Never play a fender the same way again?

Re: Never play a fender the same way again?

^^ you beat me to it. Why do we have to pay $1900 to have a neck carve that warmoth does custom for $35?

And I was just reading on how Fender is marketing to keep new players interested with an app /training program. But not offering these innovations to those who stayed with it but who buy lower/mid priced instruments.
 
Re: Never play a fender the same way again?

Okay, it's pricey..... Let's wait to actually play one, shall we?
 
Re: Never play a fender the same way again?

ICTGoober said:
Okay, it's pricey..... Let's wait to actually play one, shall we?
Click to expand...

That's kinda the thing. For less than 1900$ I can build a pretty *****in' Warmoth, exactly to my specs in any finish I want. And if the headstock decal is really important to me I can buy a 2$ waterslide and stick it on myself. It's cool that they're offering stuff like a contoured heel now, but I'm not sure I see the draw at those prices.
 
Re: Never play a fender the same way again?

So, what's the big news? Is it that Fender is making Warmoth-style necks and bodies now? Or is that they're charging 2X-3X the price of a similar Warmoth guitar? :rolleyes:
 
Re: Never play a fender the same way again?

GuitarStv said:
That's kinda the thing. For less than 1900$ I can build a pretty *****in' Warmoth, exactly to my specs in any finish I want. And if the headstock decal is really important to me I can buy a 2$ waterslide and stick it on myself. It's cool that they're offering stuff like a contoured heel now, but I'm not sure I see the draw at those prices.
Click to expand...

Must've posted this while I was typing my reply above. My point exactly. I could build a pair of Warmoths for the price of one Utra!
 
Re: Never play a fender the same way again?

Warmoth is a bit of a strawman, isn’t it? You need to account for the cost of assembling, fret dressing, soldering, etc. I know it’s not the full delta, but still. Comparison to Kiesel or Yamaha or other fully assembled guitar is a fair comparison. Not to mention, if you compare to Suhr or Anderson, the Fender is cheaper. Since a guitar is more than a list of specs, those are probably worth their up charge over the Fender too.

I think Warmoth/USACG/Musikraft/etc. has always been a more affordable option that’s more customized to your preferences. It’s really nothing new.

Sorry to play devil’s advocate, I’ve got an equal quantity of Fenders and assembled parts guitars.
 
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Re: Never play a fender the same way again?

Alder body. Hmm. Not awful but not what I would have picked out.
 
Re: Never play a fender the same way again?

I'm actually offended by the clickbait

I would buy a Suhr Classic Pro in a heartbeat over any of these just for the clickbait.
 
Re: Never play a fender the same way again?

Though I've got to say, the computer-enhanced LPB strat in the ads sure is pretty
 
Re: Never play a fender the same way again?

AniML said:
^^ you beat me to it. Why do we have to pay $1900 to have a neck carve that warmoth does custom for $35?

And I was just reading on how Fender is marketing to keep new players interested with an app /training program. But not offering these innovations to those who stayed with it but who buy lower/mid priced instruments.
Click to expand...
I have a $300 Korean Ibanez with an all access neck joint that is light years better than this slightly carved fender thing. And it has 24 frets too. And neck binding. And headstock binding. And body binding. And a flame Maple (veneer but still) top. A carved neck heel doesn't cost them anything more to make.

If fender made a Strat with an actual carved neck heel and 24 frets they'd call it the Ultra Mega Omega Strat and charge 4400 for it. And it'd still be a solid color with a giant pickguard that covers 70% of the body, dot inlays and no binding.

Sent from my SM-G965W using Tapatalk
 
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Re: Never play a fender the same way again?

Exactly

Never Play a Fender the Same Way Again...buy something else ;)
 
Re: Never play a fender the same way again?

The carved heel is not really a cause of the high price- that sort of thing has been done forever on other guitars. It is one of those cases where it is a tiny step forward but hyped up as being something that will change guitar as we know it. Actual structural, revolutionary change won't happen on a Strat, because history and tradition is their brand. So I get while people shake their heads at the hyperbole, but Fender can't really do a whole lot and still call it a Strat.
 
Re: Never play a fender the same way again?

BeKindRewind said:
I have a $300 Korean Ibanez with an all access neck joint that is light years better than this slightly carved fender thing. And it has 24 frets too. And neck binding. And headstock binding. And body binding. And a flame Maple (veneer but still) top. A carved neck heel doesn't cost them anything more to make.

If fender made a Strat with an actual carved neck heel and 24 frets they'd call it the Ultra Mega Omega Strat and charge 4400 for it. And it'd still be a solid color with a giant pickguard that covers 70% of the body, dot inlays and no binding.

Sent from my SM-G965W using Tapatalk
Click to expand...



I always thought it was weird that with all the devotion to never changing their designs Fender didn't jump onto the whole relicing bandwagon a little more wholesale. Fender guitars in solid colours look awesome when they start to wear . . . but poly finishes don't. There exist a great many of us don't want to buy a guitar that someone threw keys at and dragged down the road in an attempt to pretend it was played a lot. Near as I can remember though, there was only the Highway One series that offered guitars that would relic on their own through use (I mean, short of crazy expensive custom shop stuff or an Eric Johnson strat).

Feels like that would have been a better opportunity to sell some more guitars.
 
Re: Never play a fender the same way again?

greekdude said:
New guitar-oriented players, modern players, embrace the new designs like the ones by Strandberg or Kiesel. Any brand will have to start producing entirely new designs if they want a future. The old "stock" (us over 50 yrs) will slowly die out, any solid and reliable company should start looking forward.
Click to expand...

If this analysis were valid, innovative designs of the past (Steinberger or SynthAxe or that EVH-endorsed Ripley stereo guitar for example) would kill the 'old' Strats and LP obsolete and they would be museum artifacts today.
 
Re: Never play a fender the same way again?

GuitarStv said:
I always thought it was weird that with all the devotion to never changing their designs Fender didn't jump onto the whole relicing bandwagon a little more wholesale. Fender guitars in solid colours look awesome when they start to wear . . . but poly finishes don't. There exist a great many of us don't want to buy a guitar that someone threw keys at and dragged down the road in an attempt to pretend it was played a lot. Near as I can remember though, there was only the Highway One series that offered guitars that would relic on their own through use (I mean, short of crazy expensive custom shop stuff or an Eric Johnson strat).

Feels like that would have been a better opportunity to sell some more guitars.
Click to expand...
This is EXACTLY why I'd get a Suhr Classic Antique over any of this.

****, the Suhr's neck joint looks like it's carved better too.

****, I could actually find a used Fender CS for around the same price that will look, feel and sound better.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6003 using Tapatalk
 
Re: Never play a fender the same way again?

Okay, I've been reading up on this, and it's most than just a little neck carving. Anyone miss the Ultra noiseless pickups, and the humbucker wound hotter to compete when tapped? How about the different neck carve.... bigger, rounder, etc? Sound like anything from Fenders' past? And the body IS carved more on the back and so on, for comfort and access.

Also read an interview with CEO Andy Mooney, and I realized what they were shooting for.... Anyone recall the Fender Heavy Metal Strats from the 80's? They were kickass guitars! Mooney is a metalhead, and he likes stuff from that era - including the Japanese made stuff that has become quite collectible of late.

So, I'll ignore all the nay-sayers and haters.... and wait to play one. Bet it will be cool.
 
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