Fender’s American Professional series discontinued?

monquixote

I think the problem is that the American Professional isn't really anything.

I want the cheapest American Fender = American Performer

I want a reissue = American Original

I want a high performance Anderson / Suhr type thing = American Ultra

When do you want an American Professional?

It's not clear.

ICBM

monquixote said:

When do you want an American Professional?

When you're not a professional...

CarbonCopy

StefB said:

Whitecat said:

Like clockwork - 

https://www.pmtonline.co.uk/brands/fender/fender-american-professional?utm_campaign=1543072_Fender%20Flash%20Sale&utm_medium=email

I've just had that too - can't say as the prices are particularly appealing mind.

This is a price drop? How much were they! I bought my American Standard for £600 new, albeit that was over 20 years ago!

Greatape

As an owner of an American Pro I paid £1100 for...I have to say it's an overpriced range. Even £1100 was taking the piss a bit. 

I'd go Mexican or used American Standard. If I had £1500, I'd save to level up to something else.

dazzajl

JezWynd said:

stonevibe said:

I wrote about his on Gearnews, and I asked Fender about it. The official statement was this

So they've stopped the Startocaster? 

Thought the olive green was incredibly naff on launch. Of course now they've been discontinued I'm strangely drawn to it.

There’s a very lovely looking M*A*S*H’ocaster for sale right here on this very forum. 

Bellycaster

Am Std ended in 2016, I had an inkling that the 4 year mark might reveal another change. Couldn't say for definite as I don't work there.

HAL9000

ICBM said:

monquixote said:

When do you want an American Professional?

When you're not a professional...

How true. Professional always seemed an odd choice for a name. However I suppose it did indicate some kind progression from bedroom player, to someone performing the occasional gig, to someone a bit more serious. Also I guess Fender liked the alliteration of Player, Performer, and Professional.

(Strangely VAG motors just came to mind - their crossovers/SUVs are (Skoda) Kamiq, Karoq, and Kodiaq (Volkswagen) T-Roc, Tiguan, Touareg, and (Seat) Alhambra, Arona, Alteca.)

Toms_Dad

I bought a new American Pro Strat last year. Paid a little bit more than @Greatape. It’s a lovely guitar. Most comfortable guitar to play that I have ever owned. Fantastic, very “stratty” sounds, fabulous neck and really well made.
  Is it as good or better than some of the others mentioned? Couldn’t say.  A lot of it’s pluses may well apply to Strats in general, but it spoke to me in the shop, and 18 months on I’m still playing it most days.  

I would have gone secondhand for value, but at that time there were very few on the market....still not that many now. Maybe that says something as well ( other than not many sold new in the first place of course )

Bellycaster

Oh, that Dark Night and that Surf Green. This is no good for anyone who is trying not to GAS.

gazrichards

I’ve completely lost track of how many ranges there are in fender. There should be 4 maybe 5?

American standard - pretty much as described above I’d say. A bog standard but modern ish guitar for a fair price. Good but built to a price point

vintage reissues - nuff said

Upgraded series - the deluxe or ultras. Locking tuners, upgraded pickups, fancy colours

Actually that’s 3. Can’t see what else they need. The fsr, pawnshop, alternate reality stuff fills a good gap in the catalogue. 

Some stuff like the California series a few years back may be cool too. That was bodies and necks from America assembled in Mexico (or the other way round?). 

Philly_Q

gazrichards said:

Some stuff like the California series a few years back may be cool too. That was bodies and necks from America assembled in Mexico (or the other way round?). 

Wikipedia says made in the USA, painted in Mexico then assembled back in the USA.  But they had the MIM-style truss rod access, so maybe the parts were actually made in Mexico... 

I suppose they were the precursors of the Highway One series, which became... something else I can't remember (maybe), then the American Special series, and is now the American Performer series.  But the line between the bottom of the USA range and the top of the Mexico range seems quite blurry.

gazrichards

Philly_Q said:

 But the line between the bottom of the USA range and the top of the Mexico range seems quite blurry.

I would have thought that’s exactly what fender want. They want to be able to charge a £1000 + for a Mexican guitar and want the guitar buying public to think that the guitars made there are as good or no different to the American ones. 

It wouldn’t surprise me if the mex guitars are more profitable for them and if the ultimate goal is ceasing production in USA at some point. 

chrisj1602

I’d rather have a Vintera. The specs are better and I’m not Donald Trump so happy for Mexican people to make my guitars.

thegummy

stonevibe said:

I wrote about his on Gearnews, and I asked Fender about it. The official statement was this

So no information at all really?

Could have just said that without fishing for clicks to your website.

Gerz6558

Perhaps Fender have decided to blindly follow the Apple/Samsung marketing blueprint of creating an upgrade culture.

Cant wait for the Fender American Pro 6S 

meltedbuzzbox

chrisj1602 said:

I’d rather have a Vintera. The specs are better and I’m not Donald Trump so happy for Mexican people to make my guitars.

Have you seen the USA factory?

adam1990

Heres my 2 cents 

For me they need to slimline what they offer eg..

Custom shop 

AO (MIA reissues) 

Ultra/Elite (something super modern) 

American special
( anything that isn’t standard, exotic woods, solid rosewood necks ect.. Just whatever is basically FSR for the year.

American Standard
(what it’s says on the tin. Strats Teles offsets with the classic look but modern radius (9.5) and neck poss a slightly chunky modern C? Consistent high build quality that you would expect for a MIA guitar. Maybe rotate what pick ups come with it every one or 2 years if they want to keep things fresh. 

The Mexican lines should also follow a simple product line to avoid competing with the MIA guitar. 

Vintera/classic reissue 
(Looks like 50’s 60’ or 70’s guitars but with modern fretboard slightly hotter pickups and medium jumbo frets 

Mexican standard modern 
More like the ultra with flatter radius and frets more suited to shed players that don’t want to fork out over a grand for a modern Shur competing fender

Mexican Standard 

Bog standard solid guitars, 9.5 radius, C shape necks and medium jumbo frets, 6, point trem for strats and maybe hardtail offsets with optional Humber versions. 

I’m sure some people won’t agree. But I really think they need to make the MIA guitars feel a decent step up from the MIM ranges or risk out competing them selves now that the MIM ranges are basically on par with the MIA ranges.

HAL9000

gazrichards said:

It wouldn’t surprise me if the mex guitars are more profitable for them and if the ultimate goal is ceasing production in USA at some point. 

Could be, but I suspect that there’s a healthy percentage of buyers who insist that their guitars are manufactured in the US, and Fender wouldn’t want those customers to go elsewhere. American made has always been something to dangle in front of punters.

chrisj1602

meltedbuzzbox said:

chrisj1602 said:

I’d rather have a Vintera. The specs are better and I’m not Donald Trump so happy for Mexican people to make my guitars.

Have you seen the USA factory?

Yeah good point!

SteveRobinson

chrisj1602 said:

meltedbuzzbox said:

chrisj1602 said:

I’d rather have a Vintera. The specs are better and I’m not Donald Trump so happy for Mexican people to make my guitars.

Have you seen the USA factory?

Yeah good point!

Even in Leo's day Fullerton was staffed by Mexicans, Tadeo Gomez et al