What's left for Fender to do?

[Embenny]

The Fender Mu-uar: Jag-Stang in reverse.

They alread made a Mus-uar, and even called it that.

[Haustnótt]

The Fender Mu-uar: Jag-Stang in reverse.

They alread made a Mus-uar, and even called it that.

Well, I'll be ...

I posted this idea, with a concept drawing, to jagstang.com more than ten years ago. Maybe Fender employees read internet fora. But that 's' is plain wrong, it's not called a Jag-tang, is it?

https://www.jag-stang.com/2007/08/the-f ... rt-jaguar/

[Telemnemonics]

Since Fender seems to feel compelled to introduce "new" models regularly, they are fully capable of introducing new pickup designs that are actually new configurations and don't fit in the same holes.

How 'bout that Strat bridge pickup?
Make a new design that's wider and sounds more toward the Tele/ JM pickup, and get rid of the damn angle that makes the high E sound thin unless it's overwound to the point where the low E sounds muddy.

They keep reformatting the JM pickups in P-90 or Strat directions, but those huge covers are incompatible with a lot of guitar configurations, so they limit potential new guitar design.
At the same time, you can fit all sorts of different pickups under a JM cover, so they could add some new tonal options to the JM platform.

And dammit if they gotta make all those Squiers, give some of them fat necks and huge frets.

Last I'd say if Gibson won't make a nice solid wood but cheap Jr, how 'bout it Fender?
Leo came up with a cool single pickup cheap G&L and made it in USA for a reasonable price.
Fender seems deeply committed to making cheaper guitars all over the world, they could pull off a super simple killer $300 guitar.

[s_mcsleazy]

ok. i have a few ideas.

1. a reverb unit that does not cost a fortune. maybe put it under the same range of amps that the vaporizer was.
2. a electric xii and/or a coronado xii.
3. a squier telemaster around the £300 mark. maybe along the lines of the classic vibe/vintage modified.
4. a nels cline signature jazzmaster with antiquities based on the mike watt jazzmaster.
5. more of the japanese imports/colours.
6. this is a personal one. the affinity jazzmaster is cool and all but can we have the jagmaster/super-sonics back for a few years? considering how much the vista series is going for and it's pushing up the prices of the other models to the point i seen someone trying to sell a standard jagmaster for £350. maybe it's time to bring back the old ones for a bit.
7. stop making your jazzmaster pickups like strat pickups.

[timtam]

They keep reformatting the JM pickups in P-90 or Strat directions, but those huge covers are incompatible with a lot of guitar configurations, so they limit potential new guitar design.
At the same time, you can fit all sorts of different pickups under a JM cover, so they could add some new tonal options to the JM platform.

Until you mentioned it I hadn't thought about just how many recent Fender JM pickup variations there are. For a while they were putting the AV65 ones into most new JM models, but now they just keep coming up with new JM-style pickups for some reason ...
AV62 0054444000 / 0054443000
AV65 0094012000 / 0094013000
V-Mod (Am Pro) 7709840000 / 7709839000
Classic Player 0076313000 / 0076314000
MIJ/CIJ - how many variations ?
VM Squier ... DD JM-101
Mascis Squier .. p/n ?
60th Anniv Classic .. p/n? ... 'Classic Series ‘60s Single-Coil Jazzmaster'
Am Performer .. p/n ? .. 'Yosemite Jazzmaster Single-Coil'

Did I miss any (other than the more obscure non-JM-style like actives) ?

[cjs]

i was at the shop the other day playing a bunch of the new models.


i played one of the new american pro mustangs the other day and was so bummed. twice the price of my cij mustang and half the class.


they need to be making more 60s and throwback style everything.

the headstocks and necks on these new guitars look so corny.

the johnny marr in knock out orange was the best looking and feeling. that should be the baseline.

they could be making cheaper guitars looking that classy.


some of the new colorways are pretty gross. i dont think they've got people over there mixing colors and taking colors and aesthetics seriously.

they need help in that department and that's where they are lacking imo.

[Telemnemonics]

They keep reformatting the JM pickups in P-90 or Strat directions, but those huge covers are incompatible with a lot of guitar configurations, so they limit potential new guitar design.
At the same time, you can fit all sorts of different pickups under a JM cover, so they could add some new tonal options to the JM platform.

Until you mentioned it I hadn't thought about just how many recent Fender JM pickup variations there are. For a while they were putting the AV65 ones into most new JM models, but now they just keep coming up with new JM-style pickups for some reason ...
AV62 0054444000 / 0054443000
AV65 0094012000 / 0094013000
V-Mod (Am Pro) 7709840000 / 7709839000
Classic Player 0076313000 / 0076314000
MIJ/CIJ - how many variations ?
VM Squier ... DD JM-101
Mascis Squier .. p/n ?
60th Anniv Classic .. p/n? ... 'Classic Series ‘60s Single-Coil Jazzmaster'
Am Performer .. p/n ? .. 'Yosemite Jazzmaster Single-Coil'

Did I miss any (other than the more obscure non-JM-style like actives) ?

The only variant I can think of to add to your list would be actual old Jazzmaster pickups, which are a thinner flatter coil than any of the modern versions I've seen. I haven't seen all on your list though, so maybe there is a current production version as thin as originals?
IIRC the old ones were not much more than 1/8" thick between the flatwork, and the winding came almost out to the edge.

[601210]

I think Fender are still convinced that people hate Jazzmaster pickups and the Jazzmaster tremolo -- if you look at offset boutique builds it does seem to be the way people think, so I'm not surprised Fender keep moving in directions that tinker with those.

There are way more JM-shaped guitars with different bridges and pickups than non-JM-shaped guitars with JM bridges and pickups.

As far as a modern "standard" Jazzmaster goes I'd say the American Pro does it best (apart from the V-mod pickups being more strat-like I hear?). I can live without the rhythm circuit, but moving the toggle switch is absolutely baffling to me.

The dream for me would be an MIM Am-pro, with proper pickups and the toggle switch not randomly moved somewhere for the hell of it. But I guess Fender is moving towards considering those "vintage features" and so you have to pay premium reissue prices.

[leokula]

The dream for me would be an MIM Am-pro

You mean MIM as in Made in Mexico and Am as American?

[valley_parade]

That's not too farfetched, as weird as it sounds. Weren't the Highway 1 series guitars made in Mexico, but from USA parts?

[leokula]

That's not too farfetched, as weird as it sounds. Weren't the Highway 1 series guitars made in Mexico, but from USA parts?

Highway 1 series was american.

[601210]

The dream for me would be an MIM Am-pro

You mean MIM as in Made in Mexico and Am as American?

I mean the specs of the American Pro model (proper trem, proper pickups, truncated electronics, maple fretboard option, and more colors if you count the mod shop).

Just give us a proper MIM Standard Jazzmaster is what I'm saying. And I know "what makes a Jazzmaster" is extremely subjective but to me it's that. I guess the 60s lacquer is the closest apart from being very limited color-wise, but every other Mexican Jazzmaster tends to have a fatal flaw. Every "standard" Jazzmaster they've released so far has been a joke.

[Domm]

Pretty sure Highway ones were painted in Mexico and assembled in the USA.

[Shadoweclipse13]

Lefty models?

[Embenny]

Lefty models?

Whoah, whoah, whoah. Let's not get crazy here. It's not like there are 770 million lefties in the world. I mean...it just doesn't make sense to go after a market that small.