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Fender going up again? Or just a sales gimmick?
- Thread starter petrus61
- Start date
So I should assume he was correct in saying all Fenders were taking a price jump? I'm going to comb over some more sources to try and see if that is the case. I mean Fender JUST had an increase. I'll call around, maybe contact Beaver and get to the bottom of it. If anyone has an inside line on a possible hike, it would be great to know.
Ok, so I just got off the phone with Bass Central and got two answers. I asked if the US Standards were slated to go up in the near future:
BC: No, they already went up to $1249
Me: someone there yesterday told me all of the fenders were going up.
BC: They are
Looooooong pause
Me: Hello?
BC: Yes?
Me: Are they going up or aren't they?
BC: They are
another loooong pause
Me: Hello?
BC: Yes?
Me: So they are going up from $1249 to what?
BC: $1399
Me: Ok, thanks for your help
This was one sales rep, not two. Now I'm more confused. That really sucks if the standards are going up that much.
Edit: The rep I spoke with did not know anything about the new AVRI line. Waiting on a call back from Matt at Sweetwater to confirm the sad news. Damn it, Fender!
BC: No, they already went up to $1249
Me: someone there yesterday told me all of the fenders were going up.
BC: They are
Looooooong pause
Me: Hello?
BC: Yes?
Me: Are they going up or aren't they?
BC: They are
another loooong pause
Me: Hello?
BC: Yes?
Me: So they are going up from $1249 to what?
BC: $1399
Me: Ok, thanks for your help
This was one sales rep, not two. Now I'm more confused. That really sucks if the standards are going up that much.
Edit: The rep I spoke with did not know anything about the new AVRI line. Waiting on a call back from Matt at Sweetwater to confirm the sad news. Damn it, Fender!
Why are you spending time dealing with a place like this? If you know what you want, it should take you 15 minutes to wrap up a deal. Call Musician's Friend, Music123, get prices, go back to the person who gave you the higher price and see if they'll beat the other's offer. They probably will, then place an order. It's not complicated.
What do you mean "Damn it, Fender"? Do you think Fender WANTS to raise prices in a down economy? Do you think they can leave prices the way they are indefinitely in the face of rising health care, salaries, and insurance costs?
No, I don't think Fender "wants" to raise prices, I was being sarcastic with the canned "dammit Fender!" Everyone likes to throw around. Am I happy about it being that I plan on buying one in a couple weeks? No. I was confused because they just had an increase and was trying to determine whether Bass Central was using a sales gimmick. I'm still confused, mostly by the conflicting responses I got on one question, during one phone call, with one sales rep. But I'm sure they would know, being such a big Fender dealer. On the other hand, Sweetwater says while price increases are always a real possibility, there is nothing on their radar as of now to any Fender increases...and they sell quite a few too, while BC said the increase was coming in three days from yesterday. Who knows who is privileged to divulge that info and who isn't. So I'm closer to having my two questions answered but I guess we won't know till it happens but according to some, I'm wise to take BC's word on it.
You seem to be eager to give BC the benefit of the doubt. Personally, BC's actions don't sound straight to me. If you were dealing with a car dealer that acted that way, do you think you'd have bothered giving them a 2nd call?
I'm not sure about nicknames at Bass Central, but Beaver Felton was Beaver long before Bass Central came about as far as I know. He had instruction videos out back in the early 80s. Didn't he also have some sort of ridiculous guitar glove thing that he sold for a time too?
As far as Fender prices, I wouldn't be surprised at another increase. They are publicly owned. Share holders don't invest to maintain the same amount of money. They invest so that their money GROWS. It's all about growth. Making the exact same amount of money as last year is not good enough. You have to grow, or you have to go. In other words, if the CEO can't bring about growth, he's fired and they get someone else.
Sales guys are given conflicting information all the time. They probably get an email every 20 minutes announcing a new policy, new pricing, new special order rules, new information from vendors, etc. The second guy got caught between to pieces of conflicting info. I don't think it's a ploy at Bass Central.
As far as Fender prices, I wouldn't be surprised at another increase. They are publicly owned. Share holders don't invest to maintain the same amount of money. They invest so that their money GROWS. It's all about growth. Making the exact same amount of money as last year is not good enough. You have to grow, or you have to go. In other words, if the CEO can't bring about growth, he's fired and they get someone else.
Sales guys are given conflicting information all the time. They probably get an email every 20 minutes announcing a new policy, new pricing, new special order rules, new information from vendors, etc. The second guy got caught between to pieces of conflicting info. I don't think it's a ploy at Bass Central.
I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt as far as providing what may be true info. Personally, I feel like Grasshopper came across as arrogant and the second sales rep just seemed stoned. Neither of them claimed any knowledge of the new AVRI's, and it was only after I noted that I was aware that the new ones were going up, did he imply that ALL Fenders were going up, including the leftover stock of old ones. He never mentioned that the old line had been discontinued, while the second rep thought the line had been phased out completely. I also noted that BC was one of the only retailers that didnt have blowout pricing on the old AVRI's while most every other one did, but that's their choice. I won't be buying anything from them just based on the phone conversations. The first call, I felt like I was being rushed while the second call was like talking to a stoned person. I just want to know what I'm in for come purchase time and I would have liked to give such a well praised place my business but they aren't the only game in town.
Yeah, but they shot themselves in the foot a few years ago when they jacked prices into the stratosphere. The market will control how far they can raise prices and still maintain sufficient growth to increase profits.
I love shiny new things as much as the next guy. That said I have been patient and found mint to excellent condition basses here on TB classifieds (and believe it or not E Bay).
In most cases the setups were better than off the rack or out of the box because they had actually been played.
Unless I commission a custom build I will probably never again buy brand new from anywhere and apply the money saved to my next bass.
In most cases the setups were better than off the rack or out of the box because they had actually been played.
Unless I commission a custom build I will probably never again buy brand new from anywhere and apply the money saved to my next bass.
Frank, I'm surprised, with the state of the economy, and with all of the great used equipment out there, that there is any real market for new stuff at the moment.
There are more brand new condition used Fenders out there than you can shake a stick at, so there is no need to pay new prices if you don't want to.
I would like to get over it and be the type that can buy used online, or even here at TB, but I can't...it's a personal problem. Ill buy used if I can thoroughly play, inspect and return if need be, but that isn't the case mostly.There's a market for new because of saps like me who like a return policy and the piece of mind knowing that if something goes wrong, it will be amended. I don't mind paying extra for that. The world doesn't revolve around Fender, but shouldn't an authorized dealer on the scale of BC be privy to the latest news? I asked both times for someone to help me specifically with Fender questions. The first time I got Grasshopper, the second time I got the other guy. They were either pretending not to know about the new RI's, or really did not know, which I find hard to believe. The experience just soured me because of the noob treatment I got. No big deal. Just a little surprising given all the praise. In my business (wine) I treat all my customers like experts and keep them informed and educate instead of take advantage of them when they don't know any better. That's how you get repeat customers.
It has been my experience (both personal and word of mouth) that BassCentral is a first class operation. Maybe they were having a bad day or got confused, who knows. I think you are making too big of a deal out of this. There are plenty of places online that sell new Fenders, so just move along to the next dealer.
A couple things:
1. I find that I often know more about new products than my local dealers because I read TB and other sources of music news. I don't think I should know more than dealers and their salesmen, but I often do. It's not necessarily that they're being deceitful.
2. If prices do go up, I too recommend waiting to see how they shake out. I was able to get a new 2010 P and J on separate occasions for about $1k, even though the usual discount prices were a couple hundred higher, just by biding my time. Also got a new 2012 Jade Jazz Bass with the CS pickups for $1k when GC decided it had gone unsold long enough and gave me a deal.
1. I find that I often know more about new products than my local dealers because I read TB and other sources of music news. I don't think I should know more than dealers and their salesmen, but I often do. It's not necessarily that they're being deceitful.
2. If prices do go up, I too recommend waiting to see how they shake out. I was able to get a new 2010 P and J on separate occasions for about $1k, even though the usual discount prices were a couple hundred higher, just by biding my time. Also got a new 2012 Jade Jazz Bass with the CS pickups for $1k when GC decided it had gone unsold long enough and gave me a deal.
It's no big deal at all. I could care less about their phone skills or salesmanship at the end of the day. They have their own little thing going and people seem to love the place, so more power to them. I'm more concerned about the price jump but it isn't going to make or break me. I found the exchange with those guys odd and unpleasant, so what? Trust me, it's not life or death for me, just a little frustration and interest in what others had to say about it or what info I could glean. It's a discussion forum so I thought the topic would be of interest to Fender fans like myself.
Agreed. It only goes so far, and when it reaches the peak, that's when heads roll, crazy decisions get made, and usually the end isn't far behind. It's corporate history for sure. I hope that either Fender in it's current form survives, or at least another American company buys it. But really it doesn't look good to me for them at all. Once a company can't grow any more (profit wise) they usually start to make really REALLY bad decisions in a desperate attempt to keep share holders from jumping ship. I love our system. It's the best on Earth by leaps and bounds. But it is, after all, run by humans. So ultimately some companies we like get driven into the ground by dummies. I honestly give Fender 2 to 5 years tops (maybe even less). THEN how much will a 2013 P bass go for????? Oy!
Of the standards get stupid in price, might just bite the bullet and get the sonic blue '63. This is still all just speculation till Fender (or some trigger happy retailers) say otherwise. This seems to happen to me every year. I save up enough or use my bonus to get a
great bass and a month before ready to jump,
The price goes up. I hate buying high ticket basses from MF because of their tendency to ship out flawed instruments, but I may have to roll the dice this time if they offer their 15% off when buying time comes for me. That'd
get me a new 2013 AVRI for about $1700. Lets see if I can take that quote to the specialty shops or Sweetwater for a match. Ill probably just be inpatient and plunk down the 2 G's though...
great bass and a month before ready to jump,
The price goes up. I hate buying high ticket basses from MF because of their tendency to ship out flawed instruments, but I may have to roll the dice this time if they offer their 15% off when buying time comes for me. That'd
get me a new 2013 AVRI for about $1700. Lets see if I can take that quote to the specialty shops or Sweetwater for a match. Ill probably just be inpatient and plunk down the 2 G's though...
