All Genz Benz products on "standby" by Fender ??

[Jeff Scott]

Originally Posted by chuck3

apparently the rumor about Fender taking over Mercedes is true, and the first combined new product was designed by Jeff - the automotive Genz Benz Shuttle:

Is that 4-15s I see it sporting?

[Not yet]

Actually no.... They mixed 10s in the front and 15's in the back... The horror.

[two fingers]

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

No. But it also doesn't mean that all corporations are the epitome of evil, as some want to believe. There are plenty of large corporations out there with happy employees.

Tell it!!!!! I was starting to think I was just about the only person here who doesn't arbitrarily hate anyone who has more money than me or anyone who runs a large company.

There are also CEOs who donate millions of dollars to charities, build hospitals, donate entire buildings at colleges, etc.

But most here ASSUME that the only way they could have risen to that level of success is by somehow screwing everyone they ever met, and millions they never met on the way up. It's not only intellectually lazy, but it's also mostly a simple regurgitation of something they were taught by a college professor who never spent a single day in the private sector, or a hippie who never made anything of himself.....or both.

[fdeck]

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

What a patently silly comment. Virtually all privately-owned and publicly-owned companies are corporations. Almost all non-government jobs are provided by corporations. Genz-Benz is or was a corporation. In the case of working people, the interest corporations serve is compensation for the service of their employees. That gives you the money you need to pay your rent/mortgage and buy the food you eat and clothes you wear.

You are correct in that they exist to maximize the wealth of their shareholders. The way to get in on that is to become a shareholder. It's a very simple matter. You call your discount broker and order up the stock. Then you reap in your share of the profits, if there are any. Here in America, we call it capitalism - it's what made us the most powerful country in the world.

Regulated capitalism, that is.

The idea that corporations exist to maximize shareholder value is a tradition with no statutory basis. Corporations exist because they are granted an entitlement to exist, based on the theory that society benefits from the level of investment made possible by appropriately regulated corporations.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not anti-corporation. All I'm doing is clarifying a point of economic theory.

[two fingers]

Originally Posted by fdeck

Regulated capitalism, that is.

The idea that corporations exist to maximize shareholder value is a tradition with no statutory basis. Corporations exist because they are granted an entitlement to exist, based on the theory that society benefits from the level of investment made possible by appropriately regulated corporations.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not anti-corporation. All I'm doing is clarifying a point of economic theory.

Correct, but semantics for the purposes of this discussion. I think he was pretty much addressing the overwhelming majority of people here who simply (and I mean SIMPLY) think that corporations are made up of evil, back-stabbing, greedy, horrible people. When in actuality, most of us work for one. ALL of us benefit from them. I can't imagine modern life without them. And there is no way a sustainable economy could exist (in my opinion) without them. (The key word there being "sustainable". You can make anything work for a little while.

[One Drop]

Hey, don't make Europe the whipping boy. Regulation is not what got some of its countries in trouble, and for the most part life is wonderful with plenty if consumer choice and a good trade-off of protection of it's citizens with the ability to do business.

[Chef]

HEY!!!!
I'll remind you all again that politicing is not allowed here at talkbass.

The current for-real answer here is that no one knows what Fender is up to.
Y'all want to keep chit-chatting, carry on, but, do it politely, and minus the politics, or I'll be happy to come in here and start handing out citations, without a third reminder for folks to behave.

[jnewmark]

I think we need to keep posting this quote at the top of every page until we find out, OFFICIALLY, otherwise:

"Here is the response I got this morning from the same Fender rep I quoted earlier, regarding GB continuing and the fact that Jeff Genzler used to answer the phone himself:

Absolutely Rob. Jeff is actually in our R&D department working with all of our lines now; so although he does not answer the phones anymore he is still very much part of the company and now part of our other brands as well."

Best Regards,

Eric Molinari
Consumer Relations Representative

[Double E]

Originally Posted by jnewmark

I think we need to keep posting this quote at the top of every page until we find out, OFFICIALLY, otherwise:

[/b]

Why? It is essentially a non-answer...that reply does not address the current or future status of the Genz Benz brand.

[two fingers]

Originally Posted by One Drop

Hey, don't make Europe the whipping boy. Regulation is not what got some of its countries in trouble, and for the most part life is wonderful with plenty if consumer choice and a good trade-off of protection of it's citizens with the ability to do business.

Go to China to see what unregulated capitalism can really do nowadays.

My apologies. You guys are dealing with a certain amount of "trouble" when it comes to economics. The only point I was making is that we don't want any "trouble" here. That's why I put "strictly economically speaking" in my post. I never meant to imply that life isn't wonderful there in general.

[Not yet]

It is really interesting the diversity of experience in the business world here

Genz seems to be going thru a reorg, who isn't these days.. And if you're in the middle of it you simply don't talk out of school

Or not... As before wish these stand up folks the best

[jnewmark]

Originally Posted by Double E

Why? It is essentially a non-answer...that reply does not address the current or future status of the Genz Benz brand.

Because everyone seems to think that Genzler is out of the mix somehow, because Fender is doing away with GB, which , of course, is pure paranoia, as far as I can tell.

[GregC]

Originally Posted by two fingers

I think he was pretty much addressing the overwhelming majority of people here who simply (and I mean SIMPLY) think that corporations are made up of evil, back-stabbing, greedy, horrible people.

I find this to be incredibly dramatic and inaccurate by any measure.

[KJung]

Originally Posted by jnewmark

I think we need to keep posting this quote at the top of every page until we find out, OFFICIALLY, otherwise:

"Here is the response I got this morning from the same Fender rep I quoted earlier, regarding GB continuing and the fact that Jeff Genzler used to answer the phone himself:

Absolutely Rob. Jeff is actually in our R&D department working with all of our lines now; so although he does not answer the phones anymore he is still very much part of the company and now part of our other brands as well."

Best Regards,

Eric Molinari
Consumer Relations Representative

Another way to think about this. So, Fender incorporates the Genz design team, patents, etc. into the parent brand. Fender introduces a new line of Micro's using Genz as a starting point (I have no info that they are doing this, but the response above suggests this might be the case).

So, what does that do. First, it increases awareness and distribution by a HUGE amount. And second, gives the Fender brand a very legitimate heritage for a new micro line-up. What does that mean. Massive increase in sales due to again brand equity, awarenes and retail distribution. It also brings that line of amps into the 'core strategy and business' of Fender, which is key as they seem to continue to work toward a public (i.e., stock) offering.

Not a bad strategy at all, and if they can use their huge buying power to keep the cost down and produce a quality product line, that is a good thing

Again, just musing from a business perspective. Of course, those who think Fender is evil or something won't see this as a positive.

[One Drop]

Originally Posted by two fingers

My apologies. You guys are dealing with a certain amount of "trouble" when it comes to economics. The only point I was making is that we don't want any "trouble" here. That's why I put "strictly economically speaking" in my post. I never meant to imply that life isn't wonderful there in general.

No problem, didn't mean to get political, either. Just hate to see Europe (and Canada) constantly misrepresented and held up as examples for various political platforms in America, usually with very little real factual basis or understanding of the context and of the laws themselves.

Sorry Chef, I'll stick to the near-baseless conjecture and whimsy at hand as this thread dictates.

[60bass]

Originally Posted by KJung

Another way to think about this. So, Fender incorporates the Genz design team, patents, etc. into the parent brand. Fender introduces a new line of Micro's using Genz as a starting point (I have no info that they are doing this, but the response above suggests this might be the case).

So, what does that do. First, it increases awareness and distribution by a HUGE amount. And second, gives the Fender brand a very legitimate heritage for a new micro line-up. What does that mean. Massive increase in sales due to again brand equity, awarenes and retail distribution. It also brings that line of amps into the 'core strategy and business' of Fender, which is key as they seem to continue to work toward a public (i.e., stock) offering.

Not a bad strategy at all, and if they can use their huge buying power to keep the cost down and produce a quality product line, that is a good thing

Again, just musing from a business perspective. Of course, those who think Fender is evil or something won't see this as a positive.

I'm leaning towards this line of thinking myself. Fender must realize that micro class D amps are a large growing segment in the industry and more more players are gravitating towards them.

This is also an area where Fender has no experience and more importantly no product offerings.

I feel it's way easier for Fender to use an already existing brand with a proven track record that's part of their organization to bring to market a line of class D amplifiers. Also Genz Benz has a manufacturing facility Already in place to produce those amps.

If Fender is serious about class D and IMO I think they are. I can think of no better, easier, or faster way for them than using GB.

[KJung]

Originally Posted by 60bass

I'm leaning towards this line of thinking myself. Fender must realize that micro class D amps are a large growing segment in the industry and more more players are gravitating towards them.

This is also an area where Fender has no experience and more importantly no product offerings.

I feel it's way easier for Fender to use an already existing brand with a proven track record that's part of their organization to bring to market a line of class D amplifiers. Also Genz Benz has a manufacturing facility Already in place to produce those amps.

If Fender is serious about class D and IMO I think they are. I can think of no better, easier, or faster way for them than using GB.

I would actually be surprised if this wasn't the case. We shall see.

[Chef]

That makes as much sense as anything IMO.

[bassguppy]

101 more posts to 1000 bump.

[froghat]

Originally Posted by bassguppy

101 more posts to 1000 bump.

What happens at 1000? Lollipops all around?