Why Cant Fender USA do this?

[smcd]

Cool whatever the public wants......well it looks like the TB community love MIJ !
The American Zone bass was one beautiful bass thats gone too.
I didnt know Fender America made the Lyte Basses at all
As far as i knew it was all done in Japan for the Lytes.I havent seen one Lyte bass that has MIA printed on it anywhere ! Ive never seen one maybe they did make U.S Lytes.....but they are rare if they exist.
A MIA Fender Lyte Bass i wonder if anybodys got one to show us ?

The Lytes were all MIJ. Didn't sell.

I thought the Zone was an awesome bass and a great idea. Didn't sell.

 

[honeyiscool]

At any rate basses are a high unit cost product, so I do not see why more variety cannot be worked into the price structure.

It's 2011 and if there was really anyone who could truly threaten Fender, we probably would have a system that let us customize our own Fender at a decent price like we have build-to-order options in laptops and such things.

But the fact remains that most of us would rather buy a non-perfect Fender than a perfect non-Fender, as long as the Fender is close enough to perfect. I know some people don't care about the headstock and decal, but many of us do.

It's our fault for giving Fender no real economic reason to do things differently, but dammit, I love Fender instruments. Even when they're not exactly the color I want.

 

[Chrisk-K]

But clearly the US market wants the same old boring colors. That's why FMIC offers what they offer.

I don't think the US market *wants* the same old boring colors. The buyers have no other viable choices at Fender's price points.

 

[Handyman]

It's 2011 and if there was really anyone who could truly threaten Fender, we probably would have a system that let us customize our own Fender at a decent price like we have build-to-order options in laptops and such things.

No, that would never work!

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[honeyiscool]

Oh yes, I had Carvin in mind. But they can't really threaten Fender because if you're a Fender fanboy, nothing else looks right to you thanks to years of conditioning and decades of musicians having championed the Fender looks.

 

[smcd]

I don't think the US market *wants* the same old boring colors. The buyers have no other viable choices at Fender's price points.

Fender offers, what... 65 color choices? That's a lot. And I imagine it pretty much covers most of the market. How many colors do you want? They can't run an efficient operation and offer 300 colors. If the odd person wants a non-stock color, they can have their guitar refinished at one of the countless shops that offer that service.

 

[smcd]

It's 2011 and if there was really anyone who could truly threaten Fender, we probably would have a system that let us customize our own Fender at a decent price like we have build-to-order options in laptops and such things.

There are dozens upon dozens of companies that threaten Fender, and there IS a system out there where you can customize your own bass. But you will have to pay for that.

You want to have your cake, and eat it too.

 

[elgranluis]

But the quality will be way better. I don't know as if anyone who has played a well assembled Warmoth will argue.

I dont think that u.s. quality will even match japanese quality. Unless guitar making is the exception. Not from a musician's standpoint though.

 

[Flaked Beans]

Japanese bases are cool but first I want to see a six string bass in their production line, then we can talk.

(this one is MIA )
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I know, Jaco only needed 4 strings...

 

[honeyiscool]

Japanese dudes are like 5'6" average.

 

[superblues]

Are you saying the US buyers want the same old boring color options? There is a reason why Fender USA bans sale of Fender Japan guitars and basses in the US.

I'd be willing to bet that of the 65 or whatever number of colors offered on standard basses, the vast majority of new Fender basses sold in the US are either white, black or sunburst.

What's Fender's reason for banning Fender Japan sales in the US, btw?

 

[smcd]

I'd be willing to bet that of the 65 or whatever number of colors offered on standard basses, the vast majority of new Fender basses sold in the US are either white, black or sunburst.

What's Fender's reason for banning Fender Japan sales in the US, btw?

White? I doubt that. But black and sunburst, probably. And why? Because that's what buyers want.

 

[Batmensch]

Fender offers, what... 65 color choices? That's a lot. And I imagine it pretty much covers most of the market. How many colors do you want? They can't run an efficient operation and offer 300 colors. If the odd person wants a non-stock color, they can have their guitar refinished at one of the countless shops that offer that service.

65 colors is indeed quite a lot, but the problem lies in that you can only get a small number of color options for any particuar model. If I want an American Standard Jazz bass, I'm limited to SIX different colors, twelve if you want to count neckwood options as a color choice. (I would have LOVED to have gotten my Jazz in Sienna Sunburst, even had I to pay extra) Some models are limited to as little as one or two color choices. If Fender were to just open it up to having any of their 65 colors available for any model you would want it on, that would be something. Even just doubling or tripling the choices would be a huge improvement. Probably too expensive, though, I guess?