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Post subject: Future Drastic Fender Changes?
Posted: Sun Mar 08, 2009 11:40 pm
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This is an idea I've had for awhile and I'd like to hear as many opinions on the topic as possible. If you are like me, a Fender enthusiast, you've probably spent a great deal of time following the history of the Fender Musical Instrument. Either because you're an old timer and you were there, or you're like me, a younger guy who hit the books, so to speak, and learned as much as possible about the history of these great guitars and amplifiers.

Over the years the Fender company modified and changed it's guitars and amps to fit the zeitgeist of the era, and for the benefit of the player. Some of the changes would later be regarded as folly, but it all weaves the tapestry that becomes the legacy of Fender. In the 15 years I've been playing, I've witnessed the company's embrace of it's past and the encompassing of all that ever made it great. I can walk into a music store and browse Fender guitars that are wonderfull recreations of the instruments built in any era of their history, either on the assembaly line, or by a master luthier. I can choose a generic approach to the style of the era in a "50's", "60's" or "70's" strat, or I can be as specific as a masterbuilt custom shop 1962 Stratocaster trimmed to be an exact replica of a guitar bought new in that year. Even the new Supersonic amp is Fenders answer to the Marshall amp, an amp that originally was a clone of a Fender.

So my question is this: Has Fender as a company taken the route of perfecting their past, as opposed to innovating for the future?

The question can be as deep as wondering if we've seen all there is to see in terms of amp and instrument evolution, and as superficial as wondering if we'll ever see a new headstock design, or an amp that becomes as truly as iconic as the Twin or Bassman. For as much as I love Fender, and my weekly jaunt to guitar center to play with their toys excites me, I'm sometimes left with the sadness that Fender seems to be a comany that has thrown in the towel as far as innovation, and is resting on the laurels of the enthusiasm of it's customers desire for "vintage" style product.

my opinion is that I love the fact that Fender embraces all the facets of it's storied past, and offers that to us as a product. But for the entire time I've played,( 15 years), it's seems like the most innovative things they've done, is continue to give us great players guitars reminicent of past models. I'm not saying I'm unhappy with that at all, but maybe it's time for them to stick their necks out a bit and give us a new design, a new script for the logo, a new headstock design, amps that are more tonally diverse, or at least force us to reevaluate our perceptions of what Fender amp tone can be.

What do you think?


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Post subject:
Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2009 12:47 am
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What about the VG? That's a forward thinking idea and design.


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Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2009 1:57 am
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all the answers you seek are at fender university


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Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2009 2:38 am
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gratz wrote:
all the answers you seek are at fender university

+1

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Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2009 4:03 am
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I agree that fender produce available to buy does seem at this moment very vintage focused. There are models that stray from that format though. As David said the VG along with cybertwin and vintage modified series amps. Arguably the whole relic process and the processes of cloning vintage electronics is a step forward too. At that level of notoriety you cant afford to make mistakes in new releases. Gibson for instance as fenders nearest competitor took 18 odd months to release the darkfire as a answer to the VG. Trust me they knew about the VG way before any member of the public did and set about developing their own system. Industrial espionage is alive and well in the musical instrument market. Fender developed such things way before anyone ever thought of them. Just as they did with their amplifiers in the 40's. Pretty much every p.a, guitar and bass amp you see on the market today is in some way a clone of a old fender.

I agree that the flood of vintage reissue instruments at the moment is a bit galling and i would like to see newer boundary pushing items. Like all good bands know though, 'you gotta give the public what they want and not too much of it at one time'.

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Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2009 12:34 pm
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I don't know about anyone else, but when I have enough duckets saved up to buy a new guitar, I want one that looks new. Not something that looks all beat up. (I NEVER understood that whole relic thing). I also want to do my own tuning, thank you.

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Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2009 4:26 pm
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jeffo46 wrote:
I would like to see Fender cut back on some of their product and see about getting back to basics while at the same time keeping their prices affordable for the general public.

What would be nice would be if Fender, while cutting out some of the myriad variations of Telecaster, Stratocaster, Precision Bass and Jazz Bass, brought back some of their discontinued models. Models like Lead/Lead II, Coronado/Coronado XII/Coronado Bass, Toronado, Electric VI, Electric XII, Jaguar Baritone Custom. Get more variety, and less uber-expensive signature and AVRI models. The guitar playing world could probably do good if there was an Esquire as an entry level just below the Telecaster, such as Gibson's Les Paul Melody Maker or Les Paul Junior. Of course there would still be room for special variations of regular models, such as with the So Cal Speed Shop Strat and FSR Straight Six Stratocaster, with both being produced in limited numbers. Some variations of certain models might not be avoidable, such as a Telecaster SH or Stratocaster HH, but there's still room for variety within different models. Some folks would rather play a Telecaster SH than a Telecaster Custom (although, personally, I love 'em both).

Matt

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Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2009 4:51 pm
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Imho, Fender's got plenty of innovation going on but you have to sift through the vintage stuff. I was just auditioning an American Deluxe HSS at Sam Ash over the weekend. It's got the classic Strat shape of course, and Coke isn't going to get rid of their coke bottle shape either, but basically everything on the guitar was non-vintage - staggered and locking tuners, LSR nut, medium jumbo frets, 22 frets, SCNs, humbucker, two-point tremolo. Aside from the classic contoured body and general appearance, everything was new. Incidentally, the guitar was so badly out of tune that I couldn't actually hear the tone. It was innovative enough that they were having trouble stringing and tuning it at that shop. My Highway One is also non-vintage in a lot of important ways including two string trees, large head stock, 22 frets, jumbo frets, Texas Specials that I added in which were only started in the late 1980s or so, and the thin nitro paint.

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Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2009 4:56 pm
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Quote:
So my question is this: Has Fender as a company taken the route of perfecting their past, as opposed to innovating for the future?


In answer to your questions... YES and NO. Tradition and quality will continue to be a hallmark of the Fender mystique but just play one of their VG's and tell me their's no innovation there...

I have one and play it thru a pro tube Twin... the best of both worlds... :) [/quote]

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Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2009 9:37 pm
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There are only two companies that have that kind of history, FFENDER and HARLEY DAVIDSON. They both try new things, however I would never want a HARLEY crotchrocket or a FENDER with dean or b.c. rich type body.

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Post subject:
Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 5:37 pm
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I would say the newer, recent price increases are a BIG change


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Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 7:09 pm
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gratz wrote:
all the answers you seek are at fender university


+1 i wish iwas old enough and had enough money to go


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Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 7:11 pm
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rock god wrote:
gratz wrote:
all the answers you seek are at fender university


+1 i wish iwas old enough and had enough money to go


what is the minium age :?:


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Post subject:
Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 7:21 pm
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she hates me wrote:
rock god wrote:
gratz wrote:
all the answers you seek are at fender university


+1 i wish iwas old enough and had enough money to go


what is the minium age :?:




21 IT SUCKS IM 14 I HAVE TO WAIT 7 YEARS


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Post subject:
Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 7:23 pm
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rock god wrote:
she hates me wrote:
rock god wrote:
gratz wrote:
all the answers you seek are at fender university


+1 i wish iwas old enough and had enough money to go


what is the minium age :?:




21 IT SUCKS IM 14 I HAVE TO WAIT 7 YEARS


+1 that does suck
bro maybe i will see you there in 7 yrs i am 14 too :)


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