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What's wrong with the Fender Dimension Basses?

#42
HeavyDuty said:
I think it's because it's very difficult for an old line manufacturer to introduce new designs - EBMM has the same problem. People always complain that it's too different, or not different enough, or a derivative of <insert name here>, or...

I have two AmDlx 5Hs and think they're great.
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It just works for me. The Dimension has an immediacy to it (active) that seemed to be lacking in every EBMM bass I tried. This is even after owning a Big Al 5 sss for over a year. The Dimension is as near to a passive feel & vibe that I've played.
 
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#43
I took a flyer and bought a used American Deluxe Dimension IV a while ago. Loved everything about it. Terrific modern sounding bass with features that are not included on the cheaper MIM or Squier versions.

I liked it more than my Roscoe Beck. Unfortunately it arrived with a frozen truss rod, had to return it. Bummed.
 
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#45
Ed Freidland makes it sound great! Like he does every bass. I think part of the resistance may have been the conservative finishes they came in, it's design is a departure from the traditional and just looked wrong to me in shades like violin burst. Plus it really didn't do a Stingray sound that well IMO, despite seemingly trying to target that market. Whereas Musicman did a great job appealing to the pbass market with the Caprice and Cutlass.
 
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#48
seansbrew said:
Maybe calling this a blunder by Fender is to harsh, anyway...

While I wont quote the source. A couple years ago I went into a reputable (been doing business with them for 16 years) bass store to check out the Dimension bass.

I originally saw them online for what seemed a really reasonable price. They were blowing them out for $995 (which is a good price for any American bass).

I played the bass at the store and it sounded great, the finish was great, it was lightweight, they put a truss wheel. All great improvements.

He informed me that it was his belief this bass would be unavailable soon . I asked why and proceeded to tell me that the bass was over designed. He said the bass was not designed in any traditional sense, but rather each aspect of it was parted out to be designed. One group designed the bass, one group designed the pickups and so forth. He said the bass was designed by non players and that the result was an accidental gem.
He said the original price point came in at around $1800 and that you would be hard pressed to get someone to pay that much for an unproven fender product.
He said Fender was losing money on it.

It was his opinion that Fender would either scrap it, or redesign it and relabel it or try to hang in there with it.

Fender sent them dozens of these basses to get off their inventory.

Fast forwarding to now I believe this bass is still available and the price has come up. They also did come out with a re designed version that costs more and has different features. I am glad they didn't dump the American Dimension,It really is a great player.

Anyway, this is a story told as accurately as I can remember. If someone wants to flame me for it or call me out, don't bother, you can believe what you want.
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#49
To prevent bias I haven't read any other post. Here's my experience with the Fender American Deluxe Dimension Bass IV HH

When I first saw the Dimension bass on No Treble I knew I had to have one. I loved the look and the double humbuckers. After trying one in a Guitar Center the neck feel solidified my GAS. I was ready to pay full price but I lucked out and found one for $1090 at a GC in California. It came Maple on Maple. I was estactic. Fast forward...

After 6 months I became weary fiddling with the 5 way switch and the active tone controls. I posted on TB for help to tone down the growl and got BLASTED for it. I remember someone saying that I bought the growliest bass in the world and I'm complaining about it. It has a ton of settings but I couldn't find one that grabbed me. I couldn't hear it in a band setting regardless of the eq settings. I wanted to love this bass. It was like having a beautiful but brainless lover... fine to look at but dull and uninspiring to talk to. I sold it and bought a Fender American Stratocaster. That's right, I was so dismayed I switched to electric guitar drool

One more thing I forgot to mention is that I think Fender R and D tried too hard to make a bass that could do it all.
 
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#50
Slapthatplank said:
Ed Freidland makes it sound great! Like he does every bass. I think part of the resistance may have been the conservative finishes they came in, it's design is a departure from the traditional and just looked wrong to me in shades like violin burst. Plus it really didn't do a Stingray sound that well IMO, despite seemingly trying to target that market. Whereas Musicman did a great job appealing to the pbass market with the Caprice and Cutlass.
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I wouldn't judge the Dimension by how much it sounds like a Stingray, or not. In my case, I had different expectations for the Dimension and it delivered. I found the Dimension elecs array to be very musical and powerful. Modern sounding?....definitely. Sounds just like an EBMM?....thankfully no, it sounds like a Dimension.

The feature set on the AmDlx is impressive, especially the neck. Fender put a lot of functional design elements into the Dimension, and kept the aesthetics simple. The more I looked at the Dimension, the more I admired its looks, as it follows the Form Follows Function discipline pretty well.
 
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#53
I had an AmDeluxe Dimension briefly, but returned it during the grace period. It was beautiful (honey burst, or whatever they call it) and well made. The tone seemed kind of sterile to me, though. It reminded me of why I don't like the L-2000 -- great bass with loads of sounds, none of which excite me. YMMV, certainly.
 
#55
Slapthatplank said:
Ed Freidland makes it sound great! Like he does every bass. I think part of the resistance may have been the conservative finishes they came in, it's design is a departure from the traditional and just looked wrong to me in shades like violin burst. Plus it really didn't do a Stingray sound that well IMO, despite seemingly trying to target that market. Whereas Musicman did a great job appealing to the pbass market with the Caprice and Cutlass.
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This pretty much mirrors my thoughts on the matter.
L
 
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#56
I stay away from fender creations. Q.C. issues.
tlite said:
Is there not love for Dimension Basses?

View attachment 2630890

I'm not trying to call out the Dimension fangirls and fanboys here to chime in about how awesome the Dimensions are (though if you like 'em tell us why), but more trying to get a reasonable viewpoint on why this bass seems ubiquitous in shops and online, but few seem to really champion them.

This style (in its various forms) repeatedly comes up in closeout sales, deals of the day (for example- this one from a few days ago). Are they selling poorly? Are Dimensions the red-headed stepchild of the Fender lineup?

I admittedly haven't played one through an amp (yet), but I've picked them up at the store, and watched some videos and they seem solid and versatile.

I admit I'm not as drawn to its aesthetic as I am to some other models- the P, the J, and the Jaguar, but it's still not that radically different.

One might postulate:
1. The Dimension basses are not good, or not good enough?

2. It's a bass that strays from its brand identity. Thus it competes with G&L, Ibanez, MM, etc. and the feeling is that if you want a bass other than a P or a Jazz variant, that Fender isn't the best manufacturer to consider?

3. Marketing issue behind this model- information not getting to the right audience?

4. I'm completely wrong and this is a super popular model despite the above (admittedly subjective) perceptions.

What's the deally on these things?
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#57
I have one (for the guys who couldn't tell from my avatar) and really like it. This is by far (build wise) the best bass I own and I was steard to this bass due to my love of the P bass neck. I was actually in the market for a J bass both couldn't get used to the small nut width. I was able to pick up the am. Elite with 50% discount so that also helped. I like a lot a features it has, but sound wise I have to admit that I still prefer my P. It does have a lot of nice sounds on stock, especially with the eq which sounds very nice. I use it basically as an active J bass next to my P and it fills that gap very well.
 
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#58
I tried a two pickup passive dimension fiver I believe and was quite impressed with the bite of the bridge pickup and how much tonal control there was for a passive bass. Could it be that the neck pickup was quite boomy though? Can't remember now. I'd love to have that bridge pickup in my PJ. The B string felt tight and sounded great.

I could never get past the looks.

In 30 years these will be sought after because so few of them were made and people will have forgotten their reception.
 
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#59
Personally, the 2 Dimension basses I played (both 4-string) were great! The real problem I found with them was the people who are in their narrow PoV regarding what & how a legacy brand should be doing. In 5 years or less Fender most likely have to do a new run of these basses due to all the interest. :rolleyes: At least you can still get one from the Squier line if you need to you...
 

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