no disrespect nor am I trying to imply that you have a general dislike of Fender instruments, but the finish issues you mention are non-existent in my instrument which was not a floor model at any time. Just sayin'...
I fender a Fender Japan Jazz bass - shame the economy went pants and they are now really expensive.
