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Fender MiM Rumors true?
- Thread starter J. Crawford
- Start date
Ouch...
But I just directly quoted those prices from the BP mag, so they are MSRP.
IMO thats still insane for a MiM bass.
That's the rub. Fender can increase its list prices (and even its wholesale) prices as much as it wants. The price that they actually sell for is determined by what people are willing to pay.
If I remember the whole supply and demand thing correctly - the prices will only go up if there is less supply and/or more demand and/or no attractive alternatives to Fender MIMs.
Less supply - perhaps, I'm not privy to Fender's production projections. This would fit in with the theory that they want to make the Squier line look more attractive by comparison.
More demand - again perhaps, but I have my doubts that the improvements are enough to offset the "tapped out American consumer" and from what I hear are his/her tapped out Canadian, Mexican, European, Asian, etc counterparts around the world.
No attractive alternatives - definitely not, new MIMs compete with new Ibanez, Peavey, Yamaha, and a whole host of other companies that produce similar basses at a lower price; they compete with SX and used MIMs that are pretty similar at much lower prices; they even compete with used US and used CIJ or MIK Fenders; used MusicMan SUBs, the list goes on.
If Rickenbacker can do it, why not Fender? They probably feel that they should be getting some of that money.
The MIM price increases could be due to currency fluctuations - that's a big reason why Asian basses (G&L Tributes, for example) jumped significantly in price.
The local Fender dealer told me it is going to be 20% - 50%. Thank God I don't have any Fender GAS at this time.
you know what rumor i heard about MIM fenders? they're actually not made in mexico but in canada
I'm definitely not saying the MIM Fender stuff sucks - it's actually quite good, for the most part.. However..
A price hike like that is absolutely ridiculous. The MIM stuff was always a solid alternative to buying the (IMHO overpriced) MIA Fenders, but that's because they were feature-laden, quality instruments at a great value. Now that they've widened the gap, here's what I see happening:
1) Demand for used MIA Fenders will increase, and prices for those will rise dramatically.
2) Lakland will sell even more Skylines.
3) Fender will sell a buttload more Squiers.
4) Used MIM Fenders will flood the marketplace.
5) The Highway One line will suffer a massive identity crisis and either be overhauled (again), take the MIA Fender's place on the price list, or be phased out completely.
Kudos, Fender..
A price hike like that is absolutely ridiculous. The MIM stuff was always a solid alternative to buying the (IMHO overpriced) MIA Fenders, but that's because they were feature-laden, quality instruments at a great value. Now that they've widened the gap, here's what I see happening:
1) Demand for used MIA Fenders will increase, and prices for those will rise dramatically.
2) Lakland will sell even more Skylines.
3) Fender will sell a buttload more Squiers.
4) Used MIM Fenders will flood the marketplace.
5) The Highway One line will suffer a massive identity crisis and either be overhauled (again), take the MIA Fender's place on the price list, or be phased out completely.
Kudos, Fender..
MIM prices might also be shifting because Mexico seems to be on the brink of total meltdown... I don't know. I have to think that if they are going to raise their MIM prices, they will raise their MIA prices by a similar amount, even if cost to produce has not gone up; Prices at large firms like Fender are almost always driven by marketing decisions, not cost of goods decisions.
Well, they did move that "Made in Mexico" stigma to the back of the headstock -- that raised the value with that move right there...
In my opinion, all Fenders except for the Squiers are over priced. They are pretty basic, mostly passive, bolt on basses. I am not saying they are a bad bass as clearly they are not, but I think they are over rated and over priced.
I think the point has come and gone where the price has been going up and its not like the quality is changing with it. To keep increasing the price for an insanely mass production bass at that large of a price increase is crazy. I would just shop for another bass..just my 2 cents
Price increases are dependent on many issues that are not even remotely related to the actual value or quality of the product. Much of the time they are related to actual cost of doing business, not the perceived value of the product. Employee insurance benefits, shipping and freight, raw materials, steel, paint, etc. have all risen in the past few months. I suppose they could keep the prices the same, lose money, and go bankrupt like many companies that were thriving just a year ago.
IMO they're very strong basses and well worth upgrading. My MIM Deluxe P-bass is one of my favorite players right now and is comparable to my P/J Sadowsky tonally. Granted I've modded the heck out of it and shimmed the neck, it's still a great player.
As it's been stated, these basses will sell for a fair bit below MSRP.
As it's been stated, these basses will sell for a fair bit below MSRP.
Maybe 20-25%, 30% if you're lucky, maybe 40% if you're friends with the owner of the store.
So...if you don't want to pay for new instruments..go..I dunno..USED?
It's not that hard of a choice.
That's how I've gotten my basses, and I've only paid 315 bucks..(somewhere near that, anyhow..)
And that was for a 2000 Fender MIM P-Bass (hybrid w/ USA parts), an old Moridira Hurricane (the not cruddy one), and a
'77 Electra Outlaw MPC which has yet to be delivered.
It's not that hard of a choice.
That's how I've gotten my basses, and I've only paid 315 bucks..(somewhere near that, anyhow..)
And that was for a 2000 Fender MIM P-Bass (hybrid w/ USA parts), an old Moridira Hurricane (the not cruddy one), and a
'77 Electra Outlaw MPC which has yet to be delivered.
