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New Fender American Performer series?

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  • rossirossi Frets: 1699
    Mustang and teles look decent assuming these new pickups sound good!! But Strat trem on a JM??? And they had a lake placid blue one and everything....
    To be honest its sounds sensible .Everyone and their  dog moans about the offsets trems and when Fender mod it oh gawd blimey wot a fuss and frolics.Modern C necks ..gawd will the world stop turning ....... 3.
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  • Modern C = Good, Colours = Good

    Half Spaghetti and Bold Black Logos = Chin Scratch.

    Jumbo Frets and Hideous CBS era Headstock = Not for me.
    Only a Fool Would Say That.
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  • Hey @MattFGBI , don't suppose you know what the routing on the Mustang is like do you? Swimming pool would be nice. 
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  • BigsbyBigsby Frets: 2913
    MattFGBI said:
    thegummy said:
    Still confusing naming scheme but I suppose it's less confusing than the "American Special" being the least special of the American-made range
    It’s been changed to make more sense. The core ranges go like this:

    Professional 
    Performer
    Player

    a bit more representative of a guitar player’s journey. 

    I can understand why Fender want to move away from the same names Gibson use, but I do prefer the model names to be about the guitar's position in the range (e.g. special, standard, custom), rather than the player's supposed rank. It's not as though you need to be in a band to own a 'Performer' or have a contract to play a 'Professional'. Will Custom shop become 'Recording Artist', 'Superstar' or perhaps, sticking to the 'P' theme, 'Prima Donna'?
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  • Bigsby said:
    MattFGBI said:
    thegummy said:
    Still confusing naming scheme but I suppose it's less confusing than the "American Special" being the least special of the American-made range
    It’s been changed to make more sense. The core ranges go like this:

    Professional 
    Performer
    Player

    a bit more representative of a guitar player’s journey. 

    I can understand why Fender want to move away from the same names Gibson use, but I do prefer the model names to be about the guitar's position in the range (e.g. special, standard, custom), rather than the player's supposed rank. It's not as though you need to be in a band to own a 'Performer' or have a contract to play a 'Professional'. Will Custom shop become 'Recording Artist', 'Superstar' or perhaps, sticking to the 'P' theme, 'Prima Donna'?
    Periodontist?? :D 
    The Assumptions - UAE party band for all your rock & soul desires
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  • rprrpr Frets: 308
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  • Gerz6558Gerz6558 Frets: 761
    rossi said:
    To be honest its sounds sensible .Everyone and their  dog moans about the offsets trems and when Fender mod it oh gawd blimey wot a fuss and frolics.Modern C necks ..gawd will the world stop turning ....... 3.
    I don't know about everyone.  Ask Johnny Marr and he will tell you it's the best trem Fender have ever made.

    I think it's a perception rather than a fact that is rolled out a few times a year, when it's time for the usual guitar publications to copy and paste what they said the previous years.
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  • I'm ok with the modern C these days (much better than the generic "Asian D" you get on so many MIC/MIK/MIJ Les Pauls). The JM trem is a shame, but I can understand why Fender want to have something JM shaped that doesn't have the JM trem, as that obviously puts some people off. I'd have done that with a fixed JM-type plate and fixed Mustang bridge or TOM, myself, but I'm clearly not the target buyer as a big fan of proper old-school JMs.  

    The Assumptions - UAE party band for all your rock & soul desires
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  • Gerz6558Gerz6558 Frets: 761
    I'm ok with the modern C these days (much better than the generic "Asian D" you get on so many MIC/MIK/MIJ Les Pauls). The JM trem is a shame, but I can understand why Fender want to have something JM shaped that doesn't have the JM trem, as that obviously puts some people off. I'd have done that with a fixed JM-type plate and fixed Mustang bridge or TOM, myself, but I'm clearly not the target buyer as a big fan of proper old-school JMs.  

    I think Fender want a piece of the G&L Doheny pie with this JM.
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  • dindudedindude Frets: 8534
    Love the Trem on offsets, it’s what makes them IMO, I’m not a traditionalist with any other aspect. 
    Not against the Strat Trem on a JM but it leaves too much unused space below the Trem.

    Not a fan of the satin in the custom colours, not sure it works. 

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  • rossi said:
    Mustang and teles look decent assuming these new pickups sound good!! But Strat trem on a JM??? And they had a lake placid blue one and everything....
    To be honest its sounds sensible .Everyone and their  dog moans about the offsets trems and when Fender mod it oh gawd blimey wot a fuss and frolics.Modern C necks ..gawd will the world stop turning ....... 3.
    If by "everyone and their dog" you mean the guys at Guitarist Magazine, then yeah. Otherwise, I think you'll find that there's a good many of us that think it's the best trem available. Personally, I can't get on with any other style. Plus it adds to the sound.

    Apart from the shape, the trem and the pickups are the whole point of the Jazzmaster. Do away with those and you have to wonder what the point is.
    My wife asked me to stop singing Wonderwall.
    I said maybe.....
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  • Dan_HalenDan_Halen Frets: 1646
    GG Edinburgh have them in store already. Had a little play around with a strat and tele, both surf green, and they seemed like nice guitars. Nice weight, balance, neck nice and very smooth satin feeling. Not a lot to not like although the finish might be a bit marmite. Photos don't really show but it's completely matt and feels like it just hasn't had it's final sand and lacquer.
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  • Gerz6558Gerz6558 Frets: 761

    Apart from the shape, the trem and the pickups are the whole point of the Jazzmaster. Do away with those and you have to wonder what the point is.
    I'm sure there would be riots on the streets if Fender only offered strat fans a strat with a Jag/JM trem, and nothing else in the range  =)

    I thought the best compromise was the American Professional JM.  Retained what I would say is the core look and feel, even if they did try and make it sound like a strat with those pickups.
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  • JezWyndJezWynd Frets: 6021
    Hold the press! Fender rebrand the old faithfuls for the umpteenth time.
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  • rossi said:
    Mustang and teles look decent assuming these new pickups sound good!! But Strat trem on a JM??? And they had a lake placid blue one and everything....
    To be honest its sounds sensible .Everyone and their  dog moans about the offsets trems and when Fender mod it oh gawd blimey wot a fuss and frolics.Modern C necks ..gawd will the world stop turning ....... 3.
    That always seems to be the perception, though I see far more comments bemoaning the lack of standard JM trem or quasi-traditional spec.

     The trem, the pickups and the body shape are the basis of the Jazzmaster and shouldn’t be messed with too much imo!!
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  • skunkwerxskunkwerx Frets: 6838
    Bigsby said:
    MattFGBI said:
    thegummy said:
    Still confusing naming scheme but I suppose it's less confusing than the "American Special" being the least special of the American-made range
    It’s been changed to make more sense. The core ranges go like this:

    Professional 
    Performer
    Player

    a bit more representative of a guitar player’s journey. 

    I can understand why Fender want to move away from the same names Gibson use, but I do prefer the model names to be about the guitar's position in the range (e.g. special, standard, custom), rather than the player's supposed rank. It's not as though you need to be in a band to own a 'Performer' or have a contract to play a 'Professional'. Will Custom shop become 'Recording Artist', 'Superstar' or perhaps, sticking to the 'P' theme, 'Prima Donna'?
    Periodontist?? :D 
    I think thats part of the Prs range.. 

    Patient Edition
    Assistant
    Dentist
    Private Orthodontist
    The only easy day, was yesterday...
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  • barnstormbarnstorm Frets: 618
    edited December 2018
    That always seems to be the perception, though I see far more comments bemoaning the lack of standard JM trem or quasi-traditional spec.

     The trem, the pickups and the body shape are the basis of the Jazzmaster and shouldn’t be messed with too much imo!!

    I think some people get cross because it was out of production for so long (in the US, at least), and ever since the reissues appeared it has generally been relatively expensive to get hold of one with the specs that people liked in the first place.

    Personally I could take or leave the JM trem, but I love the traditional pickups and rhythm circuit, so the various 'simplified' models Fender has done, including this new one, don't pose a danger to my wallet.
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  • thegummythegummy Frets: 4389
    skunkwerx said:
    Bigsby said:
    MattFGBI said:
    thegummy said:
    Still confusing naming scheme but I suppose it's less confusing than the "American Special" being the least special of the American-made range
    It’s been changed to make more sense. The core ranges go like this:

    Professional 
    Performer
    Player

    a bit more representative of a guitar player’s journey. 

    I can understand why Fender want to move away from the same names Gibson use, but I do prefer the model names to be about the guitar's position in the range (e.g. special, standard, custom), rather than the player's supposed rank. It's not as though you need to be in a band to own a 'Performer' or have a contract to play a 'Professional'. Will Custom shop become 'Recording Artist', 'Superstar' or perhaps, sticking to the 'P' theme, 'Prima Donna'?
    Periodontist?? :D 
    I think thats part of the Prs range.. 

    Patient Edition
    Assistant
    Dentist
    Private Orthodontist
    Patient Edition lol
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  • MattFGBI said:
    thegummy said:
    Still confusing naming scheme but I suppose it's less confusing than the "American Special" being the least special of the American-made range
    It’s been changed to make more sense. The core ranges go like this:

    Professional 
    Performer
    Player

    a bit more representative of a guitar player’s journey. 

    Anxiously awaiting the ‘Prima-Donna’ range. 
    'Vot eva happened to the Transylvanian Tvist?'
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  • dindudedindude Frets: 8534
    Gerz6558 said:

    Apart from the shape, the trem and the pickups are the whole point of the Jazzmaster. Do away with those and you have to wonder what the point is.
    I'm sure there would be riots on the streets if Fender only offered strat fans a strat with a Jag/JM trem, and nothing else in the range  =)

    I thought the best compromise was the American Professional JM.  Retained what I would say is the core look and feel, even if they did try and make it sound like a strat with those pickups.
    I’ve been spending a bit of time with the American Professional JM and have to agree it’s a belting guitar, seems to be very overlooked because of the off-set mafia. Don’t get me wrong, I owned a AVRI Jaguar up until recently and I really do “get” offsets for all their quirks, but they are guitars you have to “tune” into.
    The Pro JM has a voice of its own, yes leans towards a Strat, but wider and more scooped sounding, but still punch, and has that trem. It’s a great voice, that is more Fendery than any Fender I’ve ever had, and if it had been around like this in the 60’s people would have carved some great music on it and it would have its own classic sound associations. But alas, any modern interpretation is just “not like the real thing”. I feel sorry for fender here. I say try the guitars for what they are, not what they aren’t, you never know you may find something you call you own.

    Just makes me smile that offsets had their second sun when alternative bands picked them up and put them through so many fx they may have well used a strimmer as a guitar, it was a big F-U to the conventional Strat/Tele/Les Paul brigade, yet the mondern day offset-er is usually the most conservative of the bunch when it comes to changes.
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