Fender poll. Part 3.

[two fingers]

Answer the question and discuss however you wish.

I am unable to edit the poll anymore for some reasons. The choice ending in "ip" is supposed to be "Being able to order direct from Fender with any options I want."

Check out these two as well please.

For me it would be "Something else". Bring back the Roscoe Beck 5.

OK let's do this. Fender poll. Part 1

Fender poll. Part 2

 

[Gothic]

I voted for lower prices. I think (most) Fenders are overpriced. But, other than that, I'd love a 12" (or higher) radius with jumbo or even XJ frets on a p-bass.

 

[trothwell]

I'm reasonably happy with their current offerings, and while I sure wouldn't say no to lower prices, I don't feel that they are overpriced (in general -- perhaps some specific models could be argued as overpriced, but that's a matter of personal taste too).

I already have three Fender basses (two purchased brand new, a third purchased very lightly used). The main reasons I want to get more: have a second Precision bass, so I can keep one with flats and one with roundwound strings; have a 1970s-style Jazz bass to pair with my 1960s-style Jazz bass, for the (admittedly subtle) tonal difference; have either a Precision or Jazz to keep a set of tapewound strings on; have something as close as possible (perhaps a Custom Shop build) to a 1963 Jazz, for personal nostalgic reasons.

I fully expect that in time I will acquire all of those nice-to-have additions for my bass collection. But what I have now gives me plenty to get the job done, and I'm just not in a hurry to buy more. So I'm not really sure what Fender could do, short of dropping prices to something unrealistically low, to get me to speed up my purchasing.

For the purpose of the poll, I selected "more color choices", because, as much as I esteem and even like 3TSB, Olympic White, and Black, I like having more options when it does come time to buy. [Of course, for only a few hundred dollars more over the American Professional line, you can go with a Mod Shop build and get a much wider selection of colors.]

 

[mongo2]

Something else.

My preference would be a well balanced lightweight low to mid priced Mustang/Bronco/Musicmaster style bass with a 4 saddle bridge or a similar shortscale bass.

 

[alack]

I hate to say “never” because who knows? But my last 3 bass purchased were all Squiers. The fact is I can do my job and get plenty of joy out of playing inexpensive basses. They killed my GAS.

 

[Nashrakh]

More six string models. I like Fender, but I have to look elsewhere for the poison of my choice. I doubt I'll ever see a six string Fender P bass in my lifetime...

 

[Marcus Willett]

I would buy a brand new Fender if they made what I want, outside of the custom shop since I don’t want it bad enough to pay the CS cost.

5 string Jazz with narrow nut and heel, 16.5/17mm spacing (adjustable) and with a slightly smaller body...somewhat like the Plus series from the 90s.

I’ve had to have this bass built for me custom a few times since it doesn’t exist.

 

[mikewalker]

This should have been a 'multiple selections possible' poll!
I would choose all but three ('1959', 'local stock', and 'nothing').
I only mildly agree with "lower prices" - in general I don't begrudge them their profiteering (it IS AMERICA, after all!) ... although I do think the top line USA stuff is at least 20% higher than it needs to be.

I strongly agree with more color choices, and especially with "Being able to order direct from Fender with any options I want."

It is true that they DO have 'the Fender Custom Shop', but the prices there are so obscenely stratospheric that I would never ever consider it. I used to belong to the "The Gibson Custom Club" (anybody here remember that?) and ditched them for the same reason - just way, way, way over the top, price-wise...

 

[Deleted member 271037]

I voted "something else". For me they will need to improve quality control considerably for me to buy another Fender. The last two MIAs I've purchased (AmPro and AO60 P-basses) both had serious issues and should never have left the factory. The Player P-bass I purchased also had issues. And the new Squiers... well, after reading the mixed reviews around here it seems like a lottery so I haven't bothered.

For me Fender hit a peak with the rock solid later version of the American Standards, the AMAZING last decade or so of AVRIs and also the Chinese Squier CVs which were outstanding for their price range. Everything since has been a huge disappointment from top to bottom IMO.

 

[Bass V]

voted for lower prices but wanted multiple choices cos I want many examples of something new and exact replications of the classic originals ...at a sane price like when I was a kid engrossed with new $275 burst Ps and Js. but even if they did I doubt they could substantially beat my $100 LB11 P clone or match my $160 Lotus 750 (avatar). I honestly don't understand what continually floats Fender's boat these days!

 

[MoeTown1986]

I voted for lower prices. I think (most) Fenders are overpriced. But, other than that, I'd love a 12" (or higher) radius with jumbo or even XJ frets on a p-bass.

If you think Fender's are overpriced, go look at a Gibson or PRS.

 

[Relayer71]

I'm not big on Fender basses (though I started with a P ages ago). After playing Ibanez and then Spector basses with their small, extremely contoured/curved bodies, those classic Fender bodies don't feel that comfy to play. Soundwise, of course I love the classic P and J bass sounds.

So a smaller size, curved body Fender J bass with active electronics would be nice - but others brands are already making those (unless Fender has a model like this I'm not aware of?).

 

[Deleted member 271037]

If you think Fender's are overpriced, go look at a Gibson or PRS.

There's "overpriced" and then there's "hideously overpriced".

 

[Wisebass]

What no part 4?

I won' t buy a new Fender!

And there is nothing Fender can do about it!

There are so many good used Fenders for every budget out there!

Wise

 

[MoeTown1986]

I'm not big on Fender basses (though I started with a P ages ago). After playing Ibanez and then Spector basses with their small, extremely contoured/curved bodies, those classic Fender bodies don't feel that comfy to play. Soundwise, of course I love the classic P and J bass sounds.

So a smaller size, curved body Fender J bass with active electronics would be nice - but others brands are already making those (unless Fender has a model like this I'm not aware of?).

I have a 2008 American Deluxe J. It's referred to as a "dinky J". Much smaller than a standard J body. It's funny, because I actually prefer the bigger Fender body. I typically can't stand Ibanez, Spector, Warwick, Ect basses because at 6'1" and 230lbs, they feel like toys to me.

 

[two fingers]

What no part 4?

View attachment 3585151

I won' t buy a new Fender!

And there is nothing Fender can do about it!

There are so many good used Fenders for every budget out there!

Wise

If you have a suggestion for a 4th part, I'm open to it.

 

[MrLenny1]

Just wish they were more consistent in quality.
Mean while I am spoiled with a Pedulla, Tobias & Stambaugh.

 

[zombywoof5050]

They need to go back to letting people order brand new Japanese Fenders directly from Japan. I was lucky and got my Precision direct from Ishibashi back in 2002, but now they are not allowed to export them.

 

[Relayer71]

I have a 2008 American Deluxe J. It's referred to as a "dinky J". Much smaller than a standard J body. It's funny, because I actually prefer the bigger Fender body. I typically can't stand Ibanez, Spector, Warwick, Ect basses because at 6'1" and 230lbs, they feel like toys to me.

That makes sense. I'm about 80lbs lighter and a few inches shorter.
Does Fender still make this model?

 

[Trouztrouz]

I suppose I would need to be convinced that I can't get better value out of one of the many very similar bases made by several other manufacturers. Admittedly, I'm not sure what fender would need to do to convince me of that.