Fender price drops

[CSM]

Last year we got huge price increases form Fender. This year we get price drops:

All of your Fender Price Drops 201001 products at American Musical Supply (http://www.americanmusical.com/ItemSearch--search-Fender-Price-Drops-201001--srcin-1)

[ZahZoo]

Good to see the prices coming down... although even at the marked down price some of those axes are still a bit over-priced.

[Hardrock69]

Sorta like the Gibson/Epiphone equation. I surely would love to buy more Gibsons, but fuck if I am going to shell out $1,500 and up for a new Gibson when I can get a guitar with the same quality (electronics excepted) for $500 or less? Fuck, I got both my Epi Korina V AND my Epi Korina Explorer for $300 each...BRAND FUCKING NEW! And the finish, playability and overall construction of the things is flawless!

Granted if I was a zillionaire, I would not think twice about just throwing money away to get real Gibsons, but being a working stiff, I have to get the most bang for my buck.

Man...I would say those Fenders are still WAY overpriced.

Oh well. What the fuck. I have 2 neck-thru-body JB Player Strats that give me what I want as far as a "Strat" body goes....and a Fender Lead I and Lead II as well. So not like I am missing anything.

The fucking Lead II has a pair of EMG single coils in it, and goddam it fucking snarls like a rabid feral cat!
In fact, it sounds so evil that if it were a human, it would have a knife in it's hand and would be coming after me! :biggrin:

[jhale667]

Good to see the prices coming down... although even at the marked down price some of those axes are still a bit over-priced.

Agree, though some of those look almost within the realms of realistic, thinking about how much I paid for my American Strat in my teens (y'know, adjusting for inflation and whatnot)....

[Hardrock69]

I think this one is what should be the standard price. Add 100 bucks for a signature model.

And for the price, it should include your choice of colors that were available in the 50s, AND a hardshell case.

Fender Classic 50s Stratocaster Electric Guitar With Gigbag at AmericanMusical.com (http://www.americanmusical.com/Item--i-FEN-131002-304-LIST)

[Nitro Express]

I have three Epiphones and other than shitty pots and switches, they have been great and sound great. I love my Jack Casady bass and because it's an Epiphone, I can get one for under a grand, it it was a Gibson I would have bought something else because it would be too expensive. Jack said he went with Epiphone because the old Gibson forms and dies had been sent to Korea and that's where they found them and he wanted to reissue a old Les Paul hollow body base but Gibson sent all the old stuff to Korea. He said it's a good guitar and is cheaper than if Gibson made it which is fine with him because it makes the bass more available to people who want one.

[Nitro Express]

The prices will come down even more. They aren't going to move the stock. The guitar market has fallen apart like a five dollar watch and who knows, Fender might need a bailout in a year or so. If our dumb government doesn't give them some TARP money to keep the Mexicans in their plants employed, the Chinese will buy them up cheap.

[Blackflag]

I have three Epiphones and other than shitty pots and switches, they have been great and sound great. I love my Jack Casady bass and because it's an Epiphone, I can get one for under a grand, it it was a Gibson I would have bought something else because it would be too expensive. Jack said he went with Epiphone because the old Gibson forms and dies had been sent to Korea and that's where they found them and he wanted to reissue a old Les Paul hollow body base but Gibson sent all the old stuff to Korea. He said it's a good guitar and is cheaper than if Gibson made it which is fine with him because it makes the bass more available to people who want one.

Thanks for buying American...

[Nitro Express]

Thanks for buying American...

I have lot's of American stuff too. I use Carvin power amps and mixers, Peavey speakers, amplifiers, and guitars. Both are good companies because they are privately owned and haven't let Wall Street ruin them. Gibson is not a good company and so with them, I don't care if I buy their Asian knock offs because their American made stuff is an overpriced rip-off.

I think you are onto a trend though. With more Americans losing their jobs and the economy sucking. People are going to value MADE IN THE USA more because that is the only way we are going to dig out of the mess we are in. Producing our way out.

[Blackflag]

I don't have a problem with Gibson. They employ a lot of people in Memphis, and they make a great product. I bought a 339 last year, and I just love it.

[Nitro Express]

If anybody needs some reliable, flexible power amps the Carvins are great. We run ours hard and never had one shut down and they are quiet and have lot's of head room on the bass. Plus the price is right and they are MADE IN THE USA.

[Panamark]

Kinda OT, but I bought an acoustic Fender for less than $200
in the US, just so my wife and I had a guitar to play with
while on holiday.

What a fookin piece of shit !!! Felt like it was made with
balsa wood, needed to be retuned every 5 minutes,
intonation was out, the neck was so freakin thin that my
fingers were squished together so badly there were certain
chords I couldnt play without fudging notes....

We kinda breezed in the shop and took the boxed
guitar without trying it out, as my wife said, if its shit
we can bring it back..

We took it back... Possibly the worst guitar I have
ever played, and I love Fender.

[Blackflag]

Made in China, baby.

[Nitro Express]

I don't have a problem with Gibson. They employ a lot of people in Memphis, and they make a great product. I bought a 339 last year, and I just love it.

Gibson also makes high end accoustic guitars in Bozeman, Montana. I've been to the factory there. They position themselves as a high end brand and some of their stuff is nice but their quality control is hit and miss. I've seen Les Pauls in stores with unfinished fretwork and improperly cut nuts.

I also don't like how Gibson treats their dealers by extorting them to buy stuff or they won't get a shipment. They coast on their brand equity too much and abuse it.

[Nitro Express]

Kinda OT, but I bought an acoustic Fender for less than $200
in the US, just so my wife and I had a guitar to play with
while on holiday.

What a fookin piece of shit !!! Felt like it was made with
balsa wood, needed to be retuned every 5 minutes,
intonation was out, the neck was so freakin thin that my
fingers were squished together so badly there were certain
chords I couldnt play without fudging notes....

We kinda breezed in the shop and took the boxed
guitar without trying it out, as my wife said, if its shit
we can bring it back..

We took it back... Possibly the worst guitar I have
ever played, and I love Fender.

I had a friend who had a Fender accoustic with the straight six headstock. I thought it was kind of cool and then I played it and it was a horrendous piece of shit. A good accoustic guitar for the money is Alvarez. For a U.S.A. made accoustic you probably are going to have to pay over $500.

[Panamark]

Actually I picked up a Korean acoustic Ibanez in the same shop
and it was 100 times better... I did note the micro fine print
on the label (after we unpacked it)
inside the body that said "Made in China".

When I play a first position G chord I add a d note with
my third finger, so I use 4 fingers to play a basic G.
Gives it a nicer fuller sound...

Normally there is a decent gap between the top two
fingers and the bottom 2. On this shit guitar all four fingers
were bunched together. I couldnt even belt out "Oh Holy Night" for
the relatives... lol...

Are these guitars made for babies ?? Fender should distance
themselve from this model, it really is a piece of shit.
I honestly would have felt ripped off paying $10 for it.

[Hardrock69]

I also don't like how Gibson treats their dealers by extorting them to buy stuff or they won't get a shipment. They coast on their brand equity too much and abuse it.

Until Lord Henry (CEO) steps down, the slaves, (er, I mean employees) will just have to continue their extortion racket.

I have run across WAY too many music stores who have told Gibson to go fuck themselves and have quit carrying Gibsons altogether.

Can't say that I blame them.

[ZahZoo]

I think this one is what should be the standard price. Add 100 bucks for a signature model.

And for the price, it should include your choice of colors that were available in the 50s, AND a hardshell case.

Fender Classic 50s Stratocaster Electric Guitar With Gigbag at AmericanMusical.com (http://www.americanmusical.com/Item--i-FEN-131002-304-LIST)

Exactly... that's the price range I'd say is in line with what they're worth. $500 - $800.

I just don't see a regular production model Strat worth $1300 - $2000 unless it's some exotic custom shop thing... and even then... of all those the Eric Johnson sig model is by far the best and still pricey at $1800 street prices.

[jhale667]

The Eric Johnson signature models are amazing. Love them, but still not in a rush to go buy something I can build cheaper (and more to my specs) otherwise...

[Blackflag]

I got my EJ Strat for $1200 new, in the color I wanted. That's the way I do things.

[Diamondjimi]

The Eric Johnson signature models are amazing. Love them, but still not in a rush to go buy something I can build cheaper (and more to my specs) otherwise...

True, they are simply the best Strat sig. series I've tried.
Building one is do-able, but the unique thing is the neck shape. The "V' feel on the low end is sweet, and I like the way it changes to a soft C on the high end.
The pups sound great clean and with distortion... I want one!

[jhale667]

My buddy had two, just got rid of a Sunburst one over a vintage white one...I was like "Are you mad?" :D



I got my EJ Strat for $1200 new, in the color I wanted. That's the way I do things.

What color did you get, lumpy? ;)

[Blackflag]

CAR, of course.

[jhale667]

Nice. :D

[Blackflag]

Thanks, it's really damn sweet.