What's up with stores and Fender?

[steve_rolfeca]

I've been looking for various new basses and guitars lately, and although life is returning to normal in a lot of places, no-one seems to have any stock.

Sweetwater and Fender are a perfect example. Just look at these numbers:

Between $300 and $749.99, Fender has 42 models listed on Sweetwater. When I checked today, just two of those models (four actual basses in total) were available:

• Black Player Precision (3 to choose from).
• A B-Stock Surf Green Special Edition Mustang.

I can understand low-volume items getting low priority under the circumstances. That explains why there no fretless basses, no acoustics, no lefties, no Jaguars, no Bass VI's, no 5-strings.

But not even one low-end Jazz Bass? No natural, sunburst, metallic or natural finishes?

It's like a graveyard out there!

Things aren't much better for the 46 models between $750 and $1499.99. Just 7 are in stock if you ignore colour differences: Only one Vintera, no regular Precision basses (just PJ's), no new Performers or Players, no Mustangs, Jaguars, or Bass VI's, almost no signature models, no natural finishes or fretless, etc.:

• Deluxe Active J bass V in sunburst/maple (4 in stock).
• Deluxe Active PJ Special in sunburst/maple (4 in stock).
• Geddy Lee in black (4 in stock).
• 60th Anniversary Roadworn 60's Jazz in Oly White (4 in stock), sunburst (3 in stock), or Firemist Silver.
• Vintera 70's Jazz in Inca Silver (3 in stock).
• Duff McKagan PJ in Pearl White (3 in stock).
• Used American performer Jazz in Satin Surf Green/Maple.

Of course, Fender would love us all to up our spending, which is why there are 67 models on Sweetwater between $1500 and $3,000. However, things are pretty depressing up there as well. Lefties with money to burn finally hit it big, as they even get a handful of models with more than one to choose from. However, that leaves the rest of us to fight over just 3 models and 4 actual basses, one of which is a demo:

• Lefty American Professional II Jazz in Dark Night/rosewood.
• Lefty American Professional II Jazz in sunburst/rosewood (4 in stock).
• Lefty American Professional II Jazz in Olympic White/rosewood (2 in stock).
• Lefty Professional II Precision in Olympic White/rosewood (3 in stock).
• Lefty Professional II Precision in Black/maple.
• Demo American Ultra Jazz in ultraburst w/Rosewood.
• American Original 50's Precision in Aztec Gold.
• American Original 70's Jazz in Vintage White/maple (2 in stock).

What's most remarkable about these lists, is what isn't on there: No Custom Shop, no lefties under $1500, no fretless basses, almost no signature models or natural finishes, and just one lonely 5-string in stock.

 

[steve_rolfeca]

Thinking that everyone else has moved down-market, I took a look at Squier.

51 models listed in total- mostly Jazzes or Precisions, plus a few Jaguars, Bass VI's, Mustangs and a Bronco.

Once again, there are more P-basses in stock compared to other models, but even there, we're only talking 8 varieties, priced between $179.99 and $429.99. If you don't count different colours of the same bass or beginner packages, then there are actually only 5 distinct models:

• The Affinity Series PJ in black, white or brown.
• The mini (in black only).
• The CV 50's Telecaster-style in White blonde or Sunburst (7 to choose from in total).
• The CV 60's in Oly White, but only 1.
• The CV 70's in Black (4 to choose from).

Want a 4-string Squier Jazz? Great. They have a Contemporary Jazz in Dark Metallic Red.

If that doesn't float your boat, they do have two 5-strings left: a B-stock Contemporary Active HH in Olive, and a CV 70's in Black.

Note that once again, Fender offers an incredible variety of colours and configurations- lefties, fretless, finishes, etc., but all that's left in on the shelf is a handful of drab leftovers.

This is not a shot at Fender or Sweetwater- I'm seeing the same thing with Gibson and Epiphone, and in the main stores up here in Canada.

One thing that strikes me about Fender, is that they may simply be spread too thin. How many stores are in a position to stock 50, 30, or even 15 variations on the same handful of basic designs?

Still, that factor alone can't be the lone answer to why the shelves are so bare.

If anyone in the business would like to chime in, I'd love to know what all this means. Now that most places are relaxing pandemic precautions, are we going to see a bunch of new models hitting stores, or are we going to be stuck in limbo for a while longer?

 

[blowinblue]

Join me in being satisfied with what we currently have. Numerous things keep me awake at night, but definitely not basses that I don’t own.

M. M.

 

[MattZilla]

And yet, the cookie aisles in every grocery store are fully stocked on every varietal of Chips Ahoy and Oreo known to have been designed.

I just found out today that there’s even a Chewy version of Chips Ahoy!

 

[steve_rolfeca]

Join me in being satisfied with what we currently have. Numerous things keep me awake at night, but definitely not basses that I don’t own.

M. M.

I hear you.

I just got rid of my second ABG, which brings my little fleet back into balance- one great passive 5-string, a warm-sounding small ABG for acoustic jams, nursing homes, etc., and a couple of nice guitars. When life gets back to normal and my finances recover, I wouldn't mind picking up another NS Design electric upright, but was I getting many calls for upright gigs before everything ground to a halt? Not really...

 

[ThingsAbove]

I managed to find a Rickenbacker 4003 in stock a couple of weeks ago. They're normally as rare as hens teeth.

Now they are all out of stock again.

I am set for a while. 2 Fenders, a Yamaha and now the Ric. I sold a 10 year old jazz on reverb to help offset the Ric purchase and it was snatched up in no time. Strange times indeed.

 

[Bassaga]

The guy at my local shop told me a couple weeks ago that he called Fender to order a really standard Stratocaster for a customer, and was told "next May." Says the Fender rep came by and told them the company hopes to have some semblance of normalcy by 2nd Quarter of 2022, but that they basically have to build enough instruments to restock every guitar shop on the planet so it's gonna take a while.

I'm just hoping the shops can survive that long with minimal stock, you know?

 

[steve_rolfeca]

...the Fender rep came by and told them the company hopes to have some semblance of normalcy by 2nd Quarter of 2022, but that they basically have to build enough instruments to restock every guitar shop on the planet so it's gonna take a while.

I'm just hoping the shops can survive that long with minimal stock, you know?

We could be looking at a wave of new brands products similar to what we saw in music retail in the early '70's, as Japanese products went from cheap junk to market leaders. There's an army of Chinese vendors who would love a crack at the Western market through direct sales, instead of contract manufacturing.

They've already made huge inroads in terms of grabbing market share from places like Korea, Taiwan and Indonesia.

Of course, the political situation is so tense at the moment, that protectionism could slam the door on them at any time...

 

[Sean150]

The likely cause is the large number of people who took up guitar while stuck at home. Demand likely outpaced Fender (and most companies) production. The demand will likely contract as normalcy returns so there is no point in them increasing capacity. I’m just glad I liked the 75th Anniversary USA strat that I played because an ultra was going to take 9 months at least.

 

[arbiterusa]

Supply chain shortages. It’s not hitting stuff like food or toilet paper now, it’s hitting everything else, and it’s going to go on for years. Hitting my day job particularly hard - I.T.

It’s not a bad thing; prices will go up quite a bit across the board for musical instruments, and anyone who’s been in that biz can tell you that’s needed to happen since the late 1980s. At least this way, some of your favorite American manufacturers might survive.

 

[bikeplate]

Most industries are way behind.

 

[cxcxcx]

Whenever you have a question like this, always follow the money. No Fender dealer, regardless of size or visibility, will stock every single model of bass guitar, in every color and in every configuration Fender offers. That’s simply too big a risk to assume. It’s easy to think it’s a good idea if it’s someone else’s money you’re spending.

Here on TB, a lot of posters like to imagine a sort of mystery and romance to selling bass guitars but all it is to most dealers is widgets. Basses are a niche market in a niche market and don’t fly out the doors of retailers. An average bass enthusiast might think it’s an awesome idea to stock 2 dozen fretless five strings in every color and fingerboard wood choice that a company offers, but the average dealer knows that those basses will simply not sell in a reasonable timefame. Most bass players that say they will buy something different never do - it’s just lip service. Reference the EB/MM 19mm Stingray 5 String debacle of 2011 if there are any doubts.

It’s also important to note that fender simply wasn’t offering a lot of these models during the pandemic. The most iconic bass model in the Fender line is a US built vintage reissue in Sunburst. You could not buy an 60’s American Original P new for the duration of the pandemic. It was very hard to find a used one. They’re coming out in dribs and drabs now.

Fender may or may not make fretless five strings (I don’t care). The point is that Custom Shop models, lefties under $1500, fretless basses, signature models or other left- of-center choices turn around quickly enough for most dealers. They simply are not going to take a chance on slow-sell outlier models when they need to make up for losses from a worldwide pandemic. You do that by selling old reliable.

 

[micguy]

A bunch of bored people took up guitar during lockdown. When Fender is struggling to keep up with guitar production at record levels, basses go in short supply as well - the production lines are busy with guitars

Once there are other things to do, and people figure out that music is actually hard, things will return to normal.

 

[Lownote38]

The likely cause is the large number of people who took up guitar while stuck at home. Demand likely outpaced Fender (and most companies) production. The demand will likely contract as normalcy returns so there is no point in them increasing capacity. I’m just glad I liked the 75th Anniversary USA strat that I played because an ultra was going to take 9 months at least.

I've read news articles that point to this precise reason.

 

[Fender_Bender]

A bunch of bored people took up guitar during lockdown. When Fender is struggling to keep up with guitar production at record levels, basses go in short supply as well - the production lines are busy with guitars

Once there are other things to do, and people figure out that music is actually hard, things will return to normal.

Yup, same thing with lumber and everything else that has been in high demand.

 

[buldog5151bass]

Just about everything is in short supply

 

[Fender_Bender]

A bunch of bored people took up guitar during lockdown. When Fender is struggling to keep up with guitar production at record levels, basses go in short supply as well - the production lines are busy with guitars

Once there are other things to do, and people figure out that music is actually hard, things will return to normal.

Yup, same thing with lumber and everything else that has been in high demand.

 

[Meghans Dad]

I've been looking for various new basses and guitars lately, and although life is returning to normal in a lot of places, no-one seems to have any stock.

Sweetwater and Fender are a perfect example. Just look at these numbers:

Between $300 and $749.99, Fender has 42 models listed on Sweetwater. When I checked today, just two of those models (four actual basses in total) were available:

• Black Player Precision (3 to choose from).
• A B-Stock Surf Green Special Edition Mustang.

I can understand low-volume items getting low priority under the circumstances. That explains why there no fretless basses, no acoustics, no lefties, no Jaguars, no Bass VI's, no 5-strings.

But not even one low-end Jazz Bass? No natural, sunburst, metallic or natural finishes?

It's like a graveyard out there!

Things aren't much better for the 46 models between $750 and $1499.99. Just 7 are in stock if you ignore colour differences: Only one Vintera, no regular Precision basses (just PJ's), no new Performers or Players, no Mustangs, Jaguars, or Bass VI's, almost no signature models, no natural finishes or fretless, etc.:

• Deluxe Active J bass V in sunburst/maple (4 in stock).
• Deluxe Active PJ Special in sunburst/maple (4 in stock).
• Geddy Lee in black (4 in stock).
• 60th Anniversary Roadworn 60's Jazz in Oly White (4 in stock), sunburst (3 in stock), or Firemist Silver.
• Vintera 70's Jazz in Inca Silver (3 in stock).
• Duff McKagan PJ in Pearl White (3 in stock).
• Used American performer Jazz in Satin Surf Green/Maple.

Of course, Fender would love us all to up our spending, which is why there are 67 models on Sweetwater between $1500 and $3,000. However, things are pretty depressing up there as well. Lefties with money to burn finally hit it big, as they even get a handful of models with more than one to choose from. However, that leaves the rest of us to fight over just 3 models and 4 actual basses, one of which is a demo:

• Lefty American Professional II Jazz in Dark Night/rosewood.
• Lefty American Professional II Jazz in sunburst/rosewood (4 in stock).
• Lefty American Professional II Jazz in Olympic White/rosewood (2 in stock).
• Lefty Professional II Precision in Olympic White/rosewood (3 in stock).
• Lefty Professional II Precision in Black/maple.
• Demo American Ultra Jazz in ultraburst w/Rosewood.
• American Original 50's Precision in Aztec Gold.
• American Original 70's Jazz in Vintage White/maple (2 in stock).

What's most remarkable about these lists, is what isn't on there: No Custom Shop, no lefties under $1500, no fretless basses, almost no signature models or natural finishes, and just one lonely 5-string in stock.

There are couple of factors affecting Fender in Corona. First, COVID has adversely affected their supply chain and shipping times out. Second, with COVID, demand soared. Third, and not to well known outside of CA, but COVID has hit the employee pool a bit, with people less willing to take on entry level jobs. Also CA COVID rules slow down any business allowed to remain functioning. On top of all that, Fender is expanding their plant by 50% (100,000 square feet). In most businesses this usually results in a temporary slowdown due to a reallocation of resources until the the add on is up and running.

 

[Killing Floor]

There was a global coronavirus pandemic that derailed supply chains across nearly every industry. And during that pandemic most people in the developed world were compelled to stay at home for as much as 12 months.
The near global lockdowns drove demand for many consumer goods including musical instruments and other hobby and art items.
I could go into greater detail about the epidemiological and economic response to the global C19 pandemic if you would like to know more.

 

[GreyBeard]

Factories had to be shut down for extended periods. There are shortages of just about everything. My neighbor went in yesterday to buy a new car. The dealer usually has at least 10 of everything, he only had one of the model he was looking for and it was the wrong color.