New Fender Am Prof Strat and Tele models

PeteR

PeteR

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Just looked them up here in Germany

official price ~ € 2100-2150 - streetprice ~ €2000

no expensive / exotic wood top, no big extras, at least I can't see them

Who buys such guitars for such a price ?
 
Robb said:
I'm a sucker for used guitars so no company would make a penny out of me :D
Click to expand...

Those Hojicha-Burst models are not really available on the used market, only now or then one with a 'not so perfect' top
they only were made for a short time

officially they are offered in the €2300-2400 price range, so I got one from Japan and the other from the distributor in Slovenia
I've paid ~ 1900 and 1700
 
PeteR said:
Just looked them up here in Germany

official price ~ € 2100-2150 - streetprice ~ €2000

no expensive / exotic wood top, no big extras, at least I can't see them

Who buys such guitars for such a price ?
Click to expand...
I have to wonder myself. I get all of the comparisons others have made of the original cost of these guitar vs their current costs and the impacts of inflation but what's typically overlooked is how much less the manufacturing cost is as a percentage of the retail price due to automation. The original models manufactured in the 1950s were largely hand built guitars not assembled from components cut out of blocks of wood by CNC machines in rapid fire order.

If a guitar of reasonably good quality can be produced other than in CA and sold at a fraction of the price of a top grade US built model then it fairly apparent that profit margins have increased as well all along the line. I have no quarrel with those who are willing to pay the price for a top grade US made guitar but personally I question the overall value of such a purchase. Does that US build sound and play all that much better than a lower cost version of the very same guitar?

I have owned a CS '51 Nocaster only because I was able to buy it for less than wholesale price when they were selling for $2500-$3000 at the time. I currently own a Baja Tele. The Nocaster was an exceptional guitar but not all that much better than my Baja which sold for considerably less when new. I missed the Nocaster which is why I eventually bought the Baja. The actual differences are small and more cosmetic (like a rolled finger) than tonal or in basic playability. Even the necks are similar.

Not including CS models built to spec my belief is that with some money put into better components many lower cost models can be upgraded to be nearly the same as the more costly models. I've done this with a number of guitars and basses and the results have been quite good. All just my personal opinion but I'm willing to share it.
 
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