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FENDER raised their prices on Squiers
- Thread starter Kukulkan61
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- squier
I'll do my part...
"Selling all my Squiers and only owning Fenders made my blood pressure go down, all my stock prices went up, and gas went down to $1.69 a gallon...coincidence? I think not, sell your Squiers and get a REAL man's bass! Also it must be brown sunburst and tort. HAS to be brown sunburst and tort."
with the rising cost of wood, that's inevitable. Newer basses might just get less toneful compared to wood we have few decades ago, probably due to lack of choices.
I was a bit surprised to see some going up by $100 and others only going up by $20. Not very consistent across the brand.
Fender are using wood in bigger volume than ,lets say, sadowsky. so increase of $20 x 5000 units (normal grade wood). versus sadowsky increase of $500 x 10units (very high grade toneful wood). From what i have heard, the good tone woods are getting very very expensive nowadays to BID. And I am not sure if they are allowed to choose the good wood apart from the not so good ones before bidding.
Just in case any lawyer wants to take me to court, Disclaimer: These numbers are just for illustration sake, without any truth to them. Brands are used to show big players versus smaller boutique makers, no other meaning to them.
Just in case any lawyer wants to take me to court, Disclaimer: These numbers are just for illustration sake, without any truth to them. Brands are used to show big players versus smaller boutique makers, no other meaning to them.
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Sad as these price increases are for many of us, I feel that we have been living in a "golden period" over the last 2-5 years concerning prices and quality. Squier has given many players the opportunity to learn how to play on an instrument that to 99% of casual observers looks EXACTLY like it's pricier Fender cousin. The quality of these instruments has NEVER been better. The fit and finish of most of these astonishes those who bought "budget" basses and guitars in the 60s and 70s. Most of these could be modded to sound like much more expensive instruments with no more than a pickup upgrade.
The prices on these "budget" instruments pretty much stayed stable over the last couple of years. In some cases, they got downright silly. When GC and MF decided to divest themselves of the VM Telecaster series basses, they got blown out every other day for $199.99. 15 and 20% off coupons at the big-box retailers were all the rage, so anyone waiting a week could get a $299.99 VM whatever for $240.00 (with FREE shipping and NO state taxes!). Classic Vibe fans could get their heart's desire for $303.00 (with the same shipping, etc.)
So yeah, it's regrettable that it didn't last forever. There are TB newbies who haven't yet made their first "new" purchase, and this will hurt a little bit. The majority opinion that buying used is still the best bargain is correct. Over half of what I've bought in the last three years has been used from TB Classifieds, or Guitar Center Used online (an excellent way to buy, as their return policies are pretty fair). So unless you just HAVE to have that "new bass smell", these price increases will not hurt as badly if you buy used. Soon. Like everything else, I'm sure that the used prices on Squier VMs and CVs will also creep upward (however small).
Price increases were sadly inevitable. I'm only glad it took them this long.
The prices on these "budget" instruments pretty much stayed stable over the last couple of years. In some cases, they got downright silly. When GC and MF decided to divest themselves of the VM Telecaster series basses, they got blown out every other day for $199.99. 15 and 20% off coupons at the big-box retailers were all the rage, so anyone waiting a week could get a $299.99 VM whatever for $240.00 (with FREE shipping and NO state taxes!). Classic Vibe fans could get their heart's desire for $303.00 (with the same shipping, etc.)
So yeah, it's regrettable that it didn't last forever. There are TB newbies who haven't yet made their first "new" purchase, and this will hurt a little bit. The majority opinion that buying used is still the best bargain is correct. Over half of what I've bought in the last three years has been used from TB Classifieds, or Guitar Center Used online (an excellent way to buy, as their return policies are pretty fair). So unless you just HAVE to have that "new bass smell", these price increases will not hurt as badly if you buy used. Soon. Like everything else, I'm sure that the used prices on Squier VMs and CVs will also creep upward (however small).
Price increases were sadly inevitable. I'm only glad it took them this long.
No surprise really. It's been my theory for some years now that Fender is systematically pushing the Squire's up in price (and quality) to fill the spot formerly occupied in the 90's by the Fender MIM Standard basses. Simultaneously they've been pushing up the prices of the MIM standard instruments into the pricepoint formerly covered by MIJ instruments.
It's a clever strategy and given the increase in quality and number of models now available from Squire, I think it's one that customers will accept.
It's a clever strategy and given the increase in quality and number of models now available from Squire, I think it's one that customers will accept.
I'm not going to lie, this may very well have been the GAS killer I was needing. I know it's only $20-50 bucks more, but it's enough to turn me off. Maybe it's mental but seeing the new prices turns me right off. Seems like the best time for Ibanez to come eat squier's lunch.
Im not talking outsell, but remember: it only takes a new generation of young players 5 or 6 years to change the tides. Vans, Doc Martens, thrift store clothes....these things became cool because they were cheap and accessible. With that being said, there are still plenty of people happy to pay $65+ for a piece of canvas on a rubber sole because of the branding. So basically I'm interested to see if the price jump lends some sort of uptick in fashionable credibility to squiers or 'bottom feeders' (people who just want a cheap instrument to mess about with) go searching somewhere else. I am really just more curious than anything. But as for new squiers, I'm out (for now 
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Were Doc Martens ever cheap? They were everywhere in the 90's, but I don't remember them being especially affordable.
I agree. The TMB is a sweet bass and probably a better value than the Squire's, but Fender headstock still counts for alot in many folks eyes, especially in the USA.
I wonder what the numbers look like overseas where the headstock still has pull, but the Squire's tend to be far more expensive than Ibanez, ESP, etc.
I may have been mistaken, but I am under the impression that originally in the UK they were cheap. But understanding a Scottish accent is always a little elusive!
And the headstock is still definitely a big draw (look at this forum around the time SX changed and notice the drastic uptick in squier talk) But the thing to notice is that 90% of squier reviews include the qualifier "for the money" or "bang for your buck". And honestly thats probably still true, but if prices creep up it could turn people off and start looking to bang elsewhere.
I wanted to get a Squier Bass VI last year but my daughter moving in with me changed my priorities. Was recently looking it up to order and was shocked to see it went up $100! $449 for a Squier! While not necessarily breaking the bank another $100 can get me a damn good used Warwick 5 string! I really want that Bass VI, but damn! A $50 increase I could see, but $100? Or am I just coming across as cheap?
To be fair the Bass VI is a bit of an outlier, being a much less common instrument, likely produced at lower quantities and using parts and jigs not applicable to to other instruments. Also, there's not many similar instruments near the $450 price point.
On the other hand, there's a big chunk of the squire catalog that is $380 or $400! There are alot of very capable basses in that price range and as folks have mentioned $400 opens alot of doors in the used market.
