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Post subject: Is there a USA produced Performer Elite Bass
Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2014 2:12 pm
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After familiarizing myself with the developement of the Performer bass, collecting them all, and collecting the Elite Jazz proto that led to the Performer, I am not convinced there ever was an Elite Performer made in the USA with 3 pickups, etc.

There is one picture out there of a blood red, three pickup Performer, without strings, but based on conversations with John Page, this is the 5 string prototype that was gifted to his son, who sold it. Its current location is unknown (but I am trying to track it down).

This is the only Performer I have ever seen with three pickups that could possibly be the Elite, US Made version that wikipedia refers to.

I am inclined to think there is no such animal, but ready to be set straight.

Here is the Wikipedia post to which I refer:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fender_Performer_Bass

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Post subject: Re: Is there a USA produced Performer Elite Bass
Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2014 9:23 pm
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I don't know, but if one was in development only prototype(s) of it existed because it never went into production. Fender prototypes are truly scarce and collectible with most going to insiders eventually. Even photos of prototypes are rarely seen.

It is almost as rare as a new Pope for an actual Fender prototype from any of the 3 eras to ever come up for sale. You see all sorts of instruments hawked as a Fender prototype that really aren't. I have ran across several 3 pickup blade switch Stratobass prototypes that always turn out to be bogus. It is like the Loch Ness monster, there are repeated sightings but it isn't real.

The Performer wasn't a big seller in the USA which is probably what killed the USA version before they got to production. A 5-string USA Performer Elite would have been a very nice instrument but fairly expensive to produce.

My gut feeling is that the Stratobass protos I've been chasing were actually the LEAD SERIES Bass which for sure did get prototyped but never went into production because it would have been competing with the Bullet which was pretty solid at the time. Frankly a USA Bullet is still a dang good bass. I can see where they might have used a Strat designed body for a Lead, but I can't see them using 3 pickups and a blade switch on one because that would run the cost over the budget price point of the Lead Series.

Nessie with her Stratobass:

Image


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Post subject: Re: Is there a USA produced Performer Elite Bass
Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2014 9:59 pm
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Dave, I am inclined to agree. I think the Wikipedia entry is wrong. I don't think there ever was a 4 string, 3 pup, USA Performer in production. I don't even think there was a prototype because it would have had to come through R&D when John was still running the show.

As far as the lead bass is concerned, I am pretty sure there were at least two prototypes. Perhaps four. Well, perhaps any number, but two or four are the numbers I keep coming across. I have not had so much as a whisper as to where these reside. It is possible that they are still at Fender.

When I scored the Jazz Elite prototype, I learned that Fender would give the proto basses back to the designer when they were no longer relevant. That is how John got the Elite Jazz and the 5 string Performer given back to him - which he, in turn, gave to his son and daughter. So, is it possible that the lead bass is still considered relevant?? Are they still in storage in CA? Otherwise, it is a cold trail. And that is a very cool looking bass.

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Post subject: Re: Is there a USA produced Performer Elite Bass
Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2014 10:41 pm
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There was indeed a USA Performer Elite which was shortlived. Not an Elite Jazz Bass but a souped-up version of the Japanese Performer Standard with backrouted controls, three humbuckers and an ebony fingerboard. It lasted only a year.

The 5-string version of the USA Performer Elite was introduced in 1987 and never reached the final stage.


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Post subject: Re: Is there a USA produced Performer Elite Bass
Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 6:20 pm
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chromeface wrote:
There was indeed a USA Performer Elite which was shortlived. Not an Elite Jazz Bass but a souped-up version of the Japanese Performer Standard with backrouted controls, three humbuckers and an ebony fingerboard. It lasted only a year.

The 5-string version of the USA Performer Elite was introduced in 1987 and never reached the final stage.


Wow, never even saw one! Must be real scarce.


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Post subject: Re: Is there a USA produced Performer Elite Bass
Posted: Sat Apr 26, 2014 10:16 pm
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I've found the documentation for the USA Elite Performers on Fender's news archives:

http://www.fender.com/en-GR/m/news.php/ ... rticle=904

The link is now dead.

The retail price was $949 for the MIA Elite and $499 for the MIJ Standard; of these 2 variants the American-made Performer Elite was by far the more expensive. The Performer Standard was manufactured in Japan in 1986 at a time when Fender was not manufacturing guitars in the USA.


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Post subject: Re: Is there a USA produced Performer Elite Bass
Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2014 10:52 am
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This news article published by Fender and entitled "Other Fender Basses" is the only mention I have ever come across, from a solid source (Fender itself), regarding the Elite. This article and the one preceding it for earlier years of manufacture, were the two articles I based my collection on. (There is now a third article for more recent basses) Fender does not mention the third pickup on the Elite, but it does mention the Elite.

From Fender: "Performer Bass (1986-1987). Distinctively pointy shapes continued in the mid-1980s with the Performer guitar and bass models, which were second only to the Katana models in non-traditional Fender design. 1986’s angular Performer Bass boasted a slim two-octave neck, unusually deep cutaways and dual single-coil pickups. It was available in two versions—the less expensive ($499) Japanese-made Standard Performer Bass, which had a rosewood fingerboard and white pickguard, and the more expensive ($949) U.S.-made Elite Performer Bass, which had an ebony fingerboard and no pickguard. Fender Custom Shop founder John Page, the creator of the Performer instruments, designed a five-string version of the bass in 1987 that never made it past the prototype stage. Although it didn’t catch on with players and it too suffered from Fender’s post-CBS instability of the mid-1980s, the Performer Bass nonetheless had notable strengths and was a well-conceived attempt at a modern direction for Fender basses quite apart from the long-established Precision/Jazz tradition. It was discontinued after only a year. Performer basses are regarded today as a something of a curiosity, albeit interesting and well-built ones, and they command high prices in the infrequent instances when they show up for sale."

That being said, I still wonder if its production ever came to fruition. This is the only Fender four string bass PRODUCTION model for which there does not seem to be any photographs or anecdotal material/references. With the change in ownership going on at the time.....well, maybe something got overlooked between the planning and the doing?

I have been on this trail for several years without so much as a sniff. And I will keep looking. If anyone ever uncovers anything, I would very much like to see it. Better yet, find one for sale, cheap. :D

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Post subject: Re: Is there a USA produced Performer Elite Bass
Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2014 5:54 pm
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I kinda doubt the existence of American Performer. Performer owners are pretty proud of their basses and all forums and EBay sales are MIJ. I'm an original owner of a tobacco sunburst Performer I bought in 1986 for $485 new. I have my doubts about Performers being destroyed for copyright infringement. Nice story adds interest but John Page seems to have never heard it. Love my Performer--narrow neck and light weight made a long night of jamming comfortable. I also suspect there are more than 200 performers out there as some one asserted on this forum-- Steve at Willie's guitars in St. Paul says he's worked on more than a few.


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Post subject: Re: Is there a USA produced Performer Elite Bass
Posted: Fri May 02, 2014 7:59 am
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The more I think about it I do remember ogling the Fender catalogue in 1986, the Performer page had a large picture of a tobacco burst with white pick guard (just like mine) and an inset smaller picture with the solid colors (green, red,blue and was there a white?) with white pick guards. There were no triple pick-ups with black pick guard as I remember it (granted, rock and roll rots your memory). And think about it, in the 80's, American Fenders said Fender and Japanese Fenders said Squier, to punk high school kids (the target market) you paid twice the price so that your headstock said Fender not Squier any difference in quality was unnoticed to us kids--I know people in this forum will talk about the subtle warmth of American electronics and blah blah blah but to kids who wanted to sound like KISS, Van Halen, AC/DC... My point is Fender wouldn't offer two guitars (or basses) where one was twice the price if they both said Fender on the headstock--nobody would buy the American at twice the price (I know that is heresy to the collectors on this forum but go into guitar center and watch the Mexican Strats fly off the shelves). Fender put Fender on the MIJ Performer because they had no American version to put their logo on.
What I would like to Know is is how many Standard Performers were produced. Now if the fellow who owns 5 performers could tell us the difference between his highest serial number and his lowest we'd have a ballpark guess. I could offer my serial number with a few unimportant #'s Xed out. I am assuming Fender did their serial #'s in series at that time. Of course rarity affects value and if the difference in serial #'s is great I can understand not putting it online but I think you're more interested in information than value
Honestly, what I think hurts the Performers' value most is its rarity--nobody knows about it (to know it is to love it). That and the ugly headstock............And the fact that they are all made in Japan!!?! :lol:


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Post subject: Re: Is there a USA produced Performer Elite Bass
Posted: Fri May 02, 2014 9:42 am
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There are actually two of us on the forum that now have all five flavors of the Performer, and a third guy that has three. The other guy with all five actually has seven Performers total, so between the three of us we have 15, plus yours is 16. It's a start. I will get serials next time I go to my bass locker, but it might be a bit as I just swapped out my basses May 1st.

Great idea. I think we tried this once on TB but didn't get anywhere. I am all for taking another swing.

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Post subject: Re: Is there a USA produced Performer Elite Bass
Posted: Tue May 06, 2014 6:21 am
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Didn't that Wikipedia entry say that Fender gave Performers to Benjamin Orr and the bass player for Billy Idol? Benjamin Orr is dead but maybe you could find out who Billy Idol's bass player was in '85-'86 see if you could contact him. You think Fender would give professionals the American version rather than MIJ. I won't believe in American production Performer til I see, hear, feel and or touch one.


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Post subject: Re: Is there a USA produced Performer Elite Bass
Posted: Thu May 08, 2014 5:33 am
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Ah, just read the Jazz Elite Proto thread--that's what Billy Idol's bassist and Ben Orr got. Just goes to show ya Fender wasn't gonna put a Performer badge on anything American.


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Post subject: Re: Is there a USA produced Performer Elite Bass
Posted: Wed Jun 04, 2014 6:43 am
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It really seems that there are no made in America Performer Elites, which makes me think my MIJ Performer is a rarity and maybe collectible or valuable. So let me ask the forum should I have dings in the finish repaired professionally. There are 3 dings all small maybe half a centimeter with wood exposed( I am having trouble uploading pictures on my phone may have to try computer--any suggestions). All dings are in the solid black of the tobacco burst with one in the front one in back and one on top of horn (FYI I'm original owner but I lent my bass out for many years and that's how it got dinged --one of them played in a church band and I think God was punishing my instrument of the devil's music!!). There is a fabulous luthier in the Twin Cities who does work for all the national acts and he told me $50-$100 per ding probably closer to $50 because of their easy to get at locations. My opinion is get the one in front done and see what I think, but I'm often wrong and would like other opinions.


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Post subject: Re: Is there a USA produced Performer Elite Bass
Posted: Wed Jun 04, 2014 10:42 am
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NO! Don't touch it! The dings just give it some mojo, and fixing them will negatively effect the value.

Right now Performers are going from a low of $1000 to a high of $1600. I was amazed to see a couple refins sell for over $1000 recently, but the ads were not forthcoming about the refinishing. One said it might be, the other didn't mention it at all. My guess is someone got suckered.

Five colors are, your Tobacco Sunburst, Candy Green Metallic, Burgundy Mist Metallic, Gun Metal Blue Metallic and White Metallic. Anything else, assume refinish...but you never know for sure till you look.

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Post subject: Re: Is there a USA produced Performer Elite Bass
Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2014 3:07 pm
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Thanks that seems to be the consensus among everyone I ask. I guess I would feel the mojo of the dings more if I had done it myself. Ya be a nice guy lend your bass out and it comes back with 3 dings and no strap and dead strings!


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