Fender Dimension is Discontinued

[Dbassmon]

The Market has spoken - Low sales equals not profitable for Fender to produce. Bye-Bye!

Too bad because Fender really never got behind marketing this instrument. They needed a big name endorser and never really pursued that. No disrespect to Jolanda Charles but couldn't we find someone a little higher profile?

In this thread, people think this is a MusicMan inspired bass. If you own a Dimension and a Stingray, you would know that is not the case at all, at least from a sonic perspective. If the basis for that theory the use of a big humbucker, that is where the comparison should end. They do not sound like a Stingray in any way.

My favorite things about the USA Deluxe Dimension;

1. Neck profile - asymmetrical, compound radius five string neck is about as comfortable as it gets for me. 34" scale, great B string, LOVE the oil finish on back of the neck...smooooth!
   
2. Neck Pickup - roll off some high end, boost the bass a tiny bit and you a very warm and articulate competitor for a pbass, but sounds a little different. Buttery!
   
3. Records very well, not a lot of arm wrestling to get this sit in a mix, the bass has a very even sound not requiring a lot of compression.
4. The workmanship on this bass is top of the heap for Fender production models as is the quality of the wood used. Finger board and body are very nice pieces of wood.
   
5. Somebody at Fender was brave enough to get out the comfort zone and attempt something really new!

So the Dimension goes into the history books along with some other terrific instruments Fender has attempted. These include the Roscoe Beck IV & V, The Deluxe P5 (my personal favorite) and now add the Dimension. I am sure the discontinuation of this model came down from the accounting department. Read the news? Guitar manufacturers are in big trouble.

I agree with someone that said buy one now at firesale prices, this will appreciate in value and become collectors bass.

 

[happygilmour]

Neck profile - asymmetrical, compound radius five string neck is about as comfortable as it gets for me. 34" scale, great B string.

That's for sure. Amazing neck! So comfy!!

 

[selowitch]

I also didn't know till like yesterday that the American Standard Jaguar Bass was discontinued.

Too bad. That was a nifty instrument. Probably too expensive and too radical for most people's taste.

 

[ThinCrappyTone]

Now that it's discontinued, I sort of want one. Gah. I hate that.

 

[selowitch]

If anyone spots a good deal on an American Dimension V with a maple fingerboard, kindly let me know via this thread. So far the prices I've seen seem like regular retail.

 

[andrew]

I wonder if Fender isn't discontinuing the Dimension to make way for a similar signature bass from Flea?

 

[HeavyDuty]

Sadly I think the only way the Dim would have had a chance is if Fender had put a factory owned demonstrator in any store big enough to be worth it - all the GCs and Sam Ashes, and the big local independents. And that wasn’t going to happen.

 

[Michael Jewels]

RD has been reissued FYI Pricey...but available.

Yes, I know.

Thanks for the heads up anyway.

Again, Gibson comes out with a reissue, but it's as much as a Stingray.

Not a good place to start in my opinion.

I wonder: Does anyone know if Fender, Gibson or any big guitar manufacturer polls anyone before they introduce a new model or reissue?

Or do some marketing gurus simply meet in a boardroom and say, "We plan to introduce the X model." And some suits simply give the OK?

The only two companies I can think of that come up with any good ideas on their own, are, Ibanez, and ESP. Has anyone checked out ESP/LTD's Frank Prestia bass or their Thinline Acoustic bass?

Mike

 

[selowitch]

I wonder: Does anyone know if Fender, Gibson or any big guitar manufacturer polls anyone before they introduce a new model or reissue?

Or do some marketing gurus simply meet in a boardroom and say, "We plan to introduce the X model." And some suits simply give the OK?

The only two companies I can think of that come up with any good ideas on their own, are, Ibanez, and ESP. Has anyone checked out ESP/LTD's Frank Prestia bass or their Thinline Acoustic bass?

I have no firsthand knowledge but I can only imagine that Fender has departments for Market Research and Product Development and they probably interface all the time. If they are like any biggish company, it is probably a temptation for the higher-ups to meddle in Product Development because that's one of the more "fun" areas of that kind of work. Word is that Fender and Paul Reed Smith are both nicer places to work these days than Gibson.

 

[dabbler]

However, if I were Fender I’d likely have focused on the budget end with these for a few years, get the beginners playing them, and then bring out the expensive options.

I wouldn't. What successful product was ever introduced this way? And you know why, because a product that starts out as an economy anything, will FOREVER be known as low end. THAT is why First Act had such a hard time selling its higher line.

 

[buldog5151bass]

No company makes big changes without doing market research.

 

[dabbler]

I wonder: Does anyone know if Fender, Gibson or any big guitar manufacturer polls anyone before they introduce a new model or reissue?

Or do some marketing gurus simply meet in a boardroom and say, "We plan to introduce the X model." And some suits simply give the OK?

The only two companies I can think of that come up with any good ideas on their own, are, Ibanez, and ESP. Has anyone checked out ESP/LTD's Frank Prestia bass or their Thinline Acoustic bass?

Mike

Different strokes for different folks.

1. NOBODY hits it out of the park (product design- wise) every time.
2. Why? Because one player's "better" is another player's "meh".
3. Just because a product doesn't capture the majority of the market, doesn't mean it's not a good product. Remember, the Les Paul was discontinued, for lack of sales, once upon a time.

 

[Michael Jewels]

I have no firsthand knowledge but I can only imagine that Fender has departments for Market Research and Product Development and they probably interface all the time. If they are like any biggish company, it is probably a temptation for the higher-ups to meddle in Product Development because that's one of the more "fun" areas of that kind of work. Word is that Fender and Paul Reed Smith are both nicer places to work these days than Gibson.

Good point, selowitch.

Another thought: Has any bass company ever polled us here at Talkbass?

If not, why not?

Example: An official Fender rep could ask: How many people would consider a Jazz Bass with a humbucker near the neck, while retaining the middle and bridge pickups. It would street for $1,800.

Gibson: We at Gibson are thinking of making a reissue of the EB-0L as closely as possible to the original with upgraded pickups and hardware. How many would consider buying it? It would street for $2,200.

Mike

 

[selowitch]

Another thought: Has any bass company ever polled us here at Talkbass?

I'm not aware of that happening formally but I imagine lots of people who work for bass makers lurk on TB and also participate in discussions.
I know for a fact that Marko from Hammersmith, for example, is definitely a participant here.

 

[Gianni "Orlandez" Orlati]

Bad news indeed ... I think that the Dimension HH had an overall better choice of tones, or, at least, to me they sounded better than those of a G&L L2000, which, I believe, is the bass which can directly compare to them ...

 

[MtManiac]

I wouldn't. What successful product was ever introduced this way? And you know why, because a product that starts out as an economy anything, will FOREVER be known as low end. THAT is why First Act had such a hard time selling its higher line.

Yeah, good points - it’s harder to climb uphill versus slide downhill.

 

[Gianni "Orlandez" Orlati]

Good point, selowitch.

Another thought: Has any bass company ever polled us here at Talkbass?

If not, why not?

Example: An official Fender rep could ask: How many people would consider a Jazz Bass with a humbucker near the neck, while retaining the middle and bridge pickups. It would street for $1,800.

Gibson: We at Gibson are thinking of making a reissue of the EB-0L as closely as possible to the original with upgraded pickups and hardware. How many would consider buying it? It would street for $2,200.

Mike

I would seriously consider buying a jazz with series/parallel wiring options, a Bartolini preamp suitable for a pair of Bartolini DC humbuckers ... it would be a very nice variation on the theme!
An EB-0L at 2200$ .... ahahahahah ....

 

[Dan Pomykalski]

They may not be making it any more, but Amazon, at least, still has some for sale if you're thinking of buying one.

Nah, definitely not my cup of tea. Haha. Thanks though!

 

[eff-clef]

The newest America Dimension ("Elite". Same as "Deluxe" except for the switch) do have an active/passive switch.

 

[Iridescentone]

Sadly I think the only way the Dim would have had a chance is if Fender had put a factory owned demonstrator in any store big enough to be worth it - all the GCs and Sam Ashes, and the big local independents. And that wasn’t going to happen.

Yeah, I also think that extending the Dimension model to the MIM and Squier lines may have diluted some potential interest. I can see players plugging in a Squier Dimension H and thinking...."meh, just another MM clone".

But those economy lines didn't have the same feature set as the AM Dlx HH Dimension. I'm not sure they even had the same elecs.

The feature-laden USA Dlx is one of those basses where the whole amounts to more than the sum of the parts IMHO. The MIM and Squier Dimensions may be nice basses, but by default, they're not in the same league as the AM Dlx. Nor, were they intended to be.

By the same token, you wouldn't judge the quality of an Infinity Q45 by test driving a Nissan Altima. Nice car, the Altima, but not a Q45.