I also think this is to get a Musicman-style bass in the range.
A few nice features (looks like a P-style neck - even on the 5, carbon reinforcement in the 5, ash bodies, maple board option, etc.), but they missed horribly with some (string retainers, compound radius board on the 4s - why?).
Doomsower wrote:
The bass players think that Fender should have figured out how make a new shape in 60 years.
Why, when they got it right the first time? ?