New Fender Katana

[Cosmo Valdemar]

That scratchplate... my eyes!

 

https://www.guitarworld.com/news/fender-japan-hama-okamoto-katana-bass?utm_content=bassplayer&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_medium=social#google_vignette

Edited September 17, 2021 by Cosmo Valdemar

[Lfalex v1.1]

Were it not for that blob of a scratchplate, it'd be just fine..

[jezzaboy]

It`s being made and sold in Japan.

 

Frankly they can keep em there!

[neepheid]

Yeah, why is the pickguard rounded when everything else about this bass isn't?  Doesn't really work for me.

 

EDIT: I know why I'm finding it so weird - the originals didn't have pickguards and controls were rear routed.  Cost saving to front rout it, done in a really clumsy way?

Edited September 17, 2021 by neepheid

[uk_lefty]

Years ago o was seeing the originals on eBay for a hundred quid or so. They looked like really interesting not at all Fender like basses. If it weren't for the scratch plate that would be a winner 

[EssentialTension]

No.

[Stub Mandrel]

 

29 minutes ago, uk_lefty said:

Years ago o was seeing the originals on eBay for a hundred quid or so. They looked like really interesting not at all Fender like basses. If it weren't for the scratch plate that would be a winner 

 

Ditto, without it I'd be happy to have one. With the bonus that it can be used to skewer naysayers.

[TheGreek]

Well we do complain that companies like Fender aren't bringing out new designs.

 

Moral to the story: Be careful what you wish for...

[jd56hawk]

The one on the left is debatable.

The one on the right...not only ugly but it doesn't seem to serve much of a purpose.

Edited September 17, 2021 by jd56hawk

[Munurmunuh]

BASS

 

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

The Gibson Les Paul Junior Tribute DC Bass was another one that would have looked great were it not for a lazily designed pickguard that ruined the overall look.

 

As this katana is a signature bass for some chap in Japan, perhaps he is to blame for the silly little pickguard - like when Kurt Cobain designed the the Jagstang by combining the shapes of two great loooking guitars and came up with something blobulent and hideous.

[Grahambythesea]

Hideous, why did they bother?

[wateroftyne]

Joe Public: "Boring old Fender, always rehashing J's & P's"

Fender: "Here's our new Katana."

Joe Public: "What the hell is that? Booooo! When's the next J or P out?"

[HazBeen]

My first bass was an 85 Squier Katana in white. The only bass I could afford in the shop …….. I think it is clear why it was cheap. 

[Munurmunuh]

Looks great, sounds great

 

 

[wateroftyne]

Canny band that he's in, too.
 

 

[neepheid]

4 hours ago, wateroftyne said:

Joe Public: "Boring old Fender, always rehashing J's & P's"

Fender: "Here's our new Katana."

Joe Public: "What the hell is that? Booooo! When's the next J or P out?"

 

I would have heartily supported a reissue more faithful to the original, or at least with a pickguard which doesn't look like "that'll do".

[Delberthot]

That sounds like a Japanese version of By The Way and I like it.

 

Plus I'd rather eat my own feet than have that bass but we do like to moan about the same old faces being churned out from Fender don't we then complain when they try something new, or old in this case.

 

When they say the original Squier Katana I'm convinced that there was a Fender Katana and someone on this forum either had one or they were trying to  find one

Edited September 18, 2021 by Delberthot

[visog]

I thought 'Katana' was a Warwick model name. Obviously not protected...

[Paul S]

12 hours ago, Delberthot said:

 

When they say the original Squier Katana I'm convinced that there was a Fender Katana and someone on this forum either had one or they were trying to  find one

 

I had one of the Squier katana basses and imo it was a fab thing.  I actually liked the shape, the areas where bits are missing are areas where I have extra bits, so we were a good match   Lightweight, sounded just like a slightly aggressive Precision and I loved the 32" scale.  Finding a hard case was, er, challenging

 

So far as I recall from the time I read a bit about it, Fender made a Katana guitar but never a Katana bass.  They then brought out the Squier Katana guitar and also introduced the bass model as well.  Unless the Fender Katana bass was a Japanese market issue only, but I don't remember that.  Then again I don't remember my name some mornings.

[BreadBin]

The original Katana bass was Squier only.

👍

[Munurmunuh]

1 hour ago, Paul S said:

I had one of the Squier katana basses and imo it was a fab thing.  I actually liked the shape, the areas where bits are missing are areas where I have extra bits, so we were a good match   Lightweight, sounded just like a slightly aggressive Precision and I loved the 32" scale.

 

 

And on this YouTube bass cover, your point is amply demonstrated

 

Edited September 19, 2021 by Ricky Rioli

[NancyJohnson]

On 17/09/2021 at 23:13, Jean-Luc Pickguard said:

The Gibson Les Paul Junior Tribute DC Bass was another one that would have looked great were it not for a lazily designed pickguard that ruined the overall look.

 

Same applies to the Tribute series double-cut guitars.  How difficult would it have been for Gibson to program the routers and flip the body I've to accommodate rear routs rather than ploughing out the front.  Lazy, lazy.

 

Back on topic.  The Katana?  For the love of god, nooooooo.  

[Jus Lukin]

-

Edited March 15, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[BreadBin]

2 hours ago, visog said:

I thought 'Katana' was a Warwick model name. Obviously not protected...

The Squier Katana predates the Warwick by at least 15 years 👍

Edited September 19, 2021 by BreadBin