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  • Random thoughts on Fender vs. other manufacturers

Hi Folks, there have been so many threads here discussing the pros and cons of Gibson, I just decided to look at the other major manufacturer and see what opinions people hold about them. Just to let you know I have no beef with either Gibson or Fender I own products from both companies <USA Stratocasters, Gibson les Paul, Gibson ES335> they resonate with my musical roots.
We could discuss LOCAL PRICING, quality, backup all the usual matters. ?


To kick it all off in 2008 I purchased an American standard Stratocaster brand new, the first one had a neck pocket cut totally out of alignment <you could fit a credit card into the one side and the other side was not parallel with the neck>, it was returned for a second, no matter what was done with pickup heights and pickup angles and action height etc it was almost impossible to get some kind of even string to string volume, so that was returned and Fender sent a third <I am in JHB and the dealer is in JHB but he did not have any more stock of the color I wanted>, which had the expected fit and finish, but the only way I could get a playable axe out of it was for Andy McGibbon to give it a bit of a fret dress, he had to level out some of the frets, remove some sharp edges etc, Fender SA to their credit picked up the tab for this. So to Fender SA's credit they stood behind the product and in the end I had the guitar I wanted but should I have had to go through all this. This was not an isolated incident however as one of my clients <a Fender nut if there ever was one> experienced similar and continuously vents about it.
I also have bought a set of Custom shop 69 pickups and the bridge pickup was DOA, Fender SA replaced it within a week.

So do my experiences suggest quality issues at Fender <ducking the flames>? What they do show though is that Fender SA do stand behind their product.

Over to you all





    msch997 wrote:Fender SA to their credit picked up the tab for this.
    I find this AMAZING! Good on them for doing that!!!
      I reckon that my eboness strat copy is the best there is... ?

      I wonder how the sheer volume of stratocasters will affect the pricing. Surely it's going to out sell the VW Beetle soon?
        DonovanB wrote: I reckon that my eboness strat copy is the best there is... ?

        I wonder how the sheer volume of stratocasters will affect the pricing. Surely it's going to out sell the VW Beetle soon?
        You're veeeery sharp Don.... ?
          There's not much going on here...let's move over to the Gibson/Tokai threads...... ?
            I prefer a fender or a squier over a gibson anyday ..... You gotta take the good with the bad , but in the end a prefence
              Tailon. wrote: You gotta take the good with the bad , but in the end a prefence
              Tailon, that's exactly why you should consider buying a Gibson as well.....great guitars man
                I'm serious, surely there will be too many in the market soon?
                  DonovanB wrote: Surely it's going to out sell the VW Beetle soon?
                  That would be appropriate for Fender, considering that the Tele's often referred to as the Volkswagen of electric guitars.
                    DonovanB wrote: I'm serious, surely there will be too many in the market soon?
                    Doesn't matter...there's always the next guy ready to buy a Strat (MIJ,MIA,MIM,MIK,MI....) ?
                      There's not much going on here...let's move over to the Gibson/Tokai threads......
                      he he , fender seems like a no no for some.


                      Just like a volkwagen a fender will always keep running, and will most probably be found in a pawn shop just waiting to be fixed up, just need to adjust few stuff every now and again.

                      There is alot of hype around fender, some believe MIJ are better than MIM and then one guy will go on about his MIA which he had to donate a body part for.

                      I have fooled many people with my cheap squier tele ?
                        Tailon. wrote: I prefer a fender or a squier over a gibson anyday ..... You gotta take the good with the bad , but in the end a prefence
                        I've never played a bad guitar with "Fender" on the headstock, MIM, MIJ, or MIA. But I've never played a good guitar with "Squier" written on the headstock, MIK, or MIC.

                        Maybe it's just bad luck, but I don't regard Squiers as stand-ins for Fenders. I think many other companies make Fender copies for the same money that are much better than Squiers. The Squiers that I've played made me think of them as Fender mimics - close enough to get kids to take them home, but actually an entirely different animal.

                        I guess though, in Fender's defence, it's not the end of the world since their low-end MIM and MIJ guitars are not that expensive, compared to the insane rip-off prices of low-end Gibsons.

                        I'd advise a beginner wanting a Stratocaster, to get something else, like a Pacifica 112, or a Cort, to start with, while saving pennies for a MIM or MIJ Fender.
                          I dunno, for R1400 to get a new Squier doesn't seem too bad.

                          My Squier is MIJ and is very naais... ?
                            vic wrote:
                            Tailon. wrote: You gotta take the good with the bad , but in the end a prefence
                            Tailon, that's exactly why you should consider buying a Gibson as well.....great guitars man
                            Vic i hate the gibson necks , i have honestly tried to enjoy gibson guitars , and honestly i just can't get used to there necks .......
                              Tailon. wrote:
                              vic wrote:
                              Tailon. wrote: You gotta take the good with the bad , but in the end a prefence
                              Tailon, that's exactly why you should consider buying a Gibson as well.....great guitars man
                              Vic i hate the gibson necks , i have honestly tried to enjoy gibson guitars , and honestly i just can't get used to there necks .......
                              They're baseball bats ? I like 'em though.
                                In case anyone was wondering, I cannot comment due to professional affiliations. :'(
                                  Alan Ratcliffe wrote: In case anyone was wondering, I cannot comment due to professional affiliations. :'(
                                  We understand Alan....I guess you have NO affiliations with Gibson then....? ? ?
                                    Fender is like the Toyota Hilux of guitars. Different models across the range, but reliable as hell and does what it's supposed to do really well. Plus, fery few people think you are a chump for owning one... Gibson will be more ike an Alfa Romeo. Also beautifull and an icon, but not everybodies cup of tea. Throw in the reliabity issue and the perception that they dont make em like they used to and you end up with something that is either loved or hated.
                                      chris77 wrote: Fender is like the Toyota Hilux of guitars. Different models across the range, but reliable as hell and does what it's supposed to do really well. Plus, fery few people think you are a chump for owning one... Gibson will be more ike an Alfa Romeo. Also beautifull and an icon, but not everybodies cup of tea. Throw in the reliabity issue and the perception that they dont make em like they used to and you end up with something that is either loved or hated.
                                      best comprasion i have heard in years