I can’t say if it’s worth it saving to buy a new one, I always buy used and seem to stumble across way too many deals I can’t pass up.
However, I’ve owned and played:
- 2006 American Standard Series
- 1995 American Standard Series
- 2008 American Standard
- 2010 American Standard
- 2006 American Vintage ‘57
- 2014 Classic Lacquer
- 2014 American Standard
- 2017 American Professional
- 3-4 Mexican Standards
- Squier Affinity
- MIC Squier Classic Vibe
- MII Squier Vintage Modified fretless
And maybe some others I’ve forgotten, in addition to several Jazzes and a Dimension and a few non-Fenders.
Best neck, stock pickup, fit and finish has been the 2014 American Standard.
However my favourite pickup so far is a Seymour Duncan SPB-1.
I’m a sucker for a nice neck, so my 2017 Am Pro is my go to, with an SPB-1. I love the tall narrow frets, versus the Medium Jumbos that are otherwise Fender ubiquitous. Medium Jumbos are ok though; the new Mexican Players also have nice necks. Any American Standard has a nice neck. Not a huge fan of the MIM Standard necks, though the latter year models are similar to the Players. Classic Vibes are also a good bang for the buck, especially a used Chinese one, though I find them heavier than American or Mexican ones.
Here’s a probably incomplete list of features - if you know what features are important to you and how important they are, you can better place a dollar value on them. I'm not doing an overview of the Deluxe/Elite/Ultra models.
AmPro II:
- 2019 (I think) -current
- revised pickups from Am Pro I, otherwise more or less the same
AmPro I:
- 2016-2018
- pickups widely derided, you decide, I removed mine
- tall narrow frets
- 63 profile neck
- lightweight tuners with fluted shafts
- high mass bridge that allows string through body
- bone nut
- thin finish
AmStandard
- 2012-2016
- Custom Shop 62 pickups - they're ok
- medium jumbo frets
- same neck profile as previous years Am Standards
- Same bridge and same tuners as the Pro, but tuners don't have a fluted shaft
- same style of finish as Pro
Am Standard
- 2008-2011
- same finish, bridge, tuners as later Am Standard - 2008 was the year they were introduced
- pickups same as previous generations
- same neck as previous generations
Am Standard Series:
- not sure what year introduced, but 2000s
- some had an S1 switch on the tone knob, widely regarded as useless on a P
- thicker finish, "dipped in poly" look, if it chips, it'll be a big chip
- rolled edge fretboards (as per subsequent generations)
- not bad
- revised Vintage style bridge with grooves to keep the saddles from sliding
- Schaller tuners with bulky backs
Am Performer
- descendant of the 90s California Series, the Highway 1, the Highway One, and the American Special
- greasebucket tone circuit
- often with satin body finishes
- now with a Jazz pickup, new P pickup, lightweight tuners, possibly rolled edge fretboards unlike previous generations, which were more similar to the MIM Standards
Players:
- 2018 I think?
- similar tuners and bridges to Standards
- the necks fee different to me, I dunno what the difference is but i like it
- new Alnico pickups
- no Rosewood anymore
MIM Standards
- 2007-2017ish
- basically a 70s spec P bass with ceramic pickups that although widely hated aren't all that bad
- necks with "sharp" non-rolled edges
- maple fretboards hard to find, lots of reddish Rosewood, often Birdseye maple necks
MIM Standards
- 90s-2005,2006 or so
- early 90s often had Strat style knobs
Am Vintage 57:
- wider neck (C width, or 1.75")
- truss rod adjust via screwdriver at heel of neck
- hot pickups
- nitro finish
- vintage style tuners and bridge
- gold anodized pickguard
- ash body
Classic Lacquer
- MIM
- basically the same as the AmVintage but with a vintage tint neck and the same pickups offered in the 2008 AmStandard
- body may be alder??
Classic Series/Roadworn/Vintera:
- 2006ish through to current
- poly finishes
- vintage tint necks
- same as Classic Laquer except poly.
- ash on trans blonde model
- Name change on Vintera is due to switching from RW to PF for sixties Jazz models
Classic Vibe 60s MIC
- similar to the Classic, but poly finish and with a B width neck (1.62")
- not sure what pickups, they're better than the ones in the Classic
- heavy, but not alder or ash iirc
Vintage Modified Fretless
- softer maple neck, tuner screws tend to back out over time
- ebonol fretboard
- weak af pickups
- cheaper hardware than Classic Vibe
- agathis body
- *very* light
Hope this helps. Please excuse any typos, fingers are drunk this am. If gigging a lot, I’d go American Standard/Pro, those for me have the comfiest necks and are easiest to play. If not, a Player is the next best bang for the buck IMO.
