What's left for Fender to do?

[dren68]

I'm still hoping for a Bilinda-Stang... I doubt it will happen, but it would be nice. Seems more fitting for Squier, though. What ever happened to the Pawn Shop series? It seems like they were trying new things with that.



Or more of these.

[burntumber]

PopsCaster

[Larsongs]

Since Fender (& I also include Gibson in my statement) already created some of the best Guitars & Pickups in Music History they really don't need to te-invent the Wheel... Everybody & their Brother are trying to make "Real Vintage Correct" sounding, this, that & the other, Pickups trying to Copy the Magic they already created......

Fenders' Parts Bins are so big they could open the Mod Shop up tp do unlimited Combos of what People want... Without going all "Custom Shop". Just regular Parts from the Bin. As well as more Color Choices. There are infinite possibilities of Guitars we all could dream up with existing Parts that would be, not only resonably Priced, cool & indvidual, but great playing & sounding Guitars..

The other thing that Fender can do is improve their QC. Especially USA Guitars..

The other thing is to offer a Warranty as good as Martin & Gibson... With equal or better Customer Service & the ability for Customers to have Warranty Work performed at the Fender Factory. Just like Gibson & Martin.....

I love my Fenders, but I love my Gibsons, Gretschs, Rics, Martins & Epis just as much.....

[Larry Mal]

Gibson is doing a pretty good job of releasing great things from the past catalog, usually they cost as much as the vintage ones, though. They just released "The Paul" recently, they put out a Les Paul Recording again (not quite accurate though). Gibson is doing a pretty good job of revisiting their back catalog including the Norlin years stuff that they used to eschew.

I mean, I have no idea why Fender isn't putting out the Lead again, what a great guitar, or a Bullet, or any of their other past successes (and misses). Instead they just slap together seemingly random parts on some kind of body shape, usually an offset these days, and throw that out there for a while. There doesn't seem to be all that much vision behind any of it, just kind of... desperation.

Especially with offsets. Half the time I wonder if Fender even has any idea what makes Jazzmasters and Jaguars good, but we've all seen me say this before. But when I see two hum buckers and a TOM bridge on a Jazzmaster body, I just have to wonder what the fuck I'm looking at. That's a great combo, and totally worn out, with literally thousands of alternatives to that out there. And for some reason Fender thinks that it it's transposed over to a Jazzmaster body then someone will want it again.

And I guess some people do, what do I know.

[timtam]

PopsCaster

Not really where I expected to see the Robert Smith JM mod.

[Danley]

All The Cure's best songs were stolen from a single old black blues man.

[Larry Mal]

Well, he's not a blues player.

[sirspens]

I'm still hoping for a Bilinda-Stang... I doubt it will happen, but it would be nice. Seems more fitting for Squier, though. What ever happened to the Pawn Shop series? It seems like they were trying new things with that.

I would buy a Bilinda-Stang. Without second thought.

[Debaser]

What's left for Fender to do?

Hope enough younger gens care enough about them like the boomers did.

[thenewromance]

What's left for Fender to do?

Hope enough younger gens care enough about them like the boomers did.

I guess that's where the actual point lies. I do believe Fender still has appeal with younger generations, but I'm not positive that appeal has (or could ever have) the same volume. Same for Gibson.

[leokula]

I truly think Fender is doing just fine.

We have reissues, signature models, modernized versions, simplified versions, trem, no trem... we get some new colors every once in a while. And of course, they have the custom shop if you want to go crazy, which is how it should be IMO.

[Maggieo]

I'm still hoping for a Bilinda-Stang... I doubt it will happen, but it would be nice. Seems more fitting for Squier, though. What ever happened to the Pawn Shop series? It seems like they were trying new things with that.

I would buy a Bilinda-Stang. Without second thought.

Seconded!

[Danley]

Jay Edgar Turser to the rescue:

[wooderson]

I guess that's where the actual point lies. I do believe Fender still has appeal with younger generations, but I'm not positive that appeal has (or could ever have) the same volume. Same for Gibson.

I don't think volume is a concern, Fender's revenues are about a half billion a year. I'd guess that even factoring in amps, that means they're moving as many guitars as ever - they can't all be selling to aging boomers.

The dominance of guitar in the cultural sphere may have waned a bit (though I sometimes question this narrative - even in the various classic rock heydays, charts were full of vocal-driven pop music) but global markets, population growth and the availability of more affordable quality instruments makes me think the future for guitar is fine*.


*insofar as the future in general is fine - the electric guitar might die out when we're all fighting for the last ration of soylent and potable water

[Danley]

*insofar as the future in general is fine - the electric guitar might die out when we're all fighting for the last ration of soylent and potable water

CIJ poly finishes will be the only remnant to survive mankind.