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New American Standards

#5
TSanders said:
From a forum where many have nothing but negative to say in regards to Fender, Ive seen nothing but praise for the "new" American Standard series. Seems like Fender is headed in the right direction. Lets hope so, best to them.
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+1. I think Fender have really gotten their act together. However, I never thought they produced rubbish products in the first place. But still, great to see cool new products :)
 
#7
I've tried several of the new American Standards, including Jazz, Precision, and the Precision V. I own two American Series models, a 2003 Jazz and 2004 Precision. The new versions sound like the previous generation to my ears, but my playing has been limited so take that for the little it's worth. The Precisions, on average, seem lighter than the previous model, which is a worthwhile advantage. Both P and J feel the same as their predecessors, which is no surprise since the necks have the same specs and same satin finish on the back. I think the finish work and assembly is a little better on average, which justifiably motivates some of the positive reviews. They really are gorgeous. The rosewood is nice and dark, and overall they come across as slightly more refined.

I absolutely loved the Precision V, which I tried yesterday. Fender finally slimmed down the five string neck profile, and it plays effortlessly. I've only owned four string basses, and I instantly felt at home on this fiver. It feels like a slightly wider version of the neck on the '62 American Vintage Reissue. I think lots of folks are going to love this bass. Major kudos to Fender.
 
#12
I played one of the new Jazz basses and it was ok, but nothing that floored me. I think I liked the older ones a little better from a feel standpoint.

Should mention that I meant the older American series basses, not the old vintage basses. Doh!
 
#13
i just picked up a new jazz yesterday..the bridge is very nice, and the finish & fretwork is top notch. the tuners arent as smooth as i expected, but a fixable problem...it plays and feels great in my hands, i personally really like the string through body. it feels very solid, and seems more time was put into manufacturing the electronics into the body, etc...i havent been able to play it in a band setting yet, will be doing that tomorrrow nite so ill post an update

as for comparing them to older, vintage models, id have to say construction is jsut as good; however, i dont think anything can really compare to the vintage necks and fretboards, but for $1,150, they are great
 
#15
I tried a new Standard Jazz in the guitar shop. It appears to have some nice minor improvements. It feels like the old standard with a touch of Deluxe build features in it. Better balanced with the lighter tuners, little lighter weight, better fret work similar to Deluxe, neck plays nice, better bridge, better case, etc. I give it thumbs up!! They fixed most of the reasons I got rid of my old standard and went to the Deluxe. American Deluxe Jazz is still my favorite work horse Fender Jazz though.
 
#16
for the price i paid for my new jazz, i plan on saving up a bit and putting in nordstrand hum cancelling pups and possibly an audere preamp, not sure on that yet, but then i would have to say id like it way more than an deluxe model, for a slightly higher cost.
 
#19
Ive been shopping here on TB and other sites looking at MIA '99 thru '06 model jazz 5ers. So are the new Am standard models worth going the extra 4 bills or so rather than saving a some by getting an older model like Im browsing? If I went with a P5 which Ive always wanted, I'd go new but there are alot of jazz 5's going for good used prices right now. Is there gonna be a big difference in say a '05-'06 model compared to the new '08's?
 
#20
ErnieD said:
Ive been shopping here on TB and other sites looking at MIA '99 thru '06 model jazz 5ers. So are the new Am standard models worth going the extra 4 bills or so rather than saving a some by getting an older model like Im browsing? If I went with a P5 which Ive always wanted, I'd go new but there are alot of jazz 5's going for good used prices right now. Is there gonna be a big difference in say a '05-'06 model compared to the new '08's?
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If the new Jazz V has the same neck as the new Precision V, that will be a difference. The new Precision V has a much shallower profile than the previous generation Jazz V, which I avoided due to its chunky neck. I was comfortable on the Precision V immediately. I've e-mailed Fender Consumer Relations to find out whether they use the same neck. I'll post back if/when I get the answer. If they use the same neck, I'll confront the age old question: P or J? I know it's an "and," not an "or," but I have only room for one fiver! ;)
 

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