Why does Fender crap on the US market?!

You got me...maybe it's because they can?
They have the market so sturated here in the States they probably figure they can churn out "whatever" and we'll buy it -- which to a degree is true.
By the way, what sig model is that? It looks sweet!

 

I really don't know. Could it be that Fender uses foreign markets as a test bed for the U.S. market? Or maybe, they have inside info that we're not privy to and know that players in certain areas of the world outside the U.S. have preferences for these models? I be stumped.

Mike J.

 

I dont know why they do that, but to me I really dont care about fenders that much. Im not knockin the people that play them and love them but really how many versions of the p and j do you need and about all of them are almost the exact same thing except for "rock god" knobs or the "kool daddy" tuners. Most of the ones i have played even all the mia basses to me are just substandard. I have seen a few mim's that where more solidly built than some mia's and I guess you will have that with all brands but after all these years I still dont understand why the just the fender name on something makes it great. That being said I still want a 72p but only because that was the year I was born. But I never have agreed with any company that does that, I feel everybody should have acess to all the stuff but I really think here in the USA alot of players (including myself) are playing alot of different basses and plus the USA is normally a "trendsetter" and alot of people overseas like american things. Wow i have said way to much , im sorry.

 

Out of curiosity, I contacted Fender's customer service department regarding this very issue. The answer that I got is that sometimes basses are produced that don't look like they'd be particularly popular in the US. The guy also told me some models are not slated to be released in the US, but due to popularity, eventually are. An example is the Sting bass...

You can analyze this in hundreds of different scenarios, and even plug in your own hypothesis...

Could it be that Fender's trying to raise demand by keeping supply low???

Could it be some weird copyright law that prevents basses with James Jamerson's name to be released without full authorization from his estate, but those laws don't apply overseas???

Who really knows??? I would venture to guess that if there is enough demand for them, though, that they will be made available, at least in limited numbers.

 

You know, though, I've got a back issue of Bass Player mag with an ad from, like, Bass Place?? Not shure if that's right, but they were advertising the James Jamerson sig bass. Maybe it didn't really take off and they found a better market over seas?
Pure speculation.

 

Ok, and excuse my apparent inability to read. Right there in your post, "This is the James Jamerson sig model".
Yup, I is un idiot! DOH!!!!!

 

You are right about this model being offered in the US, but it was as a limited edition "tribute" model (Custom Shop, I believe). If you remember, when the original Funk Machine was stolen, Fender was offering to give one of the tribute models to whoever recovered it, no questions asked.
fc

 

I always wondered -- was the original FM ever recovered?

 

US just gets screwed in general.


for example: in germany you can get an all wheel drive, 204 horsepower, 6 speed, VW GOLF.


yeah, you think it's bad with basses, look into some of the cars we can't get here. damn.



jason

 

Are you refering to Bootsys' bass. If so I think I read somewhere in Bass Player lately that it had been returned to him and is under constant lock and key

 

That James Jamerson is one sweet looking bass.

I doubt that salability is the issue. Though that is basically a '62 reissue P, isn't it? Maybe they're afraid of confusing people more than they already do. At least the Sting bass is a unique entity, unless you're willing to go the custom shop route.

I really object to the way they've tried to cut off access to the MIJ instruments. The MIJs are a great value for the money.