Seems like Fender has done something interesting with their pricing. They used to post their list (MSRP) prices on the Fender website. Now is seem that they list the street price and online stores show advertise a higher list price than what Fender advertises on their own site. Seems like $799 is MSRP and street should be something lower.
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Fender Rascal Bass....in Production??
- Thread starter birdman14
- Start date
None. Neck, fretwork and action were ideal for me out of the box
For example Sweetwater adverstizes a Fender American Standard Jazz Bass at a Sale price of $1399.99 and a List price of $1899.99. Fender does not give a List price of $1899.99 on their site. So where are Sweetwater and other retailers getting this List price $1899.99?
- Oct 7, 2000
- 18,619
- 38,939
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Musicman basses
Just a guess here... Fender comes up with a list price, the first people to have the bass for sale sell it at that list price, it sells, Fender says skrew it, lets sell it for that? Or the other retailers just decide to do that, because they realize they can? The Rascals started selling on ebay for the list price, and then that other store started doing the same. Perhaps we're shooting ourselves in the foot here by jumping on these things as quickly as we do?
Just a possible theory.
But at list price, with a truss rod that you have to take the neck off to adjust - this bass is losing all it's charm for me. Add a little neck dive...
Does anybody have any clue why they would choose to make this bass with the truss rod like that? I'm dumbfounded. Is there any advantage whatsoever to that? What could have possibly been going through their minds in making that decision? This is a serious question, too. I've a feeling I'm missing something here.
Just a possible theory.
But at list price, with a truss rod that you have to take the neck off to adjust - this bass is losing all it's charm for me. Add a little neck dive...
Does anybody have any clue why they would choose to make this bass with the truss rod like that? I'm dumbfounded. Is there any advantage whatsoever to that? What could have possibly been going through their minds in making that decision? This is a serious question, too. I've a feeling I'm missing something here.
From the old catalog. Fender just recently went to street pricing on their site. I imagine that Sweetwater uses the old ink and paper pricing catalog. Also Sweetwater like many other retailers use cut and paste from old ads. And they also like to make you think you're getting a deal.
I'd say that the price on Fender.com should match what any retailer is listing a new non clearance item at 99% of the time now.
I think all the "classic" series instruments are built like that. Some nostalgia for pains in the ass I guess.
I played one tonight of these tonight! The neck felt quite good for an MIM. To me, the scale felt like a 32"ish Gretsch or Guild. Cool bass at a good value.
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The Seymour Duncans sound great, might be the best part of this bass. A lot of brightness specifically on the attack. The kind of attack I associate a little with a Stingray 3-band EQ but with more air (like a TV Jones) and warmth in the midrange for depth. A myriad of pickup configurations on this bass. I can tell it'll darken plenty with the neck or sweet spot solo'd, possibly tone rolled off, and the right strings. However I think it shines best sweet spot solo'd tone full with or without a pick.
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B
Also - the Street price Fender gives is based on a formula based on most retailers mark products up about 20-25% from cost - so rather than giving the MSRP which would have been like 998 or something they are telling you what you'll actually pay - which is nice since you don't have to guess what it'll be AND puts all their instruments on an even playing field as the low end stuff had different mark-ups to retail and now you can tell how much instruments really are (for a while there the squire classic vibe were like $100 less than certain Fenders that were in reality (when you actually got to the store) several hundred dollars difference - meaning you could have found yourself deciding between two instruments about the same MSRP only to find that they weren't really competitive to each other in reality.
The neck is like that because it is the bass vi neck blank which is built that way because it is a re-issue - if they re-tooled for a new neck blank that would make this already low production bass prohibitively expensive to be sellable.
Also - the Street price Fender gives is based on a formula based on most retailers mark products up about 20-25% from cost - so rather than giving the MSRP which would have been like 998 or something they are telling you what you'll actually pay - which is nice since you don't have to guess what it'll be AND puts all their instruments on an even playing field as the low end stuff had different mark-ups to retail and now you can tell how much instruments really are (for a while there the squire classic vibe were like $100 less than certain Fenders that were in reality (when you actually got to the store) several hundred dollars difference - meaning you could have found yourself deciding between two instruments about the same MSRP only to find that they weren't really competitive to each other in reality.
Here is my new one. Replaced Fender's $2 strings with La Bella tapes. Sounds good, actually better than I expected. Nice lows and mids without any jangly highs.
That's because Fender finally wised up and dropped the stupid inflated MSRP game. Now they show actual street (MAP) price on their website, which is the price the retailers have always followed.
I'm not sure but what Fender would have been better off sticking with MSRP because clearly they now have customers refusing to buy their product based on their refusal to pay "MSRP". The fact that the current pricing on Fender products on the Fender website is MAP not MSRP has escaped these customers leaving them and Fender both hoist by their own petards. And it doesn't help matters that the Squier pricing on the Fender website is still MSRP.... No matter which way Fender decides to go they should use the same price, MAP or MSRP, for all the products on their website!!
D
Heartily seconded. I understand keeping them as distinct brands, but I keep having to remind myself of that split when looking at the Fender site, as by default it pulls in both Fender and Squier models in searches -_-
The silly MSRP scam had to end eventually. I'm glad they finally did it. But yes, they do need to make it consistent across all their lines/brands.
- Oct 7, 2000
- 18,619
- 38,939
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Musicman basses
