You know, if people could stay on topic there would be a lot less fluff to discuss here. I am very tolerant of the deviation even when people are using it to slag me. Count your blessings.
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Fender Bass prices???
- Thread starter Metalbasspro
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You know, if people could stay on topic there would be a lot less fluff to discuss here. I am very tolerant of the deviation even when people are using it to slag me. Count your blessings.
Yep.
It's about as subjective as "What's the best this for that?" or "Does this really effect that?" kind of questions.
Funny you used Nebraska as an example, I lived there for 16 years.
A couple years ago I was looking at a piece of land in central Georgia that was listed @ $2000 more than I bought my house for. My property is a 1/4 acre.
That property was @ 67 acres with 6 inch well and electric already run and connected to the property. Roughly 268 times more land for a couple thousand dollars more. It sold for roughly $3000 less than I purchased mine for.
Metaphorically:
When I walked into that "shop" I just knew I was going to buy that "instrument". After serious, serious evaluation on every possible aspect I could think of, along with a very close voice of reason, I stayed with the "inferior product".
The morale is:
"He who stands on toilet gets high on pot."
If I were to sell my "inferior instrument" I would not be losing money
My point is many fold.
-You can spend a lot on very little or very little on a lot.
-Return on investment is not guaranteed.
-If your patient and shop enough you can find what you want/"need".
-I have spent a whole lot more money for a whole lot less (not specific to bass). I now prefer to keep my bills paid. You know the stuff that matters. A roof, food...being essentially debt free. (BTW Congrats Gorn Captain on your recent zero balance achievement.)
-The money I have spent over the years, for basses/guitars/amps and various musical paraphernalia, which compared to some of youse (intentional) guys ain't much. I could buy maybe 4 new American Standards. (Today's prices).
Oddly enough when I was in my late teen's and early twenties I had zero money for bills and responsibility. I had all kinds of money for toys and partying. To be fair though I really had no clue or even questioned/cared why this instrument was so much more than that instrument. My mentality then was "...hey fidy bucks for a 1/4 sack of weed and/plus maybe a hit of LSD.".
Matter of maturity and perspective I suppose. I don't know? "I don't Want To Grow Up" but the reality is... .
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Whoa there.
So far you've given mostly anecdotal and less-than-honest ranting. I was giving you the benefit of the doubt and genuinely trying to understand your position in an honest discussion.
You want Fender to make sure American Standards "should be priced so that the average Jo can own a few". I'm an "average Jo". In fact, you'd be hard-pressed to find a more "average Jo" than me. I can afford a new American Standard Precision with a little saving and sound money management. My read on this is that you're pissed because you can't because reasons, and somehow that's Fender's/retailer's/anybody else's fault. I was simply asking clarification from you; perhaps I was wrong.
Know what though? Nevermind. Carry on.
This. ^^^^
DiabolusInMusic
Functionless Art is Merely Tolerated Vandalism
OMG - parallel universes do exist. I was just on a Gibson price bashing thread and now this!!!
My advice to the OP - maybe you can trade some of that silver you made a windfall profit on to buy a new fender bass. Oh wait, you lost money on the silver. Maybe you'd be further ahead if you invested in used Fender basses, they seem to hold value ok, better than silver that is.
I was just on a Gibson price bashing thread and now this!!!
My advice to the OP - maybe you can trade some of that silver you made a windfall profit on to buy a new fender bass. Oh wait, you lost money on the silver. Maybe you'd be further ahead if you invested in used Fender basses, they seem to hold value ok, better than silver that is.
Just to set the record straight At current silver prices I am not losing any money. I bought most of it in 2006 and the prices are not that low yet. My militaria has not done bad either.
I have 36,000 in the bank but I did not get it there by making poor choices. Fender's game is to get their customer to part with their hard earned money and that won't happen at current prices. I saw they put out the American special proving they can do it but like someone said Fender likes money more then making instruments to put in the hands of musicians.
Talking about the amount of money you have is often considered to be in poor taste.
Clearly you have a problem with Fender and how they conduct their business. Why do you give them your money at all? Why not stick with Jackson?
You have money in a bank? Don't you know that bank exists only to use your money to make money? Capitalist pigs...
I think today a lot of the Squier and Fender Mexico stuff is very close if not equal or in some cases superior to US made Fenders. That wasn't the case in the past. If you want a good quality Fender you can chose between a lot of different models between 300,- and 1.200,-.
If it has to be made in the US for you or it hast to be a model that is only produced in the US, you have to pay the extra money.
I understand that espescially younger musicians or musicians at all don't have that much money and the prices for US Fenders are very high for them.
But at least one cannot assert that you can't buy a high quality Fender instrument for less than 1.000,-.
So where is the problem?
If it has to be made in the US for you or it hast to be a model that is only produced in the US, you have to pay the extra money.
I understand that espescially younger musicians or musicians at all don't have that much money and the prices for US Fenders are very high for them.
But at least one cannot assert that you can't buy a high quality Fender instrument for less than 1.000,-.
So where is the problem?
Then why do us Canadians have to pay the same?Where I live, a new American Standard P Bass costs between AUD2400 - 3000, which as at today's exchange rate equals USD1700 - 2100. But that's the price you pay for living in the best place in the world
I kid, but only kindof - I have always said Australia is just like Canada (as far as having all the good stuff of the West and much less of the bad stuff of the US) but with MUCH better weather - and overall cooler animals, though you are much less likely to die in Canada from stepping on a Beaver than virtually anything down under.
If this isn't just another "Fender is over-priced Troll post" the answer is this.
That's what you pay for an American Made instrument.
As far as the difference between the Special and the Standard are concerned - they are, in marketing terms, completely different products. The one is a relatively high end, semi-premium product with lots of upgrades from the run of the mill bass - improved bridge, better pickups, more technically advanced neck - and the other is a "value" product which is stripped down to reduce costs (still a great bass and probably would have been my choice if I had been shopping for a P in the last couple of years because I like the "classic-ness" of it) and then sold at a lower profit margin to bring in the customers who both want an American Fender but don't want to spend the money of the flagship model (or, like me want the more traditional design features).
Actually those faded Gibson SG basses were very inexpensive for USA made basses.
I saw a few places selling them super cheap (for Gibson). I think toward the end they were about $750 at one point.
Yep. I even saw quite a few go new at Guitar Center I think for $686. Weird number for a price, but cheap nonetheless.
Definitely one of those "if I had some extra money" moments.
@Metalbasspro, I already asked but I don't think you answered. What do you think is a reasonable price for an American Standard Fender bass? How much should Fender be charging for them?
