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Fender Standard P vs American Special P

#41
StrangerDanger said:
The American Spec doesn't have a gloss neck and the neck is slimmer and faster. Plus the 70's logo and the satisfaction of buying American!
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Haha! Buying an American bass made by a Mexican worker. I still find it hilarious that people get so hung up on the country of origin of their Fenders when the only real difference between the MIM and MIA is which Mexican worker put it together!

My 50's Classic P can hold its own, beautiful 2-piece body, and dare I even say out perform most American Standards any day of the week. Heck, it even has an American Standard pup in it stock, same hardware, etc. as the AVRI's for the most part, and my 50's Road Worn strat plays like butter, and I bought it used from the original owner, who had the frets leveled, crowned and polished (note: even the American Standards do NOT come with the frets leveled, crowned and polished) for $500, less than half of what a new MIA costs.

So do you still think that 'buying American' really makes that much of a difference when the workers making them are probably not even from here? I am not saying this in a derogatory, racist or negative way at all, because I think all of this Made in USA Fender snobbery is hilarious and will gladly and proudly rock a MIM Fender any day of the week over most MIA offerings.
 
#43
OK, thanks for the comments. There seems to be some confusion about my question. Also, I had missed that the Am Special has a slim C neck, and the MIM (Mexican) Std has a modern C neck. There are very few music stores in my town and they carry only the major lines of Fender if at all. So I am not able to get my hands on an Am Special to try out the neck. I have an MIM and really like the neck. All the other specs are pretty similar and I was wondering if the price difference was simply down to whether it was assembled in Mexico or US. I didn't want it get political!

Here's the MIM Std -

ffaaedb5440c82321514517cff90b9eb.png


And the American Special -

86ceb3c861ac3d7b0737b2ccde488ca3.png
 
#44
Has anyone here tried the Am Special against the MIM Std? I like the MIM neck and the slimC neck sounds good. But I don't want a neck too slim - in my earlier post I said that's one of the reasons I've gone off the Jazz neck.
 
#46
OP - I feel your pain!

Actually the specs are quite different, as far as P basses go. So, your question is really subjective and nearly impossible to answer. IMO the Am Special is a slightly better instrument all around. Whether or not country of origin has anything to with it I have no idea.
 
#47
I was in my local music store today playing around with the American Standard today and the American Special. I actually liked the Special better. It had a great P bass tone and just felt a little better in my hands. I was with another bass player who is amazing and an in demand studio player. He picked up the cheapest squire P bass they had and made it sound amazing too. He had me turn around and he kept switching basses as he played. The differences were so subtle. He said that with studio work, it wouldn't matter which bass he had...the Standard, Special or the cheap Squire...the recorded tone is going to sound the same once the song is completed. Buy what you like.
 
#48
Dr Goggles said:
Has anyone here tried the Am Special against the MIM Std? I like the MIM neck and the slimC neck sounds good. But I don't want a neck too slim - in my earlier post I said that's one of the reasons I've gone off the Jazz neck.
Click to expand...

Personally, I haven't cared for the AmSpec PBass necks that I've tried (and I'm primarily a PBass guy). I've liked the regular Modern C profile a lot more than the Slim Modern C. The AmSpec does have a number of plusses in its column over the MIM Standard, but if at all possible, try and play one first to see how you like the neck because that's what you are going to be physically dealing with most on the bass. If you're like me and don't care for the Slim Modern C, it can make an otherwise nice bass a horrible playing experience.
 
#49
Needenaneden said:
...I was with another bass player who is amazing and an in demand studio player. He picked up the cheapest squire P bass they had and made it sound amazing too. He had me turn around and he kept switching basses as he played. The difference were so subtle. He said that with studio work, it wouldn't matter which bass he had...the Standard, Special or the cheap Squire...the recorded tone is going to sound the same once the song is completed. Buy what you like.
Click to expand...

That should be a sticky and made compulsory reading for all TB'ers ;)

Another factor is that sometimes five minutes of noodling on a bass in a guitar shop isn't going to give you a good impression of how it is to live with it. I didn't like my MIM P initially (I bought it in a hurry at a closing-down sale), but now it is my favourite. What I think I want isn't necessarily what I actually want.
 
#51
sbpark said:
So do you still think that 'buying American' really makes that much of a difference when the workers making them are probably not even from here? I am not saying this in a derogatory, racist or negative way at all, because I think all of this Made in USA Fender snobbery is hilarious and will gladly and proudly rock a MIM Fender any day of the week over most MIA offerings.
Click to expand...

Yeah, Yuriy Shishkov's guitars are on right par with a vintage Tonika. :scowl:
 
#52
sbpark said:
Haha! Buying an American bass made by a Mexican worker. I still find it hilarious that people get so hung up on the country of origin of their Fenders when the only real difference between the MIM and MIA is which Mexican worker put it together!

So do you still think that 'buying American' really makes that much of a difference when the workers making them are probably not even from here? I am not saying this in a derogatory, racist or negative way at all, because I think all of this Made in USA Fender snobbery is hilarious and will gladly and proudly rock a MIM Fender any day of the week over most MIA offerings.
Click to expand...

Are Americans of Mexican descent not true Americans? That's what you imply.
 
#56
georgestrings said:
Sorry, but you don't know what you're talking about...


- georgestrings
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So you're telling me that there are no Mexican workers assembling MIA guitars at the Fender factory here in the U.S.? Haha! Keep telling yourself whatever it takes to help you believe that one! Or are you saying that the MExican workers in the MExican factory are not as skilled as the MExican workers who assemble guitars at the USA factory? I have come across total dogs in the MIA line that I can't believe got across the QC checkpoint. Overall the consistency seems to be better with the MIM's in all honesty.
 
#57
when you look at the promo picks you see the world's nicest grained and perfectly sprayed sunburst bodies for the american standards, not ime, you can get a nice tone out of less costly basses if you know how to eq and you have a good amp, for 1500 bucks i want them to make me feel like i'm a teenager and they are my first real instrument
 
#59
sbpark said:
So you're telling me that there are no Mexican workers assembling MIA guitars at the Fender factory here in the U.S.? Haha! Keep telling yourself whatever it takes to help you believe that one! Or are you saying that the MExican workers in the MExican factory are not as skilled as the MExican workers who assemble guitars at the USA factory? I have come across total dogs in the MIA line that I can't believe got across the QC checkpoint. Overall the consistency seems to be better with the MIM's in all honesty.
Click to expand...

My critique of your comments really had nothing to do with nationalities - it was based on the very obvious differences between the MIA and MIM Fender lines...

"the only real difference between the MIM and MIA is which Mexican worker put it together"

...Obviously the statement of someone who knows nothing about those basses...

"Overall the consistency seems to be better with the MIM's in all honesty"

Again, you really don't know what you're talking about...


- georgestrings
 
#60
georgestrings said:
My critique of your comments really had nothing to do with nationalities - it was based on the very obvious differences between the MIA and MIM Fender lines...

"the only real difference between the MIM and MIA is which Mexican worker put it together"

...Obviously the statement of someone who knows nothing about those basses...

"Overall the consistency seems to be better with the MIM's in all honesty"

Again, you really don't know what you're talking about...


- georgestrings
Click to expand...
I knew what you meant, and I agree, that poster does not know what he's talking about.
 

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