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Redesigning the controversial Fender Dimension
- Thread starter hooky_marr
- Start date
That's real nice looking but here, too, I'd go without a pickguard.
From my personal experience alone, I'm gonna say "not true". My first 2-Dimension Projekt only weighed 8lb.11oz., but to be fair, I used a 20-fret neck and only one 9-volt battery. Still, even if I used two batteries and a 21-fret Dimension neck, that would likely only push it to somewhere around 9lb.
As for my second Projekt, it's finished, but I still haven't weighed it. That being said, doing a quick comparison, it feels a hair lighter than my 8lb.8oz. Aerodyne. And while I am, again, using a lighter, 20-fret Aerodyne neck, this one is wired up for the full, 18-volt capacity.
Older pic in it's unfinished state. It's finally completed, but it's been too damn hot to bring it outside for proper photos.
That pickup shape was definitely a mistake, but there are aftermarket pickups that will fit. The single-H is using a Bartolini BB-shape, dual-coil Classic Bass pickup, with the switch to go from parallel to series mode. The double-HH is sporting a pair of Seymour Duncan NYC dual-coils that use an M3 soapbar shape. Both drop right in without needing any further routing. Sure, they have a little gap between the routes' wall and the pickups, but...
- ...it has no impact on the playability.
- ...no one in a crowd, save for the ferociously OCD, will even notice, which is further helped by the fact that the pickups and shielding are both black.
FWIW, I had heard somewhere that the Dimension basses were influenced by the Roscoe Beck bass that Fender discontinued. I feel like the RB's pretty much were hyped Jazz basses with the Bill Lawrence pickups and rather elaborate switching (for Fender).
The problem with the Dimension wasn't that its curves were wrong, it's that it was an imitation of the Stingray which you could readily buy. MusicMan had the same problem with its Caprice and Cutlass.
buldog5151bass
Kibble, milkbones, and P Basses. And redheads.
Nice looking, but I don't think it would make a difference in sales. Fact is, people buy Fender basses for what they know.
The majority of people wouldn't even notice a difference.
The majority of people wouldn't even notice a difference.
Great observation.
I demo'ed a Dimension about a decade ago. I think it was one of the lower end models.
Great neck. I couldn't dial up a pleasing sound. Would have been a great platform to drop a Nordstrand MM into.
But as you stated, FMIC made that impossible without a re-rout.
I agree and never liked the Dimension...felt awkward and did not have a sound that flowed.
You should enter the summer build off and build one just like that for yourself.People that love 'em, love 'em, but they weren't a hit in the marketplace.
I've been thinking about it, and quickly photoshopped this to illustrate a redesign concept.
To me, this is a better expression of Fender design DNA, that's simultaneously forward-looking but also "modern classic."
- Roughly the same lower body contours
- Extend the upper horns for visual and physical balance
- Redesign the pickguard into something kinda like the Urge Bass (could be improved on, I know)
- Go for rear-routed controls and a smaller headstock like the Jazz Bass Plus / Urge
It avoids some of the issues of the original, namely that there wasn't real design unity and the curves were fighting each other - it also seemed vaguely inspired by the old Gibson Victory? - and it ended up looking stodgy instead of sleek.
Thoughts?
View attachment 6985286
I'd much prefer the extended horn and downsized headstock with lightweight machine heads. This goes for the Meteora, as well. Yes, I guess it does negate the original design vision.
Riis
Riis
I might, if I can find someone with actual woodworking skills and a CNC shop to help
Yeah, that's always an issue, and a well-worn topic, which is that there seem to be only five or so iconic sounds, and do you go for a "versatile" bass vs just buying one of each.
Although people who got the Caprice & Cutlass love them, they didn't really translate into solid hits for EBMM, because who was asking for a P / PJ from them? I could go on about how EBMM seem fixated on pawn shop retro aesthetics these days but that's another thread
Great points, and nice work. Got any audio samples?From my personal experience alone, I'm gonna say "not true". My first 2-Dimension Projekt only weighed 8lb.11oz., but to be fair, I used a 20-fret neck and only one 9-volt battery. Still, even if I used two batteries and a 21-fret Dimension neck, that would likely only push it to somewhere around 9lb.
As for my second Projekt, it's finished, but I still haven't weighed it. That being said, doing a quick comparison, it feels a hair lighter than my 8lb.8oz. Aerodyne. And while I am, again, using a lighter, 20-fret Aerodyne neck, this one is wired up for the full, 18-volt capacity.
Older pic in it's unfinished state. It's finally completed, but it's been too damn hot to bring it outside for proper photos.
That pickup shape was definitely a mistake, but there are aftermarket pickups that will fit. The single-H is using a Bartolini BB-shape, dual-coil Classic Bass pickup, with the switch to go from parallel to series mode. The double-HH is sporting a pair of Seymour Duncan NYC dual-coils that use an M3 soapbar shape. Both drop right in without needing any further routing. Sure, they have a little gap between the routes' wall and the pickups, but...
- ...it has no impact on the playability.
- ...no one in a crowd, save for the ferociously OCD, will even notice, which is further helped by the fact that the pickups and shielding are both black.
I went to see a bar band one night and the bass payer was using a Dimension and unless he was being stealthy all he had in his signal chain was a stompbox tuner and and some version of an SVT and a fridge. In a nutshell the bass sounded fantastic. It was the first time in a long time I'd heard something that made me think about a bass other than a jazz. I thought about it a lot but decided I'd need to play one to decide so I let it go at that and waited. Before I saw one on a rack, they were discontinued and I kind of gave up on the whole idea.
Also, as a Jazz Plus owner, if you wanted Fender to bring back a really nice bass, you should seriously consider the J Plus.
Also, as a Jazz Plus owner, if you wanted Fender to bring back a really nice bass, you should seriously consider the J Plus.
Hmmm…I might, if I can find someone with actual woodworking skills and a CNC shop to help
Sure! I've created a few rough (and sorry, low-res) images to illustrate the concepts.
Now, you can take any number of people's favourite basses and find issues with them, and even basses created by design studios can be off-putting (Bongo, anyone?).
Some of my pet peeves in bass design are "droopy" horns and ones that curve to draw your eyes outwards vs. upwards towards the headstock. And things which just look like a random "splat"... ugh.
Yeah, I've noted the same thing in the 'Basses to bring back' thread! A 2024 take on the J plus would be awesome.
Just curious what do the pups sound like on these basses?
Rio Grande Powerbucker, MusicMan, MFD?
Rio Grande Powerbucker, MusicMan, MFD?
