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The Fender Custom Shop is a Joke

#81
Toshiro said:
C) Alleva-Coppola/Sadowsky etc..

I someone wants a *Fender* instrument, then all of those small boutique builders simply won't do. They just won't.
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I'm probably in the underwhelming minority here, but when I think of "Fender" I think of mid/high-quality mass-produced instruments like an American Standard bass, not boutique-quality instruments built by master luthiers who happen to work for FMIC. To spend that kind of money on a new bass almost violates the spirit (tho certainly not the legal definition) what a Fender is, IMO.

Why not buy an Alleva-Coppola, Lull or Sadowsky instead?
 
#82
Bass Viking said:
You'd think the build quality would be better, but there's a Jazz CS Relic at my local music store with quite a sizable neck pocket gap. For a > $3000 instrument I expect better. Spend less money on relicing and more on better fit.
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I recently tried a CS Relic and it was just pathetic. It didn't look or feel anything like the real vintage instruments in the shop, most of which were well worn. Nor was it's tone anything to write home about.

Very disappointing.
 
#85
Bass Viking said:
You'd think the build quality would be better, but there's a Jazz CS Relic at my local music store with quite a sizable neck pocket gap. For a > $3000 instrument I expect better. Spend less money on relicing and more on better fit.
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Hmmmm. The fit/finish on my CS '59 reissue P-bass is perfect, I've never seen better. Best P-bass I've played. But when I bought a Jazz this past December I got an AV '62 reissue (thanks to TPB and a nice Christmas discount) instead of a '64 CS reissue since my experience with the AV line is it's nearly as good as the CS basses I've seen/played, so I couldn't justify another $1,000+ for the CS. As things have turned out, my AV Jazz is a wonderful bass, I'm thinking I made the right choice.
 
#86
Mastermold said:
Hmmmm. The fit/finish on my CS '59 reissue P-bass is perfect, I've never seen better. Best P-bass I've played. But when I bought a Jazz this past December I got an AV '62 reissue (thanks to TPB and a nice Christmas discount) instead of a '64 CS reissue since my experience with the AV line is it's nearly as good as the CS basses I've seen/played, so I couldn't justify another $1,000+ for the CS. As things have turned out, my AV Jazz is a wonderful bass, I'm thinking I made the right choice.
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I was at the music store this afternoon and I looked at the CS Jazz again (just to double check) and the neck pocket gap is quite noticeable. I'm really surprised, I expect better quality control at this price point.
 
#88
:hmm: my Olympic White Fender CS '64 Relic Jazz is an amazing bass! I waited a year for it, it's one of the more expensive basses I have ever bought and it is worth every dollar IMO.

Fender CS does what it does and that's fine I guess? I'm pretty sure they couldn't care less what anyone thinks, good or bad?
One thing I know for sure, the guy counting all the "Time Machine Series" cash sure doesn't think it's a joke? and good luck to him! They sell a sh^t load of 'em!

I love mine, I have nothing else in my gigging rotation of basses quite like it (which is why I bought it) and when I want either Sadowsky, Warwick, Stingray or P bass tone, I use them.

My Fender CS bass has earnt it's keep over many years AND will continue to.
 
#89
Tonight I played a Master built Telecaster from 1992, which was just purchased by one of the guitarists in a band I work with. I used it in a rehearsal to teach a Byrds cover to the other band members (Bells of Rhymney).

It was really a superb instrument, though I am a bassist who only uses guitar for educational/instructional purposes (really). The guitar looked very well put together. The transparent white nitro was lovely, and the fingerboard (Dalbergia Negra) and fret work were as good as my Sadowsky, and that is really saying something, IMHO. The neck was flamed maple and beautifully "vintage" tinted. It is NOS.

He paid $1500 from a dealer. The times, they are a changin'. :ninja:
 
#92
Toshiro said:
A) I don't believe the $12k quote

Sounds like shenanigans to me. Try another deal

B) Threads like this crack me up

Nobody is forced to buy Fender's CS prices nor are that forced to think that the CS offerings are good values or good instruments. So I find it supremely amusing when people work themselves into a frenzy over stuff like this. I mean the outrage, the OUTRAGE I SAY, is comical.

C) Alleva-Coppola/Sadowsky etc..

I someone wants a *Fender* instrument, then all of those small boutique builders simply won't do. They just won't.
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I wholeheartedly agree with you on A and B but I have to disagree with you on point C. As someone who has actually owned many Fenders including real Vintage instruments and Custom Shop Instruments I can tell you that both Alleva (I have owned 3 of them) and Sadwosky (I have owned 29 of them) compare very favorably and even exceed ANY Fender I have ever owned. The Sadowsky is a Modern interpretation of the Fender design but is NOT intended to be a "copy" of a Vintage Fender. Sadowskys sound exactly like what they are a modern version of a Jazz bass. The Alleva design goal is to be as close as possible to the original Fender in design, feel, and sound. I have an Alleva Standard 4 with a Nitro Paint job and neck and a Dalbergia Board that plays, sounds, and feels BETTER than ANY Fender have ever owned or played (Hundreds, my family has been a Fender dealer since the late 50's).

In the end you are right....A Sadowsky is not a Fender and neither is an Alleva. However, I submit to you that ANYONE looking for a Fender or Fender styled instrument would most likely be VERY well satisfied with either one of these. Most people would most likely find them to be superior to most Fenders in every way...

Peace,

T
 
#93
fleabee said:
Just think if you bought the custom shop today for $12,000, tomorrow you could get $3000 if you're lucky.
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That was a MAJOR part of my decision. It is one thing to want a bass made to your personal specifications, it's an entirely different matter when that vanity will cost you $6,000+ in lost value if you ever need to sell it! At least with my Foderas if I ever do have to sell, I will get very close to what I paid for them!

I certainly do NOT look at basses as investments -- they are meant to be played, but the aftermarket for the Fender Custom Shop stuff definitely tells the story of products that are hugely over-priced (in that I do not know of any Fender Custom Shop basses that hold their value very well). I do think that it IS important to think about what your hard earned cash will be worth 10 years down the road if you sink that much of it into one instrument...
 
#94
$12,000 sounds like a very suspicious quote from a particular dealer who was trying to take advantage of the situation. I've never seen a CS bass sold at retail for more then $5,600. Try another dealer ...
 
#95
neptoon said:
didn't read all of the comments, but tye zamora of alien ant farm had fender build him a super sweet bass that was based on his custom david parr 6 string and costed $7400...it was discussed here a few years back...i believe it was woodchuck that looked into it
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I can't see how they'd quote the OP 12 grand, for a modded Jazz, if the Tye Zamora model is $7400, even if the dealer is taking a huge chunk of cash.

AlienAntFarm5-11-0517.jpg
 
#97
Fender has become so large and such a standard that they don't have to worry about providing good customer service. I'd say that this is an example of this. I like Fender Basses but God help you if you need something from the company. My feeling on the custom shop is that it is a custom shop in name only to the general public. If you payed 12K for that bass, I would think that the resale value wouldn't be close to that. You could probably get a real 64 for that price! What a crock!
 
#98
The original post really had this one right, but a lot of the responses are off target, IMO.

The Fender so-called Custom Shop is really a very well tuned operation that produces some very excellent specific instruments, and will for a totally exorbitant price actually build a custom instrument.

The good thing is that they ARE producing excellent instruments dead center to what most Fender players really want, IME.

The not so good thing is that if a player wants a reasonably small tweak on any of the designs, the pricing pretty quickly doesn't make sense. Further, they won't even do certain tweaks because they need to keep their Artist series distinct; i.e. they simply won't do certain tweaks if they are features found on an Artist series. Just a small example is that I had a discussion with the Scottsdale office about building a Custom V with the 9" radius on the board a few months back; and that was completely rejected, as in would not even quote on it because that feature is found on the MM5.

So, they do produce some limited great instruments; but don't have actual custom work as part of the business model. I think you have to go from there, take it for what it is, and not get all excited about what it isn't; IMO.

For actual custom work, you've got Sadowsky, Lull, A-C, to name just a few. So, we're in pretty great shape for product availability/accessibility right now.

My 2c.
 
#100
It's pretty clear that the $$ they might charge you has more to do with discouraging you than cost of goods... They also have more invested in their brand name than anythings else - if they made custom instruments more cheaply, they risk diluting their brand with a flood of goofy ideas.

That said, you have them make a custom bass for you for $12K, it is entirely possible that that particular bass will be worth $25K in 10 years. The collectors market simply ADORES fender, for good or for ill. Who knows if Sadowsky will even be around in 10 years (I hope they are, but I think you see my point). Fender is all about branding, not music.
 

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