When I read the press release a couple of weeks ago, my initial reaction was “meh.” But in anticipation of NAMM next week, I decided to give the new series a look. I have to admit that while there are – at least to me – some impressive guitars in the lineup, I’m still a little “meh” about the whole thing. That said, the guitars that did impress me were the Telecaster SH and HH models, and the Strat HSS; in other words, the axes with humbuckers. What about the Jazzmasters? Never really been a big fan of those for some reason. It’s not that they’re bad guitars, but they’ve just never appealed to me.
I think also that I’m actually a bit sick and tired of all the demos that do all those blues runs; especially with the Strats. Okay, there are lots of blues players that use Strats, but I’m pretty tired of hearing the same runs over and over and over again. I know that shouldn’t be a mark against the guitar, but when I hear those blues licks now, I sort of tune out. But that’s just personal preference. I’ll let you make your decisions. Check out the product demo:
As far as the whole “select” thing goes, yeah, I can see how the tone woods and figured tops can make a difference. Cosmetically, these are some of the most beautiful Fenders I’ve seen in awhile. But to me, the Select series is simply a product gap filler between the American Series and the Custom Shop models. The price point on these guitars ($2500 range) is not bad at all. But then again, for my own personal taste, I’d probably look to a Les Paul Standard for that kind of money. That’s just me though… To be fair though, I’ll have to play the guitars to see if I change my mind…
Guitar Gear 