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New Fender American Standard Dimension Bass
- Thread starter mfbolton
- Start date
I cannot dig the body shape. I was about to order the pickups and retrofit it on a P bass (J basses pickups are too long) and realized that they have the Fusion series. Exact replicas of the Jazz and P basses. Ended up ordering one to try out the pickups and inspecting the build quality.
I'm not that excited by the Dimension bass, but the new(ish) American Standard Jaguar bass kinda turns me on. Hardly a new design though.
I also kinda like the Gumby Bass, except for that weird Guild looking bridge.
A big part of my bias against the newer designs reflects my appreciation of the "modular" design of the standard Fenders. I enjoy swapping around pickups, bridges, tuners, electronics, pickguards. With the Dimension, you've got what you've got. Several people make lipsticks that would probably fit the Rascal, but that bridge really throws me.
I also kinda like the Gumby Bass, except for that weird Guild looking bridge.
A big part of my bias against the newer designs reflects my appreciation of the "modular" design of the standard Fenders. I enjoy swapping around pickups, bridges, tuners, electronics, pickguards. With the Dimension, you've got what you've got. Several people make lipsticks that would probably fit the Rascal, but that bridge really throws me.
"Keeping" that tubby body style? Assuming the topic is still the Dimension, then yeah they do look a bit tubby.
But I don't recall Fender using that body shape before. If I'm wrong please educate me. Otherwise, I have to say your statement doesn't make sense.
Good question. Maybe it should be asked of all the other makers who do the exact same thing?
There's only "so far" you can go with new bass designs before entering the "weird zone", like the EBMM Big Al, or the even more esoteric EBMM Reflex.
Evidently they call the Reflex the "game changer". I don't know what "game" they're talking about, but I place the EBMM Reflex in the same pigeon hole as Fender's Performer bass. An oddity that is destined for obscurity.
No argument here. But the difference - at least now - is that EBMM does not make 20 versions of the Stingray or Sterling, where that is EXACTLY what Fender does.
Don't know what the number is, I can't keep track anymore.
The H,HS,HH, Sterlings, Rays, all the import versions, BFR's, SUB's, special editions, ltd colors, rosewood & BBQ'd necks. 2-band, 3-band EQ. Four, five, and six string versions.
Is there a EBMM road map available?
EBMM's "unique" versions are at least clear functional variants; Fender slaps new paint or chrome covers or doodads and calls it a new model. I'm no EBMM fanboi, but Fender has this zany "many models of the same thing" routine down to a science - if you can call it that.
I think your characterization of Fender may be a tad "off". What I see from Fender is some of what you're saying, but mostly a vast and dizzying array of distinctly different bass models. Semi-hollows, ABG's, short scale solids and semi's, every imaginable configuration of pickup combos, preamps, etc.
Not to put too fine a point on it, but it's interesting that we're debating this in a thread about a Fender Dimension (a fairly radical departure from Fender's mainstay models). The irony is not lost on me.
Fair enough. But I do think that the "Dimension" will go the way of the "Big Al". I could be wrong.
In a way it's sad - Fender is trying to emulate EBMM, it seems - so it's gone full circle.
Here's a new Fender I'd like to see: A semi-hollow Fender, ala the Gibson "MidTown Standard" - but with better... I dunno... something. Just spitballing.
By the way, does anyone have any idea why Fender went with the scarved neck joint for the top of the line American Standard and the entry level Modern Player but not the middle tier Deluxe Dimension?
Actually why doesn't Fender use that carved neck joint on all of their basses? Very comfortable on the deluxe models I've demoed.
passive Am Std - interesting - but they should have included the same 5-position PU selector switch that's in active model.
i'd be all over it if that was the case...
i'd be all over it if that was the case...
I wouldn't mind trying one of these basses but I've never even seen one - Fender dealers in the UK have walls of guitars then a bunch of different price point P and J basses from Squire to AV - maybe a custom shop if you're really lucky.
Got to work over two of these today, one a passive USA 4 model and the other the USA deluxe 5.
The Deluxe 5 felt great, played great and the B string was tight and punchy. The active eq was ok, the mid control was most helpful. The 5 way switch wasn't as solid as the one on my Stingray HH, felt kinda cheap. Cycling through the coils nothing thrilled me. Overall the playability outshined the available tones.
The 4 was the exact opposite. Tonally this thing rocked! Sounded sooooo much better than the deluxe. More articulate with much more character in the mids and highs. Really made me wonder how the deluxe would sound without the preamp. Unfortunately the fret ends stuck out so bad on the 4 it was painful to play. Around frets 10-14 I thought I was going to cut myself!
Overall I loved the passive tone and will definitely keep an eye out for when retailers dump these for cheap.
The Deluxe 5 felt great, played great and the B string was tight and punchy. The active eq was ok, the mid control was most helpful. The 5 way switch wasn't as solid as the one on my Stingray HH, felt kinda cheap. Cycling through the coils nothing thrilled me. Overall the playability outshined the available tones.
The 4 was the exact opposite. Tonally this thing rocked! Sounded sooooo much better than the deluxe. More articulate with much more character in the mids and highs. Really made me wonder how the deluxe would sound without the preamp. Unfortunately the fret ends stuck out so bad on the 4 it was painful to play. Around frets 10-14 I thought I was going to cut myself!
Overall I loved the passive tone and will definitely keep an eye out for when retailers dump these for cheap.
