Looks like Fender is taking a page out of Carvin's Book

[stevexc]

I think a lot of people are missing the fact that the vast majority of us are not the target audience.

This isn't for people who want a semi-custom guitar that looks and feels like a Strat or a Tele, or people that don't mind modding or bulding partscasters.

This is for (and I'm paraphrasing from a post on TDPRI) the people that will only accept a Fender that's made in America that's brand new and with their exact feature set and has a certificate of authentication. The people that want the "real thing" and accept no substitutes. It's not for full customs - there's the actual custom shop, as people mentioned - but for people who want, say, an American Standard Strat in Ash in Lake Placid Blue with a left-handed headstock, humbuckers, and a Deluxe bridge. Something that Fender COULD offer but doesn't.

I'd never buy one - the only other Fender I want/need is another Jazz, and they don't offer P/J pickup combos - but there's a definite niche that this would appeal to. It's just definitely not us.

That said, there is a pretty bad lack of options - but I'm sure as they make money off of this, they'll add more further down the line.

 

[kherman]

For fun I spec'd one out similar to my Squier CV.
I know, Apples/Oranges. But, really like my CV.
So, I look at it as I got off on the cheap.

Body Material:Alder
Body Color: Candy Apple Red
Neck:1950s Vintage Hot Rod Stratocaster, Maple Fingerboard+$200.00
Pickups:1959 Stratocaster SSS+$50.00
Pickguard:3-Ply Parchment
Knobs, Switch Tips & Covers:Aged White
Hardware Finish:Nickel
Tuning Machines:Vintage Standard
Bridge:Vintage Stratocaster
Strings:.010-.046
Caseremium Vintage-Style Tweed Case+$100.00
Buy Now: $1,849.99

Squier Classic Vibe 50's Strat in Candy Apple Red with matching headstock.
Body: Alder
Finish: Polyester
Neck: 1-Piece Maple, Modern "C" Shape
Fingerboard: Maple, 9.5" (241 mm)
Frets: 21, Medium Jumbo
Scale Length: 25.5" (648 mm)
Nut Width: 1.65" (42 mm)
Hardware: Chrome
Tuning Keys: Vintage-style tuning machines
Bridge: Vintage-style, 6-saddle tremolo
Pickguard: 3-ply white
Neck pickup: Custom Stratocaster pickup (AlNiCo III)
Middle pickup: Custom Stratocaster pickup (AlNiCo III)
Bridge pickup: Custom Stratocaster pickup (AlNiCo III)
Pickup switching: 5-Position Blade: Position 1. Bridge Pickup, Position 2. Bridge and Middle Pickups, Position 3. Neck Pickup, Position 4. Middle and Neck Pickup, Position 5. Neck Pickup
Controls: Master Volume, Tone, Tone
Strings: (.009 - .042) Nickel Plated Steel

excellent condition
$289 used at M-G-R .

Plays and sounds great and does the Strat thing just fine for me.


Now! On a more serious note.
The basic Strat build I did up there is not worth no $1850.
Not for someone to just grab basic production materials (not customshop) and assemble them together.
As someone else mentioned, one should be able to find an "off the rack" Strat similarly spec'd for much less. Even if the "rack" needed a couple upgrades it would still most likely be cheaper in the end.

If Fender wants to really compete in the "factory direct" "build to order" game, they have to bring prices down. They've cut out the middle man. No reason they should not be able to lower the cost. And they have to add a whole lot more options.

Maybe I'm just spoiled by my Carvins.
Here's my last build.

ST300C
OFR (German) bridge.
Deep honey burst flame.
Gold hardware.
Matching flame headstock.
Abalone dot inlays.
Rosewood board.
SS jumbo frets.
14" radius.
Twinblade neck & middle pickups.
C22b bridge humbucker.
Mahogany neck & body.
Sperzel tuners.
1 volume
1 tone.
5 way switch.
Tweed case.
$1525 shipped.

Even if I were to do $300 in upgrades (pickups, electronics, etc..) to this guitar, I would still have a lot more guitar for the money than what the Fender builder is offering.

A Carvin Bolt spec'd close to what the Strat builder I made is just under $900.
Again , with $300 worth of upgrades, Add another $150 for Carvin custom neck "hidden option" profile. I'm still cheaper than Fenders builder.
And yes, Carvin offers custom neck profiles. "Hidden option" from $150 (common neck profiles) to $300 (less common profiles). You have to ask.

 

[Grand Moff Tim]

The basic Strat build I did up there is not worth no $1850.
Not for someone to just grab basic production materials (not customshop) and assemble them together.
As someone else mentioned, one should be able to find an "off the rack" Strat similarly spec'd for much less. Even if the "rack" needed a couple upgrades it would still most likely be cheaper in the end.

What is it worth, then? Keep it mind, even a bog standard American Standard Strat is already $1250:

Fender American Standard Stratocaster - Olympic White | Sweetwater.com

...and they make and sell thousands of those from an assembly line every year. I don't know if you've noticed, but apart from Gibson, Fender makes pretty much the most affordable American-made guitars out there, and part of what allows them to do that is the sheer numbers they push every year.

I don't know why people seem surprised that there's an upcharge on something that is, by design, small-batch like this is. What should that upcharge be? Would people suggest it's only one or two hundred dollars? Is the upcharge that small if you wanted to order an M-II from ESP in a non-standard color? (And M-IIs are much pricier than AmStd strats to begin with).

If Fender wants to really compete in the "factory direct" "build to order" game, they have to bring prices down. They've cut out the middle man. No reason they should not be able to lower the cost. And they have to add a whole lot more options.

I don't think Fender is trying to compete in the factory direct or made to order game. They're adding another option for people who want Fender guitars, not another option for people who just want made-to-order guitars in general.

 

[kherman]

What is it worth, then? Keep it mind, even a bog standard American Standard Strat is already $1250:



I don't know why people seem surprised that there's an upcharge on something that is, by design, small-batch like this is. What should that upcharge be? Would people suggest it's only one or two hundred dollars? Is the upcharge that small if you wanted to order an M-II from ESP in a non-standard color? (And M-IIs are much pricier than AmStd strats to begin with).



I don't think Fender is trying to compete in the factory direct or made to order game. They're adding another option for people who want Fender guitars, not another option for people who just want made-to-order guitars in general.

An upcharge on a guitar that is not sold through a dealer. But, direct from Fender. Yet can be hundreds of dollars above a store bought Strat. That's not a small mark up. That's a huge mark up if you really think about it.
There's no dealer cost. No dealers markup. Yet, the one I spec'd would be
$600 over a store bought USA Standard Strat. So, how much is the real markup from Fender's cost to $1850 direct to customer?
Why not pass that's savings that's not being paid to the dealer onto the customer?
I just don't see this being successful.

 

[Grand Moff Tim]

An upcharge on a guitar that is not sold through a dealer. But, direct from Fender. Yet can be hundreds of dollars above a store bought Strat. That's not a small mark up. That's a huge mark up if you really think about it.
There's no dealer cost. No dealers markup. Yet, the one I spec'd would be
$600 over a store bought USA Standard Strat. So, how much is the real markup from Fender's cost to $1850 direct to customer?
Why not pass that's savings that's not being paid to the dealer onto the customer?
I just don't see this being successful.

ESP did the same thing for years and years and years.

 

[kherman]

ESP did the same thing for years and years and years.

But, wasn't it still through your Dealer? Not ESP direct?

 

[yingmin]

An upcharge on a guitar that is not sold through a dealer. But, direct from Fender. Yet can be hundreds of dollars above a store bought Strat. That's not a small mark up. That's a huge mark up if you really think about it.
There's no dealer cost. No dealers markup. Yet, the one I spec'd would be
$600 over a store bought USA Standard Strat. So, how much is the real markup from Fender's cost to $1850 direct to customer?
Why not pass that's savings that's not being paid to the dealer onto the customer?
I just don't see this being successful.

If there were no upcharge for this, and you could buy a build-to-order Fender directly from them for a price equal to or less than the price of a standard Fender from a dealer, that wouldn't be fair to their dealers. Just because the dealer isn't involved in THAT TRANSACTION doesn't mean they cease to exist. Maybe they'll introduce BTO options to dealers, and you'll be able to get these for closer to the price of a standard in the near future, but for now it just wouldn't make sense for them to undercut their dealers.

 

[pushpull7]

Prices are up. I got my amurican deluxe HSS strat for around 1400 with CA tax. Good luck finding one new at that price now. Wasn't even a year ago!

 

[Andromalia]

Why not pass that's savings that's not being paid to the dealer onto the customer?

Business 101: if you undercut your own distributors, you soon find yourself without distributors. Given the market Fender targets, that's not a good idea, because these people will go in shops and buy what's there.

I work for a video game company, we sell our digital games for more than the boxed versions. Why ? Because else no one would stock us and the physical versions still are a significant part of sales. Significant enough that you want to keep the distributors happy.
No distributor will order boxes while a download is cheaper, and you will lose sales overall.
So, if gamers, who are supposed to be internet-savvy, behave like this, imagine Fender and Gibson buyers...

 

[KultureDekay]

mane I just want an affordable seafoam green strat, like the one Kirk Whammet has in the "I Disappear" video.

 

[InfinityCollision]

Because Ibanez, ESP, Schecter, Washburn, Chapman, Rondo, PRS, Jackson, Charvel, EVH, Fernandes, Godin, Kramer, EBMM/SBMM, Parker, and Yamaha.

Fender does offer some unique features and combinations of options even among the companies you just listed, and not everyone has the inclination to take a soldering iron and/or router to everything they touch.

 

[source field]

I think the builder is intended for loyal and classic Fender fans who wants a "STRAT/TELE MADE BY FENDER", not just for people who want a "STRAT/TELE"
(or for blues-rock fans who idolize guitar players like Jeff Beck, SRV, David Gilmour, Eric Clapton, John Mayer).

I'm not good at explaining things but i think you got the idea

 

[theronaldchase]

An upcharge on a guitar that is not sold through a dealer. But, direct from Fender. Yet can be hundreds of dollars above a store bought Strat. That's not a small mark up. That's a huge mark up if you really think about it.
There's no dealer cost. No dealers markup. Yet, the one I spec'd would be
$600 over a store bought USA Standard Strat. So, how much is the real markup from Fender's cost to $1850 direct to customer?
Why not pass that's savings that's not being paid to the dealer onto the customer?
I just don't see this being successful.

Part of it boil down to what you can have done in bulk (cheaper to build) vs. single order items (which take up company time and materials on a one time deal.)

 

[HurrDurr]

I can see a similar feature being introduced involving semi-customs that are Mexican-built at a more affordable price. That would calm everyone down and solve the issues with pricing. Again, the current option is aimed at those that want a Fender American strat in colors and hardware configurations that either haven't been formally introduced by Fender or have but are now difficult to procure in mint/new condition. A Mexican-built option I'd see at anywhere between $1200 at most and maybe somewhere under $999 at least, possibly with a few more offset body shapes and 70's headstocks. Now, would they ever do that? Probably not, as in it really makes no sense to do so and it would seriously undermine dealers at that price point. However, It would definitely make me happy.

 

[HurrDurr]

By the way...

mane I just want an affordable seafoam green strat, like the one Kirk Whammet has in the "I Disappear" video.

It's way too expensive, but here's the link.

 

[yingmin]

Or how about this for affordable? American Special Stratocaster® | Stratocaster® Electric Guitars | Fender® Guitars

 

[LLink2411]

Hmm. I can pay $1799 to Fender, or just buy this:

G&L Legacy Electric Guitar with Tinted Maple Neck Blonde | Musician's Friend

Not to hard to choose that.

G&L's have some of the stickiest and thick-finished necks I have ever played.

 

[Daf57]

Hope not a repost - just saw this. Might be pretty sweet! Still checking it out...

American Design Experience | Design Your Own Fender® Guitar or Bass

 

[cGoEcYk]

Looks fun. Too bad they don't offer ebony fretboards.

 

[Swyse]

http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/st...elling-guitars-direct-offer-semi-customs.html

http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/st...like-fender-taking-page-out-carvins-book.html

I still think its really cool that they are doing it. Its a little rich for my blood, but most new guitars are anyways so I'm not really their target.