ShortScale.org

euan wrote:ITT: Righties complaining about lack of colour choice.

Dear Euan,

God made you a freak. Be angry at him, not us.

Love and Kisses,

Mike

God created Fender to spite me.

Actually if I was Fender I would make all models available in lefty in every colour. Make a lefty Parker Fly (Fender own Parker don't they?) and buy Gus Guitars.

The create your guitar from standard parts is a great idea. Surely this wouldn't be too difficult to implement.
The colour thing is obvious. Everyone wants the custom colours. Just don't understand why Fender don't get it. Though the thin-skin Jags/Jazzys were pretty cool in terms of colours.

I'm with euan (obviously), all models and colours in left hand.
Though to be fair, mainly thanks to Fender Japan, can get more left handed models than a lot of other guitar companies.

Mike wrote:
The CuNiFe thing is hilarious. INTERNET SAYS IT'S GOOD I WANT IT

I can't help but read it as CUNTLIFE. Probably not too far from the mark..

If Fender looked to other industries, ala car manufacturing in Europe and Japan they would probably have the ability to do the whole custom thing quickly and cheaply.

The margin on Custom building is pitiful compared to what they're raking in on mass production.

It would be a nice thing but you're living in a dream world. It will never, ever happen.

That is what the Custom Shop is for and the prices for that indicate how high they feel they should push them to attain profit. Dream On.

Mike wrote:

James wrote:fuck the 3 saddle tele bridge.

STFU seriously. If you haven't played a guitar with one you won't understand, but they are brilliant
And you can intonate them fine with the correct string gauge (11s)

I've played some and I'd prefer 6 saddles still.

Philistine.

it would be nice if they offered the choice of all maple necks on jags/jazzies/mustangs like in the '70s, without it costing the GDP of a small african nation.

I'm actually nonplussed by Maple necks on anything Mustang/Jag/Jazz shaped.

Mike wrote:I'm actually nonplussed by Maple necks on anything Mustang/Jag/Jazz shaped.

how so? i like them. it's nice to have the choice. they only work with certain colours though.

Yes, because I want the Shadstang in lefty.

All black Mustang+maple neck+lefty = holy grail.

it would be easy enough to make a list of sensible suggestions and email them to fender. and keep emailing. every week.

"uh, we listened to what the guitar buying public had to say, and we found that what they really wanted was more signature strats and teles."

if no-one tells them they won't do anything different.

LIZ PHAIR DUO-SONIC
JOHNNY GREENWOOD STARCASTER

If yr gonna do a sig, do it right damnit.

Another vote for more colours, anything other than black and 3TS. Even if every model (particuarly RIs) were available in say 5 or 6 colours then I'd be happy enough. Surely it must be easier to spray a guitar in a single solid colour than to spray it sunburst.

Plus it would be nice to see RIs of the starcaster, coronado, musicmaster and the bronco (maybe even the performer!) although I doubt Fender ever will.

Mike wrote: 3. American Standard Series
This has been wrong forever. Too expensive for what it is and God Damn if they haven't gone backwards recently. The bridges on the new guitars sum it all up - no block saddles on the Strat in favour of the more uncomfortable bent steel ones and Strat saddles on a Telecaster? Give me strength.

I agree with you about the new American Standard guitars, but as far as their basses go they made HUGE improvements over the previous run of american standards. The old ones had no sustain, no balls, were heavy as all hell, the tone sucked and as far as I could tell that S1 switching did nothing to help it.

The new ones they got rid of the S1 switching, made it a string through body and gave it an all new bridge that sort of acts like a badass bridge except it's not as bulky and it obtains the same amount of sustain because it's string through body, gave it a thinner finish, polished fretboard and frets with rolled edges, and lightweight tuners. So my new American Standard P bass is at least 2-3 lbs lighter than the old ones and it sounds 10,000 times better! The guitar center in raleigh has been selling the new ones pretty much as soon as they get them, yet they still have one of the last runs of MIA standards that has been there for almost 4 years now and nobody's bought it because it sucks!

Nice thread euan.
Fender to me means practical instruments with cool designs, usually affordable and good quality for the dollar.
Personally, i'd like to see them offer something with different construction and sound to the norm, perhaps leaning towards classic Gibson. BUT maintain the cool streamline Fender looks. They did this of course with the Toronado and other models that did not last long in production.
There are players like me out there that love Fender looks but like the warm traditional Gibson 'bucker tones. As far as Metal or superstrat guitars go they dont have inherent warm tone, its a faux tone achieved by the electronics. From a constructional point of view they are exactly; super STRATS.

I'd like to see better wood selection for the MIM series - they just seem so much heavier then they ought to be. I think the MIAs are priced OK, in that they're slightly less expensive then the 50s originals adjusted for inflation. The MIMs and MIJs should be much cheaper, though.

Mike wrote:

James wrote:fuck the 3 saddle tele bridge.

STFU seriously. If you haven't played a guitar with one you won't understand, but they are brilliant
And you can intonate them fine with the correct string gauge (11s)

gah backpedal
you used to bash on them constantly before you got one yourself, FACT

deadonkey wrote:
gah backpedal
you used to bash on them constantly before you got one yourself, FACT

Mike wrote:
I used to be a hater and then I got one and loved it.