Acoustasonic Player

The Acoustasonic models are a big hit for Fender despite them being above the midprice range. With the Player version (seen above - Acoustasonic Player Telecaster), it's no hiding the fact that they are cashing in on the popularity. This Mexican version shaved $800 off the list price. It will first attract the interest of those who had dismissed the Acoustasonic based on price per se. After witnessing the goodness first hand, they might just do an 'upgrade' along the way. The uninitiated will of course venture into the Acoustasonic territory as things are seemingly more 'affordable' with the Player models. So it's win-win for Fender.

Pic: Fender

Jagxico

So the Jagstang returns.  It's a Mexican & it commemorates 30 years of Nirvana's Nevermind. Since its disappearance in the mid-1990s, I couldn't recall a strong demand to clamour its come-back. But here it is, re-born in its full glory & if you want one, be informed that it's a 24" player. 

Pic: Fender

New player

This was supposed to be a Summer NAMM (2018) revelation but was leaked along the way. The official announcement was made yesterday. With immediate effect, the Standard series is now effectively discontinued, replaced by the Player Series here, still made in Mexico like their predecessors. 

Yay or nay? The immediate nay factor would be the revised prices (upwards) so get ready to pay about $200+/- more for a Mexican Fender. From a commercial perspective, this is the definite opportunity to bring prices up by featuring 'revisions' in various models which we will look into in another blog episode. The strategy wasn't new as we noted this occurrence when the American Professional replaced the American Standard Series. The list price for a Mexican Strat/ Tele here is $899 so with the new Player prices kicking in soon, you'd be paying close to $1K for one. So is it time to grab whatever's left of the the current Standard models? Hmm...

Black. Duh.

Latest from the Fender camp- a trio of black Mex models (Noir Special Edition). All black, satin finish with red edge pickguards- these are the highlights, everything else is a typical Mex spec. It's releases like this that screams desperation but in this industry, variation of a theme is a norm. Buyers are somehow hooked on colour play, the industry cashing in on personal preferences. Anyway, this series of instruments are priced below the current generation of Mex models, seeing the initial figures, they should list below the $1K mark.

Deluxe selections

Also new at Swee Lee are the Deluxe Strats- pictured above, the Roadhouse version.

And this one, the regular Deluxe version (Both models listing for: $1,239). We note that, despite being Mexican, the new breed of Deluxe models are replicating selected American features (rounded string retainers, 22 frets, etc.). So the psychology of being in this price bracket (formerly the American Special's price point) is that you get American specs albeit the Mexican label. Worth it? It's a personal take.

Offset prices

Prices for the Fender 2016 Mex Offset models are out:

• Duo-Sonic/ Mustang: USD500
• Mustang PJ bass: USD550

These were not meant to be pricey, I personally feel they are listed fairly in view of the tier they are in & the country of manufacture. Keeping fingers crossed for their availability here 😬

Mustang's low & behold

This is the final member of Fender's offset range, new for 2016- the Mustang PJ bass. (Mex) Named to announce the pickup combination of this bass, the shorter scale Mustang bass might appeal to guitar dweebs more than the bass wielders. Since I own the Japanese version, there is a tendency for me to move quickly up & down the neck as opposed to observing a rhythm focus. That said, the Mustang bass is every bit a bass & not something that pretends to be one without the proper sonic properties. 

Sonic return

Here it is, the Fender Duo-Sonic (Mex) in its full glory, after being revealed in Summer NAMM 2016, without proper closure.

The HS version for those of us who would be rocking this guitar seriously. I'm definitely interested because of the the instrument's 24" scale length more than anything else. It'd be as feasible as the similarly scaled Jaguar, without the pickups switching hassle.

Swirled Strat

I recently played this. It's a Standard HSS Mexican Strat, given a swirled finish. We all know too well how the Strat is renowned for its single coil tone but the humbucker in this one was below the mark. It sorely lacks bottom end. You'd argue that Strats were not meant to manifest whatever thumping lower frequencies heard in other guitars; they were carefully crafted to move away from that sonic territory. That might be a valid perspective but once a humbucker is inserted into any guitar, the reasonable objective is to fuse the guitar's inherent resonance with the said pickup for that specific chemistry. If it fails then it fails, we shouldn't try too hard to remediate our hearing. 

This particular Strat, ladies & gentlemen, is a splendid single coil player. The issue, tone-wise, is the humbucker which hardly has adequate bottom end for metal-type punchiness. We could all replace that default unit with some other make that specializes in this tone type & I reckon it's a wise move. If you are interested in this Fender, it's available at Swee Lee (List: $899).

So Mexico

News- Charvel's So Cal models are back for 2013 but this time, they are Mexican. The manufacturer promises the beloved specs of the USA/Jap models at a non-prohibitive price tags. Indeed, they start at USD799..

Fender Road Worn '50s Strat

I was at Swee Lee just days ago to try out the much heralded Road Worn series (I tried the '50s Strat), new by Fender this 2009.

• This guitar is a relic on a budget (not quite the savings, though...) , the manufacturer has touted it be more toneful on grounds of condition- the worn in attributes allegedly make the guitar more soulful than any other unseasoned instrument.

• Feel-wise, I really did feel the worn out surfaces on the body & neck areas; akin to handling an unfinished chair, fresh from IKEA. This is strictly a love/ hate affair, some of us welcome this rawness, others deem it repulsive. Nevertheless, it doesn't get in the way of playability unless of course, some of us get too affected by it that we break down. Be informed that the neck profile here is a mild V, unlike the contemporary Fenders we love to handle.

• In the tone department, the default pickups are Fender's own Tex Mex units. As I am an all-out-distortion fan, it's rather disappointing that the single coils here can't do metal to save my life but on hidsight, the Tex Mexes weren't conceived to address this need. One can dial up a very feel-oriented blues crunch from this trio & that's pretty much the forte of this guitar. The cleans are Fender's typical, signature, crystaline twang but with less top-end bite, reflective of the vintage theme of this series of offerings.

It's a good instrument to own, the asking price could be more attractive...

What: Fender Road Worn '50s Strat
How much: $2,685 (list)
Where to get: Swee Lee

PS: Thanks ADAM TEOH @ BB Showroom for the try-out invitation.

Mex Jag

Fender has included the Jaguar in their Mexican production- the Jaguar Special/ HH are now part of the Classic Player models. I have been particularly impressed with the Classic Player 70s Strat which manifested some fine craftsmanship from this non-USA range, these Jags are definitely something to look forward to...