Stratosphere guitar parts website, I don't get it

[Fenderbaum]

Most of us know that parting up your partcaster gives you more money back if you were to sell it.
Stratosphere simply made a business doing this. Im sure they have some good connections finding them for low price.

 

[gkterry]

it would probably cost 4x what you can buy the guitar for

Ok, let's see:
How about an American Ultra? A very nice guitar. Any other would do.

Fender's factory version comes in at $2100

Complete Loaded Body (minus possibly only straplocks)

Neck with tuners

So that amounts to roughly $1600
If there are no straplocks on the body, add $25 for Schaller or your choice of straplock.
No case you say? At the present time Stratosphere is selling hardshell cases, for $100-130. These are the exact case that comes with several of their models.

So that comes in at $1725 (including case price) and unless solid gold, diamond encrusted strap locks are desired then it might hit 4x.

If a case isn't a necessity or there are already too many clogging up things then the guitar comes in at $1600. With a case $1700 - $1750. So, buying a guitar from Stratosphere comes in at a savings of $350 to $500

I have bought several items from them and they arrive timely, well packed and brand spanking new. Maybe some TDPRI folks have more money than Bill Gates. Unfortunately, most of us are not super wealthy. I have to be careful with my money so $300 -$500 is a big deal to me.

As long as a screwdriver is not a foreign object then it is a snap to assemble. I always end up doing my own setup too. So, ther ya go. Don't like my comparison. There are others to be made.

Prices are rounded off in most intances. Prices are subject to change at the whim of Fender.​

 

[uriah1]

Their search engine is wonky. You have to scroll a lot.

 

[drmordo]

Ok, let's see:
How about an American Ultra? A very nice guitar. Any other would do.

Fender's factory version comes in at $2100


View attachment 985192


Complete Loaded Body (minus possibly only straplocks)
View attachment 985189


Neck with tuners
View attachment 985190

So that amounts to roughly $1600
If there are no straplocks on the body, add $25 for Schaller or your choice of straplock.
No case you say? At the present time Stratosphere is selling hardshell cases, for $100-130. These are the exact case that comes with several of their models.

So that comes in at $1725 (including case price) and unless solid gold, diamond encrusted strap locks are desired then it might hit 4x.

If a case isn't a necessity or there are already too many clogging up things then the guitar comes in at $1600. With a case $1700 - $1750. So, buying a guitar from Stratosphere comes in at a savings of $350 to $500

I have bought several items from them and they arrive timely, well packed and brand spanking new. Maybe some TDPRI folks have more money than Bill Gates. Unfortunately, most of us are not super wealthy. I have to be careful with my money so $300 -$500 is a big deal to me.

As long as a screwdriver is not a foreign object then it is a snap to assemble. I always end up doing my own setup too. So, ther ya go. Don't like my comparison. There are others to be made.

Prices are rounded off in most intances. Prices are subject to change at the whim of Fender.​

Similarly, I bought this Jeff Beck strat for $1450 shipped with a case. I couldn't find one used for that cheap without a case. I just had to bolt the neck on and add strap buttons.

 

[985plowboy]

By and large I dislike the idea of parting out brand new guitars.
But I guess If Leo didn’t want folks parting out his guitars he shouldn’t have made them so easy to disassemble.

 

[FuncleManson]

I've bought a few things from them, mostly loaded Strat pickguards. I'm not opposed to doing the wiring myself, but it would cost me more (not even including my time) than just purchasing their loaded guards.

For example, a Custom Shop Texas Special loaded guard cost me $225 with shipping & taxes and one with Vintage Noiseless pickups was $220 all in. I think the respective pickups alone retail for more than that. I'm not sure I've ever done a Strat partscaster where it would have been cheaper to wire it myself than just go with a loaded guard.

 

[netgear69]

It must be a pain in @ss parting up all them bits packing them up and posting then dealing with any issues
in fact that kind of setup keeping track of ins & outs would be a nightmare to run

 

[archtop_fjk]

By and large I dislike the idea of parting out brand new guitars.
But I guess If Leo didn’t want folks parting out his guitars he shouldn’t have made them so easy to disassemble.

Actually, Leo anticipated that necks would need to be replaced and hence went with a bolt-on neck. Of course, his initial neck design didn’t have a truss rod so a smart design decision on his part!

 

[Lou Tencodpees]

I've used them a bunch, always with good results. The other thing is they sell many Allparts Fender licensed necks, and for way cheaper than buying from Allparts direct.

 

[JDB2]

Ok, let's see:
How about an American Ultra? A very nice guitar. Any other would do.

Fender's factory version comes in at $2100


View attachment 985192


Complete Loaded Body (minus possibly only straplocks)
View attachment 985189


Neck with tuners
View attachment 985190

So that amounts to roughly $1600
If there are no straplocks on the body, add $25 for Schaller or your choice of straplock.
No case you say? At the present time Stratosphere is selling hardshell cases, for $100-130. These are the exact case that comes with several of their models.

So that comes in at $1725 (including case price) and unless solid gold, diamond encrusted strap locks are desired then it might hit 4x.

If a case isn't a necessity or there are already too many clogging up things then the guitar comes in at $1600. With a case $1700 - $1750. So, buying a guitar from Stratosphere comes in at a savings of $350 to $500

I have bought several items from them and they arrive timely, well packed and brand spanking new. Maybe some TDPRI folks have more money than Bill Gates. Unfortunately, most of us are not super wealthy. I have to be careful with my money so $300 -$500 is a big deal to me.

As long as a screwdriver is not a foreign object then it is a snap to assemble. I always end up doing my own setup too. So, ther ya go. Don't like my comparison. There are others to be made.

Prices are rounded off in most intances. Prices are subject to change at the whim of Fender.​

It does make me wonder how they make money doing this. How do they source the guitars? (No factory warranty this way, FWIW)

 

[Fretting out]

I still think that they part out B-Stock fenders even though fender claims they don’t sell B-Stock

Most of the necks or bodies on there have little to noticeable flaws

And what I’ve bought seems like B-stock material

 

[Dan German]

If they buy enough guitars to part out, couldn’t they do a Stratosphere FSR, then part that out? Seems like a missed business opportunity.

 

[Treeface]

This makes very little sense. Here's all I can think - Fender sets a MAP (minimum advertised price) for new guitars. If you're a Fender dealer, you're contractually obligated to sell a new American Ultra for $2099 even if your dealer-price is low enough that you could make a profit at $1900. But if you're not selling the guitar, just a collection of parts, maybe there's no MAP in the contract, and you can sell it for any price that will still net you $$$.

Yet these guys have been around a while. So it seems like, if Fender wanted to close this contractual loophole, they would have done so by now, or simply stopped dealing with Stratosphere. Maybe Fender, for whatever reason, doesn't mind. I would think sweetwater/GC would be screaming though, as this lets Stratosphere undercut them by a couple hundred bucks on the same product, just with four screws to turn.

 

[wblynch]

Best thing about Stratosphere is you can mix and match. If you like a Pro II body/color but prefer an Ultra neck, and want vintage 59 pickups you can have what Fender won’t offer. You still get all Fender factory parts and more flexibility than even the Mod Shop provides.

 

[Kandinskyesque]

I've always been curious where they get their stock, though

I heard recently from a guitar tech friend that there are a few companies that 'rescue' guitars damaged in transit, strip them out and then sell off the parts.
It might be possible that Stratosphere fall into that category.

 

[Hank-Frost]

I've always been curious where they get their stock, though. I'm sure they're not a Fender dealer. Are they getting seconds that they're parting out? Buying dinged up stock from dealers and selling the good parts? If they were in NYC I'd suspect they all fell off the back of a truck, but they're in New Hampshire. That's not a place known for its organized crime.

I bought a USA Fender from them. Brand new guitar, not a second, in perfect condition. Obviously unplayed with the plastic still on the pickguard. Saved $600 off the $2K Guitar Center price by buying it in two pieces and bolting them back together. It's cleaner than most of the new guitars you'd take off the wall in a music store. I didn't need $600 worth of Fender case and case candy.

This is not parts from a guitar damaged in shipping, because both halves are, best I can tell, from the same factory guitar.

 

[cometazzi]

That is exactly what they do. It you bought all of the individual components to build a guitar, it would probably cost 4x what you can buy the guitar for, but the prices on individual parts are generally cheaper than retail.

On top of that, I bet Stratosphere buys stuff in the hundreds or maybe even thousands and gets a deal on them.

 

[moosie]

I have had very good luck using them. I think they likely are a Fender Dealer and thus sell new parts or parts taken off of guitars. Parts like bridge assemblies may come in the "Fender parts" packaging etc.

I have doubts about dealer status. Manufacturers usually have fairly strict requirements, and I could easily imagine one would be "... and thou shalt not chop up our stuff and sell it piecemeal..."

I have no problem with it - it serves a market void. And while Fender might not be upset by it, I don't think they'd encourage it by allowing them the be (or remain) a dealer.

I've shopped a number of times, and only once found what I needed. A WD Music Fender licensed solid rosewood (two piece) Tele neck. Heel adjust, and a full 1" thick, end to end. I'd prefer a 7.25 radius, but the 9.5 ain't that bad. Great neck, and the service was just fine. I'd deal with them again.

 

[schmee]

I have doubts about dealer status. Manufacturers usually have fairly strict requirements, and I could easily imagine one would be "... and thou shalt not chop up our stuff and sell it piecemeal..."

I have no problem with it - it serves a market void. And while Fender might not be upset by it, I don't think they'd encourage it by allowing them the be (or remain) a dealer.

I've shopped a number of times, and only once found what I needed. A WD Music Fender licensed solid rosewood (two piece) Tele neck. Heel adjust, and a full 1" thick, end to end. I'd prefer a 7.25 radius, but the 9.5 ain't that bad. Great neck, and the service was just fine. I'd deal with them again.

Interestingly I found a great WD neck there also. I usually buy a MusiKraft or Warmoth. But this one had all the specs I was looking for and it appears/feels nice. Unfortunately, It was for an oddball import T type and I didnt know it had a 2.25 wide heel! So I have had that neck sitting around for 2 years! Doesn't even have mounting holes in it...

 

[boris bubbanov]

They are a chop-shop.
You need to know what you are looking at.
Their descriptions are sometimes vague or generic.
Read the descriptions very carefully.
Nearly everything is listed as "vintage" regardless whether it is or not.
They do have some cheaper non-Fender repro parts.
If in doubt, it's likely not OEM Fender.
You'll need to do your own research, they don't respond to inquiries.

They do usually take returns.

I agree with almost all of what you're saying. I have found their descriptions are about as accurate as one could ever expect - compared to used inventory at the typical Guitar Center, they make so many fewer mistakes.

But the trend is not good, as they get into more and more non Western Hemisphere FMIC stuff. I recommend their site for the images they show - very helpful in accumulating knowledge about what is under the hood of guitars and basses we don't own and can't disassemble to see for ourselves.

I've never needed to buy from them, and probably never will, as I am confident that a lot of guitars have been essentially destroyed thanks to this company. This is cannibalism, in every basic sense.