What do 'Master Builders' actually do?

[Mike Eldred]

Originally Posted by cfox

I don't know if I would put mastebuilt on this:



and then $6500...makes me laugh

So, if somebody orders that...which they did, and do, we should tell them no?

ME

[mr newhaven]

Btw fender doesnt establish the pricing on that guitar...that pic is from the music zoo...they buy the guitar from fender and add their mark up to it

[twangster2]

Originally Posted by mr newhaven

Btw fender doesnt establish the pricing on that guitar...that pic is from the music zoo...they buy the guitar from fender and add their mark up to it

What are you smoking..

Of course Fender has a MSRP on that guitar. It would make no business sense not to.

[Doth]

I love that ME has posted.

I have a question on CS and MB guitars. Is the set up process any different?

Don

[backalleyblues]

A couple things here that I've seen on this thread that I think need clearing up-

1) Ron Kirn certainly does excellent work, and I do believe he can build his own neck-he doesn't do it mostly for time (i.e. cost) reasons. It's several hundred extra for a scratch built neck from him (please Ron, correct me if I'm wrong on this). There's PLENTY of good aftermarket necks out there, and several will make EXACTLY what you want, and get it right (or at least close enough to sand down) the first time. I know, I've got a Warmoth neck on my strat that's exactly what I want-boat neck profile with a 16" radius, and jumbo frets-couldn't be happier...

2) The artistry of the CS is flat amazing, and truly some of the best you're gonna see... shame that a lot of those guitars are gonna resemble Mona Lisa, being kept under glass their entire lives... needles to say, if I ever have enough to order a CS Masterbuilt, it's because I want a great working guitar, and it's not going to be heavy on the bling...

3) FCS prices are high, not necessarily because of the sticker on the headstock, but because of all the overhead in keeping such a place going-Master Builders, I can guarantee you, are getting paid more than your average line worker. Ditto for the woods, the working space, everything... it costs more. People like Ron Kirn have an advantage there, I'm sure it costs less per square foot to run Ron's shop than Fender's CS, and to a degree, his prices reflect that.

With that said, somebody send me my winning lottery ticket, so I can order both a Ron Kirn and Fender CS Masterbuilt... for different reasons... The CS to recreate my original Telly (a heavily modified '67) and Ron to create something outrageously beautiful (think a cross between a telly, strat and flame-top LP)... ahhh, one can still dream, right?

Franc Robert

[mr newhaven]

Originally Posted by twangster2

What are you smoking..

Of course Fender has a MSRP on that guitar. It would make no business sense not to.

Fender sells that guitar to the music zoo for lower than what they charge for it!
That's a fact of business and that is all I'm saying
People get so heated that a guitar that looks beat up can go for so much money...well it's not just fender that is settin prices...there is a profit margin for the individual retailers too...

And even with all of this said...Gibson custom shop guitars can reach well over 10,000+ for a single guitar

[twangster2]

Originally Posted by mr newhaven

Fender sells that guitar to the music zoo for lower than what they charge for it!
That's a fact of business and that is all I'm saying
People get so heated that a guitar that looks beat up can go for so much money...well it's not just fender that is settin prices...there is a profit margin for the individual retailers too...

And even with all of this said...Gibson custom shop guitars can reach well over 10,000+ for a single guitar

They also sell a 52 reissue to a store for less than the customer pays..

And any other guitar you find in a store.

They still have a MSRP...

Your point makes no sense

[mr newhaven]

My point was that someone balked at the idea of a 6200 beat up guitar

But they didn't take into consideration that their is middleman costs built into that price...it's not just fender sitting around twisting their evil mustaches!

[Mike Eldred]

Originally Posted by Doth

I love that ME has posted.

I have a question on CS and MB guitars. Is the set up process any different?

Don

Yah, MB's set things up to your requests, or they'll use what they like.

ME

[twangster2]

I have a beat to hell strat.

I'll sell ta for 3 grand.. hahaha.

[mr newhaven]

Haha does it come with a deed to the Brooklyn Bridge too?
Hahahaha

We are all getting burnt out over here!

[Mike Eldred]

Originally Posted by twangster2

They also sell a 52 reissue to a store for less than the customer pays..

And any other guitar you find in a store.

They still have a MSRP...

Your point makes no sense

I think you may be confused. Fender has a suggested retail price, and a minimum advertised price (MAP) but only in the USA. The dealer sets the sell price, not Fender.

ME

[mr newhaven]

Originally Posted by Mike Eldred

I think you may be confused. Fender has a suggested retail price, and a minimum advertised price (MAP) but only in the USA. The dealer sets the sell price, not Fender.

ME

Thanks Mike!

Aha!!!

[twangster2]

Originally Posted by mr newhaven

Haha does it come with a deed to the Brooklyn Bridge too?
Hahahaha

We are all getting burnt out over here!

No, it has ocean front property in Arizona.

[mr newhaven]

Hahba that I would like to see!

[twangster2]

Originally Posted by Mike Eldred

I think you may be confused. Fender has a suggested retail price, and a minimum advertised price (MAP) but only in the USA. The dealer sets the sell price, not Fender.

ME

Ha..

So everyone is getting ripped off...

Yes Fender has list price and MAP. Slippery slop of deception to set price.. " huh? We didn't set the price we just said you can't advertise it for less..."

I want to find the sucker paying list..

[Durtdog]

People complain about Fender and say how greedy the company is and how bad the guitars are, but then they go and put those fake Fender decals on their non-Fender guitars.

Even though they think they have something way better than a Fender, they still want to be seen playing a "Fender."

[Durtdog]

Originally Posted by twangster2

Ha..

So everyone is getting ripped off...

Yes Fender has list price and MAP. Slippery slop of deception to set price.. " huh? We didn't set the price we just said you can't advertise it for less..."

I want to find the sucker paying list..

Um, here's a clue...most all products are distributed and sold this way. Fender did not invent this process.

[twangster2]

Originally Posted by mr newhaven

Hahba that I would like to see!

It's beautiful...

The waves crashing as you wake up.. and helping you relax at night..

Cheap. The market is down so it's priced to move

[BLAM]

Knocking the company that makes these guitars on the assumptions people do seems to make little sense to me. Apart from the salient fact that no one is forcing anyone to buy their wares, how does anyone else here know what their overhead is; what they pay their master builders; and what their profit margin is?

Why on earth can't FCS come on here and state their opinion? It's as valid as any and more than most. They at least know what they're talking about rather than basing it in many cases on blind supposition. I get the sense that there is a lot of passion that goes into making those guitars and a lot of misunderstanding of just what it takes to do that in a lot of posters here.