Fender Am Pro II - new finishes

dickieguitar · October 2020

This is 'dark night' and I think I quite like it.

Main new features of the guitars themselves are new push-push switching, pine instead of ash for the natural finishes, and the absence of a Jaguar.

Should all be up on the Fender site by now.

guitargeek62 · October 2020

Nice! Looks a lot like one of the finishes they did on the Plus models (?) in the late 80s/early 90s.

Is it me though, or is that burst quite un-even?

Image: https://images.reverb.com/image/upload/s--2EE6E7Hn--/f_auto,t_supersize/v1596488094/pv15lcnc1qfa08sujfvm.jpg

Hattigol · October 2020

Prices starting at £1,599? Thought these were Fender's budget range...

King85 · October 2020

Hattigol said:

Prices starting at £1,599? Thought these were Fender's budget range...

They are, you've got to budget for about a year to get one.

Whitecat · October 2020

Hattigol said:

Prices starting at £1,599? Thought these were Fender's budget range...

Eh? American Pro/Standard/whateverelseit'sbeencalledinthepast has always been somewhere in the middle of the USA range. You've got Elite/Ultra/whateveritscalledrightnow above it and Performer below it. Their true "budget" stuff is Player Series from Mexico...

skunkwerx · October 2020

Hattigol said:

Prices starting at £1,599? Thought these were Fender's budget range...

I guess these replace the American Professional which sat one above the American Specials/Performers.

I do like the neck heel carve on the new ones there.

My Professional has rolled fingerboard edges but I dont think it was mentioned in the specs, though on the II they mention them as a feature.. wonder if theyre more rolled lol

thegummy · October 2020

Why would Fender, creator of the S1 switch, use push-push?

LPManic · October 2020

How lovely finishes on there. The Mystic Seafoam Strats and JMs are beauties.

Jackobean · October 2020

Struggle to think why you'd choose one over an American Original. Lower price and modern radius/wire were really the only selling points for the AM Standard versus old AVRI. Now those advantages are gone.

Whitecat · October 2020

Jackobean said:

Struggle to think why you'd choose one over an American Original. Lower price and modern radius/wire were really the only selling points for the AM Standard versus old AVRI. Now those advantages are gone.

Expect them to correct this next time a container full of AOs land...

Yasawas · October 2020

Well Miami blue is absolutely lovely but Jazzmasters with maple necks still look wrong. And still no matching headstock for your money. So close!

stonevibe · October 2020

I reviewed one of the new Am Pro II Strats here

StefB · October 2020

Coming soon to the front cover of a Guitarist magazine near you.

dickieguitar · October 2020

guitargeek62 said:

Nice! Looks a lot like one of the finishes they did on the Plus models (?) in the late 80s/early 90s.

Is it me though, or is that burst quite un-even?

Yes, some edges are distinctly bluer than others. Not sure if that's deliberate.

Whitecat · October 2020

I have to say in general I’m not very whelmed but I’m interested in trying the roasted pine models, simply because Dennis Fano has established it as the greatest “tone wood” that nobody thinks is cool. The Exotic reclaimed pine Strat I used to have was excellent. That said, if @stonevibe’s neck measurements from his review are consistent with most of them it’s likely be a no from me anyway for being too skinny in the first position.

thegummy · October 2020

Jackobean said:

Struggle to think why you'd choose one over an American Original. Lower price and modern radius/wire were really the only selling points for the AM Standard versus old AVRI. Now those advantages are gone.

What do you mean? The American Professional II are still 9.5 radius aren't they?

stonevibe · October 2020

I like a fat neck myself and these aren't too bad to be fair, they are slimmer than my normal preference as I tend to go baseball bat. But they aren't like those horrendous '90s C profiles Fender used for ages, they have a little meat on them.

thegummy · October 2020

I was genuinely expecting to see all the new finishes on all the models but the Precision bass having hardly any options. Was pleasantly surprised to see the Miami Blue on the P bass. It does have fewer options than every other model (why is this always so?) but at least it has my favourite.

Not that I'll be buying it at that price. Total ripoff IMO.

dickieguitar · October 2020

thegummy said:

Why would Fender, creator of the S1 switch, use push-push?

Push-push on the Tele works quite well, simply because it's a bigger target to whack. But it does mean the tone control is never completely flush to the plate.

thegummy · October 2020

dickieguitar said:

thegummy said:

Why would Fender, creator of the S1 switch, use push-push?

Push-push on the Tele works quite well, simply because it's a bigger target to whack. But it does mean the tone control is never completely flush to the plate.

I suppose it is slightly easier to hit but I've never had any problems pressing the S1 to be honest.

The S1 is so neat; IMO a push-push is crude in comparison.

stonevibe · October 2020

Probably costs less to use a push/push switch. The one on my review guitar stuck out really high and I reckon I'd snap it off when gigging if I wasn't careful with it.

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Fender Am Pro II - new finishes

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