Fender Custom Shop prices are SOARING!

[AlexanderB]

Capitalism is not "evil". How could it be? I offer something you want, you are willing to pay an amount I accept, we trade, and we are both better off.
Involving the state in this, and all bets are off.

To most people “capitalism” is just a way to complain that everything isn’t free[/QUOTE]

Could you please see if you could fix the quote? It looks like I am stating "evil capitalism". Thanks!

 

[RichterScale]

I don't know the first thing about the current Fender operation or the custom stuff, other than what you folks are telling me right now, but it's starting to sound an awful lot like the auto dealership structure.
I agree with shopping around for different dealers to work with.

 

[tb-player]

Ordering through a retailer adds a markup. Always do custom builds directly from the builder, if possible. I’ve done this a number of times and direct from the builder is significantly less expensive.

 

[AlexanderB]

Fender, Ernie Ball Music Man as well as several others are becoming impossible to afford. We are headed for demand destruction.

I am not so sure about that. However, they are rather becoming collector items, rather than going into the hands of younger players. I guess the second hand market will be flooded a few years from now.

 

[truand85]

Ordering through a retailer adds a markup. Always do custom builds directly from the builder, if possible. I’ve done this a number of times and direct from the builder is significantly less expensive.

Depends on the builder I think. I just put a down payment through a dealer for a custom build Nash and the price matched the ones I find brand new online.

 

[wysiwyg248]

I was not aware of these astronomical prices, $10k for a P-Bass is bordeline ridiculous.
If you are looking for an excellent Jazz bass, specially passive I'd say try a Suhr. I've played many and never got dissapointed. Relative to Fender Custom Shop, I own several -all bought second hand- but have not experienced this same consistency on their instruments, except for a Master build and a couple of old Cunettos.
Disclaimer: I never ordered a new instrument from the FCS, and at this pricing probably never will. In any case, what is the big fuzz with roasted necks? Do they smell like barbacue?

 

[boombloom]

Basses are like any other commodity. They are only worth what people are willing to pay. It's your decision.

 

[kbakerde]

I was not aware of these astronomical prices, $10k for a P-Bass is bordeline ridiculous.
If you are looking for an excellent Jazz bass, specially passive I'd say try a Suhr. I've played many and never got dissapointed. Relative to Fender Custom Shop, I own several -all bought second hand- but have not experienced this same consistency on their instruments, except for a Master build and a couple of old Cunettos.
Disclaimer: I never ordered a new instrument from the FCS, and at this pricing probably never will. In any case, what is the big fuzz with roasted necks? Do they smell like barbacue?

A lot of builders are doing them. I think they are lighter and more stable. But I could be incorrect.

Most players I think like them cause the roast process tends to darken the natural wood. We’re all suckers for the aesthetics.

 

[wysiwyg248]

Most players I think like them cause the roast process tends to darken the natural wood. We’re all suckers for the aesthetics.

Men are visual animals.

 

[6-3-2]

Another vote for G&L. I know someone who recently picked up a custom shop build from them and besides the fair price, the build is immaculate and everyone at the factory was extremely friendly. Included pick-ups wound on Leo's own machine too. You don't have to compromise to get a dream bass within your budget.

 

[Ace Of Bass]

Your text should have benefitted from some editing...
Honda and Toyota are some of largest producers of vehicles in the world, and also in the top level WRT quality.
As for samples and statistics.... I have played a number of basses, talked to MANY sales people about quality, discussed with band mates, read online and so on for 25 years. In spite of wanting to love (and buy) Fenders, I have several times walked into (different) shops, to buy ie a five string, or a fretless, or a regular Jazz bass, and walked out empty handed. Price was never the problem, badly built basses were.

In the same vein, I needed a short scale bass for a specific thing, tried three identical Ibanez TMB 30, and they were virtually indistinguishable from each other, and cost 220 Euros. Better assembled and better shielded than my 750 Euro Mustang...
Same goes for the MIC Squier CV Jazz basses, maybe the most consistent bass model I have tried. They ALL basically felt, played and sounded the same.

With Fenders, I can pick down 3 from the wall, all have issues, and they feel as different as they came from different manufacturers.
Still, I do own some Fender basses, but it took a lot of trial, and one is not really that good after all.

I’m sure it could have..I’m sitting here in the sun at my kids game without my glasses..recipe for disaster..! To keep this one super short, mileage is literally going to vary…the Toyota RAV4 is owned before my Challenger was hands down one of the worst cars I’ve ever owned, and I’ve had a Saturn and a Pontiac.! and this is coming from being in a family that was all Toyota since the early 80s…we all find what works well for us in the end (hopefuls) and often we come to different conclusions..there is no absolute in product production…I’m just glad all My basses are excellent, no matter how imperfect they actually are..

 

[RichterScale]

what is the big fuzz with roasted necks? Do they smell like barbacue?

They stay crunchy in milk.

First and foremost, it's aesthetics. It's a way to darken the wood all the way through, opposed to a surface stain. It does change the structural properties somewhat, but I can't speak to that. I'm sure there's lots of anecdotes as to how it affects tone, yada yada, but primarily it's to turn light wood, dark.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

I really like roasted necks. Stability and it acts like vintage wood out of the box. Some luthiers don't like it because it can be more brittle.

 

[truand85]

A lot of builders are doing them. I think they are lighter and more stable. But I could be incorrect.

Most players I think like them cause the roast process tends to darken the natural wood. We’re all suckers for the aesthetics.

My understanding is that roasting maple makes it less stable (though with maple it's no big deal), but the goal is to prematurely age the wood by roasting to get a darker look and an arguably more "vintage" tone.

 

[pbassnut]

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.

As much as I love Fender basses, I can't see myself ever spending that kind of money on a bass (even if I had money to burn). 10K for a bass is just plain silly ... particularly for a simple bolt-on neck design.

 

[Mantis Tobaggan]

I got mine in 2020 for about 3800. They said it would be a 9 month wait but it was more like 5. Definitely a keeper.

View attachment 4675948

Actually. The one I bought in 2020 is CHEAPER lol!

Fender Custom Shop 1962 Precision Bass, Journeyman Relic - Sonic Blue with Rosewood Fingerboard

 

[IanStephenson]

Capitalism is not "evil". How could it be? I offer something you want, you are willing to pay an amount I accept, we trade, and we are both better off.
Involving the state in this, and all bets are off.

You're taking me way to seriously/literally here... its a bass. I wouldn't/couldn't pay $10k for a bass but if FCS want to charge that and someone wants to pay for it then that's their call. Maybe they could increase production to meet demand and make more money that way but there's not really much of an ethical dimension here.

There are certainly aspects of capitalism that could be called evil (cheap medicines that cost pennies to produce, sell for $5 in most countries, but cost $500 in the USA because apparently people are willing to pay a lot not to die!) but we're talking about an overpriced bass guitar!

 

[Hambone70]

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.

A bit sad, but you can buy the decals, too.

 

[rashrader]

Supply and Demand. It’s really that simple.

 

[mdogs]

This thread should be a sticky for representing so many things that are wrong with TB:

-every thread eventually turns to Fender bashing
-people don’t read the thread
-people makes uninformed comments on issues they clearly don’t understand
-Fender bashing
-People make way too many non-sensical analogies:

That's the equivalent of McDonald's charging $100 for a big Mac because you ordered a bun with no seeds and extra onions and it's called the master chef edition on the menu. And you have wait 6 hrs to get it.
Um, what?

-Did I say Fender bashing