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Fender price increase

#161
Snert said:
I have long stated that I think they are even more overpriced for what you get.

Not at all. I've owned a couple of Alembics and other expensive boutiques, purchased second hand at far more than a new MIA Fender or EBMM. I really liked them but chose to move them on for other financial reasons, not because I though they were bad.
FWIW, I don't 'hate' Fenders, I just don't think they're worth the money, couldn't care less about the history as a tool purchaser and don't find them comfortable ergonomically. I've stated this before more than once, but if you don't love them around here and/or think Leo is a god (capital G here only for the actual God) then some bring out the very loaded term 'hater'.

Note, the above would also apply to new EBMMs which I think are just silly money.

If I needed a P bass, especially for the aesthetics, I'd but a HB. Any work it needed I can do and I would still be better off than a new MIA by almost a factor of 10. It would not lose any particularly significant value in terms of actual $, do exactly the same job, and would have the benefit of annoying gear snobs.
So, not interested at all in paying for the name or legacy.

I've mentioned here I'm sure, that I had the opportunity to play a very expensive Gibson LP CS recently and was surprised how poor it was in FnF especially for the exalted price. There are plenty of clones I'd rather have for far less money, such as a FGG lawsuit era one (which I have).

If you love MIA instruments, Fender, EBMM or whatever and are happy to pay for them and fell you're getting a lot out of that, wonderful, I honestly hope they bring you joy. Just don't assume all of us feel the same way, and try not to get your panties in a twist when we express it, and can find an equivalent tool for much less money.
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I know everything from California cost more. New York seems to be even more costly. I’m happy to pay Ernie Ball MusicMan prices because you no one builds a better StingRay than they do . Their QC is top notch and it rivals boutique quality. Even the boutique builders don’t build them better or capture “ that MusicMan StingRay bounce”. Not to mention the features , weight reduction , finish options, ect.
I feel like I get my moneys with and a lot more. Paying more for a boutique or less for an import won’t bring me the same product.

If the MusicMan sound and feel isn’t that important to you , I can see not seeing the value in it.

That is why we have options. People are willing to pay more for what is valuable to them. :)
 
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#163
Snert said:
I don't see it at all, nor the value, but I know you love yours and I'm glad for that.
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Full disclosure :
I have been able to get some good deals used , and I get great deals from my local Mom and Pop . Sweetwater also gave me free overnight shipping on my last one. So I have been more than happy to spend my money on my basses.

I see great value in other makers as well, but they aren’t exactly what Im after. So I stick with what works for me.
 
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#164
We vote with our wallets. Its the only power we have to control this and even that is limited.

I could have bought 3 Squier basses during the ProAudioStar sale for what I paid for the Player series I bought. Did I waste my money? That depends on how we define our terms and what the end goal was. If I just wanted "a bass" then I certainly did. If I wanted the "biggest bang for the buck", I certainly did. If I wanted maximum versatility I certainly wasted my money since I could have had a Jazz, a Precision and a fretless for the same money.

That was not what I wanted. What I wanted was something as close to an old P bass as I could get for the budget I had. The Player had the right woods, what I consider to be better hardware and possibly better pickups. It was also on sale which also put it within reach. We can debate build quality, whether wood type matters etc all we want but in the end we all have to make the same assessment of what we have to spend vs what meets our requirements the best vs our willingness to part with our money to get it.
 
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#167
MonetBass said:
This is a fact. Other manufacturers may not immediately, but will very soon. And probably won't tell you beforehand.
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Likely true but Fender is a more complex question I suspect in so far as I don't think mfg costs drive their pricing at this point. I think they are trying to find the tipping point where higher prices actually impact units sold to maximize profits.
 
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#170
LadyLoveStingRay5 said:
I know everything from California cost more. New York seems to be even more costly. I’m happy to pay Ernie Ball MusicMan prices because you no one builds a better StingRay than they do . Their QC is top notch and it rivals boutique quality. Even the boutique builders don’t build them better or capture “ that MusicMan StingRay bounce”. Not to mention the features , weight reduction , finish options, ect.































































I feel like I get my moneys with and a lot more. Paying more for a boutique or less for an import won’t bring me the same product.































































































































If the MusicMan sound and feel isn’t that important to you , I can see not seeing the value That is why we have options. People are willing to pay more for what is valuable to them. 
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I respect your opinion, and am glad you've found the value in your EBMM basses. What baffles me is this strange view that some folks hold which suggests that somehow EBMM made in the USA products are "worlds better" than Fender's USA products. I mean, if a Stingray is what someone seeks then obviously EBMM is probably your best bet. But for whatever reason, if a Precision or Jazz is what one seeks, then "why on earth would you waste your money on a USA Fender?" That's the thinking I'm calling into question here. It's perfectly fine to snub your nose at Fender when considering a P or J type bass, but sacrilegious to snub your nose at EBMM when considering a Ray type bass. It's so weird. I simply don't understand it. EBMM is to a Stingray or Sterling what Fender is to a Precision or Jazz. But apparently not. 
 
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#171
BassDaddy77 said:
I respect your opinion, and am glad you've found the value in your EBMM basses. What baffles me is this strange view that some folks hold which suggests that somehow EBMM made in the USA products are "worlds better" than Fender's USA products. I mean, if a Stingray is what someone seeks then obviously EBMM is probably your best bet. But for whatever reason, if a Precision or Jazz is what one seeks, then "why on earth would you waste your money on a USA Fender?" That's the thinking I'm calling into question here. It's perfectly fine to snub your nose at Fender when considering a P or J type bass, but sacrilegious to snub your nose at EBMM when considering a Ray type bass. It's so weird. I simply don't understand it. EBMM is to a Stingray or Sterling what Fender is to a Precision or Jazz. But apparently not. 
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I feel like this feeling exists because of the Ball Family Reserve instruments, which IMO changes the perception of the basses people are getting for the basic MIA pricing, despite those basses being like $1k + more
 
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#172
blendermassacre said:
I feel like this feeling exists because of the Ball Family Reserve instruments, which IMO changes the perception of the basses people are getting for the basic MIA pricing, despite those basses being like $1k + more
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Perhaps. I hope my post didn't come off sounding "anti EBMM." I love their products. I just get a weird sense that these 2 companies (FMIC & EBMM) are held to completely different standards by a lot of consumers. Fender just seems to garner so much more hate. But, I guess that's part of what comes with being the king.
 
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#173
BassDaddy77 said:
Perhaps. I hope my post didn't come off sounding "anti EBMM." I love their products. I just get a weird sense that these 2 companies (FMIC & EBMM) are held to completely different standards by a lot of consumers. Fender just seems to garner so much more hate. But, I guess that's part of what comes with being the king.
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I didn't take it that way. I think that the difference is when you look at a Ball Family Reserve bass you see why it's so nice, and unless you know, a Fender CS Jazz and a Fender MIC Jazz look almost exactly the same. It's not bad, just perceptions more than anything else
 
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#174
Templar said:
Different strokes...

I'm in the other camp when it comes to used gear. I avoid used amps, cabs, and generally most electronic equipment, including home entertainment stuff. Been burned too many times.

I equate buying used elec gear with buying used cars or motorcycles, which often results in inheriting "somebody else's troubles". What do people do when their car develops an issue that's not worth having fixed?...they sell it or trade it before the problem worsens to the point that no one will want it. The "hot potato" scenario?

Used basses don't scare me. I can take care of minor issues myself, and don't mind doing so. Serious probs beyond the scope of what I'm willing to work on, or are beyond my abilities...I just return them. There are usually enough red flags in a listing to avoid potential pitfalls (which is an acquired skill learned by rote). It's still a hassle but....
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Different strokes for sure. And it's a moving target! I'm not really buying gear anymore (thank god) but the last few rounds of used gear were cheapo depot purchases that I planned to abuse until their death... but they're still going strong (couple of 1x10 bass cabs, 2x12 guitar combo amp).
 
#175
TheArchitect said:
We vote with our wallets. Its the only power we have to control this and even that is limited.

I could have bought 3 Squier basses during the ProAudioStar sale for what I paid for the Player series I bought. Did I waste my money? That depends on how we define our terms and what the end goal was. If I just wanted "a bass" then I certainly did. If I wanted the "biggest bang for the buck", I certainly did. If I wanted maximum versatility I certainly wasted my money since I could have had a Jazz, a Precision and a fretless for the same money.

That was not what I wanted. What I wanted was something as close to an old P bass as I could get for the budget I had. The Player had the right woods, what I consider to be better hardware and possibly better pickups. It was also on sale which also put it within reach. We can debate build quality, whether wood type matters etc all we want but in the end we all have to make the same assessment of what we have to spend vs what meets our requirements the best vs our willingness to part with our money to get it.
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Pretty much the exact same conclusion I came to when I purchased my Player. To me the point-of-diminishing-returns was at the Player level. Going higher up the list wasn't worth the extra $$$. But that's my judgement based on my perceptions YMMV. Sure the Hipshot style tuners etc would be nice just didn't see the necessity. I could afford whatever but like you it just wasn't worth the extra cost to me for whatever additional value may or may not be added, especially considering the deal/price I got.
 
#176
BassDaddy77 said:
Perhaps. I hope my post didn't come off sounding "anti EBMM." I love their products. I just get a weird sense that these 2 companies (FMIC & EBMM) are held to completely different standards by a lot of consumers. Fender just seems to garner so much more hate. But, I guess that's part of what comes with being the king.
Click to expand...
BassDaddy77 said:
I respect your opinion, and am glad you've found the value in your EBMM basses. What baffles me is this strange view that some folks hold which suggests that somehow EBMM made in the USA products are "worlds better" than Fender's USA products. I mean, if a Stingray is what someone seeks then obviously EBMM is probably your best bet. But for whatever reason, if a Precision or Jazz is what one seeks, then "why on earth would you waste your money on a USA Fender?" That's the thinking I'm calling into question here. It's perfectly fine to snub your nose at Fender when considering a P or J type bass, but sacrilegious to snub your nose at EBMM when considering a Ray type bass. It's so weird. I simply don't understand it. EBMM is to a Stingray or Sterling what Fender is to a Precision or Jazz. But apparently not. 
Click to expand...

blendermassacre said:
I feel like this feeling exists because of the Ball Family Reserve instruments, which IMO changes the perception of the basses people are getting for the basic MIA pricing, despite those basses being like $1k + more
Click to expand...

I’ve said here many times before that my USA Geddy Jazz and my Elite Jazz V and my Squier CV 60’s
P ( original run Fiesta Red) were some of the best basses I’ve ever owned.
I just prefer the MusicMan sound and feel over Fender. Over time I have become more of an active 5 string player. Fender will never be my top choice for that. That isn’t Fenders strong point. If vintage style passive 4’s were my thing, I’d probably have a stable of Fenders and Squiers.

What I will say is that my years of experience have shown me that I see far less issues with USA MusicMan stuff than I do Fender.
On the other hand , Fender Squier Classic Vibe seems to be a lot more consistent than Sterling by MusicMan Import line .


Honesty , it doesn’t matter to me if Fender raises their prices or not. I’m not in the market for one and don’t see myself being in the market for one anytime soon.
 
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#177
Black_In_Mind said:
I'm sure the snobbery with Fender basses has to do with the perception out there that Fender basses are part of the band image and anything less than a MIA Fender or a Fender decal on the headstock is seen as less professional. Doesn't take many of those kind of people to cause a stink with the internet around to document it.
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I play my Cort proudly and get compliments all the time. No snobbery in my town. But I don't play rock music so Fenders are not a requisite in my hood.
 
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