The New Fender Has Landed

Jody Carver · From: KNIGHT OF FENDER TWEED

And boy it sounds great. It has the sound that Fender is known for and it really kicks butt. Doo Wah and it holds the sustain every bit as good as my Customs and Quads,

Get one now and keep your eyes on FENDER. More to come.

The Knight Of Fender Tweed Has Spoken.

David L. Donald · From: Koh Samui Island, Thailand

Very cool thanks for the good word.

I just finally heard your Arthur GodfreyTV performance CD
that Howard was so nice to get sent to me.

VERY COOL Knight of Tweed!
It was worth the wait, and you really rocked the house.
At that time what you were doing was astounding technically for players,
what the average Joe and Jane though must have been mind blowing...

An other fine addition to my steel CD collection!

Ron Brennan · From: Orlando, Florida, USA; Formerly, Edison, NJ

Jody, Knight of Tweed..
Did you see white smoke coming out of the chimmy at Fender??...

..Can't wait to see/hear it...TX
rgds,
Ron

------------------
JCFSC member since 2005 "Be of Good Cheer"
"55" Stringmaster D8,"59" Stringmaster D6
"67" Telecaster,
"60"Fender Concert Amp 4-10's

[This message was edited by Ron Brennan on 20 April 2005 at 08:43 PM.]

[This message was edited by Ron Brennan on 20 April 2005 at 08:44 PM.]

Andy Sandoval · From: Bakersfield, California, USA

How much are these bad boys goin for? and which model do you think they most closely resemble?

------------------
55" Fender Stringmaster T8, 54" Fender Champion, Carter D-10, two Oahu laps, two National laps, and two Resonators

HowardR · From: N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville

Jody Carver · From: KNIGHT OF FENDER TWEED

model do you think they most closely resemble?,,,,it looks like the original and the box car pickups are solid sounding with room to spare for bass and treble. I did find it a bit awkward playing a six string guitar because of the spacing. It has a lot of bite and is sweet sounding as well with much bottom end. I dont have the retail price, this was sent to me for an opinion...and my opinion is..Its hard to beat this guitar. The fretboard is silver

and I found a slight glare from the board,but not distracting to cause any problems. I would like to see a black fretboard rather than what they chose,that's only my own personal opinion. Some may like it and others Not.

The case is black type of tolex and I wasn't overly impressed withe the quality of the case. I think it needs improvments..but I will speak to Sam M.and check out all the details and report back. So far it looks like Fender did their home work and then some

Later

Jody edited I could say everything that I like about this guitar..It is up to you to give one a whirl..Its a great little guitar and kicks butt. The pickups scream. This time
"The Knight Of Fender Tweed Has Spoken" try this little bugger,,you'll love it.

Thanks
Jody

[This message was edited by Jody Carver on 20 April 2005 at 06:38 PM.]

Rick Alexander · From: Florida, USA, R.I.P.

Jody, is that the FS52 that Sam Marshall announced back in February in this thread? I ordered one right away.

I guess the slow boat to China has yet to make it's return voyage . .

I don't care about the glare - I wear sunglasses all the time anyway. Just so my biscuits come out golden brown, that's all that really matters . .

[This message was edited by Rick Alexander on 20 April 2005 at 08:39 PM.]

Jody Carver · From: KNIGHT OF FENDER TWEED

Rick
Yes thats the same one. The finish is really good. The sound is great. I'll keep you up 2
date as soon as I have more time to fool with it. Thanks for your phone call, always good to hear from you. Hollywood here I come
Hollywood Florida, that is.

be well and in touch.

Jody

Bill Hatcher · From: Atlanta Ga. USA

Nice repro and certainly good to see Fender back in the steel guitar game. I checked some prices on the net and it seems like with a case your talking around $400. For this simple little guitar I am not convinced that this is a good price point, but what do I know about marketing. I do know that if Fender can make a Strat with three PUs and trem and a very nice finish overseas and sell it for $150 then why is this instrument that is so much simpler to manufacture selling for over twice as much. I think that Fender should have a stringmaster built across the water, price it in the same range as the Squire series instruments and sell a ton of them.

Bobby Lee · From: Cloverdale, California, USA

Is this the one?

[This message was edited by Bobby Lee on 21 April 2005 at 08:15 AM.]

Jim Cohen · From: Philadelphia, PA

Bill, it could be a matter of volume. After all, even tho' lap steel is rising in popularity now, Fender will still sell several thousand of those Mexican tele's for every lap steel they sell. That's gotta keep the Tele's price way lower...

Gerald Ross · From: Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

Speaking of Fender...

How many Stratocaster variations are currently available?

I went to the Fender website and counted. They now sell 89 different versions of the Strat, and that's just under the Fender name. I didn't count the Squire family.

I'm not talking different colors... Fender has 89 different Strat models.

Is this really needed? Overkill?

Come on... do we really need a "Joan Baez" model Strat?

Thoughts?

------------------
Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'

Gerald's Fingerstyle Guitar Website
Board of Directors Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association

[This message was edited by Gerald Ross on 21 April 2005 at 08:39 AM.]

[This message was edited by Gerald Ross on 21 April 2005 at 08:44 AM.]

Bill Hatcher · From: Atlanta Ga. USA

I agree Jim. I just think that an entry level instrument with an attractive price and the Fender name on the headstock would create quite a stir in the standard guitar community and create some demand. The steel guitar community is not going to float this boat. It is going to take some purchased by standard guitar players who might be intrigued by the lap steel. A low price would easily push them over the line for a purchase.

Jody Carver · From: KNIGHT OF FENDER TWEED

Thank you for your opinions. That was the reason for my posting. I do beleive that those at Fender will take everything expressed here and work it out to everyone's satisfaction. I have my own thought's as well
and I cannot find too much to dispute over what those of you have posted.

I will take your opinions to those who can reveiew what has been said.

Thanks again

Jody Carver edited for spelling

[This message was edited by Jody Carver on 21 April 2005 at 10:24 AM.]

Terry VunCannon · From: Greensboro, North Carolina, USA

Hi Jody...I have one of these Fender lap steels on order. I was wondering if the steel plate pickup cover comes off. It looks like it does, & that would be better for me because of the way I mute while playing.
Thanks....Terry V

Sam Marshall · From: Chandler, AZ USA

Per your question, I went to investigate the removal of the housing over the pickup. I was able to remove the housing by removing the bolts. A couple of nuts came loose under the metal "pickguard." They quickly attached themselves to the pickup. I will need go in and get them out.

Best Regards,
Sam

Paul Osbty · From: Seattle, Washington, USA

"I think that Fender should have a stringmaster built across the water,"

Is that going to be the way of everything? I think Fender should be made in the US. Only then do I buy them. Anything else and I won't buy it.

I feel sorry for the young guys coming up that may never have the opportunity to build guitars and/or amplifiers.

Bill Hatcher · From: Atlanta Ga. USA

Paul. You are living in a time warp. This is not the US economy of your Dad. It is a global thing now. We don't do manufacturing anymore, we sell services and information. With computer operated woodworking machines, people don't play a part like that did in the old days of Fender or Gibson. Now they toss a piece of wood on a conveyor belt and it spits out a guitar body on the other end.

I am telling you that the Pacific Rim is where the majority of instruments come from and the quality is getting better like you would not believe. I bought a Fender Squire 51 guitar last night for $140 with the most beautiful grain in the maple neck, perfect frets, perfect finish and it plays great. I will use it for a gig guitar and give it to one of the kids in the neighborhood some day. You tell me if you went into a music store tomorrow and saw a Stringmaster single neck made "across the water" with a price tag of $275 on it that you would not buy it. I think that the possibility of a very nice Fender lap guitar made in one of the overseas plants is a good possibility. I personally would like to see a new design for a good price rather than high price reisue instruments. Let's hope.

Paul Osbty · From: Seattle, Washington, USA

What do you do for a living? Shouldn't we be exporting your job, too? Why are you worth paying?

I don't give up. I want Engineers and designers working in the US, rather than all of us being Guitar Center clerks.

If you can't tell the difference between a Squire and a MIA, then I guess you're fine. Your neighbor lost a job, though. Soon, you may be able to buy the import Carter. The domestic ones will be out of business.

No, I don't buy import guitars. None. Never will.

[This message was edited by Paul Osbty on 21 April 2005 at 11:26 PM.]

[This message was edited by Paul Osbty on 21 April 2005 at 11:27 PM.]

Bill Hatcher · From: Atlanta Ga. USA

But the car that you drive is full of import parts...and the CD or cassette player you listen to music to is full of import stuff..and what about the computer you are using right now....It's OK for you to buy those right????

If your only retort is that I don't know the difference between a Squire and an American guitar then you are delusional.

I did a websearch on Fender imported instruments. Seems the Japanese made Fender guitars were actually of better quality than the USA made ones. Fender found that customers were buying these over USA made products and discontinued the importation because it was cutting into the high price USA guitars where Fender was making a pretty stiff profit.

I still contend that a low price imported Fender lap steel would dominate the market for this type of instrument.

Bill McCloskey · Posted 22 Apr 2005 3:00 am

Paul,

You can buy the new MSA SuperSlide with a clear conscious. If you want to support USA made guitars then there is a great opportunity. Of course it's 3 times the price of the Fender, but that is what you are going to have to pay to keep those engineers here in America making guitars. I can verify the quality is fantastic: I put my money where my mouth was and bought one. I also bought one of their pedal steels.

So I say put up or shut up. It is one thing to say "buy American". It is another to write the check.

[This message was edited by Bill McCloskey on 22 April 2005 at 04:40 AM.]

Jody Carver · From: KNIGHT OF FENDER TWEED

Leo Fender always had a "yen" for Japanese
cuisine. Especially MOO GOO GAI Pan
These were prepared in Tuning Pans

Its a fine guitar and only the beginning. The early days of Fender were difficult,Few thought they would make it. The rest is history. This guitar will sell or you can have my lost pants at Walmart.

I'm history as well,"Ancient"

Charlie Chan.
edited for spelling MOO GOO.

[This message was edited by Jody Carver on 22 April 2005 at 05:20 AM.]

Bill Hatcher · From: Atlanta Ga. USA

Funny Jody!

I know the guitar will be a success because it is a Fender and it is a reissue of a classic and a good one at that. Just give me one of your hidden verbage hints that Fender has an "attractive" priced lap in the works.

HowardR · From: N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville

Paul, I know very well how you feel. I admire your convictions.

Bill(s), you're 100% right.

I'm an American manufacturer. I pride myself on that. The materials I use are imported for a few reasons: they're either no longer produced here, or never were to begin with. The few materials that are produced here cost so much more, that the finished product would outprice itself (by a large margin because the finished imported item is already less than what I can produce) and I would be out of business regardless of my convictions.

So, damned if I do, damned if I don't.

We really are left with not much of a choice if we want to remain in existence.

[This message was edited by HowardR on 22 April 2005 at 07:28 AM.]

David L. Donald · From: Koh Samui Island, Thailand

The guitar will sell, Fender will carry on
amd Moo Goo Gai Pan is CHINESE...
Sorry Sir Kniight!

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