What's up with fender amp prices?(besides the obvious)

[Mikelamury]

I just ordered a new fender amp head after looking at all their amps and I'm kinda puzzled over some of the prices. Not the fact that they are outrageously expensive (supply and demand) but the way they price the different models. For instance my 22 watt head was 1400 and it would have been 1600 for the combo amp. Same with the 65 deluxe reverb which is 1600 for a 22 watt combo amp vs 999 for some of their 40 watt combo amps like the blues deluxe or the hot rod deluxe. How does that make sense 1400 for a 22 watt head vs 999 for a 40 watt combo amp? If someone has some insight as to how/why fender prices their amps please share with me. Thanks everyone.

 

[jeremy]

where they are made, what amp series they are in, quality of the materials used, the whim of fender? some amps are made in california, some in mexico, some overseas. the handwired amps are more expensive. the hrd is a fine amp but isnt the same build quality of a handwired tweed twin even if they are both 40w

 

[Mikelamury]

where they are made, what amp series they are in, quality of the materials used, the whim of fender? some amps are made in california, some in mexico, some overseas. the handwired amps are more expensive. the hrd is a fine amp but isnt the same build quality of a handwired tweed twin even if they are both 40w

Ok that makes more sense, I thought all fender amps were made in California I didn't know the make them other places. Well that tells me why my super sonic 22 watt head was 1400 because it's one of the made in California models. I'm assuming the 40 watt combos like the HDR and blues deluxe are made overseas to get the better price points. Thanks for informing me of that I was assuming that they were all made in California and all kind of on an equal plain but obviously different manufacturing facilities will use different parts and have different levels of skilled workers.

 

[jeremy]

the old hrd and similar amps were mia, then went to mim, not sure where they are now

 

[Empty Pockets]

It's really funny to imagine the price of an amp being solely based on wattage lol.

"That all original Tweed Twin is only 40w. I won't pay a dollar over $500 for it."

 

[NegativeEase]

Not only where the manufacturing happens, but also depends heavily on circuit and component and build technique to make the new or reissue product.
and very modern SMT based amplifiers are going to be cheaper to produce if the assembly line is mature -no matter what country is it built in.

However, the biggest issue affecting price now is NOT "the obvious one" in the OP -but is the industry component wholesale price gouging creating purposeful scarcity-basically the free market gone into overdrive leveraging the desperation of fulfillment from final manufacturing and also from finished goods wholesaler to retailer.

It's blood in the ocean and the manufacturer and consumer being taken advantage of by both industries in between, -the component and final product wholesale and distribution.

 

[alex1fly]

I looked it up and too wonder why a 42 lb 1x12 combo amp with no direct out, no 3 band EQ, no overdrive or channel switching, no master volume, no effects loop, and only one effect besides reverb costs $1600. I'm sure it sounds good though. Glad to be happy with my fancy modeler and cheap-as-dirt used amps. It's cool that there's so many options nowadays.

 

[Ewizard]

A bit of it is the series it is in. Their hand-wired series is obviously their flagship line, so it will be priced accordingly. The Re-issue series is what you could consider their standard line, and is part of their top-shelf offerings, so anything in that series will be a little more expensive regardless of the features. Everything else is more or less in their MI-grade/consumer-grade lineup and will be cheaper to make, therefore offered at a more affordable price.

 

[Mincer]

Some 15 watt amps can be more expensive than 100 watt amps. But yeah, it isn't just power that determines price. That's like saying bass should be cheaper than guitar because it has 4 strings.

If I don't think the pricing of a product is fair, I either don't buy it or buy used.

 

[Powdered Toast Man]

Didn't you guys hear? Manufacturers are having trouble sourcing watts due to supply chain issues. Therefore more watts = $$$. I'm saving my watts hoping they go up in value on the used market.