Did anyone who knows me think that I'd not respond to that absurd statement? I worked for Fender during the last five years of CBS ownership years. The quality of the American made guitars became what you call "sketchy" during the last few years of that era. There was little consitency, and many of the instruments that left the factory were not very good.
Apologies, leedybp, what I meant was "the period under CBS control," not "the entire company history since Leo sold it." That's what the "era" meant.
Believe me, I think that what Bill Schultz and the rest of you did with that company is perhaps the greatest corporate/brand turnaround in history, in any market. It's what anyone with a fondness for a "dead" brand wishes for.
The quality of the product, the responsiveness to what the market actually wants, the respect given to the company's history, the genius of the Squier line, it really should be taught in MBA school.
Now that I know you were part of that team: Bowing
Just think if Slingerland or Rogers or Camco had a Bill Schultz team.
Anyway, as you no doubt know, one can take a Fender instrument or amp from the "sketchy" years and go over it and turn it into something amazing, basically putting in the finishing and fine-tuning that was left out at the factory.
That's how I feel about my Slingerland kit. The design, materials, and basic construction are sound, but the finishing is variable.
