Fender Custom Shop prices are SOARING!

[Mister Magic]

I recently sent a build request through a local guitar store for a FCS bass. The design wasn’t too crazy…a P-Bass in candy apple red with a matching headstock, ebony fingerboard, roasted maple neck, handwound pickups, 21 frets.

The quote came back at $10,590 and a 24-30 month wait.

FYI, I got a quote on this almost identical build from Fender just over 4 years ago for $4043 with a 6-8 month wait.

I’m obviously not buying it because I find the price to be outrageous. I’m also perplexed as to why it is so expensive.

I would have paid ~$6k for it. I’d feel dumb paying $10k for that instrument, even though it is my dream bass and I have no problem coming up with the money.

Is Fender publicly held? If so, I should buy a large number of shares.

 

[DrummerwStrings]

I recently sent a build request through a local guitar store for a FCS bass. The design wasn’t too crazy…a P-Bass in candy apple red with a matching headstock, ebony fingerboard, roasted maple neck, handwound pickups, 21 frets.

The quote came back at $10,590 and a 24-30 month wait.

FYI, I got a quote on this almost identical build from Fender just over 4 years ago for $4043 with a 6-8 month wait.

I’m obviously not buying it because I find the price to be outrageous. I’m also perplexed as to why it is so expensive.

I would have paid ~$6k for it. I’d feel dumb paying $10k for that instrument, even though it is my dream bass and I have no problem coming up with the money.

Is Fender publicly held? If so, I should buy a large number of shares.

Well, there IS a global pandemic affecting staffing, supply chains, & other things. Plus there’s a war in Eastern Europe that’s spiking fuel (& grain) prices...

Since you would have to wait 2+ years if you place the order today, how about saving your bass $, earn some interest, & see if things settle down in April 2024?

Of course, no guarantee things won’t be worse...

Keep an eye out on the used market in the meantime.

 

[Snert]

Apart from the decal, I fail to see what you're getting from FCS for even $4k that you couldn't get from Warmoth for $1500, next month.

 

[Lammchop93]

Get a custom shop g&l for 1/4 of that cost. Better bass too.

 

[cataract]

$10,590 can buy you 21 brand new Classic Vibes. Wild stuff!

 

[kbakerde]

I recently sent a build request through a local guitar store for a FCS bass. The design wasn’t too crazy…a P-Bass in candy apple red with a matching headstock, ebony fingerboard, roasted maple neck, handwound pickups, 21 frets.

The quote came back at $10,590 and a 24-30 month wait.

FYI, I got a quote on this almost identical build from Fender just over 4 years ago for $4043 with a 6-8 month wait.

I’m obviously not buying it because I find the price to be outrageous. I’m also perplexed as to why it is so expensive.

I would have paid ~$6k for it. I’d feel dumb paying $10k for that instrument, even though it is my dream bass and I have no problem coming up with the money.

Is Fender publicly held? If so, I should buy a large number of shares.

Sounds like you were quoted a Masterbuilt.

Im working on a quote that’s looking like less than half of that. Call Teddy at Make ‘n Music to put you up a quote. He’s a good guy to work with.

Main things I could see increasing cost is the Roasted Maple neck and Ebony FB, but not nearly that much.

 

[Silky Johnson]

Ya I don't think I could live with myself getting ripped off that hard no matter how easily I could technically afford it

 

[captainofsmooth]

Apart from the decal, I fail to see what you're getting from FCS for even $4k that you couldn't get from Warmoth for $1500, next month.

Next month? You’ve obviously never ordered something custom from Warmoth.

 

[Chrisk-K]

After reading the OP’s post, I no longer find Fodera or Ritter too expensive.

 

[J Wilson]

I recently sent a build request through a local guitar store for a FCS bass. The design wasn’t too crazy…a P-Bass in candy apple red with a matching headstock, ebony fingerboard, roasted maple neck, handwound pickups, 21 frets.

The quote came back at $10,590 and a 24-30 month wait.

FYI, I got a quote on this almost identical build from Fender just over 4 years ago for $4043 with a 6-8 month wait.

I’m obviously not buying it because I find the price to be outrageous. I’m also perplexed as to why it is so expensive.

I would have paid ~$6k for it. I’d feel dumb paying $10k for that instrument, even though it is my dream bass and I have no problem coming up with the money.

Is Fender publicly held? If so, I should buy a large number of shares.

There's nothing in that request you couldn't get done in many other ways for WAY less than 11 grand. Honestly, this sounds like a 'please go away' quote to me, and tells me they're over-booked, under-staffed, as well as battling supply shortages and very long lead times.

You'd be hard-pressed to spend 2 grand with Warmoth wood, first-rate paint, and top shelf electronics and hardware.

 

[RichterScale]

Wow, it cost $8000 to roast a neck blank?

 

[Grinderman]

I've got my own custom shop at home and my bass, built here exactly how I wanted, cost me a small fraction of what you were quoted.

Show us your "parts basses"

 

[REV]

Think about how many gigs you would have to play to pay for that bass. With Fender it's always a crap shoot. You have no way of knowing if you're going to like the bass when it is finally delivered. It may have the features you've asked for but you won't know how it plays until you get it and then it's too late. There are so many builders out there who make really good basses for reasonable prices. Besides where would you feel comfortable playing a $10,000 bass?

 

[Gizmot]

Get a custom shop g&l for 1/4 of that cost. Better bass too.

Amen! G&Ls are much better!

 

[Huw Phillips]

I looked at buying a neck round Christmas and was horrified by the prices in general and bought wood for $125 but fender were the biggest offender

 

[GodsLove66]

At that price….I’ll get the actual vintage thing instead…or go for an Alembic

 

[Snert]

Next month? You’ve obviously never ordered something custom from Warmoth.

Is it going to take them 24-30mo? Somehow I doubt it.

 

[captainofsmooth]

Is it going to take them 24-30mo? Somehow I doubt it.

Definitely took almost a year for my most recent order… not two years, but also not a month.

 

[direktor]

There's a ton of opportunistic pricing going on out there, for vendors too busy and not really caring if they scare people away.

I've seen quotes for $13k lift gates that were $8k in 2019 (price for the actual lift gate from the Manu went up maybe 5-7% since then), and repairs for Viking range at $3950 and $1980 for the same work, same parts. The $3950 one, they acted like a breakdown was a pain in their ass, of course.

With things as busy as they are, people are just quoting crazy poopie and seeing what sticks.

 

[Snert]

With things as busy as they are, people are just quoting crazy poopie and seeing what sticks.

I can see how that would be, but is it in the best long term interests of the brand? If I were interested in something and they were just opportunistically gouging like some are now, when it settles down in a couple of years, that brand would get struck off my potential list. And I'd let them know why.