New alternate reality - Powercaster (HB and P90)

Discussion of newer designs, copies and reissue offset-waist instruments.
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timtam
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New alternate reality - Powercaster (HB and P90)

Post by timtam » Wed Jan 23, 2019 5:41 pm

"I just knew I wanted to make a sound that was the complete opposite of a Les Paul, and that’s pretty much a Jaguar." Rowland S. Howard.

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Re: New alternate reality - Powercaster (HB and P90)

Post by ThePearDream » Wed Jan 23, 2019 6:02 pm

Good on Fender for a trying a new-ish shape. It's not the guitar for me, but this is the kind of thing they need to be doing.
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Re: New alternate reality - Powercaster (HB and P90)

Post by Embenny » Wed Jan 23, 2019 6:37 pm

I dig the shape and pickguard. I'm shocked to see them doing something actually new.

I think the combo of a black P90 and zebra HB looks terrible on an otherwise sleek design, and I wish the TOMs would just stop. They're terrible, they're not a Fender design, there's no reason to keep doing this. Imagine a toronado or hardtail strat bridge on it...much nicer. At least this lets you put a Les Trem on it if you want.

The pickup selector is also in an awkward looking spot. Not sure why you'd want to be reaching down there, in between two knobs that you could accidentally rotate while going for a quick pickup switch.
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Re: New alternate reality - Powercaster (HB and P90)

Post by Tehz_ » Wed Jan 23, 2019 6:55 pm

Huh, I don’t hate that at all. I can’t help but be reminded of the G&L Fallout, however, with that pickup combo and offset body. Doesn’t the new American Performer Jazzmaster look a ton like the G&L Doheny, also? What’s going on over there at Fender recently? ::)

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Re: New alternate reality - Powercaster (HB and P90)

Post by Embenny » Wed Jan 23, 2019 7:01 pm

Tehz_ wrote:
Wed Jan 23, 2019 6:55 pm
Huh, I don’t hate that at all. I can’t help but be reminded of the G&L Fallout, however, with that pickup combo and offset body. Doesn’t the new American Performer Jazzmaster look a ton like the G&L Doheny, also? What’s going on over there at Fender recently? ::)
Hah, you're right. There's a lot of Fallout in this guitar's DNA.
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Re: New alternate reality - Powercaster (HB and P90)

Post by jcolls13 » Wed Jan 23, 2019 7:14 pm

okay i want that surf green one.

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Re: New alternate reality - Powercaster (HB and P90)

Post by Stephen_42 » Wed Jan 23, 2019 7:34 pm

IT'S A JAG-STANG DONE RIGHT!!!

I'm 100% buying one.

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Re: New alternate reality - Powercaster (HB and P90)

Post by BoringPostcards » Wed Jan 23, 2019 7:40 pm

TOM and stop tailpiece ruins it for me. The rest looks good. 24.75 scale is nice.
Det er mig der holder traeerne sammen.

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Re: New alternate reality - Powercaster (HB and P90)

Post by timtam » Wed Jan 23, 2019 7:47 pm

Tehz_ wrote:
Wed Jan 23, 2019 6:55 pm
I can’t help but be reminded of the G&L Fallout, however, with that pickup combo and offset body.
Hmmm that's kind of blatant ... pickups, middle switch ..

ImageImage
"I just knew I wanted to make a sound that was the complete opposite of a Les Paul, and that’s pretty much a Jaguar." Rowland S. Howard.

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Re: New alternate reality - Powercaster (HB and P90)

Post by amv » Wed Jan 23, 2019 8:18 pm

I'm glad I'm not the only one who's continually repulsed/baffled by modern-day Fender's love affair with the TOM bridge. Everything about it sucks, and it totally betrays the Fender spirit for no appreciable gain that I can figure out.

I hate knee-jerk internet whining as much as everyone else and I regret that I'm contributing to it, because I love seeing Fender explore new ideas like this. But that eyesore of a bridge deflates my enthusiasm every time.

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Re: New alternate reality - Powercaster (HB and P90)

Post by Stephen_42 » Wed Jan 23, 2019 8:20 pm

Unpopular opinion: I like TOM bridges.

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Re: New alternate reality - Powercaster (HB and P90)

Post by Embenny » Wed Jan 23, 2019 8:32 pm

Wow, I didn't even know the Fallout had the switch positioned like that. What a blatant ripoff.

This is just making me want a Fallout now. G&L make fantastic guitars and the saddle-lock bridge is a Leo Fender design that runs circles around the TOM in every possible respect.
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Re: New alternate reality - Powercaster (HB and P90)

Post by iodine74 » Wed Jan 23, 2019 9:52 pm

Seems to me the body is a Maurader lower half with a JM upper horn and the butt of a Jaguar since it seems a little flatter than a JM.

Good project material tho... swap those pickups... drop a JM bridge... try and get some type of control plate on there too.

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Re: New alternate reality - Powercaster (HB and P90)

Post by Larry Mal » Wed Jan 23, 2019 10:03 pm

mbene085 wrote:
Wed Jan 23, 2019 8:32 pm
Wow, I didn't even know the Fallout had the switch positioned like that. What a blatant ripoff.

This is just making me want a Fallout now. G&L make fantastic guitars and the saddle-lock bridge is a Leo Fender design that runs circles around the TOM in every possible respect.
Right? This is so much worse than the Fallout is. I can't believe I have to hate two bullshit Fender designs in one night. Why don't they spend more time with this stuff? Why don't they try new things anymore, or just quit pretending to altogether?

And I saw that someone else above was feeling like I do about the Tune-O-Matic bridge on Fenders. Fuck, I barely tolerate them on Gibsons, where they kind of belong*. I just don't get it. Even the worst Fender bridges are much better than the TOM, which is why Leo Fender never considered that bridge, it sucked and was improved on greatly back in the 50's.

Fender sucks so hard now.



*Actually, they don't, Gibson is another company that is trapped by the past and unable to innovate well all that often, and I have no idea why they stick with the TOM bridge, which is the worst of all the mainstream bridges I can think of.
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Re: New alternate reality - Powercaster (HB and P90)

Post by higgsblossom » Wed Jan 23, 2019 11:51 pm

Tehz_ wrote:
Wed Jan 23, 2019 6:55 pm
I can’t help but be reminded of the G&L Fallout, however, with that pickup combo and offset body.
That was my first thought, too. It is nice to see Fender doing something new, even if the actual sounds of this guitar shouldn't be surprising. Can be a blues or punk machine, depending on the player.

EDIT: Ok, I had a look at the comparison pictures above. It is not a new design, forget everything I said before. Wow, I need a Fallout! :w00t:
"500€? That's the price of a J Mascis Jazzmaster!"

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