What new gear should be produced?

[Dan Dare]

2 hours ago, SteveXFR said:

Do Fender still make basses in Japan? If not, they should so we can have better quality than US instruments for lower prices

 

These days, production costs in Japan are as high as any in the world. That's why production has shifted to lower wage economies like Indonesia and China. Japan does high quality engineering and mass production better than most and they know their worth.

[SteveXFR]

17 minutes ago, Dan Dare said:

 

These days, production costs in Japan are as high as any in the world. That's why production has shifted to lower wage economies like Indonesia and China. Japan does high quality engineering and mass production better than most and they know their worth.

 

Even if its similar price to America, the higher quality would still be an advantage. 

 

[AndyTravis]

7 hours ago, MichaelDean said:

All this talk of Gibson has got me thinking about Epiphone taking some risks. They could do some multiscale 4/5 string RD Artist basses with some weird electronics. 

I asked chat GPT to interpret this…

 

What on earth…

[ezbass]

5 minutes ago, AndyTravis said:

I asked chat GPT to interpret this…

 

What on earth…

That makes my eyes go screwy 

[Terry M.]

3 hours ago, SteveXFR said:

 

Even if its similar price to America, the higher quality would still be an advantage. 

 

I sent you a link to a Japanese Fender currently in stock at Guitar Guitar to give an indication of price compared to a US made example.

[SteveXFR]

50 minutes ago, AndyTravis said:

I asked chat GPT to interpret this…

 

What on earth…

 

I like it. 6 tuner knobs, 5 strings, 4 tuner posts.

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

10 minutes ago, SteveXFR said:

 

I like it. 6 tuner knobs, 5 strings, 4 tuner posts.

 

To be played with all six fingers of each hand

[SteveXFR]

18 minutes ago, Jean-Luc Pickguard said:

 

To be played with all six fingers of each hand

 

The Norfolk special 

[Jonesy]

A 70s Vintera P bass. B neck, 70s voiced pups and available in natural (ash body) and mocha. Both with maple boards.

 

Fender to use the jaguar shape and put dark sounding humbuckers in there so it sounds like a Gibson.

 

A Gibson & Epiphone flying v bass.

[Piers_Williamson]

On 06/01/2026 at 17:37, snorkie635 said:

Fender Artex models?

They could call them the Fartex Precision and Fartex Jazz and even the Fartex Professional (all noise reducing)

[snorkie635]

2 hours ago, AndyTravis said:

I asked chat GPT to interpret this…

 

What on earth…

Been left too near the radiator.

[snorkie635]

32 minutes ago, Piers_Williamson said:

They could call them the Fartex Precision and Fartex Jazz and even the Fartex Professional (all noise reducing)

Or noise producing in that case?

[SteveXFR]

Epiphone should bring back the vintage pro Thunderbird. Thats the bass i most regret selling. It sounded amazing and I sold it to the bassist in Hawkwind. Ive seen several pro bassists using them. 

 

An Epiphone RD in black so I can pretend to be Krist Novoselic's much shorter (im only 6'1") brother. Similar quality to the Thunderbird vintage pro.

[jonno1981]

Affordable new Wal bass. I can dream can’t I?
I don’t care where it’s made, as long as it’s less than £2k, has two Wal pickups and the Wal pre and electronics. It doesn’t need a fancy top, can come with a gigbag. 
 

Please! 

[Wolverinebass]

3 hours ago, AndyTravis said:

I asked chat GPT to interpret this…

 

What on earth…

The irony is that when Gibson do that, it'll look even worse.

[Stub Mandrel]

17 hours ago, Jonesy said:

Fender to use the jaguar shape and put dark sounding humbuckers in there so it sounds like a Gibson.

 

 

Been done.

[fretmeister]

On 06/01/2026 at 16:43, Terry M. said:

EBMM producing a wider necked Stingray 5 complete with 19mm bridge string spacing.

 

 

 

They did a limited run like that once. Might have even been neck through.

 

It didn't sell enough to keep going with it.

[fretmeister]

Fender to have 21 or 22 frets on every bass. Having the high E (G string, 21st fret) is very useful. 20 fret or under basses are wrong.

 

I'd love to see a physical version of the Vulf Compressor plugin. I love that thing and I wish I could have it in a pedal. 

[Greg Edwards69]

I'd like to see Joe Dart Sterling basses available to the UK without the absurdly high shipping fee.

[2pods]

23 hours ago, SteveXFR said:

 

Was that the one with PJ pickups? Really nice bass, I bought one but had to send it back because the preamp was dying 

 

That was the one.

It was Volume, Pan, Bass, and Treble

[Terry M.]

1 hour ago, fretmeister said:

 

They did a limited run like that once. Might have even been neck through.

 

It didn't sell enough to keep going with it.

Oh really? I had no idea. That's a shame...😪

[cetera]

Epiphone Ripper bass (Preferably with a correctly shaped pickguard).

[Jonesy]

3 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

 

 

Been done.

 

Ohh, with what? I know they have the Mike Kerr, Squire and the Pawn Shop reverse Jag, but I didn't know there was something else

[SteveXFR]

3 hours ago, 2pods said:

 

That was the one.

It was Volume, Pan, Bass, and Treble

 

Yes, they should bring it back, Id have another. 

[Beedster]

Mesa Subway combos 👍