Fender American Classic( American Original Replacement)

[Beyer160]

For sure, if you're happy with the features of the Fender offerings I don't think you're giving up anything in quality vs. small/custom builders and saving a healthy chunk of money.

Thanks for all the info. My thought process is, instead of buying off the rack I can have some input on the specs for 20-30% more. For a $400 Squire, I'm happy to take whatever colors/pickups/hardware options come stock. Once you pass $2k, I get picky pretty quick.

[Larry Mal]

I'm sure they'll be nice guitars, I'm looking forward to seeing them, and I'm glad to see the supposed return of the 7.25" radius. I thought it was totally lame that they didn't offer that.

I doubt they will cost much more than they do now. The market will only pay so much, and Fender knows that.

Remember that Fender has a fundamentally different business model than small guitar makers do. It's apples and oranges to consider the two and compare the prices. I'd say they'll roll out at about $2200 or so.

Frankly, I think Fender represents pretty good value for money, the American Professional series is very attractively priced. I don't think they'll go crazy with the American Classic.

[Beyer160]

I doubt they will cost much more than they do now. The market will only pay so much, and Fender knows that.

Don't forget that Fender made a major price hike in 2008, as the economy was imploding 1929-style. The market for American made Fender Vintage Reissue guitars isn't the same as the market for lower end consumer goods, they're mainly aimed a people who have money to burn and are less impacted by market forces. An acquaintance who runs a guitar shop in town told me that their sales go UP when there are major market disruptions, because the wealthy have more time on their hands to pursue hobbies.

Remember that Fender has a fundamentally different business model than small guitar makers do. It's apples and oranges to consider the two and compare the prices. I'd say they'll roll out at about $2200 or so.

It's not really apples and oranges at all, they're both guitars. The question is, is one worth more to me than the other (and if so, how MUCH more?) Remember that my money is worth the same no to me matter who I spend it with. If a small maker offers me more value for my money than Fender, that's where I'll spend it. It's up to each of us to decide the value proposition of the various options. Some guys put a lot of value in the decal on the headstock, others don't.

Maybe in the end, I'll decide that my MIM Classic lacquer is all the Jazzmaster I need and keep my money in my pocket. That's what happened when the AOs came out, I didn't see enough of an improvement over the MIM to justify the cost. Fender made their calculations to price the guitars how they did, and I made mine to decide if it was worth buying.

[Larry Mal]

It's not really apples and oranges at all, they're both guitars. The question is, is one worth more to me than the other (and if so, how MUCH more?) Remember that my money is worth the same no to me matter who I spend it with. If a small maker offers me more value for my money than Fender, that's where I'll spend it. It's up to each of us to decide the value proposition of the various options. Some guys put a lot of value in the decal on the headstock, others don't.

Well, Fender has a scale that no small builder can approach, which means that Fender can make less per guitar than a small builder would and still be profitable.

The boutique guys have to charge a lot, or it's simply not worth their time to do it. Fender cranks guitars out in a factory all day long, a totally different approach to business. So while they are both guitars, they are produced, marketed and priced differently.

[JSett]

I don't think 2-3k is even that bad for an American made instrument that you could use for the rest of your life. and that would probably rise in value after long enough. You could spend that on an old used car and be lucky to get 5 years out of it before it has to go to the big scrapyard in the sky.

[Mechanical Birds]

Yeah, specs have a way, way bigger impact on smaller builders as well in ways that are unavoidable that don’t enter the equation with Fender.

Things that CAN SOMETIMES BE (no where often enough actually are, though) a stock feature on a Fender guitar are considered major, or at least expensive, upgrades on a Bilt. If Fender does a 66 reissue with Matching headstock and block inlays, it’s priced the same as another guitar on the line with no blocks/binding/headstock. At Bilt yr paying an extra $500 for block inlays, $250 or whatever for the headstock, etc. granted, that comes with way more customization and you’re picking exactly the color you want as opposed to the 1/100 shot the Fender reissue comes in the same color, but still.

[JVG]

Whilst I look forward to 15 pages of complaints about incorrect b&b necks, I’ll get excited by the new left handed models: a butterscotch 50s Telecaster, sunburst 50s strat & white 60s strat

I hear you man.

Yep, there will probably be a token lefty strat and tele in fairly “standard” colours. And Fender will charge more for them compared to the righties.

[wooderson]

With Fenders you also have to account for bargaining - order a custom Bilt, the price is the price. Take a $30 Mooer pedal to Guitar Center and you get 10% off a Fender without even haggling.

[BlueMelody]

I don't think 2-3k is even that bad for an American made instrument that you could use for the rest of your life. and that would probably rise in value after long enough. You could spend that on an old used car and be lucky to get 5 years out of it before it has to go to the big scrapyard in the sky.

Perfect point, 100% agree.

[Mechanical Birds]

WHEN ARE THEY GONNA ANNOUNCE THESE FUCKERS COME ON FENDER DO IT DO IT DO IT

[GreenKnee]

WHEN ARE THEY GONNA ANNOUNCE THESE FUCKERS COME ON FENDER DO IT DO IT DO IT

I wish they'd hurry up!

Anyone know why Fender, Gibson and PRS aren't showing at NAMM? I've seen multiple articles saying they're not going to be there but no explanation for why

[Mechanical Birds]

Shit I really had my hopes up we’d be hearing something any day now this is killin me

[wooderson]

Anyone know why Fender, Gibson and PRS aren't showing at NAMM? I've seen multiple articles saying they're not going to be there but no explanation for why

NAMM is very expensive and entirely pointless for big companies. They can get their products covered all across the Internet without any trouble with a few photos and letting dealers put up demo videos on their own dime.

[mekhem]

I agrre with @wooderson - I think that Fender/Gibson/PRS have spent the last 2 years building a strong B2B model so going to NAMM and dealing with their outlets large and small face to face isn't really in their best interests at this point. Thats what their regional reps are for.

It is likely more cost effective for them to use their Youtube/IG/Twitter channels and partners to do releases than present at a big show. If you have watched the Casino Guitars youtube channel you may have seen them do a rebroadcast of the FCS lineup. I watched that and assumed that it was a presentation that FCS did to all of their dealers instead of a NAMM situation where they displayed the models and took orders via business cards etc.. I am pretty sure that they will announce things via non-namm channels at or around the same time as the show. Look at the release of the acoustisonic Jazzmaster, SE Silver Sky, Slash #4 model as an example of how this will go down.

If there is something that bothers me about this model its that the vendors/youtubers/those in the know will be able to order up all of the inventory before the public knows about it. I would bet some hard currency that there are influencers and large dealers out there that have these models in their hands already but arent allowed to order them/sell them/take orders for them yet (see above).

I have been bugging my Sweetwater rep (sigh - i know) and some people at CME about the Yellow Marguar every couple of days for the last 2 weeks - which they say is not on the product list yet - but if it gets announced and they are all pre-sold out I am going to lose my sh!t

[GreenKnee]

So the guy who posted about these originally on strat-talk has posted saying that he made it all up.