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Fender poll. Part 3.

What would it take to get you to buy a new Fender bass?

  • Lower prices.

    Votes: 198 25.2%
  • More color options.

    Votes: 69 8.8%
  • New and completley different models.

    Votes: 75 9.6%
  • Go back to making them exactly like they did in 1959.

    Votes: 61 7.8%
  • More local availability so I can try them out.

    Votes: 42 5.4%
  • Being able to order direct from Fender with any options I want

    Votes: 59 7.5%
  • Nothing would make me buy a new Fender.

    Votes: 144 18.3%
  • Something else. Please elaborate.

    Votes: 94 12.0%
  • Better Quality Control

    Votes: 43 5.5%

  • Total voters
    785
I voted Better Quality Control, but I really meant better quality for the amount paid - "bang for the buck" - the competition isn't sitting still...
 
My American Deluxe 5 string Precision had a wider neck than I like. I wouldn’t buy another one unless it had a narrower neck and string spacing. I don’t slap so I don’t need that wider layout. I’m building a P style 5 string with narrower spacing and MM style neck.
 
And a MIM mod shop that's available outside the US!

You know.... that might be the most brilliant idea you've had so far in this whole Fender "thing".

Being able to get exactly what you want, but at a price point of around a grand or so rather than three grand, would be a BLAST for a lot of Fender fans.

If you could order up a Sherwood Green, tort, P/J with a Jazz neck and lollipop tuners and blocks and binding from our friends to the south and NOT pay used car prices that might just catch fire.

The Mexi Modshop. Caballero Customs! Personalizado P bass! Jabato Jazz!

I dig it.
 
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.

That's all I ever wanted to see from them.
Closer string spacing and smaller bodies "a" profile neck. One of the only 2 basses I bought new was a Lakland DJ-5. That one hit all the marks except it had a p-bass neck.
 
You know.... that might be the most brilliant idea you've had so far in this whole Fender "thing".

Being able to get exactly what you want, but at a price point of around a grand or so rather than three grand, would be a BLAST for a lot of Fender fans.

If you could order up a Sherwood Green, tort, P/J with a Jazz neck and lollipop tuners and blocks and binding from our friends to the south and NOT pay used car prices that might just catch fire.

The Mexi Modshop. Caballero Customs! Personalizado P bass! Jabato Jazz!

I dig it.
I might be interested but that's never going to happen.
Good thing you can buy excellent Fender P or J bass copies for a little over a thousand in any color you want, any configuration, built right here in the USA.
 
I voted “something else” and now I would like to elaborate as directed.

Whenever I have been in the market to buy a new (to me) bass, I found something else that I liked better.

Last bass I bought was when I was shopping for a simple ol’ P-bass. I shopped for two years and tried everything I could get my hands on, Lull, Nash, CS, MIA, MIM, etc... finally found a used G&L LB100.

Fit and Finish of the US G&Ls seem to be flawless. Maybe its because they Plek every fretboard.?.? IDK? But It was better than any of the Fenders I tried. So, I bought that.

If the Fender had been made as well or better than the GL, I would have bought it.

Also, as a side note, I was very put off by the CS “Masterbuilt” instruments for 5,6,7, -$10,000.... ANY CS instrument, should be “Masterbuilt”. It just seemed to to me to be an insulting way to needlessly add another price point to what (at anything north of $2500) should already be the absolute best and most flawless and perfect example of two pieces of wood screwed together with some metal wires attached.
 
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Out of the three polls on the topic of "new Fenders", I only voted in the other two, but I couldn't vote in this one because my answer isn't listed.

For this poll, my correct answer would be "Nothing is stopping me from buying a new Fender...if I needed one".

Simply put, I have my AmStd P with flats, and I don't need another. If something happened to it (like theft, fire, etc.), I'd then buy a new Fender P and put TI flats on it. I have nothing against buying used, but I live in the middle of nowhere, and the used offerings around here are slim-to-none (and I'm extremely hesitant to buy used online).

Personally, I don't have a problem with what Fender is offering.
 
The only thing that would make me consider purchasing a new Fender would be the loss or destruction of my current Fender, which I bought in High School, 15 years ago. And, if I bought now, I would probably buy used, given the far superior online platforms and selection that exists today.

I'm, unfortunately, just not a collector of things. I have three basses, all very different types and with clearly defined roles, and I have no desire to get more unless they replace the ones I have. It pains me, for I am grateful for manufacturers of instruments, but I am bad for business.
 
For me, it would take:

1) More options available more quickly. I don't want to wait months and months for a certain color with a certain set of pickups and a certain pickguard. If I have to do this, I'll go to Warmoth, and have a luthier assemble the bass.

2) More options, as in, perhaps a Jazz body with the pickups in Rickenbacker positions. And please don't tell me this will be a year's wait. If we're talking Custom Shop prices, why not go Sadowsky?

The last Fender I bought was my T-Bucket acoustic bass. $400, but it's worth $400. Very happy with it.
I recently played a Fender Elite Jazz. I didn't think it was worth the $2149 price tag. I know if you pay cash you'd probably get about $200 off, but I would have a problem paying Ernie Ball prices for a Fender.

Mike
 
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