This is an upgrade I could see making. In the “is Fender really worth it” category I’ve found the simple bent metal L bridge disappointing for the price. Even if it works, it looks like a toy compared to the bridge on my Ibanez at 2/3 the overall price.
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I pick it for shape and color
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Wood type affects shape? 
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What people forget is that Leo Fender was REALLY CHEAP.
He wasn’t designing quality with Fender, he was designing cheap cheap cheap.
MM and G&L he took a different tact, but the original P and J designs were simple for a reason.
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I honestly couldn’t tell you what wood a single one of my basses is (less the test bed that I do know is basswood for some reason).
I could look it up but I don’t care.
Marketers need things to talk about, even if the thing is useless or a given.
Because someone might just key in on the mystery of the ‘feature’ and feel its more desirable.
Car companies do this in spades…still talking about ‘power steering, power breaks’…really, are folks still making cars without these things?
Fine Corinthian Leather (thank you Ricardo Montalban for reminding me this is important).
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While it doesn’t matter much for tone the type of wood absolutely matters a lot for weight. My TRBX604 has identical dimensions (including electronics cavity) that my 304 had, but it weighs more than a pound less. Alder vs Mahogany.
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What drives me crazy on this is Fender makes a hi-mass bridge, and it’s even on some models.
One of the things that holds Fender back is all the fanbois who have a fit whenever Fender does something which isn’t vintage
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Don’t you know you have to keep up the PURITY 
??
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It turns out that in many cases, “vintage” just means “obsolete” 
Never understood the draw there myself.
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My P bass is surf green, and I just love that color, makes me a bit nostalgic. So I get that part.
But I have a new pickup, pots, bridge, and strings on order. For the cost of a new bass I have an upgraded used bass (in excellent condition) that’s going to sound way better. So yeah, I agree with you in the main.
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I feel like the marketeers really missed the boat on the Fender upgrade parts. The Hipshots, Gotoh’s and others have really found a niche and with quality stuff that commands high prices. Fender hasn’t figured out how to talk people into the fact that their high mass bridge is better or the same or…well…anything, its just a ‘high mass bridge’ for the sake of existing.
They seem to do this a lot with products, not really marketing them in a good way. They really do just go with ‘Cause it’s a Fender’. You can do this if you have super high quality or value behind the brand vs. simple legacy. Don’t get me wrong, they do sell a ton, and I do have 4 of them, but how they present their products really confuses me.
A color is not an innovation, esp a color from 1972 that they are bringing back as an innovation.
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I met a guy last year who collects ‘vintage computer keyboards’.
I have yet to figure out why.
Maybe he had room next to his Betamax player collection.
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I’m really excited about my Paranormal bass, which is a P body, Jazz neck and pickups, and Telecaster looks. But what makes me excited is the tone/tone volume/volume that they had on a 60 Jazz. I just think having separate tone/volume for the pickups will open a world of possibilities. So not exactly new, but glad they are bringning it back. They can think outside the box.
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Ahh, probably a Model M geek? I love mechanical keyboards too but the modern Cherry switches at this point are as good as the Model M IBM switches were.
The boildown of this one is that around 1988-1992 or so both Apple and IBM rolled out truely exceptional keyboards (the IBM Model M, and the Apple Extended keyboard II). Everyone loved them, felt great. Right after this era there was a wave of PC commoditization and everything became super cheap and people kind of stopped making these in favor of less expensive ones. But they kept a cult following.
So about 15 years ago there was kind of a revival and now you can buy excellent keyboards again from lots of sources, but for a while there, good mechanical keyboards were getting kind of scarce.
That said, the new production ones are as good and often better, so there’s no real reason to hoard Model M’s any more
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I LOVE these.
If I had a slot in the rack it would be the black and gold? one.
I just don’t need it but you are right, these are really cool.
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I think that’s exactly the problem. People want the legend and then it’s hard to buck tradition. It makes me wonder if I should sell the Fender MIA and start with less if I’m going to start modifying it.
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If you’re considering that, the Paranormal is reputedly the highest quality Squier bass, and have limited production runs. I would also look at Sire P3 or V3, depending if you want P or J; alder body and roasted maple neck, for right around $500, and designed by Marcus Miller so the Fender DNA is strong
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Should add what a Fender product like a Player series has over Sire is a higher resale value. And are well made - Vintera series is MIM, as is the 60s Road Worn Jazz, which is just a scuffed up player for $1200.
I have a player Jaguar I am putting Seymour Duncan pups on. And a kickass bridge.
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