Been pecking around to find a dirt-cheap Shuttle 3.0 as a backup amp. Every listed retailer I check comes up with "not in stock." So they must have been cleaning out inventory for quite a while.
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Future of Genz Benz?
- Thread starter SeayBass
- Start date
I think you're right. That's why it's such a damn shame.
Well, everyone's subjective impression of that is going to be different. There are ways of objectively measuring such things (i.e. market research). But that's probably beyond the scope of this discussion.
Personally, I'm not convinced that the Genz Benz brand is quite so obscure as you suggest. But putting that case aside, if you look only at the quantitative dimension (i.e. brand recognition x number of people), you miss a big part of the picture.
There's also the qualitative dimension, i.e. how good is the opinion of the brand by people who are acquainted with it? For years, Genz Benz has been able to charge a premium price for their products, because the quality of their products speaks for itself. The ability to charge a premium price - and get it: There's the value of the qualitative dimension.
Now if, for the sake of argument, Fender was willing to invest in the Genz Benz brand by allowing it to take advantage of the same economies of scale that Fender itself enjoys (i.e. in materials procurement, in manufacturing costs, marketing expenses, etc.), then you'd have a scenario for a greater profit margin - i.e. retail prices remain steady + costs of doing business decrease = more revenue. And that's not even factoring in the huge market reach that Fender could provide, that could raise the Genz Benz profile like it's never been raised before.
MM
That would be nice, but...
In the end, it may be better to close down the brand rather than cheapen it and ruin its reputation.
The plant in Taiwan where Genz stuff is made also does stuff like industrial or power plant control systems or some stuff like that where really high quality is really important. If Fender moved them to China, I assume they'd take all sorts of cost cutting measures and have them made at some plant where they just run mid-grade consumer electronics off the line all day.
Somewhere earlier in this thread, somebody threw out a price on the 900 Streamiliner that I thought would be a good deal on the 600. I think it was less than $500. You'd have to go back a few pages to find it.
Ironically, does anyone remember during the mid 80's to the early 90's that Fender wan on the verge of not existing? Fender was not a popular brand in that era and almost went under! My, my, my, how things have changed....
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f15/future-genz-benz-1013626/index3.html#post14848288
rko, inquiring minds would like to know more about these prices...!
Thanks,
=wr=
rko, inquiring minds would like to know more about these prices...!
Thanks,
=wr=
Well that is too bad. Glad I've got my GB gear already. It's staying with me forever.
And I love how people on here are fond of saying "People just buy Fender because of the name and the tradition." WRONG!!! People don't buy ANYTHING because of the name and the tradition. That's the dumbest thing I ever heard. If it doesn't work for people's needs, they will not buy it in numbers enough to make it an ongoing concern. Period. Fender had some big serious problems at times, and it affected sales and caused them to struggle occasionally.
My litmus test for weeding out the dopes on here is if they say, "People buy (insert popular name here) because of the name." I've long believed that stupid people have no idea that they're stupid, nor do they have any clue that there could be other people in the world smarter than they are. That phrase proves it.
A quote from Ed Friedland, in the Rocket Music thread: " I spoke with Jeff G the other day, he's still with Fender, but was not at liberty to discuss things with me. He only said "exciting things" were in the works. So... there's that. "
Whether you choose to believe it or not, there are some people in this world that will buy a product simply because of a name and a tradition. For example, I've frequently heard someone who describes themselves as a "X generation Ford guy." These types of people buy Ford vehicles no matter what, simply because it's what they know. So, even when Ford was putting out some real clunkers and the Japanese car makers were kicking their butts, those types of people bought fords.
In the bass realm, you frequently see people that buy products from companies like Ampeg or Fender, either partially or completely because of the "legacy" of that company. I was just in GC last week, and I witnessed a man and his son looking at amps. When the salesman starting showing him a TC combo amp, the dad interrupted and said "I had an Ampeg as a kid....they're the best....don't show us any of that foreign crap." He didn't want to talk about his "needs" or even sample any other gear......just Ampeg. Heck, my rhythm guitarist won't consider anything except Gibson, even though he's had to return 4 of them so for due to manufacturing issues.
I don't get it either, but let's not deny that those people do, indeed, exist.
My guess is that means we'll see GB amps with Fender name badges on them come next year.
I was thinking that too, and if Fender lets Jeff do his thing, then a rose by any other name....
Agreed. If this move means that we'll end up with lightweight, powerful, functional "Fender" gear, then I'm all for it.
bongomania
Commercial User
Oh, please. Ampeg's name got them through a lot of bad years, and has moved a LOT of mediocre product.
Yeah, if they indeed do it might just be the first "Fender" bass amp I'd consider. But GB customer service will still be a thing of the past.
Your name doesn't move diddley if you don't have the guns to back it up. Let's not forget that Ampeg's parent company nearly went under in 2008. We all thought they were goners. You think that happened because of a bunch of sheeple lined up to buy it like Pavlov's dog? My ass. No, people quit buying it because the parent company lost the public's confidence. Took them quite a while to build it back, too.
See, that's exactly what I'm talking about...this whole "I buy other stuff because I'm smart and you buy Fender and Ampeg because you're stupid" baloney. It just doesn't happen. Either your product is good enough to survive or it isn't.
I think it's probably just rebranding to give Fender brand visibility in the Class D SMPS head market. It makes sense that if it sells well enough under the GB line, the next gen shuttles and streamliners will sell as well or better when branded Fender. It all comes down to whether or not Fender can pull it off or screw the pooch.
SOME people quit buying it. Some others bought it simply because it was an Ampeg. Again, it happens whether you understand it or not.
