Tele vs Strat - prices…

[Eddiebaby1]

Got me an Am Pro II Strat in Miami Blue late last autumn and loved it. Until I got the matching Miami Blue Tele three months ago.
I don’t bother with the Strat anymore and may move it on and get another Tele.
Wondering what the prices are I see the Strat is currently £1599 and the Tele is £1649 (prices from Andertons). I bought the Tele £300 cheaper than that from Andertons as it was a display model, but why does a Tele command a higher price?
Less body shaping and routing, 1 pickup less, simpler wiring, no trem.
I’m really struggling to see why this price imbalance exists.

Any ideas folks?

 

[Chicago Matt]

Supply and demand, I imagine.

 

[MatthewK]

It’s a better guitar.

 

[Si G X]

They are exactly the same price on the Fender website... so you just got a better deal on one than the other.

You could have got it for £1599 at Guitar Guitar, so I think you over paid at Andertons.

 

[John C]

Fender has had several price increases; your Strat might have been priced before an increase and the Tele after an increase, and possibly there was some exchange rate issues account for the slight difference in the listed prices of the two. Then they both went up to the current price with the most recent increase and are at the same price. And of course you got a deal on the tele, particularly given the most recent price increase.

 

[cmm71]

In my experience, Teles command higher prices in the used market than Strats.

 

[IrishBread69]

Andertons are typically quite expensive. I've learned that other retailers are often (but not always) cheaper. You can get AM Pro Tele and Strat for under £1500 at the moment. Shopping around always pays off.

 

[Eddiebaby1]

Indeed. But they are very local to me and offer excellent service, often having stock when others don't.
I like them.

 

[Si G X]

Indeed. But they are very local to me and offer excellent service, often having stock when others don't.
I like them.

Then you pay what they are asking.... which is fine, I do the same with shops that are local to me, nothing wrong with that at all.... but that's why you paid more for your tele and is the answer to your question. There's no mystery or conspiracy.

 

[Eddiebaby1]

I actually paid less for my Tele. My question is why do Teles cost the same or more from the same retailer despite the relative and much lauded simplicity of the wonderful beast.

 

[john_cribbin]

Unless things have changed, Andertons price match.

 

[notmyusualuserid]

I actually paid less for my Tele. My question is why do Teles cost the same or more from the same retailer despite the relative and much lauded simplicity of the wonderful beast.

The answer is up the page. The RRP of a Tele and a Strat is the same, that's set by Fender.
Retailers can discount or mark up.

Welcome to the free market.

 

[Wooly Fox]

As said earlier, supply and demand. Fewer teles coming into stock so price them accord to demand.

 

[Fendereedo]

Not much of an Anderton's fan here. Their mark up on most bits of kit is shocking. I always do a thorough search first before I commit to anything.

 

[boris bubbanov]

FMIC finds it easier to just keep wraps on how many of each model they manufacture or sell, in various markets and they certainly won't be telling us any time soon, how much it costs to manufacture each and keep each in inventory. Once upon a time, S models outsold T models something like ten to one. Now it might be three to one, or two to one. If something is sold in very small numbers, a company might want to tack on something, even if the cost of manufacture should be small. Which IMO isn't a factor anymore - FMIC just tries to charge the same for the easy-to-make guitar model and we let 'em get away with it.

Then, when (the customer) chooses a vendor who is the least likely to work with you on the price, with kindest regards aren't you just paying whatever the cost is - if it matters to a guy, shouldn't he fight like he!! to get a better deal than this outfit? I'm not trying to start a fight, but if it matters, show us it matters.

 

[kuch]

In my experience, Teles command higher prices in the used market than Strats.

+1
Same here on the west side of the mountains. I don't understand it but it is what it is.
Maybe it's because the Tele is older than the strat

 

[Killing Floor]

The other factor in a store’s price is their cost. If they ordered one a few months later than the other that cost them more because Fender has adjusted prices. I bet if you asked them to match a price they would at least try.

 

[Wrighty]

Got me an Am Pro II Strat in Miami Blue late last autumn and loved it. Until I got the matching Miami Blue Tele three months ago.
I don’t bother with the Strat anymore and may move it on and get another Tele.
Wondering what the prices are I see the Strat is currently £1599 and the Tele is £1649 (prices from Andertons). I bought the Tele £300 cheaper than that from Andertons as it was a display model, but why does a Tele command a higher price?
Less body shaping and routing, 1 pickup less, simpler wiring, no trem.
I’m really struggling to see why this price imbalance exists.

Any ideas folks?

View attachment 983957 View attachment 983958

As others have said, I think it’s pretty random and is a result of supply chain issues. I recently bought an Am Pro ll Tele recently. It’s black and was in stock at PMT in, I think, Newcastle and they had it shipped to my nearest store, Romford. Others already in stock at the shop were priced up to £100 either side of ‘my’ one. The black one now on the website is now listed ‘available to order’ and tge price has gone above another which was in stock when I bought mine at a higher price…………….trying not to confuse! In a nutshell, shop have guitars in stock, shop sells a guitar, replaces it with a guitar that has gone up in price. Depending on the order date and the length of time it’s been on the wall, the price will be different. I think that there is no actual variation between a similar model Strat and Tele.

 

[Wrighty]

Indeed. But they are very local to me and offer excellent service, often having stock when others don't.
I like them.

Good service is usually worth a little extra. We all learn (I hope) from experience. Local shops, use ‘em or lose ‘em.

 

[doctymie]

The real answer is you have to pay a little more for greatness.