There are rumors ahead of NAMM pointing towards a new series replacing the American Original series, called American Classic. No info about the basses yet. Fender American Classic (Original Replacement) Fender American Classic( American Original Replacement) - OffsetGuitars.com
So it's gonna have a new name and cost two hundred more? I love Fender but their marketing is so lazy.
. . . . this year's new colors, and engine re-tuned for more torque . . . . . One more re-iteration of a 60 year-old design. Classic, certainly. Utterly useable, for sure. Elegantly simple, without a doubt. A landmark instrument. An absolute affirmation of just how 'Right' the design was. They'll sell just fine. Till hell freezes over. This year's brand new same-old-same-old. Park this alongside a current Yamaha BB and see all the engineering and improvement Fender just doesn't have to worry about, as they can just coast along, and people are more than willing to geek out over next to nothing and step right up, wallet in hand. You just got to hand it to them. Amazing.
I just thought it was funny that Fender already calls the Parts AM Classic but the finished bass is called American Original.
I recently bought a BB435. It’s price was within $75.00 of a Squier. The way that the neck attaches, the way that the strings go through the body, the five piece neck are all superior. The hardware and pickups are vastly superior to any Squier that I have played. That having been said, I’m sure that the Squier will continue to outsell the Yamaha by a wide margin. People seem to like the Fender name on the headstock.
I agree with all your comments on the Yammy BB models. However since you brought it up - if a bass is branded Squier does that mean its a Fender? By the same rationale, a Volkswagen is a Porsche (or vice versa).
I’m not saying that a Squier is the same thing as a Fender, it’s not. What I said is that people seem to like the Fender name on the headstock. A better analogy would be if VW said something like “VW by Porsche”. Cheers J.S.
This rationale is more-less false, sorry Joke aside, VW made all parts in same factories ie. engines are made in Czech factory, other small parts are made with contractors. For example "floor chassis" for Audi, VW, Seat, Skoda, Lambo or Porsche are made with the same contractor and are interchangeable with different models ie. Q5 or 6, suv by Lambo, VW Tuareg and Porsche suv have the same floor. Engine in our Golf have Audi/VW markings. Squier and Fender have different parts. But overall positioning of VW and Fender brands are spot on and on the same principle!
That's more or less my guess as well. Some disussion on that here: Fender American Original Series Successor?
I hope they have a sunburst one. Seriously, every 2 years Fender closes out color cycles and the bass world freaks out like they're never gonna see a P bass and then at NAMM they show the new colors and sometimes give it a new series name to correlate it with the new (rehashed) colors from 4 years ago. Same P, same J, same pickups, same wood, same hardware. And I LOVE Fender and I play Fenders. But Fender is not launching a new model and they did not discontinue an old model.