Jump to content

OMG, I have seen the face of the Fender price hikes and it's a 38.75% increase!


GAS Man

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 62
  • Created
  • Last Reply
  • Members

This is simple minded, but...

 

Could it be that FMIC is in trouble, and this is a last gasp to close a gap?

 

You know, they sold fewer guitars in 2008, so revenues were down. To make up the difference, they try sell fewer guitars but at higher prices to boost the bottom line.

 

However, the marketplace, already spooked at 2008 prices, runs like hell and FMIC tanks.

 

Obama, pray for them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I've already played the new MIM's. Solid guitar, but the changes are just cosmetic. Fender made the significant improvements in 2006 with the bigger trem block, larger frets & I believe improved pots also.

The price increase isn't that bad though considering I remember MIM strats being $330 back in the mid 90's. Now you can get one for $450, which is a better guitar than the mid 90's version. The problem though is they're many more lower cost copies out there these days & their quality has improved too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Man I'm so lucky I bought my Strat and Tele (MIMs) last year. For a while I was mad at myself for spending too much on guitars last year, but it seems like it was a good decision in the end, by the way the Fender prices have gone up. And I got them at a good time when the Canadian dollar was almost on par with the American.

If I had waited until this year to buy my Strat and Tele there'd be no way I could afford them both. These prices are ridiculous. I had bad GAS for those guitars and couldn't resist picking them up. This is a case where incurable GAS
proved to be a good thing in the long-run :phil:

Squier bullet still only $99.

GFS bridge, pickups, tuners, ~$200


And HCEG won't know it's not an SRV sig strat


Yeah that's why I just bought a Bullet. It's a great value. Plays great, and with some upgrades, will make a sweet guitar. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Interestingly, I had pondered the wisdom of the Squier Classic Vibe and Vintage Modified guitars: At around $300 I wondered if they weren't going to simply be taking sales away from the MIM standards (at the time priced at about $400). However, now - in retrospect - it seems like the overall price increase must have been anticipated in 07 when the CVs and VMs were introduced. Now, these really seem to fill a niche in the price-point continuum of Fender products...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

in a nutshell, they have to raise the price because they are selling less to keep their business viable

 

 

 

Yep, it's a plan put in place by the bean counters, they are not selling as much, so they figure they'll raise the prices on the ones they do sell to cover the difference.

 

Seams to me that that isn't going to work out for them very well, but we'll see.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Luckily I had the money to buy a couple of guitars before the prices went up for the new models. In the UK it will be worse due to the drop in the exchange rate. I guess people will either take longer to save the money or buy a guitar slightly lower down in the range. Either way the guitar companies are happy enough.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

You've got to call them in. They don't work on line. Just be sure to tell the operator that it is printed on the "Secret Sale" flyer in your last purchase.

 

 

Thanks. Just called them and basically the maple neck Strats (Blue SSS and Red HSS) are on backorder but they will honor the price and get the guitars in about mid-Feb. The rosewood necks are in stock though.

 

Now I am going to convince the wife that I need a(nother) new guitar and get that Red HSS...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


×
×
  • Create New...