Fender just raised prices

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Alaska Mike

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I also currently have 15 guitars made by Fender Musical Instruments Corp. And have had many more over the 47 or 48 years of playing electric guitar. Despite that it sounds like you're speaking Greek to me.

For someone with 18 guitars of which 15 are made by FMIC, it seems you spend a lot of time learning about the diffrent models, the perceived quality of each line, the supposed FMIC business model, and market predictions of what will happen to FMIC in the near future. At least more time than I'm willing to spend.

Fender is a privately held company so time spent gaining detailed knowledge of their business model and predictions of what they may or may not do in the future does not benefit me.
Well, making sense of the Fender world is just entertainment for me. I rarely buy a complete FMIC product, and when I do it usually gets modified extensively or moved on. I play in the production tiers, mainly because I haven’t played any Customer Shop that felt like it was “mine”. Vintage just isn’t my thing.
I had one Fender guitar for 30 years before the concept of a “collection“ became normalized. In a lot of ways, I wish it hadn’t.
These days I am more interested in Fender Japan than anything coming from Ensenada or Corona.
But it’s all connected. The sticker is the market value. Having a “collection”, I feel like I need to stay informed about how the actions of FMIC affect my “holdings”. I buy them entertainment, but I don’t want to lose my shirt. If the bottom line of Corona or Ensenada or FujiGen production goes up, that can affect the value of my guitars on the used market. Sooner or later, they will be sold (with one exception).

It’s all about entertainment.
 

Maguchi

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Well, making sense of the Fender world is just entertainment for me. I rarely buy a complete FMIC product, and when I do it usually gets modified extensively or moved on. I play in the production tiers, mainly because I haven’t played any Customer Shop that felt like it was “mine”. Vintage just isn’t my thing.
I had one Fender guitar for 30 years before the concept of a “collection“ became normalized. In a lot of ways, I wish it hadn’t.
These days I am more interested in Fender Japan than anything coming from Ensenada or Corona.
But it’s all connected. The sticker is the market value. Having a “collection”, I feel like I need to stay informed about how the actions of FMIC affect my “holdings”. I buy them entertainment, but I don’t want to lose my shirt. If the bottom line of Corona or Ensenada or FujiGen production goes up, that can affect the value of my guitars on the used market. Sooner or later, they will be sold (with one exception).

It’s all about entertainment.
You should write a column or do a YouTube channel about it or something. I'm being more serious than not. You seem to have a encyclopedic knowledge about a specific slice of Fenderology if that can be a word. And could probly craft some type of informational channel.
 
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msalama

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Since it's unadvisable to venture into murkier conversational waters here, I'll just say that it sure feels good to be all sorted for gear these days. No need for anything extra and no GAS either.
 

Alaska Mike

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You should write a column or do a YouTube channel about it or something. I'm being more serious than not. You seem to have an encyclopedic knowledge about a specific slice of Fender ology if that can be a word. And could probly craft some type of informational channel.
There are enough guys already on YouTube far more knowledgeable and plugged in than I am. My Fender interests are so niche that I doubt I would have more than 5 subscribers. But thank you.
Since it's unadvisable to venture into murkier conversational waters here, I'll just say that it sure feels good to be all sorted for gear these days. No need for anything extra and no GAS either.
I am at the point where everything I want has already been made and is readily available. One thing about the boom/pandemic, a lot of guitars that were languishing in closets around the world suddenly hit the market when their value shot up. Now hitting the market again, along with everything produced since, we are more than flush with guitars. FMIC could stop production today and we would have no shortage of Fender/Squiers for decades.
 

Wrighty

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I agree.

However, intentions when posting aren't always plainly obvious. Are you interested in having an informed, civil debate about the relative merits of a subject or just trolling for outrage? Most moderators these days consider the prudent course of action is to assume the latter and shut things down before they escalate. Been there, done that.

If you're looking for unfettered speech, you will not find it here. This is done so we can have the important discussions about proper pickguard colors and how many saddles is "right" (the answers are mint green and three) without things devolving into a shouting match about the hot-button issues of the day.
Yep, a while back I asked a completely ‘neutral’ question about the workings of the US government elections. It was all over the news and I wanted to know what the various terms I was hearing meant. Shut down within a couple of hours. It was about politics, but not political.
 

Alex_C

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I was just looking up a guitar on the Fender website, and I noticed that the Brent Mason Telecaster, a model that interests me, is up $150.00, to $3199.99 since last week. Last week it was $3049.99. The Fender Standards are now $629.99. Looks like a 5% rise across the board.
It is strange that products are all going 5~10% up in price int he past month. Wonder why?
 

Fenderbaum

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Let them raise the prices on their stuff into oblivion, I dont care.
Fender pickups have increased almost by $100 in one year. That is pretty insane.
A Texas Specials / Fat 50s/ CS69 SSS pickup set was about $350 not even a year ago. Now they are $420 for my location.
Also see that Josephina keeps cranking out handwounds for sale... Dual Mag II now for &780?? Who buys this crap.. Fender are you desperate much?
With these prices you makes Ron Ellis business looks like a asian wholesale booth at Costco's.
Pfffff..I don't want their crap no more. They can shove their pickups and their prices where the sun never shines.
 
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Dave W

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Let them raise the prices on their stuff into oblivion, I dont care.
Fender pickups have increased almost by $100 in one year. That is pretty insane.
A Texas Specials / Fat 50s/ CS69 SSS pickup set was about $350 not even a year ago. Now they are $420 for my location.
Also see that Josephina keeps cranking out handwounds for sale... Dual Mag II now for &780?? Who buys this crap.. Fender are you desperate much?
With these prices you makes Ron Ellis business looks like a asian wholesale booth at Costco's.
Pfffff..I don't want their crap no more. They can shove their pickups and their prices where the sun never shines.
If Fender were desperate, they'd be lowering prices, not raising them.

Fender CS Texas Specials are $250 here for the Tele set. By comparison, Lollars are $250, Fralins are $240-$20. So no, Fender isn't out of line compared to other "premium" pickups. Of course, there are plenty of excellent options at lower prices. But Fender isn't responsible for exchange rates or government policies.
 

Fenderbaum

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If Fender were desperate, they'd be lowering prices, not raising them.

Fender CS Texas Specials are $250 here for the Tele set. By comparison, Lollars are $250, Fralins are $240-$20. So no, Fender isn't out of line compared to other "premium" pickups. Of course, there are plenty of excellent options at lower prices. But Fender isn't responsible for exchange rates or government policies.
Pretty nuts the prices are double for Europe.
 

twangking

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I won't buy anything from them again. They've crossed into boutique prices and I'd rather get something handbuilt by someone passionate about their work.
 

Alaska Mike

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Fender, like Gibson, are leaning heavily into their status as premier legacy brands. Gibson is just more honest about it. Fender can talk about innovation and serving the player, but they really are about putting out as much product as they can and grabbing as many dollars as they can. Business gotta business.

I love that logo. I love the history and legacy. I love some of what they make (just maybe not assembled in the same way). Sure, I can find better for less (or more), but Fender products are 90% of what I buy. The vast, vast majority isn’t at full retail, and most is used. The new stuff interests me less and less every day. But I am human. I am a hopeless consumer. Every once in a while they catch my eye and it’s off to the races.

But my generation and the one that preceded it are dying. The generations (broadly speaking) that will never be able to buy a house or build significant equity may buy one or two guitars. 15? 20? Probably not. Where would they put them? The widespread gear hoarding has reached its peak. And yet 15+ million guitars are dumped on the market every year.

I have been saying for years that Fender needs to shrink and refine. If you’re going to make a limited number of models, make them as good as you can, not just as many as you can.

I will probably always play Fenders. I will probably send less money FMIC’s way. There’s a lot out there already.
 

Dave W

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I won't buy anything from them again. They've crossed into boutique prices and I'd rather get something handbuilt by someone passionate about their work.
Oh please! Buy Fender or don't, it's your choice, but spare us the BS. Boutique? Maybe 1% of their production and prices. The other 99% are factory priced and comparable to the other major brands.
 

twangking

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Oh please! Buy Fender or don't, it's your choice, but spare us the BS. Boutique? Maybe 1% of their production and prices. The other 99% are factory priced and comparable to the other major brands.
What BS? Are you a bit slow? I think Fender puts more than 1% of their manufacturing efforts on their custom shop. If fact, theyre making more of them than ever with a greater variety. You're getting the best woods, materials and hands on craftsmanship you can get from Fender.

I don't buy Chinese crap. My house is already filled with it. When I choose to spend my money on guitars I buy high end American. I'm buying custom shop caliber guitars. Maybe you're on a Squier budget, which is fine, but those guitars offer little value to me and i hate modding things because they're lackluster from the factory. Look up how much a CS tele is and I can probably buy 2 used boutique tele style guitars for that price.
 

Dave W

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What BS? Are you a bit slow? I think Fender puts more than 1% of their manufacturing efforts on their custom shop. If fact, theyre making more of them than ever with a greater variety. You're getting the best woods, materials and hands on craftsmanship you can get from Fender.

I don't buy Chinese crap. My house is already filled with it. When I choose to spend my money on guitars I buy high end American. I'm buying custom shop caliber guitars. Maybe you're on a Squier budget, which is fine, but those guitars offer little value to me and i hate modding things because they're lackluster from the factory. Look up how much a CS tele is and I can probably buy 2 used boutique tele style guitars for that price.
No, they're not. Yes, the CS makes many more guitars than an independent boutique builder, but it's still a drop in the bucket compared to Fender's overall production.

Nobody said anything about Chinese production, nor did I imply anything about my budget. For the record, all my Fenders are MIA, and I've owned one CS bass. But that's irrelevant.

The point is, Fender isn't moving into boutique territory. They're offering more low cost guitars than ever. It's BS to say that they are. You don't need a reason not to buy any of their guitars.
 

twangking

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No, they're not. Yes, the CS makes many more guitars than an independent boutique builder, but it's still a drop in the bucket compared to Fender's overall production.

Nobody said anything about Chinese production, nor did I imply anything about my budget. For the record, all my Fenders are MIA, and I've owned one CS bass. But that's irrelevant.

The point is, Fender isn't moving into boutique territory. They're offering more low cost guitars than ever. It's BS to say that they are. You don't need a reason not to buy any of their guitars.
Wonderful. I was referring to boutique guitars in my original post and yet you're droning on about low cost guitars. Absolutely irrelevant to me as I don't buy them, nor was I referring to them in any of my previous posts. Reading comprehension is a lost art.
 

Jon S.

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The best governor on my gear spending has been my pivot to writing and recording. It simultaneously deflects my attention to production over acquisition and empties my wallet before I can contemplate adding more guitars!
 
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