Just an opinion or two..

In an attempt to answer your question directly,

Who would know what the market can bear better than Fender?

I think you have simply encountered proof that there is a class of buyer who doesn't think a $2500 guitar purchase is something worth scrutinizing for value.

Every time I see a commercial building in a busy area of commerce I think to myself... some family, that doesn't pull a day shift, owns that and is making money while other people work there. A quick drive through the USA should suggest that there must be hundred of thousands of these happy folks and they are the folks that buy the stuff us folks think is just too freaking expensive. Some of them probably had lots of free time for Guitar lessons too. :-)

I mean, for real, the last time I bought a gas stove for our house I simply could not believe that 1860s technology could be sold in 2012 for $5k, $6k $10k.... I just could not believe it...  but there is was.

I of course bought something modest.


So, to answer your question directly, I don't think much about the justification for prices that are out of my scope of consciousness. I just figure I'm not the guy it's being offered too.

BTW, I think the relic stuff is ridiculous. I just do, but I've been told it is impolite to make a point of that, so I'm side stepping that as a different subject, because thankfully, the OP was about a more or less normal guitar.

best regards,
mike

I don't worry about politeness:  The relic stuff IS rediculous!  (Note that I do not include the Steam Punk type art in that statement.)

There are just certain doofusses (doofi?) out there who MUST buy the more expensive item - not necessarily because it's any better, but just to be able to tell their so-called friends (and others) how much they paid for the damn thing. 

(Now, if there's still a doofus out there with money to burn that isn't offended with the above opinion, please buy my guitar - I need to move!)

In an attempt to answer your question directly,

I've tried to do that 3 times already I think.

I re-read the OP each time I did it too.

Mike you answered in post 44.

LOL Craig...it didn't sound like that while I was typing!

Well it's a dead horse but it has a video....I like green.

craigb


I don't worry about politeness:  The relic stuff IS rediculous!

I agree. Try taking an old beat up US made Gibson or Fender in for trade that still plays perfectly and they will pick apart every last nick and scratch, but if 'the manufacturer' put it there, then that's ok?


It just goes to show that it's not even about the love of music any more, it's about how they can milk more money out of people just off their name.

I had someone come in and offer me another one of the 7,394,342 guitars that Jimi Hendrix must have previously owned once.

He asked me what it was worth.

He seemed saddened when I informed him that Jimi was dead and probably wasn't too keen on buying it back.

So he said how much would YOU give me for it, so I told him "Whatever I can get for it less my cut", which would have been about the same as any of the other beat up looking Strats hanging up.

In hindsight I should have held on to all of them.  I could get much more for them now and even take a bigger cut.

Jimi's dead?????!!

craigb


Jimi's dead?????!!

That's what he said.

mike_mccue


Does that mean no Guilds, Gretsches, Charvels, Jacksons, Ovations, Takamines, Hamers, Tacoma, Orpheums, Olympia, or Squiers too?

Those are all "Fender" brands now a days.

Yup...according to Ronnie of "Ronnie's Guitars".  It shore does.  He almost cried when he talked about what's happened to Hamers.

craigb


Jimi's dead?????!!

I might have made that bit up...

yorolpal

mike_mccue


Does that mean no Guilds, Gretsches, Charvels, Jacksons, Ovations, Takamines, Hamers, Tacoma, Orpheums, Olympia, or Squiers too?

Those are all "Fender" brands now a days.

Yup...according to Ronnie of "Ronnie's Guitars".  It shore does.  He almost cried when he talked about what's happened to Hamers.

I cry when I hear an Ovation. Why would anyone buy, let alone make, such a horrible sounding instrument?

J/K

OAI?

;)

BTW ... I think Fender just calls that incorporated mess The FMIC Group.

http://www.fender.com/legal/tsc_act.php (<--- Warning ... link may make heads explode.)

Bub

yorolpal

mike_mccue


Does that mean no Guilds, Gretsches, Charvels, Jacksons, Ovations, Takamines, Hamers, Tacoma, Orpheums, Olympia, or Squiers too?

Those are all "Fender" brands now a days.

Yup...according to Ronnie of "Ronnie's Guitars".  It shore does.  He almost cried when he talked about what's happened to Hamers.

I cry when I hear an Ovation. Why would anyone buy, let alone make, such a horrible sounding instrument?

J/K

OAI?

 ;)  

I have an Ovation 12 string.

That sort of reedy sound Ovations make can be quite glorious when you balance the electric and acoustic sounds of 12 strings just right, with maybe a little chorus and reverb.

It's not really the same thing as a "normal" acoustic, but why should it have to be?

My Ovation sounded great, but I never liked playing it without a strap because it would always slip due to that rounded back...

Jonbouy

In an attempt to answer your question directly,

I've tried to do that 3 times already I think.

I re-read the OP each time I did it too.

And I read each one with appreciation.
The different aspects of how folks value this guitar is interesting
to me and how we may think why Fender would price this
particular model is exactly what I was hoping to hear- and I did- whether it
be views of the guitar or the market.
 
I was also hoping that I was missing info that would justify the price- like;
so and so, Fenders best luthiers worked on these and they have done..this or that..
this guitar has ____- but it seems it's just them putting a special name with an identifying
plate on the back of the head and a certificate for a limited production run with nice hardwood
tops.
 
I guess it's simply "Select" woods for a certified premium price...because they can.

I guess it's simply "Select" woods for a certified premium price...because they can.

Yup, that's pretty much my view.

I'll tell you something else that's likely to happen when you get that shop of yours open for business, if you are like the majority you will undervalue yourself at the outset.

Can you even imagine what Fender would actually charge for the amount of workmanship you put into one of your creations?  It doesn't bear thinking about.

Put it this way I sense you are a concienscious top guy and you've built some amazing guitars already and you will have considered you have charged a fair price to your buddys here.  Now add 45% to that and that is pretty much a fair markup for the trade it isn't anything excessive, so why shouldn't you be getting that benefit?

Trust me you are worth it and this thread kind of bears that out.  Keep it mind when you are looking at a pricing structure for yourself.

Thank you Jon.
I honestly didn't bring up this in any relation to my building but I guess building has caused me to question the pricing of guitars more and with different views.

I'm proud that there are local players in line but I just can't seem to consider
money profits.
The learning process and the feeling of a well constructed instrument is definately
the driving force and when the players play them and respond...money just can't buy that.
Besides, if the day ever comes where I do decide to make a monetary profit I couldn't enjoy sharing my projects here.

I've learned from this too. I hope no player of a guitar that I build ever has a reason to question it as I have this one of Fenders.



 

How do I get an order placed before the price goes up to what it should be?

Karyn


How do I get an order placed before the price goes up to what it should be?

Karyn


How do I get an order placed before the price goes up to what it should be?

If I had to pay what it should be I wood have.

Karyn


How do I get an order placed before the price goes up to what it should be?

Ask is all. :)
Of course I don't know when I can start building again but the final connections for the power to my
shop are suppose to happen today!! YES...light at the end of the tunnel!
 
And then there's shipping...real bummer. UPS is a killer from here to there.
Maybe USPS is the way...I need to check on that.
 
Bapu...unreal...my thanks to you sir.

craigb


My Ovation sounded great, but I never liked playing it without a strap because it would always slip due to that rounded back...

Aren't the backs of Ovation guitars made of some kind of hard plastic?

Yepper.  Rounded and molded to project the sound.  I loved the neck on it (I play electrics - not acoustics).

yorolpal

mike_mccue


Does that mean no Guilds, Gretsches, Charvels, Jacksons, Ovations, Takamines, Hamers, Tacoma, Orpheums, Olympia, or Squiers too?

Those are all "Fender" brands now a days.

Yup...according to Ronnie of "Ronnie's Guitars".  It shore does.  He almost cried when he talked about what's happened to Hamers.

I remember having breakfast on the road out in Sandy Eggo with a guitar tech when he received the news on his phone from Hamer artist relations. It inspired me to buy a couple older Hamers to enjoy as players while I still could.

I think I found the answer ..

  here


Must be worth at least $2999.95

And then there's the way they used to be made...

The head stock face lap cut by eye is the sinizzzle.

mike_mccue

yorolpal

mike_mccue


Does that mean no Guilds, Gretsches, Charvels, Jacksons, Ovations, Takamines, Hamers, Tacoma, Orpheums, Olympia, or Squiers too?

Those are all "Fender" brands now a days.

Yup...according to Ronnie of "Ronnie's Guitars".  It shore does.  He almost cried when he talked about what's happened to Hamers.

I remember having breakfast on the road out in Sandy Eggo with a guitar tech when he received the news on his phone from Hamer artist relations. It inspired me to buy a couple older Hamers to enjoy as players while I still could.

Sometimes it can be that the name isn't the key...example; If I wanted a Charvel then I wouldn't
look to Fender but I'd look here.
 

 Great vids Karyn. I would guess that there wasn't much in the way of humidity control based on the fans.