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A MIA Rascal would actually be pretty cool, especially if they kept the dual humbuckers.After the success of the Squier Rascal, maybe Fender will introduce a USA-made version for people who feel more comfortable owning an upgraded version with better finishes, pickups, tuners, etc, and don't mind spending three times as much.
Let's just hope they change the name to the Fender Scamp or Scallywag or Rapscallion because I can't think of Rascal without picturing this.
Fwiw, there was (is, maybe) a beautiful American Deluxe natural ash 5-string HH Dimension in the classifieds.But just think of all the (near) instant “collectible” basses that creates. When was the last time you priced a Dimension, or even saw one for sale. I bought a GC/MF “exclusive” blacked out FSR Mustang new, one of the last two new ones left in their system wide inventory. I negotiated an open box discount on it because it had been hanging on a GC wall for about a week and wound up getting the bass and a nifty Fender short scale gig bag for less than the NIB price for the bass alone. I think it wound up costing me around $725 all in. Just a few months ago I had an offer of a grand for it and didn’t have it up for sale. Someone came to look at a bass I had for sale and the Mustang was sitting out. Hopefully no more of that particular variant will be produced.
I completely agree with pretty much everything you’ve said. One of my guilty pleasures is buying Stealth A-string retainers for MIA basses. In Canada, they’re like $25-30 delivered, and no stores sell them.It has been a while since Fender had a rock solid passive MIA "workhorse" bass without silly "innovations" (like the Alnico II/V pickups, the horrible fluted tuners and for MY taste also the greasebucket tone circuitry). If I was looking for a good, solid, classic, workhorse Fender I would want something like the last version of the American Standards, the ones with the CS pickups. Those were rock solid instruments with a classic Fender tone/feel.
The only upgrade classic Fender basses like the American Standards REALLY need is a string tree on the A-string. It took Fender over 70 years to offer this as a "Premium" option on their most expensive models. It's about time they offer this on ALL their models. Well, maybe not on the vintage series or the purists would go nuts...
It wouldn't hurt if they tightened their QC a bit either. It was particularly bad when they released the first AmPro series the Ultras and the Originals. At least they seem to be moving in the right direction with the Pro II and Vintage II series. I don't see nearly as many seriously flawed instruments with these.
I like the Fender and Squier Rascals but simply don't like short-scale basses.
Technically they could do that with Squier parts and for many of us it would be MIA.
I don’t own any short scales, but for the right one, I’d buy one. I like the idea of fat notes on the upper register of the D and G string. I think the Rascal needs to be short scale, and an “American Professional” treatment would be pretty cool, so long as they ditched the VMod pickups and did something cool with the dual humbuckers.
Sunburst and Olympic white will always be around, I agree.This is a fun game
You might well be right about a new range next year. Part of the reason for my timing of buying an American Professional II before the end of the year, was so it doesn't get snatched away and replaced with something more expensive. I suppose the risk I run is that there might be a colour in the new range that I like more than what I got. If they start doing the fretless in Sienna Sunburst, I'll be annoyed. But, I'll console myself with the fact that I'd definitely have spent more if I waited.
I agree that Dark Night will go. I like it, but it's kind of a quirky choice, and when I was shopping for my fretless, it seems it's not stocked as widely as the Sunburst and Olympic White ones (they will both stay).
I keep wondering whether Fender will go back to rosewood (instead of pau ferro) for some of their ranges, with the CITES thing having been lifted.
IME, basses in the TB classifieds are the exception that proves my contention. This community is by and large well grounded and the variety and sane pricing reflect a community with a more sophisticated appreciation for basses without trying to retire on every sale. At least that was how it was when I was selling parts here.
Yep. But *what* slightly different hardware and colours?
I'm with you but I want a decent nut, no puny 1.5" Jazz nuts for me. It's the only reason I didn't snatch up a 32" MIJ P bass last year.
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