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On Wed, 8 May 2002, Richard Hawes wrote:
> I guess I'm going to sound off here now.
> Fender is definitely not what it used to be...it's
> still a business, and the point of any business is to
> make money. Comparatively you pay as much money for a
> MIA Fender now as you did back in the 60's, only now
> you're not quite getting what you paid for as opposed
> to back then.
This was said by several people by now, and I must strongly disagree. I
own three US-made Strats, two from the late '80s and one from the
mid-'90s, and they are great guitars, as good or better than any of the
vintage Fenders that I played. I think Fender is doing a GREAT job, and I
just want to know how all of you are coming to a conclusion that the
guitars aren't as good as they used to be.
> I think that has more to do with the
> direction business, manufacturing, and more
> specifically marketing has taken America than anything
> else. You could say the same thing about ANY consumer
> product in this country, from waffle-makers right up
> to automobiles, and people do so on a regular basis.
Yes, people do, but are they right? I'd much rather have a new car, with
a fuel-injected engine, better fuel consumption, AC, power windows, locks,
airbags, etc. I think many US companies lost their way in the '70s, but
that's not the case anymore from everything I see.
> As for how much Fender charges for its instruments,
> I'll say (being the owner of two Fender instruments)
> they're definitely kind of kicking back on their
> laurels and the fact that they're "Fender"...
On which basis can you make this statement?
> I own an American '62 Precision bass reissue, and I
> paid quite a chunk of change for it even after getting
> it at about $400 below retail price. People will
> always argue that for the money brand X is better, but
> after cruising around, asking around and trying
> everything I could lay my hands on, I can honestly say
> that I don't feel my own Fender to be anything at all
> less than anything else you'd pay the same money for
> quality-wise, and I don't experience the envy when
> picking up other new bass' after owning it the way I
> did when I was playing my $100 pawn shop special
> (which there's nothing wrong with.)
Well, then you just contradicted your above statements.
> The lower-end Fenders, the Mexican and especially the
> Japanese made ones, are, I think, a real good deal for
> the money you pay.
I have a Japanese '95 Limited Edition Jazzmaster, which is a very good
guitar (after changing the pickups). I love playing it, and it sounds
great.
> I'd say maybe half the great surf albums I listen to
> are Fenders...the other half are a multitude of other
> brands that sounded just as good and that the people
> could afford at the time.
I bet you that the ratio of Fender-played surf albums is a LOT more than
50/50 - more like 95/5.
Ivan
