Fender Stratocaster

[thearabianmage]

Okay, I know this is sacrilege to most people, but the question begs to be asked: why are Strats so damn expensive? I just had a look at about 45 or 50 of them at this website, and they are all the same!!!

Alder body, maple neck, vintage pups, vintage bridge. . . These, imo are arguably the most important aspects to look at in a guitar that you are going to buy. Body wood/neck wood/pickups/hardware

Yet the price for these exact specs ranges from £289 to around £1200 - and the ones that Fender have destroyed they sell for £2200!!!!!

WHY!?!?

WHY do they add nearly ONE THOUSAND GBP because they have used a rusty bridge, scratched pickups, and have paid some loser to bang it up a bit?!?!? Maybe it's testament to the loser who pays that extra amount of money to have this shyt done to their guitar

Also, they vary prices of guitars depending on who's endorsing them. A Buddy Holly guitar goes for almost £500, but a SRV goes for over £1000 and a Clapton goes for just under £1000. The price of the Malmsteen is almost justified by the scalloping, but I'm sure you can get a standard Strat, scallop it, and still spend less than they ask for a Malmsteen.

I'm not into Fender Strats (too bulky, not enough frets (I have small hands and 24 fret necks feel much better to me than 21/22 fret necks) no FR tremolo, and not enough balls) but I really want a virgin white Strat (because they do look sexy as hell) but damn - this is ridiculous!!

Can anyone shed any light or this just a case of capitalization?

Oh, and if Blooz is reading this, I still think your Koa is very sweet!

[marnold***]

Good question. I think the whole professional relicing thing is nuts, but what do I know. Basically Fender charges the prices they do because they can. That's not to say that they don't make some fine instruments. They do. But you get to a point where you say, "This is dumb." I took my Floyd to a guitar shop and A/B'd against a number of Fenders, including a Clapton one and an American Standard. I would have taken my Floyd every time. I only wish it had 24 frets. Not that I use the 23rd and 24th that often, but it makes access to the 20th-22nd easier I find.

[thearabianmage]

Good question. I think the whole professional relicing thing is nuts, but what do I know. Basically Fender charges the prices they do because they can. That's not to say that they don't make some fine instruments. They do. But you get to a point where you say, "This is dumb." I took my Floyd to a guitar shop and A/B'd against a number of Fenders, including a Clapton one and an American Standard. I would have taken my Floyd every time. I only wish it had 24 frets. Not that I use the 23rd and 24th that often, but it makes access to the 20th-22nd easier I find.

When you say 'you took your Floyd' do you mean one of those sweet Floyd Rose speedloader guitars? My guitar teacher at Bridgwater (only 1 'e') had one of those. They are pretty sick'n'slick. But yeah, 'antiquating' or whatever it is they call it. . . Brilliant business tactics I guess, because they get to bang up a guitar and charge more for it. I guess you are absolutely right: they charge so much because they can. But I still want to buy a Standard Strat in plain white. Can anyone recommend a Standard Strat (they are the 'cheapest') or is there another Strat that is better (but not £500 more expensive for a pickup that is over-wound)

[WackyT]

Prices on consumables is generally determined by the market. If people are willing to spend buku bucks, or pounds, on "professionally" beat up guitars, then why not set the price that high? I personally do not see the attraction of paying 10 times the price for a guitar with 1/10th the attractiveness, but obviously somebody does.

[thearabianmage]

Prices on consumables is generally determined by the market. If people are willing to spend buku bucks, or pounds, on "professionally" beat up guitars, then why not set the price that high? I personally do not see the attraction of paying 10 times the price for a guitar with 1/10th the attractiveness, but obviously somebody does.

Blatantly just a bunch of business men who buy them guitars. Anyone else could beat it up themselves. . .

[markb]

Mexican Standards can be good guitars. If you prefer a more "vintage" presentation the Classic series are pretty good too. A used American Standard or Series can be had at a reasonable price in the UK. I paid somewhere around £500 for mine when they about £700 new, you get a case with US guitars. I don't get the relic thing either, I'd rather do it myself over time.

As for businessmen I thought they all played PRSi through Boogies

[Tone E]

To be fair the relics cost more to produce because theyre hand rafted by master builders not the run of the mill guys.

Also the custom shop reproductions do not have to be beat up relics. They can be bought as relics (beat up, resembling a played/gigged vintage), closet classics (less beat up, resembling what an actual vintage would look like had it been stored) or N.O.S which is the same but using all new looking parts as though they had discovered original vintage stuff hiding in the warehouse.

They are more expensive not becase theyre better guitars, theyre not, but becuase there is something more to them than just an instrument to be played. They cost more becuase they represent more... and becuase they cost more to make.

Like with most products I have found that spending double does not get you double the value. You spend 100% more and get maybe 10% extra, the more you spend the larger this discrepancy becomes.


American standard stuff is great, play it, I imagine you will love it.

Alternatively if you are not a snob check out the squier range, particularly the squier deluxe stuff which is supposed to very good indeed. I have heard that some of the squier deluxe strats can be as good as the mexican fenders.

[marnold***]

When you say 'you took your Floyd' do you mean one of those sweet Floyd Rose speedloader guitars? My guitar teacher at Bridgwater (only 1 'e') had one of those. They are pretty sick'n'slick.

Yep, listed in my sig below. It's a DST-3. Here's my review of it and here are some pictures. The single coils are now black, having been replaced by Dimarzio Area 61s. I got the guitar on closeout for $149, so even with replacing all three pickups and a bit of rewiring, it's still cheaper than a MIM Strat.

[thearabianmage]

Yep, listed in my sig below. It's a DST-3. Here's my review of it and here are some pictures. The single coils are now black, having been replaced by Dimarzio Area 61s. I got the guitar on closeout for $149, so even with replacing all three pickups and a bit of rewiring, it's still cheaper than a MIM Strat.

Dude, that is almost exactly like Jule's FR!!! Except his, I remember him saying, cost a helluva lot more (went to the US to get it). . .it looks a bit more like this one here:

http://shredguitars.com/collections/...dium/body2.JPG

$149? Fair play! These are really nice guitars - as you've mentioned in your review. Definitely one I have to keep an eye out for - even though they don't sell them in the UK (I don't think so, at least.)

[Tone2TheBone]

You wanna play you gotta pay. Get a Squier Strat they're cheap.

[Brian Krashpad]

A couple points. First, in Blighty you're going to pay a premium for US guitars. Part of it is simply that US guitars are more expensive (they are in the States too), and part is the cost of importing/taxes/etc.

Cost is a relative thing. If you want a good price on a US guitar, buy in the US, buy used, and don't pay extra for relic'ing or any other feature you don't want. Compared to Gibson prices, Fenders are pretty darn affordable.

But if you want to boycott Fender, finding a non-Fender Strat is very easy. Probably the most copied guitar on the planet. With MIM Fenders and all the copies out there, there's no reason to complain that Strats are expensive. Even sticking with Fender-only, you yourself stated that they range "from £289 to around £1200 ."

So buy the one for 289.

I'm missing what the problem is here.

[thearabianmage]

You wanna play you gotta pay. Get a Squier Strat they're cheap.

It's not just the fact that they are expensive - just the lack of justification for their price (apart from putting a decal on the headstock with the initials of a dead man - or carving his initials into the scratchplate. . .)

It's got to be said - as far as electric guitars are concerned, the Stratocaster is the perfect shape. Fender have solidified their place in guitar history - it's rock solid. But they don't want to stop there. The people who run Fender nowadays, most of which have no affiliation with the Leo Fender or anybody else who started the company, have kids to send to college - and they plan on doing that by capitalizing on the name, talent, and death of great players like Stevie Ray Vaughn.

It's a shame, really.

[thearabianmage]

I'm missing what the problem is here.

I probably will buy the £289 one.

But the problem is that the £289 guitar - specs wise - is no different from most of the £1000+ models. Why are they doing that? The off-chance that someone will overlook all of the details and just go straight for the Eric Clapton model? I guess there's always the chance.

They are doing that because, like most companies nowadays, they just want a cheaper and easier way to make a buck. We all got to eat, don't we? But most of us achieve this in slightly less deceiving ways. And I won't even touch Gibson as far as price - they are just ridiculous; you are very right there.

As far as import costs are concerned, I find that's irrelevant, because by the time they get here, the prices have been re-adjusted and are still just as much of a piss-take.

Some are made in America, yes, and they will cost more, I understand that - but most of them are not made in America. Most of them are not hand-made. And most of them are the same - except for their price tags which will vary from £289-to £K's. My problem is that I think this is shameful.

[thearabianmage]

Especially for one of the leading guitar manufacturers in the world. Don't get me wrong, my Jackson was made after the acquisition of Jackson by Fender, and it is a lovely guitar. But that doesn't justify anything.

There are a myriad of copies - but I expect better from a company as reputed as Fender, honestly.

[thearabianmage]

I will still buy that Standard Strat in plain white, though

[Ger the man]

In my book it all depends how you view a guitar, if you want good stuff your going to pay for it. Rest assured - It will hold its value over time, I started out with a Highway 1 strat and will never sell it because of the amount of dings it has now - but its mine and it sounds nice. I then bought a us deluxe tele and there is simply no comparison as regards finish, tone and overall quality. People think im crazy and wonder why i didnt get a tele copy for 200/300 euro but then again they have no problem spending a fortune on plasma tv's or cigarettes.

[Brian Krashpad]

Some are made in America, yes, and they will cost more, I understand that - but most of them are not made in America. Most of them are not hand-made. And most of them are the same - except for their price tags which will vary from £289-to £K's. My problem is that I think this is shameful.

Welcome to capitalism lad.

Honestly, I'm not seeing the shameful bit here. Anyone can go to Fender's website(s) and compare specs on the various models. It's not like they're deceiving anyone about any facts material to making an informed choice about purchasing their products. Prices are set on what the market will bear.

With the freedom of a free market system comes a responsibility on purchasers' parts to become educated shoppers, and it would appear you've done that.

Caveat emptor, baby.

[just strum]

Look on the bright side, at least they are not Gibson Strats. I love Gibson guitars, but IMO they are one the the more over priced guitars. They have great guitars and sound, but pricing is out of line.

[Tone2TheBone]

It's not just the fact that they are expensive - just the lack of justification for their price (apart from putting a decal on the headstock with the initials of a dead man - or carving his initials into the scratchplate. . .)

It's got to be said - as far as electric guitars are concerned, the Stratocaster is the perfect shape. Fender have solidified their place in guitar history - it's rock solid. But they don't want to stop there. The people who run Fender nowadays, most of which have no affiliation with the Leo Fender or anybody else who started the company, have kids to send to college - and they plan on doing that by capitalizing on the name, talent, and death of great players like Stevie Ray Vaughn.

It's a shame, really.

Huh?

So you're saying the price of a Stratocaster isn't justified? Hey they're Stratocasters! Guess who wants to play them? Everyone! Why can't you afford a $300 guitar? I don't get your boggle dude.