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Fender Quality

Discussion in 'Strings [BG]' started by whatever4, Jun 3, 2019.

  1. Jun 3, 2019 #1
    whatever4

    whatever4

    Dec 12, 2012
    I went to a reputable local music store where I used to buy my Fender strings. The owner said that they no longer carry Fender stuff because they've had too many problems with it, and that Fender just isn't the same company.

    Okay, so I bought some new Fender 7250 strings from Guitar Center - the ones with the black and white photo of the strings on the package. The strings sounded like unfocused mush, even after they broke in. I kept twiddling the knobs on my jazz bass to get a good sound out of them, but couldn't and started to wonder if it was a problem with my bass. I finally put on some used Fender 7250's that I had sitting around. They had about six months of use and were the ones with the photo of a bass on the package. They sounded great.

    I'm guessing that maybe the newer version hadn't been wound tight enough on the core. Has anyone else noticed quality issues with newer Fender stuff?
     
  2. Jun 3, 2019 #2
    michael_t

    michael_t

    Feb 11, 2013
    49.8951 N, 97.1384 W
    One question...
    Do the new ones still have the same color-coded ball ends - Gold-Red-Silver-Green (E-G)?
     
  3. Jun 3, 2019 #3
    whatever4

    whatever4

    Dec 12, 2012
    Yes, they looked like the newer ones that used to come in a package with a pick on the cover, which I think D'Addario made to Fender specs, so I thought they would be good if D'Addario made them, but maybe Fender outsourced again to someone else that uses colored ball ends.
     
  4. Jun 4, 2019 #4
    Root 5

    Root 5

    Nov 25, 2001
    Canada
    I haven't purchased new Fender strings in about 2 years. I buy 7150 pure nickel and 9050 flatwounds. I have never had any issues with them. Great strings.
     
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  5. Jun 4, 2019 #5
    petrus61

    petrus61

    Dec 18, 2011
    Hudson Valley, New York
    It’s very expensive for a music store to carry Fender product, as Fender places some pretty heavy expectations (some of them fairly unrealistic) on the store in order for the store to be a certified dealer/repair center. Stores will often throw out the old “we kept seeing instruments come back” thing to customers, when in reality it just wasn’t financially feasible for them to have a business relationship with Fender.
     
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  6. Jun 4, 2019 #6
    S.F.Sorrow

    S.F.Sorrow

    Dec 6, 2014
    The 7250s have never been my favourites but I've played quite of them as they're stock strings on Fenders/Squiers. Some of them had brass ball ends and some had colored ball ends. And I always thought the ones with brass ball ends sounded considerably better. The colored ones were all extremely thin, clanky and "hollow" sounding. The brass ones were much better and had a massive punch in the lower mids.

    The basses were purchased (and manufactured) the last 6-7 years. But all the brass ball ends were on MIA Fenders and all the colored ball ends were on MIJ Fenders or Squiers.

    But maybe I'm just imagining things. I've never purchased a set of these strings new so I don't even know if the ones that are sold separately are colored or brass.
     
  7. Jun 4, 2019 #7
    Bodeanly

    Bodeanly

    Mar 20, 2015
    Chicago
    Yep. Store is saving face.

    "We can't afford to carry Fender anymore, but could I interest you in a Gorilla Amp?"
     
    petrus61 likes this.
  8. Jun 5, 2019 #8
    Root 5

    Root 5

    Nov 25, 2001
    Canada
    Yup. A dealer cannot sell the things everyone wants without being forced to carry the crap no one wants - their sound systems and 'lifestyle' products.
     
  9. Jun 6, 2019 #9
    S.F.Sorrow

    S.F.Sorrow

    Dec 6, 2014
    I know a store that was punished by Fender because they didn't keep the required number of Fender guitars/basses in stock and on display at all times. So Fender took away their Custom Shop and Elite series "privileges". The reason this store didn't have the required instruments on display was that Fender hadn't yet managed to deliver a new series of instruments to them. The bigger chains and online dealers always got priority from Fender. So basically, Fender punished the store because Fender couldn't deliver the instruments the store was supposed to have on display. :rollno:

    And when the store finally got that new series of instruments in stock they hardly sold any because the customers got tired of waiting and had already purchased online instead. No doubt Fender found a way to punish the store for low sales as well...
     
    Last edited: Jun 6, 2019
    trothwell likes this.