Fender - Crafted in China?

[B-Mac]

Is this for real?
Fender China / Modern Player Jazz Bass ３-Color Sunburst/with soft case | eBay

I guess it is if MF is selling them?

https://www.musiciansfriend.com/bass/fender-modern-player-jazz-bass

 

[Gorn]

Yup. It's what the description says it is.

 

[eastcoasteddie]

Well...not anymore...it says “unavailable”

Seems like a really interesting configuration.
Another model that I totally missed throughout its entire production run...

 

[murmur70]

I believe all of the Modern Player series are CIC.

 

[B-Mac]

So how much better is a Fender Crafted in China than a Squier made in China?

Why bother?

 

[Gorn]

It's not about the prestige of the country of manufacture. This is a particular kind of bass that Fender made for a while and it happened to be made in China. Squier didn't make a bass like this.

 

[Paulabass]

The modern player series. They were not enthusiastically met. I believe they are all discontinued.

 

[CaseyVancouver]

Isn't $560us plus $130 shipping a lot of dough for a used Chinese bass?

Off topic, but I just got a $65 Chinese bass bow that compares very favorably with my $3000 European bow.

 

[Bass V]

Isn't $560us plus $130 shipping a lot of dough for a used Chinese bass?

for these it is, they're seen going for $300 and less often enuf despite being IMO one of Fender's better offerings ever. the bursts are fairly scarce. I missed out on one recently which must have been sold by a spurned lover cos both of her Fender Jazz basses went for $150 ea. real quick lol

 

[MonetBass]

There's a TSB one on Reverb right now, listed for $759:
Fender Modern Player Jazz Bass Humbuckers Sunburst

 

[murmur70]

The modern player series. They were not enthusiastically met. I believe they are all discontinued.

They are still making the Fender Starcaster bass at least.

 

[nixdad]

They are still making the Fender Starcaster bass at least.

Good to hear! I’ve had a CIC Starcaster since 2014, and I love it. Great sounding, well made bass.

 

[B-Mac]

The modern player series. They were not enthusiastically met. I believe they are all discontinued.

Because?

They do look interesting with those pups

 

[Bass V]

Because?
They do look interesting with those pups

I'll bet it was the looks of the PUs that hurt their sales despite being an upgrade to most players.

 

[S.F.Sorrow]

So how much better is a Fender Crafted in China than a Squier made in China?

Why bother?

Probably quite a bit better unless it's a poor design to begin with. There's no reason why a Fender made in China can't be just as good as a Fender made anywhere else. With the exception of Custom Shop they're all just mass manufactured instruments anyway. I doubt it matters much if the CNC machine is in China or anywhere else. It's not about where they are made, it's about what level of materials,parts and QC Fender pay the factory to deliver. Squiers use cheaper parts&materials+less QC to meet a specific price point set by Fender, not by the Chinese factory. You pay for junk, you get junk. If a Chinese guitar factory is paid to perform quality work they will deliver quality guitars. And usually at a much better quality/cost ratio than guitars from most other countries.

I'm not saying the specific model mentioned earlier is a great bass, I've never tried it, but you seem to imply that a Chinese guitar factory can't manufacture much better than Squier-level instruments. And that is obvioulsy not the case. You get what you pay for, even in China. In fact, ESPECIALLY in China, if my (admittedly somewhat limited) knowledge about how deals are negotiated over there is correct.

 

[bassike]

Isn't $560us plus $130 shipping a lot of dough for a used Chinese bass?

Off topic, but I just got a $65 Chinese bass bow that compares very favorably with my $3000 European bow.

Where did you get that bow?
I don't play DB often and my bow needs work.
65 it's not bad for a usable bow.

 

[nilorius]

A few years ago there were made telecasters and stratocasters, now i believe the basses, too.

 

[Nephilymbass]

It's not about the prestige of the country of manufacture. This is a particular kind of bass that Fender made for a while and it happened to be made in China. Squier didn't make a bass like this.

Agree. I have a fender acoustic that was made in China. Don’t think they ever made a comparable Squier

 

[wizard65]

My son has a modern player jazz like that, just as well made as my mim and mij Fenders.

 

[Old Blastard]

Modern player series I think was Fenders attempt to do something other than reissue Ps and Js, like so many people mewled about, and do it so they were more affordable than building MIM or MIA. My Starcaster was one of those as was the Coronado II. I think the early Dimensions were CIC as well. High Quality and great sound, but not everyone's cup of meat.