Are Fender this desperate?

Modern Player - Marauder

We all love new model Fenders but have they gone a bit tooo far with these recent releases.. the Modern Player series? IMO-the most important issue for me is Fenders integrity. This is the first time FMIC has given the use of the Fender name to instruments manufactured outside of continental America other than those made in Japan for the local Japanese market. The Modern Player series come from the same Chinese chippies as that of the Squier Classic Vibe series. I don't see why this series couldn't have been badged Squier? Fender may be a giant in instrument and amplifier marketing but by producing so many guitar (and basses) under the guise of 'modern', 'vintage modified' etc., are they designing (sic) and moving wood at the expense of their credibility. If they didn't have the Fender Custom Shop then I'd say they've gone nuts.

So I have been hanging out for a look at an instrument from the Modern Player series and the first one my buddies had arrive at KC's Rockshop was a blue Marauder. Not quite a new name for the Fender stable as the Marauder first appeared in the 65/66 catalogue. Well it made it into the catalogue but in fact was never released other than a few prototypes. Not unlike the current Modern Player version this too was some what of a hybrid of Fender parts mainly borrowed from the Jaguar. The new body shape is similar in that it is an offset, the guitar inself is really quite different. Let's check it out..

A Fender what?

Firstly the neck is obviously Classic Vibe very much like the rosewood board '62 CV Strat but with a large 70's style head stock branded with only a spaghetti Fender decal. Missing is the model name usually only seen on the Tele Nocaster. Kluson look-a-likes take care of the tuning. It was nice to see the two butterfly string retainers, this particularly helps keep the G string in contact with the nut. The fingerboard radius is a 'modern' 9.5" with what Fender are calling Jumbo frets. I'm not a fan of railway sleeper style frets but these felt not as jumbo as I have clickity clacked over on their US/Mex jumboised guitars. It is the usual Fender full length 25.5" scale but with 22 frets, a greenish tinted gloss maple neck with truss rod access at the head. The 22nd fret is perched very close to the end of the fingerboard so if you're into Pete Townsend cart wheels you may just break it off. The body was finished in a rather anaemic Lake Placid Blue, not as 'deep' as the US Lake Placid Blue and made of a new tone wood they are calling Koto. As this is the first time I have heard of this wood I took a look at the Wiki. It would seem it is a type of macrocapa or.. Pterygota bequaertii of the family Sterculiaceae. It must be good? The new Marauder has a nice cream MOT pick guard and the rear trem cover plate is also mother of toilet seat. The tremolo is the same lightweight CV Strat unit with bent steel bridge pieces which if setup properly will perform okay. Now the electrics..

mmm??

The neck pickup is the big block look-a-like Jazzmaster single coil with Alnico mags. Compared to the bridge pickup the JM pickup is very thin sounding. What's under the cover is anybodies guess but I'd be thinking it's a Tonerider as used in the CV's. The bridge pickup is a newy for Fender, in fact I don't recall seeing a three coil pickup ever. The 'Tripplebucker' makes this instrument unique in both looks and in sound. Switching is done by a 5 way Strat type switch in a pretty trick configuration, see diagram. The main feature of the guitar is in the Tripplebucker as only switch position 5 is the JM neck pickup. All other four positions utilise the Tripplebucker. So how does it sound? I only gave it a minute but it sounded very metallic (no not heavy metal). It sounded like biting on silver paper. As with all regular humbuckers with coil tap switches, you either have the full humbucker sound or the tapped single coil sound which is usually the same sound but without any guts or body to it. With all three coils selected it is certainly a 'wide' sound as you would expect, albeit metallic. Probably good with pedals? What would I know anyway being a single coil kind of bloke. So what else..?
A Mustang style metal control plate with two Jazz Bass knobs which feel very smooth like on a Hi-Fi system. Hopefully these would free up with some use. Plus the front facing jack-buster socket. That's about it really and it left me a little cold. I can't wait to check out the Modern Player Jaguar with the P90's, that's more my kind of guitar.