Does price = quality/sound

[rocksmoot]

Having worked in consumer goods I can tell you that we love customers like you.

Sorry, I work on the other side of the fence. I assure you that if I can't see the value (whatever that means to me) I will not buy your product. In my experience, premium pricing rocks when it comes to profits but not so much when customers can't see the value. Marketing only gets you so far; to achieve real staying power as Fender has, you have to do more.

 

[rocksmoot]

This perception usually means a great marketing campaign.

Most of product formulas are the same, same quality, same ingredients. Packing materials is the difference...and the hot model "using" the product in the commercial everybody watch on TV.

There is a good reason why Fender spend more money in endorsements than development of new products.

If you pick up a nice Squier CV Jazz and compare it to a $3,000 custom shop Jazz and the only difference you see is the price, then there's really no point in continuing the discussion.

 

[pedroims]

If you pick up a nice Squier CV Jazz and compare it to a $3,000 custom shop Jazz and the only difference you see is the price, then there's really no point in continuing the discussion.

Nobody is saying that there is not difference between a Squier and a Sadowsky, what we are saying here is that you paid premiums for stuff that does not add any value to the bass quality or sound. And those premiums are there, do you think that Fender free basses to the artist are actually free? No sir, they charge those operational expenses to the customer, nothing is free in this life.
When you buy a Fender Marcus Miller, a percentage of the price you paid goes to Marcus ' pocket , basically you are paying for Marcus signature in the headstock.

You also paid for all millions dollars that Fender spend in publicity, stuff that has nothing to do with the quality of the components.

 

[rocksmoot]

Nobody is saying that there is not difference between a Squier and a Sadowsky, what we are saying here is that you paid premiums fees for stuff that does not add any value to the bass quality or sound.

Ah, I failed to understand that you are saying that you and only you may determine what features add value to bass quality or sound. My mistake.

 

[smcd]

Wow, this thread is much longer than I thought it would be.

Does price have anything to do with quality or sound? Of course not. We'd all like to think it does, but pricing strategies usually have more to do with how the market perceives the product and how much value the buyer places on it. Hopefully the market you're in recognizes quality, but we all know that they generally don't. Certainly generalities exist, but you can't tell me that a $900 bass will always be better than an $850 bass, because that's not what price indicates.

FWIW, there is a thing known as Premium Pricing, where prices are set artificially high to create the perception of quality. If you've ever shopped for motorcycle gear *cough*Icon*cough*, you've seen this in action.

Humans are easily fooled, and marketers are paid to fool us into thinking that the brand they're marketing is a quality brand. Price is only indicative of how much money the seller is asking for.

Humans aren't easily fooled. Every so often you get companies that succeed in playing the premium pricing game (Budweiser), but the vast majority of manufacturers have to compete hard for market share. Try starting your own company with a "low qualty but premium pricing" strategy and see how long you last.


Price has everything to do with quality and sound. We're not talking about a $50 difference on a $900 bass. We're talking about orders of magnitude. The differences between a $300 bass and a $1,500 bass.

 

[pedroims]

Ah, I failed to understand that you are saying that you and only you may determine what features add value to bass quality or sound. My mistake.

You are free to believe that Geddy's signature in the headstock fix the dead spot problems.

 

[rocksmoot]

I say this with all the love I have for my bass playing brethren, but you guys will understand these issues better if you'd just go open a lemonade stand and try to make a little money on it.

 

[Huge]

There is alot of true on your word. But because I dont like to be call a fool I need to say that you are crazy

That's fair.

Sorry, I disagree.

Also fair.

It doesn't change the fact that sometimes Brand A's prices are set higher in order to make consumers draw parallels between the low quality stuff Brand A makes, and the higher quality stuff Brand B makes and sells at the same price point.

A higher price simply does not necessarily mean better quality.

 

[elBandito]

Gibson: If it's expensive, it must be good.

 

[Huge]

Humans aren't easily fooled.

If you say so.

 

[rocksmoot]

Humans aren't easily fooled. Every so often you get companies that succeed in playing the premium pricing game (Budweiser), but the vast majority of manufacturers have to compete hard for market share. Try starting your own company with a "low qualty but premium pricing" strategy and see how long you last.


Price has everything to do with quality and sound. We're not talking about a $50 difference on a $900 bass. We're talking about orders of magnitude. The differences between a $300 bass and a $1,500 bass.

Now we're getting somewhere.

I wouldn't say higher price always means better, but in general it usually does. At the end of it all, though, no one is forcing anybody to buy these products. You are absolutely free to buy an SX and groove on. But while you're shopping for that awesome SX tone monster, take note of the different pricing tiers they use...

 

[topo morto]

Humans aren't easily fooled.

Well apparently you can't fool them all, all of the time... but still...

 

[elBandito]

Humans are very easily fooled. People will risk their own lives rejecting real modern medicine, and believing in alternative medicine quackery. aaand religion still exists in 2014?

 

[smcd]

Give me an example of a bass guitar that is higher priced but is of lower quality than it's competition.

If you're going to say "Fender", don't bother replying.

 

[smcd]

If you say so.

You must be a millionaire, then. You've figured out how to dupe the public, where nearly all others fail.

 

[Major Softie]

Humans aren't easily fooled.

Just saying that shows that you have been.

The entire history of consumer products in the USA shows your statement to be untrue. Every consumer protection law and consumer fraud law exists only to stop people who where successfully fooling the public.

I really can't even believe you made this statement.

 

[rocksmoot]

That's fair.


Also fair.

It doesn't change the fact that sometimes Brand A's prices are set higher in order to make consumers draw parallels between the low quality stuff Brand A makes, and the higher quality stuff Brand B makes and sells at the same price point.

A higher price simply does not necessarily mean better quality.

Sometimes they don't, I agree. But not always, or even mostly. I can't comment on your example because I'm unfamiliar with company A. I will say that it's a company's sacred duty to charge the maximum price that people will pay for a given product, and it's much easier to do that when it's easy for customers to seethe difference in value.

 

[smcd]

Humans are very easily fooled. People will risk their own lives rejecting real modern medicine, and believing in alternative medicine quackery. aaand religion still exists in 2014?

99.99% of the public embrace modern medicine. Religion helps far more people than it harms. You seemed to have been easily fooled by the people who led you to believe otherwise.

 

[Major Softie]

Humans aren't easily fooled.

Just saying that shows that you have been.

The entire history of consumer products in the USA shows your statement to be untrue. Every consumer protection law and consumer fraud law exists only to stop people who where successfully fooling the public.

Did you notice exactly how the Wall Street/Banks meltdown occurred? The Savings and Loan Scandal?

I really can't even believe you made this statement.

 

[rocksmoot]

Humans are very easily fooled. People will risk their own lives rejecting real modern medicine, and believing in alternative medicine quackery. aaand religion still exists in 2014?

That's true enough. PT Barnum was dead right. But the bass players among those people will likely have no problem seeing the difference in value between a Sqiuer and a MIA PBass.