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Post subject: American Standard line going away?
Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2016 6:04 pm
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I got an email alert from the Stratosphere saying that the American Standard line is going away,any information on what is to come?


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Post subject: Re: American Standard line going away?
Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2016 12:15 am
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This is a rumour, Fender hasn't made an official statement yet.


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Post subject: Re: American Standard line going away?
Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2016 12:57 am
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Cease production of your most successful product? Can't see that! Most likely another name-change, surely?

Cheers - Peter.


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Post subject: Re: American Standard line going away?
Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2016 2:47 am
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The whole naming convention has gone to hell at the moment. Deluxe is now a MiM and costs less than a MiA Special.

At the end of the day it's all a matter of changing names to try to convince people they are different products. They aren't, they are the same, in the same price bands, they just have different names.

If I were to buy another new Strat (I can't think of a good excuse why I would, but I'm sure one will come to me if the need arises) it will be down to price and specification. The name is irrelevant but, with it now all muddled up, second hand or on line purchasing is an even greater minefield.

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Post subject: Re: American Standard line going away?
Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2016 5:59 am
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So is Fender trying to one up Gibson?

product names over there are boarding ridiculous..


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Post subject: Re: American Standard line going away?
Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2016 2:21 pm
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There are rumors and maybe evidential images that the American Standard will be replaced by a US Pro version at Namm in 2017. More rumors are that the "Tone Saver" will be fitted as standard
Let's hope that the screw-in trem arm will go!


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Post subject: Re: American Standard line going away?
Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2016 3:43 pm
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What's the beef with the screw in trem arm? I've read plenty of queries over issues with the push in trem and none regarding the screw in?

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Post subject: Re: American Standard line going away?
Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2016 2:02 am
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John Sims wrote:
What's the beef with the screw in trem arm? I've read plenty of queries over issues with the push in trem and none regarding the screw in?


No beef from me, John! It's cheap and cheerful engineering and yes, the threads do wear, but I find it OK. I have a push-in on my CS Strat (as standard) and I can't say I'm bothered either way. But then I don't actually 'wobble' much; more use it for slurring etc, so perhaps the play in the threads doesn't bother me as much. Have to say my ill-fated Callaham offered the best solution all round - very nicely designed and made - but look at the price...!

Cheers - Peter.


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Post subject: Re: American Standard line going away?
Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2016 8:49 pm
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John Sims wrote:
What's the beef with the screw in trem arm? I've read plenty of queries over issues with the push in trem and none regarding the screw in?

The spring getting lost, for one thing. And they don't go in as deep, which makes the lever effect stronger and they break easier. Ritchie Blackmore had custom made bars that were stronger (but still managed to break them).


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Post subject: Re: American Standard line going away?
Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2016 1:08 am
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arth1 wrote:
John Sims wrote:
What's the beef with the screw in trem arm? I've read plenty of queries over issues with the push in trem and none regarding the screw in?

The spring getting lost, for one thing. And they don't go in as deep, which makes the lever effect stronger and they break easier. Ritchie Blackmore had custom made bars that were stronger (but still managed to break them).


I'll agree that the spring getting lost is a thing but I would anticipate 99% of players are oblivious to the fact there ever was a spring. And just because Blackmore broke arms there are plenty (most) famous players who don't break them and they are cheap enough to carry a spare if your man drawer isn't full of them already.

As a non waggler I'm more than happy not to add the further complication of the push in bar and a screw which could go missing rendering the system useless any way. IMHO it is another example of Leo getting it right in the first place and it changed predominantly for marketing purposes. If it ain't broke don't fix it.

All that aside, if you are a waggler, I can see the appeal of the push in bar system but don't see the original as sufficiently bad to be singled out for obselecence.

There are other "improvements" which one could also note - locking tuners for example. However, here again while an advantage over modern tuners they address a problem which, to a large extent, doesn't exist with vintage tuners. Again I accept that tuning spindle wrap slip can be more of an issue if you are a waggler.

"It must have the cartwheel truss rod adjuster" - I'm from a country where I adjust my truss rod almost never so again I would consider the downright ugliness of it to be detrimental.

All things noted I am playing devils advocate as I have no need (or inclination) to buy a new American Standard, or what ever it is called this week. And that is Fenders biggest problem (not me but the millions like me) How do you sell a new guitar to someone who is more than happy with his old one?

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Post subject: Re: American Standard line going away?
Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2016 6:50 am
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Quote:
How do you sell a new guitar to someone who is more than happy with his old one?


Spray it a different colour?!

Cheers - Peter.


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Post subject: Re: American Standard line going away?
Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2016 8:16 am
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John Sims wrote:
How do you sell a new guitar to someone who is more than happy with his old one?

Here are a few ways:

You generate an inflated interest, either through limited production runs, or special looks, or artist endorsement (hero worship is strong with the unwashed masses).
Fender is pretty good at this.

You create a market for owning more than one of the same, or advertise the benefits.
Like promoting and educating on using different tunings more, or mixing playing styles that benefits from different strings or fretboards (shredding, bending, fingerstyle, slide).
Fender isn't doing this.

You create guitars that are so different that one can't substitute well for another.
No, there is not a huge market for 7-string active pickup baritone guitars, but there are people who would buy one as an addition, because it can do other things.
Fender has only dabbled with doing this.


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Post subject: Re: American Standard line going away?
Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2016 4:08 am
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arth1 wrote:
John Sims wrote:
How do you sell a new guitar to someone who is more than happy with his old one?

Here are a few ways:

You generate an inflated interest, either through limited production runs, or special looks, or artist endorsement (hero worship is strong with the unwashed masses).
Fender is pretty good at this.

To be fair to Fender, they really need to be good at this, as this influences market share more than generating new markets, and Fender do need to fight for their market share in what must be, or soon will be, a shrinking market.

However, that's slightly different to the question "How do you sell a new guitar to someone who is more than happy with his old one?" - which is purely about creating new demand. But I'm not so sure it's that challenging to do this - we live in societies where consumption = happiness. Guitar forums are usually full of 'GAS' posts, where people are seemingly searching for their next acquisition with the flimsiest of excuses. "Its a limited edition, it's going to be an investment" being perhaps the flimsiest of all!

The way it looks to me is that there are lots of guitar owners, happy with their guitars, but still wanting more - and that's the market that companies like Fender have to tap into to survive. It's a lot easier than trying to convince someone else that they need a new guitar, when they don't already want one.


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Post subject: Re: American Standard line going away?
Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2016 5:47 am
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It's wonderful to have all the choices out there, but companies like Fender are spreading themselves too thinly by offering all of those choices. They've got too many things going on without the chance to really zero in on a limited number of models.

Fender is under a lot of pressure to grab that part of the market who'd spend their money on mods or on partscasters because that market has grown a lot in recent years.

Fender may rename the American line. When profits drive instead of a commitment to quality, a model such as the AmStd is fluid. The American Standard is a wonderful line of guitars. Not the best appointments, but great tones, great looks, solid enough, etc, wonderful workhorse guitars but good enough to make excellent recordings. Dependable live guitars.

The problem isn't with the American Standard: it's with fidgety executives and marketing agents who are nervous about eating as much a share of the market as they can.


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Post subject: Re: American Standard line going away?
Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2016 10:14 am
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ch willie wrote:
The problem isn't with the American Standard: it's with fidgety executives and marketing agents who are nervous about eating as much a share of the market as they can.


+1

An unintended consequence of such unbridled avarice is loss of quality control, dilution of traditional Strat specifications, and an unfocused perspective about the model's very raison d'etre.

Arjay

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