New Fender 2008 JM's?

[5L1V3R]

Anyone heard anything about Fender releasing a new series of Jazzies for 2008?  I heard a rumor somewhere that they were doing a '59 AVRI one but I wasn't sure.  2008 is the 50th anniversary of the Jazzmaster.  A Fender Highway One Jazzmaster would be nice, with improvements off the '62 like a matching headstock, maybe a Mustang bridge.

[RumorsOFsurF]

There's a mostly-confirmed rumor about '59 Thinskin Jazzmasters in Blonde/ash and sunburst...Also, an Elvis Costello poo-brown signatuire JM is confirmed.

That's all I've heard.  I wish they'd release a nice 50th anniv. JM...Also, an MIM Jazzmaster would be sweet.  Something cheap to mod.

[flatfiver]

I don't know if they'd do a 50th anniversary JM, since it hasn't been in continuous production for all 50 years.  Although one could argue that the Strat was out of production (in America, at least) for that year or so that they didn't have a US factory in the 80s, and they've been milking all the annies they can get out of that thing.  Oddly enough, I don't ever remember seeing anything about anniversary Teles. 

[Junkyard God]

So i take it they are still t oannounce the RRP for these new JMs. I woul buy a MIM JM at the right price ofcourse

[branjo]

I work at a Fender dealer and I haven't heard anything, nor did I see anything at the Winter NAMM show in Anaheim. Doesn't mean it won't happen and I think that '59 thinskin sounds like a great idea.

[RumorsOFsurF]

I work at a Fender dealer and I haven't heard anything, nor did I see anything at the Winter NAMM show in Anaheim. Doesn't mean it won't happen and I think that '59 thinskin sounds like a great idea.

One of our members, "B", is an employee of Music Machine, one of the Thinskin dealers.  He has confirmed that there will be a limited run of 59's.  Also, there was an article on Fender's site about the E. Costello model a few months back.

[Junkyard God]

Well limited run will mean that they will be expensive as

[RumorsOFsurF]

Well limited run will mean that they will be expensive as

I bet this year's Thinskin run will be more expensive than last.  Just a hunch.  We know they won't be less than last year's $1599.

[zhivago]

I don't think we'll ever see a mexican made JM....as it stands JMs and Jags are hardly flying off the shelves (this includes Japanese ones)

let's be realistic here: the average guitarist still wants the main three guitars - Stratocaster, Telecaster, Les Paul...followed by a 335, SG and maybe a Gretsch or Rickenbacker...a Jazzmaster or Jag (especialy a low price one, with questionable hardware which I'm sure EVERYONE would bitch about) is not on the list of ANY of the musicians I know (apart from the ones that already love offsets)

it makes no economical sense for Fender to introduce more Jazzmasters...especialy as I sincerely doubt most people claiming they'd pick one up, would actually do it (same as the people crying for Custom Shop Bass VIs - very few actually ordered one and loads of colours were available)

I was on forums pre-AVRI Jazzmasters and Jags...people were crying over the lack of an accurate US made re-issue....eventually those were released, in colours other than the usual sunburst, white and CAR (that people claimed were boring colours - people used to claim they'd buy one if other custom colours were produced)....they were no overnight sensation sales-wise

not that many AVRIs sell...hence the fact that ordering one sometimes takes forever, as they make them in batches and they always wait for a certain number of orders

...and they are still no match sales-wise to the main Fender instruments (strat, tele, jazz and p bass)


the truth of the matter is, most musicians are CHEAPSCATES....it makes sense for a limited edition guitar to be expensive (and I actually don't think thinskins are that expensive - maybe to a 17 year old with a paper round, but the average guitar player in his mid-late 20s can easily afford one - IF he stops blowing cash on booze, of course)

there are MILLIONS of offsets out there to choose from, and they are affordable...from excellent Japanese Reissues in every colour under the sky...to a step up AVRIs...to Thinskins, to vintage examples of every decade (which compared to other vintage guitars, arent' that expensive)


I hate to sound so negative, but there is no need for more JMs...in the same way as there's no need for more Stratocasters or Telecasters

and the prices are right...you cannot get something for nothing...you will not get decent hardware and a nitro finish for under $700...it's the way it is.

as far as guitars that are cheap to mod, Japanese used Jazzmasters on ebay are excellent examples that with a handful of upgrades can rival most instruments

when I first started looking for an offset is was either vintage or super-rare MIJ reissue...nowadays the choice I have is staggering - and I thank the offset god for that!

my realistic 2p.

[scottme]

Mostly agree, but an accurate 59 reissue is definetly a good thing. I don't know of too many other JMs that have nailed the feel of the early JMs very well. Could be one of the best Fender re-issues ever.

[dryjoy]

I totally agree with Zhivago, good points there.
My only gripe with the current situation is the price of AVRIs in Europe, I think they are too expensive.
I would like an AVRI or a thinskin, and could stretch to one at USA prices, but I don't fancy not being able to try one out and the shipping problems.
Maybe the ready availablity of the Japanese reissues here keeps AVRI demand low and prices high, and I guess thats nothing to complain about, as the Japanese versions are really excellent value for money.

[robroe]

taken from fender.com

"This prototype is the only one of its kind, differing slightly in several details from what will become the production model. It features a spot-on satin brown transparent lacquer finish, vintage reissue appointments, a rosewood neck and a period-correct hardshell Fender case'

HOPEFLY SATIN BROWN TRANS WILL BE ONE OF THE SEVERAL DETAILS THAT SLIGHTLY DIFFER.  BECAUSE THATS FUCKING UGLY

http://www.fender.com/news/news_images/218/EC1.jpg

hopefully blacktigua/tort



or fiesta/tort

[mcjt]

as someone who has sold guitars and now many years later, pro audio, i can only agree with Zhivago.

In 12 months, there will have been a new CIJ JM (J Mascis) and this MIA JM (Costello).
Considering how small the JM piece of the earnings pie is for FMIC, i think two new guitars is nothing to sneeze at.
If you actually went out and bought these, THAT would encourage FMIC to build more JM!

[Pingu]

I mostly agree with Zhivago, but a 50th anniversary would be nice. And am i the only one who finds the Costello JM pretty hot?

[spacecadet]

If you actually went out and bought these, THAT would encourage FMIC to build more JM!

Well, they need to actually produce some decent designs for us to buy them.  Not to say the standard AVRI's and CIJ's aren't, but they've been on the market for a while now.  To generate any new excitement, they've gotta make new designs... but they have to be good designs.

I agree with Zhivago like most others seem to, that there's probably enough product out there to satisfy whatever market there is for these things.  But at a certain point, you do reach some level of saturation and then you need to entice people to buy their 2nd or 3rd guitar (while hopefully still convincing enough new guitarists to buy their first).  That's not unreasonable; many people have more than one of the same model guitar.  So there do need to be new options every couple of years; if not new model revisions, then new colors, etc.

The Mascis and Costello signature models don't really cut it IMO; they're a niche of a niche.  If JM's already have a small market share, why market guitars that by their cosmetic nature are going to command an even *smaller* market share?  Put something out that actually has some mass appeal instead.

I think what Fender Japan is doing with the "J-Craft" line (or whatever it's called) is a good idea.  I don't know how successful they are with that, but those are some interesting new designs that have mass market appeal and probably didn't cost much to develop as there's nothing all that new about any of them... same bodies, same hardware, just some different pickups and paint.  I don't see why Fender USA couldn't rotate in some new vintage finishes every few years, plus add some popular modern ones, maybe do B&B as an option like Fender Japan does, or maybe even just import some more of those J-Craft models (like they are with the Jag HH).  It's not going to lead to an explosion of sales, but like anything else, the longer you have something in the lineup without changing anything, the fewer sales you're going to have.  They need to keep refreshing just to maintain.  That's just as true of the strat, tele, etc. as it is of the offset line.