Fenders on sale

[RejectionNinja]

Roughly a 10% sale on Fender guitars at Musiciansfriend right now. Huh, maybe they aren't selling very many guitars after the radical price increase.

For the record, the standard MIM Jazz Bass was $474 street at 2008 prices and $660 at 2009 street prices, a YOY price increase of 39%. Now they're on sale as though they weren't selling very many at that price.

Sir, I am shocked. SHOCKED. Just shocked that consumers balked at your 39% price increase.

Jacking prices to eye-popping levels - FMIC's way of saying, "Screw you and your weak economy." Not buying anything - the consumer's way of saying, "Was nice knowin ya."

[Creamyapples1]

I'm a HUGE Fender nut but this price increase has me eagerly looking at other manufacturers for my next purchase.

They've made some bonehead moves before but this one is by far the biggest one in recent years, in my book.

[DrewPeterson7]

Originally Posted by Creamyapples1

They've made some bonehead moves before but this one is by far the biggest one in recent years, in my book.

Inflation, guys. When was the last time they've increased their prices?

I don't remember exactly, but I think when I bought my Strat back in 1997, I think they were selling for $899. The handy inflation calculator I just checked translates that to about $1200 in today's dollars. That's only $50 less than the base Strat is listed for today, and when you factor in the unliklihood that Fender will increase prices for at least a couple more years, they may actually be selling at an inflation-adjusted discount two years from now.

The biggest mistake they made, IMO, was allowing the price of the Strat to fall so far on an inflation-adjusted basis, such that they had to make such a rapid increase to catch back up.

[RejectionNinja]

Originally Posted by DrewPeterson7

Inflation, guys. When was the last time they've increased their prices?
[snip]
The biggest mistake they made, IMO, was allowing the price of the Strat to fall so far on an inflation-adjusted basis, such that they had to make such a rapid increase to catch back up.

I agree, but you can "catch up" with inflation and screw up your PR, your competitive pricing, and your bottom line. I don't recall the last time a (the) major online retailer had sale across every (or nearly every) Fender electric.

I'm presuming that the business decision is that if they don't sell, they go on sale. Let the internet price matching begin.

If I were in charge at FMIC, I would have found a way to get the "MIA" designation on some -more- affordable guitars and run advertising encouraging people to buy a guitar for patriotism and saving American jobs, etc. Also I would be pushing the Highway One line as being very close to a premier product, and do a limited edition finish selection. I'd even be interested in a "finished in the US" Squier if it was spec'ed out as a cheap rocker for rough gigs.

ANYTHING would have been better than a 39% price increase during an economic recession.

PS - I say all of this having bought a Fender guitar back in May from a major brick-and-mortar retailer, but through a long and boring story I paid less than the 2008 price for a 2009 special edition, so... I like the guitars, just not the new prices. 85% of my dislike for the new prices is the result of my failure to buy a 1972 Tele Deluxe RI for the old price of $699.

[DrewPeterson7]

Originally Posted by RejectionNinja

I'm presuming that the business decision is that if they don't sell, they go on sale. Let the internet price matching begin.

Yeah, but here's the thing - when's the last time you could remember seeing a car ad where the producer was offering to make monthly payments for you, up to $500 a month, in the event that you lost your job? The timing was unfortunate, no doubt, but pointing to the fact that they're now on sale as evidence that Fender was trying to price gouge sort of ignores the underlying economic reality...

Neither here nor there, though. I'm with you - for me, the "one that got away" was a '71 Tele that started life white but had been pretty thoroughly abused over its life. I'd never found a guitar that looked or felt so "right," but for $1100 when it needed a refret when I didn't have the cash burning a hole in my pocket and was playing mostly 7-strings anyway, I couldn't justify an impulse purchase. I went into the shop a week later, and it was gone... :/

[Outlaws]

I noticed the RI amps all are a lot higher than the last time I had looked.

I bought a Super Reverb about 5 years ago I think...$1200. I think they are $1600. The Deluxe Reverb was listed at about $1200 now, they used to be $800 the last time I looked...which was awhile ago. But I was looking to buy a Princeton Reverb, but not at $1050.