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fender price hike.. or not?

#22
Sgtthump said:
Could be, but I'm tellin' ya that Sam Ash had the prices listed higher and now they're back to being lower again. I know that for sure.
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The Perfect Bass, too. I suspect they thought everyone would raise prices on the Fender price increase date, but when other retailers didn't, they returned their prices to the former levels.

As retailers begin paying more for the'09 Fenders as they come in, retail prices are going to go up. I'd buy now if you want a Fender, 'cause the prices will go up. It's just a matter of when.
 
#23
Honestly, I figured this was just a temporary marketing ploy to boost sales in the short run. People resisted that thinking when I said this in an earlier pre-price hike post, but a price hike never made sense for Fender from a bottom-line perspective - the demand just isn't there right now.

The only thing that surprises me is how quickly the price has come back down! It's like they're not even pretending. Makes me want to go back GC and ask the salesman what's up with the Feb 1. price hike he tried to spook me with!
 
#24
Its all about elasticity and demand, to me (an Economics Major close to starting grad/doc school) it makes little sense. I can see the MIJ or CIJ basses going up due to the yen vs the dollar. But, I do not understand how its warrents a $400 increase in the geddy or marcus miller basses in little less than 3/4 years, if TB is a good representation of how the bass community buys its gear, we should see a considerable drop off in the sales which will lead to them having a higher supply of basses and thus lower prices cause no one wants to buy...i.e. the insane deals GC put out on some of the less demanded colors.
 
#25
I just checked Sweetwater and they want $1,480.00 for a left hand American Precision 4 string and showing a retail price of $1,850.00.
Musicians Friend is $1,150.00 for the same instrument. Guess I won't be ordering from Sweetwater anytime soon. That's a $330.00 jump in price. With the economy being what it is, I think buying used is the best way to go. The problem for me is there are not many Fender American P-basses for sale that I can find. I just had my American P-bass stolen from my church 3 weeks ago. It was a fantastic instrument. I had it refinished in Olympic white with a black pearloid pickguard and a Badass lll bridge. My heart is broken and now I have to find a replacement bass.
 
#27
The recent hike made it that much easier for me to shop for a used Jazz. I really wanted to patronize my local shop, but I would have had to pay the new prices (he's all out of last year's models on basses) by the time I had the cash. I spent a little more than I would have for the MIM Classic 70's Jazz, but got a beautiful MIA Jazz instead. Guess I'll have to buy some accessories at the local shop instead. I bought the last '08 MIM Strat they had for my son over the holidays and got in under the price hike.
 
#28
Balkan said:
Honestly, I figured this was just a temporary marketing ploy to boost sales in the short run. People resisted that thinking when I said this in an earlier pre-price hike post, but a price hike never made sense for Fender from a bottom-line perspective - the demand just isn't there right now.

The only thing that surprises me is how quickly the price has come back down! It's like they're not even pretending. Makes me want to go back GC and ask the salesman what's up with the Feb 1. price hike he tried to spook me with!
Click to expand...
Marketing ploy.:smug:

Marketing ploys aren't designed to damage a company's reputation, as a sizeable price increase will do everytime. I'm gonna go ahead and prescribe to the reasoning that the recent return to pre-Feb.1 pricing is temporary and only applies to the 2008 models.

Mike
 
#31
here's a thought: maybe they raised the prices and then implemented a secret 'dealer rebate'. sometimes these secret rebates can be 'incentivized' (i.e., tied to sales volume) at a particular location as well. some dealers may opt out of such an incentivized program.

later, ron
 
#32
Interesting. This could just be retailers moving back to the old prices till the old stock moves. Who knows. With all of the drama at Fender lately, with the sacking of the CEO and all, anything could be happening.

If they WERE dropping their pre-Feb 1 prices, you'd think that we'd have heard something official about it.
 
#33
Ello!

I am looking into this myself. I will be back shortly when I have an answer worth giving.

Johnny Rhum
P.S. If you ever see something out of line on the web site please call and let us know. If you have any questions at all(about music gear ;) ), feel free to call. Thanks.
 
#36
Sweetwater, Elderly and Best Buy have already raised prices and are holding at them. I would guess that the suggestions that some retailers are trying to hold at the old prices on current stock might be true. They'll probably go up when new stock comes in at the higher price.

Roger
 
#38
SundanceChile said:
Best Buy? :confused:
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Yes, Best Buy is in the musical instruments biz now. Not sure if all stores are participating, but mine has been stocking guitars, basses, amps, drums and P.A. stuff since last summer.

Major brands (Fender, Gibson, Ampeg, etc.) which surprised me but pricing at this one at least is nothing special... usually the same as the GC up the street. I haven't quite figured out what Best Buy's angle on the whole thing is, yet, since they don't really seem to be differentiating themselves on either merchandise or price. And frankly, I'm not sure how well they are going to do considering we already have a GC and two local shops to service an MSA of maybe, 200,000.

And the joke here anyway is that they can't be considered a "real" music store cause they don't have a bulletin board up :D
 
#39
jaywa said:
Yes, Best Buy is in the musical instruments biz now. Not sure if all stores are participating, but mine has been stocking guitars, basses, amps, drums and P.A. stuff since last summer.

Major brands (Fender, Gibson, Ampeg, etc.) which surprised me but pricing at this one at least is nothing special... usually the same as the GC up the street. I haven't quite figured out what Best Buy's angle on the whole thing is, yet, since they don't really seem to be differentiating themselves on either merchandise or price. And frankly, I'm not sure how well they are going to do considering we already have a GC and two local shops to service an MSA of maybe, 200,000.

And the joke here anyway is that they can't be considered a "real" music store cause they don't have a bulletin board up :D
Click to expand...

:eek: Blasphemy! If only the Best Buys nearby got some stock in for me to play with...:crying:
 
#40
There is no reason to discount a 2008 model where the 2009 model is exactly the same. It was different last year when the 2008 Fender American Standard was a brand new bass. But I doubt stores are going to distinguish between 2008 & 2009 otherwise.

mike_v_s said:
Marketing ploy.:smug:

Marketing ploys aren't designed to damage a company's reputation, as a sizeable price increase will do everytime. I'm gonna go ahead and prescribe to the reasoning that the recent return to pre-Feb.1 pricing is temporary and only applies to the 2008 models.

Mike
Click to expand...
 

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