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Fender American Design Experience

ShoeManiac

ShoeManiac

Supporting Member
Jan 19, 2006
2,887
1,243
New Jersey
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#1
Since Fender opened their new visitor center in Corona, California a couple of years ago, they've had a new feature where you can build your own Fender guitar or bass. You pick all of the parts and put together your very own custom Fender instrument.

That concept has finally made it's way online! And now you can build your own Fender guitar or bass online at Invalid Link Removed. The options for basses include a number of variations of 4 string Precision and Jazz basses. Other options include:

-Vintage or modern appointments
-Right or Left-Handed (good news for lefties!)
-Alder or Ash bodies
-COLORS: 3 tone sunburst, 2 tone sunburst, Olympic white, Vintage blonde, Black, Lake Placid Blue, Candy Apple Red, Sunset Metallic & Silverburst
-Jazz or Precision necks with a range of options
-Varying pickup options
-Modern or vintage style bridges
-6 different pickguard materials
-Hardware finishes
-3 different case options


It's pretty cool if you may not be on board with some of the options on stock Fender models. The pricing seems a little high, but that's probably got to do with the increased labor involved with just such a build.
 
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#3
those are the only colors they are going to offer? they could make so much money off this. i just put together a pretty boring bass for $1675. in my opinion you're better off going with Warmoth. also, why the hell does fender charge $100 more to use an Ash body on this? ash and alder are the same price at warmoth
 
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#4
Anybody else think it's odd that you don't get the same choice of necks, depending on which bass body you start with?

The P body gives you choices of P and J necks. But, the J body only gives you choices of J necks.

And if you ordered a P, with a J neck, would it really say Fender Jazz on the headstock, like it does in the picture?
 
#8
It isn't quite as "mix and match" as I would have liked. If nothing else, you can get CAR and a gold anodized guard on a P-bass instead of Mystic Red so... well, there's that.

When fooling around with Jazzes they list the 70's necks as having bullet truss rod headstock nuts. The picture doesn't indicate it, are they really doing that?
 
#9
It's because the P neck doesn't fit on J bodies that well. J heel is shaped pointier, so it fits in P neck pocket, but more blunt P heel doesn't fit in the J neck pocket. You can cram it in there, but it won't fit flush. Older bodies with mickey mouse ears will not have this problem.

At first, I thought it was just tollerance issues, but I have tried interchanging American P and J necks on all my fenders. No cigar. Those who don't believe me can try it out, instead of accusing me of making up "myths".

StuartV said:
Anybody else think it's odd that you don't get the same choice of necks, depending on which bass body you start with?

The P body gives you choices of P and J necks. But, the J body only gives you choices of J necks.

And if you ordered a P, with a J neck, would it really say Fender Jazz on the headstock, like it does in the picture?
Click to expand...
 
#10
I don't think the scheme is perfect, but I think it is a step in a positive direction. And perhaps the choices that customers make with this new web ordering process will steer some of Fender's choices on a few fronts.

From looking at the various options it appears that the basis for these instruments are the American Special, Standard and Vintage lines. Are the colors everything I'd like to see? Yes and no. There are some classic Fender colors in there as well as a couple of oddball colors. I'd like to see the color palette expanded a little, personally.

I'm trying to look at this for what it is. It's not the Fender Custom Shop. But it does seem as though Fender is trying to offer more options directly than we're able to get from a dealer. And considering the pricing? I think that's where Fender is trying to make certain that this new offering doesn't hurt the dealer network.
 
#12
Maybe I just had my hopes up, but I was hoping for something a bit more comprehensive than this. Oh well.

On a positive note, I do dig the silverburst. Not sure when I will order, but Fender doesn't need me to keep them in business.

Edited to add this:

I don't think the scheme is perfect, but I think it is a step in a positive direction. And perhaps the choices that customers make with this new web ordering process will steer some of Fender's choices on a few fronts.

From looking at the various options it appears that the basis for these instruments are the American Special, Standard and Vintage lines. Are the colors everything I'd like to see? Yes and no. There are some classic Fender colors in there as well as a couple of oddball colors. I'd like to see the color palette expanded a little, personally.

I'm trying to look at this for what it is. It's not the Fender Custom Shop. But it does seem as though Fender is trying to offer more options directly than we're able to get from a dealer. And considering the pricing? I think that's where Fender is trying to make certain that this new offering doesn't hurt the dealer network.
Click to expand...

+1
 
#13
No option for 70s Jazz pickup spacing?

No options for tug bar/thumb rest placement?

No options for body finish?

No option for matching headstock?

No option for threaded bridge saddles?

Can't even get a set of pickup covers to go with it?

Cool! A parts bass... from the factory.

But hey, all I ever really wanted was a custom engraved neck plate. Boy, am I glad they made that a feature. :rolleyes:

At least they gave us a few unique paint choices, though. Sunset metallic and silverburst are pretty sweet, and I'm really digging 2TS on a Jazz body. :bassist:
 
#15
ShoeManiac said:
-Vintage or modern appointments
-Right or Left-Handed (good news for lefties!)
-Alder or Ash bodies
-COLORS: 3 tone sunburst, 2 tone sunburst, Olympic white, Vintage blonde, Black, Lake Placid Blue, Candy Apple Red, Sunset Metallic & Silverburst
-Jazz or Precision necks with a range of options
-Varying pickup options
-Modern or vintage style bridges
-6 different pickguard materials
-Hardware finishes
-3 different case options
Click to expand...

absolutely. so you're telling me I can get what is essentially a left-handed AVRI 58/63 P or J for around $400 LESS than the AVRI 58/63s are selling for. that's a win in my book.
 
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#16
SasquatchDude said:
No option for 70s Jazz pickup spacing?
Click to expand...


I was trying to come up with something close to the current Geddy (CS version) and while you can get something that looks similar, the bridge location in the picture kind of fools you. Looks like the pickups are 60's but the necks are 70's. Weird.
 

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#20
StuartV said:
Anybody else think it's odd that you don't get the same choice of necks, depending on which bass body you start with?

The P body gives you choices of P and J necks. But, the J body only gives you choices of J necks.

And if you ordered a P, with a J neck, would it really say Fender Jazz on the headstock, like it does in the picture?
Click to expand...

Hmm, and the first thing I thought off was a 3 tone sunburst Jazz with a Rosewood P neck. Jim
 

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