Meanwhile on the Fender side of the house...

[Chistopher]

Fender just announced a new Vintera line of guys with 19 new iterations of classic designs. Here's the list:

`50s Stratocaster - $949.99
`50s Stratocaster Modified - $999.99
`50s Telecaster - $899.99
`50s Precision Bass - $899.99
`60s Stratocaster - $999.99
`60s Telecaster Modified - $999.99
`60s Telecaster Bigsby - $999.99
`60s Jazzmaster - $999.99
`60s Jazzmaster Modified - $1,099.99
`60s Jaguar - $1,049.99
`60s Jaguar Modified - $1,149.99
`60s Mustang - $899.99
`60s Mustang Bass - $949.99
`60s Jazz Bass - $999.99
`70s Stratocaster - $949.99
`70s Telecaster Deluxe - $899.99
`70s Telecaster Custom - $899.99
`70s Telecaster Thinline - $1,049.99
`70s Jazz Bass - $1,049.99

While it may seem like they aren't introducing anything new, I think it will be good for Fender to introduce more upper mid-priced into it's current lineup. Dividing by decade as well as having a couple of "modified" options is pretty cool. This series covers a lot of bases for customers who fall within the price range of "almost expensive enough for the wife to say no".

Any of you guys have any thoughts?

 

[Demanic]

Re: Meanwhile on the Fender side of the house...

Well, while being out of my price range, the selection seems decent at not a ridiculous cost.

Sent from my Alcatel_5044C using Tapatalk

 

[NegativeEase]

Re: Meanwhile on the Fender side of the house...

First thought is again -look at Fender offering professional performance and quality at a working musicians price point.

They are still courting musicians and not Dentists and Lawyers

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Meanwhile on the Fender side of the house...

An unnecessary revamping of the Classic, Classic Player and roadworn series. New colors are interesting but I prefer the specs (and prices) of the previous lines. Of course these are $100 - $150 more than the previous series.

 

[chadd]

Re: Meanwhile on the Fender side of the house...

I fully expected a lynch mob with pitchforks and torches over thousand dollar Mexi models. Especially from the folks that complained about the $799 and $899 American made juniors

 

[Mincer]

Re: Meanwhile on the Fender side of the house...

I didn't even see that they were MIM, but kinda figured they would be. I swear, the product managers just spin the wheel that combines features from past models and mix them up in a new way. I think Fender needs to seriously pair down their range. No one can keep it all straight.

 

[Zombiwoof]

Re: Meanwhile on the Fender side of the house...

Most of them are actually selling for around $899, some less, some more.
Al

 

[NegativeEase]

Re: Meanwhile on the Fender side of the house...

MIM makes little to know difference for the gigging musician at this point IMO if the parts are the same.

Do MIM share stock hardware with American versions these days?

Quality issues of the 90s MIMS are over


Only for investment reasons or parts differences should anyone be concerned IMO

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: Meanwhile on the Fender side of the house...

It'll never work. I've seen a few other guitar manufacturers making guitars with similar body and neck shapes. Fender needs to start suing immediately or they'll go out of business.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Meanwhile on the Fender side of the house...

mim dont usually share hardware with mia models. a mim body and neck with upgraded hw is a great guitar

 

[NegativeEase]

Re: Meanwhile on the Fender side of the house...

mim dont usually share hardware with mia models. a mim body and neck with upgraded hw is a great guitar

yes, that's what I have understood traditionally -as I know the necks and body were shipped from the Corona/Fullerton plants to Mexico in the past.

But really -at these higher prices the Mexican hardware isn't shared or upgraded either? surprised if it's not. Anybody know?

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Meanwhile on the Fender side of the house...

It's the Classic Series, plainly and simply.

Probably with a price hike for no physical reason.

I'm no longer a potential buyer of these. I'm tired of poly finishes and the boring way they break in over the years, and I am set with nitro-finished U.S.A. reissues. But it's a good series to have around, and I'm glad to see a plethora of 7.25"/vintage fret guitars back in the lineup – the only way Fenders feel "right" to my hands.

It's expensive, but with as good as Squiers have become, it was making no sense for anything "Fender" to be anywhere close in price to them, like they were. The Fender name is now being pushed up the ladder in terms of quality/price point. Today's $300 to $350 Squier VMs and CVs are now what the MIJ reissues were in my youth (though the MIJ craftsmanship was definitely better, while the Squier pickups are IMO definitely better)...while anything with the Fender name is now notably less crappy than the old MIM Standards that were at the $400 to $600 price point that they had covered over the past 20 years.

 

[ICTGoober]

Re: Meanwhile on the Fender side of the house...

Fender must be making 50 versions of the Strat and Tele by now.

 

[justFred]

Re: Meanwhile on the Fender side of the house...

when was the last high volume sales guitar designed???What was it???

 

[Mr. B]

Re: Meanwhile on the Fender side of the house...

I have to buy everything I have online because there are no guitars stores near me. Over the last few years I have bought 1 guitar and 2 basses from the MIM line. I returned all three because of significant flaws / design problems. Extremely bad high frets on a jaguar bass, a bridge that was out of line with the neck on a tele, and a bass neck that immediately needed shimming to get anywhere near having proper string height on a Deluxe PJ bass. I will never buy another Mexican made Fender. I now have Squier versions of all three of those guitars, and they all work perfectly, and cost me much less. No way I would pay the same price for a MIM that the American Special line was going for last year.

 

[jbake]

Re: Meanwhile on the Fender side of the house...

It's a decent line up. There's nothing that makes me particularly excited about it though. Just seems like another version of the same old, same old. It's kind of crazy to see a MIM near $1k though.

 

[Killertofu]

Re: Meanwhile on the Fender side of the house...

I don't always play "Authentic" but when I do I play fender.

all jokes aside, though, I think its easy to overlook fender because of how they are everywhere but the reality is they are everywhere for a reason.

They're simple, comfortable, affordable, and sound great. Oh and fender isn't an Ahole going after companies that make things similar to their guitars because they're ACTUALLY making new and cool stuff after all these years.

I have to buy everything I have online because there are no guitars stores near me. Over the last few years I have bought 1 guitar and 2 basses from the MIM line. I returned all three because of significant flaws / design problems. Extremely bad high frets on a jaguar bass, a bridge that was out of line with the neck on a tele, and a bass neck that immediately needed shimming to get anywhere near having proper string height on a Deluxe PJ bass. I will never buy another Mexican made Fender. I now have Squier versions of all three of those guitars, and they all work perfectly, and cost me much less. No way I would pay the same price for a MIM that the American Special line was going for last year.

Where did you get your axes from? I've had several guitars go through the arsenal but the MIM instruments always stick around. now, they do need setups and a little cleanup, but nothing crazy.

 

[dystrust]

Re: Meanwhile on the Fender side of the house...

They're simple, comfortable, affordable, and sound great. Oh and fender isn't an Ahole going after companies that make things similar to their guitars because they're ACTUALLY making new and cool stuff after all these years.

Fender sued Charvel, Schecter, Anderson, and maybe a few others in the early/mid 80s over their Strat and Tele copies. Fender won on the headstock shapes, hence no more Strathead Charvels until after the Fender buyout. The body shapes were found to be non-trademarkable.

Where did you get your axes from? I've had several guitars go through the arsenal but the MIM instruments always stick around. now, they do need setups and a little cleanup, but nothing crazy.

+1

All of my MIM stuff has been great, but I've seen a few with fret issues or mis-aligned bridges. Unfortunately it sounds like Mr. B just go unlucky.