New Fender Standard Series

[The Picnic Wasp]

Since the launch of these at NAMM last month I have been following the online reviews quite closely as I am in the market for a Telecaster. They carry the Fender headstock logo but are built at the Cort factory in Indonesia and retail starting at £499, so I had reservations about quality. Initially everything sounded positive with Sweetwater's YouTube review really extolling their great features for the price. Since then I have watched quite a few more and my opinion has changed quite a bit. Phillip McKnight in particular, who really knows his guitar construction stuff was ok about the Telecaster but really slated the Strat. I suppose this points to the differences which occur in mass production at any time but it really did make the guitar sound like a way overpriced Squier. I've never been that excited about buying a Player series although the Player 2 does have some attractive improvements. Maybe I should buy a used American guitar from the classifieds but I've never bought a second hand guitar before. It would be sensible as a good American Tele second hand can be only a couple of hundred pounds more than a new Mexican. Anyway, I should act sooner rather than later as anything we buy with a maple neck is going to have a price hike due to the Canadian tariff about to hit. I wonder what will happen to Mexican Fender prices. I like the old joke about what's the difference between an American and a Mexican Fender. About 50 miles. Or if you want a Fender guitar built by Mexicans, buy an American. Apparently staff are sometimes bussed between the two factories during busy periods. I'll get my coat.

[Slim]

I haven't seen one in the flesh, but you can already buy an Indonesian Strat in the Classic Vibe series. I have one, it's a decent guitar but it's not a £500 guitar and I can't see any evidence from the three or four reviews of the new "Standard" Strat to suggest that it's any nicer. Ceramic pickups, Laurel fingerboard, indifferent fret job.

The American Fenders are definitely better made than the Mexican ones but the Mexican ones are nice. Actually the Chinese-made Squiers are nicer than the Indonesian ones IMO

I would rank, based on my own experience and opinion, the different countries of Fender manufacture as follows:

American : 10/10 - really nicely made and finished now.
Japanese :  9.5/10 - right up there with the American ones, but you won't usually get any posh appointments 
Mexican  :   8/10  - very decent instruments
Chinese  :   7.5/10  - ditto
Indonesian : 6/10 not bad but a bit lacking in attention to detail and material quality.

[The Picnic Wasp]

I haven't pulled the trigger on this yet and now there's another complication. PRS have released the SE NF 53 which is a more affordable version of the much loved NF 53. A very nice T style guitar but with perhaps better pickups and appointments than the Player 2 series Teles. It's getting some very favourable reviews online.

[Slim]

Yes I saw some of those. The original American one is just indefensibly priced for a T-style guitar so the SE is a much better bet for most people.