Current Prices for Squier Classic Vibes

[logdrum]

I have enough basses even if I gig very night - but it is interesting prices specially Fender gets discussed here as if it was the price of heating oil and we will all freeze. I guess if you have the goal of every possible color combo, this is the cheap way to do it.

Now if I have to start from scratch and have limited money, I will not buy Fender basses - even if I do not not have limited money as in I can comfortably afford MIA Fender. I will buy Ibanez or G&L or Yamaha.

I have 4 Fender branded basses. 2 MIJ/CIJ, 2 MIA. More than enough and will last me till my ending days.

 

[DJ Bebop]

I was perusing the Sweetwater ads and came across the current prices for Squier Classic Vibe basses, and I think they've lost their minds. These were $300 for the longest time and only started to creep up to the $350 mark not that long ago. I must have fallen asleep because I don't know how they're going for nearly $500 now.


View attachment 4369662

Prices for these instruments varied by finish, hardware plating and whether a tremolo was fitted. The April 1964 price list gave prices for these models as follows: Jaguar $379.50-$456.88, Jazzmaster $349.50-$420.20, Stratocaster $259.50-$349.50, Jazz bass $279.50-$293.47, Precision bass $229.50-$240.97, Bass VI: $329.50-$345.97

It's a sign of the times...

 

[erratick]

If you think of where they're made and shipped from, I'd be willing to bet my chips that costs at the manufacturing point have changed little, but there is a gigantic backup / shortage / availability of containerships to move things across the oceans, and that's going to drive prices up: Back-ordering until who knows when means you've got to make a steady margin on what you have on hand, as you don't know when a 'normal' restocking cycle will ever resume. High Demand meets Low Availability always drives up prices.

Your back-ordered Squier could very well be sitting in a container on a waiting ship that can't even come into port yet, much less get to Sweetwater or on the wall at the local GC. It's bad enough that some are trying to get containers lashed to a deck and sent out on non-container vessels. And of course, port workers and ship crews the world over are dealing with COVID issues which throws more gas on this fire.

Congestion Takes Hold Again with Supply Chain Delays Spread Across the United States (gcaptain.com)

This is where all this offshore / low labor cost manufacturing can run off the rails, and is troublesome if most of your catalog of products ain't made here or Mexico or Canada.

100% this.

 

[user362432]

Just curiosity - how many of you had to do fretwork on Sire, Yamaha, Stingray and others Made in Indonesia or any other country?

 

[eccles77]

Just curiosity - how many of you had to do fretwork on Sire, Yamaha, Stingray and others Made in Indonesia or any other country?

About a year ago I bought a Yamaha BB 434 MII and I had to get my tech to do the fret edges as they were quite sharp especially on the G string side. The Sire M5 I owned was super smooth and the best finished neck I have owned.

I recently bought a Squier Affinity P/J and the neck was really well finished as was the rest of the bass. Yamaha have a good name for quality but I was disappointed with the neck on the 434 which costs just under £500 compared to the £220 Squier.

I think I`m done buying expensive basses now. The price in the UK of Musicman`s and Fender US is just taking the pee. I`m a working guy but I can`t spring £1650 for a Pro 2 or over £2000 for a MM. So Squiers will be getting my cash from now on.

 

[sonojono]

Since the new CV lines are approaching $500 NEW then it makes sense for somebody to nab that James Johnston Jazz Bass that's been up on the used section for months!

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[pcake]

glad i bought my 60s CV for $399, just before the first increase.

a couple years ago, i got my MiM fender mustang for $574; today i see it's gone up to $699.

 

[Sam Dingle]

Just insane. One more reason for me to hold onto my fenders cuz they're all getting more expensive and I guess rare?

 

[user362432]

My point is - why to buy Fender Corporation product, when you can buy FSO for seriously lower price and very often better quality. Let's support Tagima, Sire, SX and all other companies other than Fender. Let them have it their way, like Gibson. Let them have Mexican built $1500 piece of wood in the store, which needs work.
You don't need to go to the store.

 

[lowendrachel]

I thought they were $289.99 plus tax Canadian when they first came out.

 

[P Cheen]

My point is - why to buy Fender Corporation product, when you can buy FSO for seriously lower price and very often better quality. Let's support Tagima, Sire, SX and all other companies other than Fender. Let them have it their way, like Gibson. Let them have Mexican built $1500 piece of wood in the store, which needs work.
You don't need to go to the store.

Absolutely. My main player is a 2011 Sterling SB14 I bought on a whim only because it was $430. I wanted to try out a Sterling with all its bells and whistles without having to shell out $1300-1500 for a used American Sterling 4H.

I don't think i'll ever buy a MIM Fender again unless I try it out in a store and absolutely fall in love with it.

 

[jd56hawk]

All I'm gonna say is this: watch out for the new Affinity line up. These basses look solid. If the rest of them are like my Affinity Jaguar H, then you'd really want to check them out especially since they're $279 a pop.
$299 for the Jazz 5'er.
I've even seen one go for the old $229 price tag, but the photos indicate they are the new 2021 model.

Maybe for the people who don't realize better bargains are available.

 

[sonojono]

Just curiosity - how many of you had to do fretwork on Sire, Yamaha, Stingray and others Made in Indonesia or any other country?

I had to once on a Sterling but that's about it. Idk what your point is but most if not all Indonesian made instruments need some kind of maintenance out of the box.

 

[felis]

The millionaires who usually get the sort of tax breaks that some people don't like because the unwashed are now getting them won't be buying Squiers. So, we'll see.

They were pretty well maxed out already, but the money printing presses are absolutely smokin' now.

 

[andare]

My point is - why to buy Fender Corporation product, when you can buy FSO for seriously lower price and very often better quality. Let's support Tagima, Sire, SX and all other companies other than Fender. Let them have it their way, like Gibson. Let them have Mexican built $1500 piece of wood in the store, which needs work.
You don't need to go to the store.

Why buy Fender? For the headstock haha

 

[MOTORHEADBANGER]

View attachment 4370818

Prices for these instruments varied by finish, hardware plating and whether a tremolo was fitted. The April 1964 price list gave prices for these models as follows: Jaguar $379.50-$456.88, Jazzmaster $349.50-$420.20, Stratocaster $259.50-$349.50, Jazz bass $279.50-$293.47, Precision bass $229.50-$240.97, Bass VI: $329.50-$345.97

View attachment 4370819


It's a sign of the times...

According to the inflation calculator, that $229.50 p-bass was roughly $2,021.10 in today's currency and that $279.50 jazz bass was $2,461.43. Imagine paying those prices for an American Standard. Instruments are relatively so cheap now.

 

[P Cheen]

According to the inflation calculator, that $229.50 p-bass was roughly $2,021.10 in today's currency and that $279.50 jazz bass was $2,461.43. Imagine paying those prices for an American Standard. Instruments are relatively so cheap now.

This has and will always be my first answer to any "What would you do first with a time machine?" question. Go back to pre-CBS times and buy out a couple stores. Haha!

Heck, even the CBS era and beyond! I'll buy em all!

 

[ColdEye]

Just get FGN, way better than majority of MIM fenders for lower price (I do love my JMJ mustang).

 

[PaulTreff]

Bundeskartellamt imposes fines on manufacturers and dealers of musical instruments:

Google Translate

 

[lfmn16]

Everything has gone up in price not just music gear, it's called inflation..

Many young people have never heard of it. Having lived through the 60's and 70's, I know it well.