FMIC - you're killing me, buddy

Danhedonia

Danhedonia

Noted duckfat enthusiast
Around 1980 I started playing guitar, with my first being a Gibson Sonex 180 Deluxe. That was used in righteous teenage punk anger, and several headstock glue jobs later the remains were tossed in a random dumpster like a serial killer's victim.

Since then, it's been FMIC products with no looking back: a MIJ Mustang and thinline Tele were my 2nd and 3rd guitars, and since then I've added about 20-30 FMIC products to my life. Since some time in the mid 90's, FMIC has been driving me nuts with their product (mis)-management.

* Still can't get an American Standard Jazzmaster.
* Very cool, popular models come ... and go. Right away. See: Fender Modern Player Marauder. Highway 1 Tele. Fender XII. Bass VI. Paisley Telecaster. etc. etc. etc.
* Speaking of models coming, how about that supply chain? For a huge company churning out product, the alignment between promo campaigns and street availability is poor. See: Vintage Modified offsets.
* From other thread (and perhaps one or two other posts around the internet): MIM vs. MIA vs. MIC/MII/MIJ/CIJ/MIK/pick a sweatshop nation ... far too confusing. A smidge better the past few years, but wildly confusing, and no, I'm not paying $1000 for a MIM guitar. Dream on.
* No standard Jazzmaster.
* Who's choosing the parts, Helen Keller? You have some gorgeous guitars in Squier's CV / VM lines. And then you save a few shekels putting really, really crappy hardware and electronics on them.
* Is there a reason you can't make a terrific $700 tube amplifier?
* How about offering more bound necks and bodies? You know, if Agile can do it, I'd think you can, too.
* That aftermarket part thing must be hugely profitable, given the way you make sure stuff doesn't cross product lines w/compatibility.
* After a couple of decades of careful thinking, you came up with the .... Bassbreaker. Whew.
* Still no Standard Jazzmaster.
* Your OEM parts are so overpriced that I was sure they were intended to discourage direct purchases. At this point, you're paying me to have my guitar assembled.

Which brings me to the great big beef: where in the hell are the exact guitars I lust for? FMIC, we go back a long way (I apologize again for the rubber checks from [famous artist's management company inserted here]- you knew the cash was coming). You are American rock and roll to me. I nearly cried when I saw Buddy Holly's Strat in Clovis (NM - never go there if you don't have to).

Where are the offsets in stunning colors with bound necks? Telecasters with binding? Exciting humbucking pickups? A tangerine flake Duosonic? Regularly available transparent finishes? One piece bodies under $2.5K?

Am I alone here? What do you wish FMIC would / wouldn't do?
 
Bassbreaker may be the most well-received and reviewed tube amps they've come out with in a long time :shrug: ; having said that, I will say that they seem to switch up models a lot more than other companies, and rotate out popular ones too quickly.
 
FMIC took on too much debt assuming that they could pay it off with expensive new product. But new product prices are depressed by a massive secondary market. At this point the company is just throwing shit at the walls of Guitar Center to keep creditors calm for another three months. I don’t see how they can solve this problem without going through bankruptcy to get out from under the thumb of debt maintenance.
 
FMIC is a circus for sure, but at least they're not Gibson. It must really suck though, having to compete against 6o years of your own product in the used marketplace.
 
You know $1300 for an American Standard strat. Hell the Warmoth Tele I just built was under $700 with a Mastery bridge. Now Doug is coming out with the Titan brand for the same price as a strat. There is no way I will ever buy a new Fender or really any of the big companies again.
 
I, too, have been a Fender fan, but the inconsistency of their guitars has always been a concern for me. It seems that quality control is of less concern than is cranking out ae many guitars that they can. I understand that their is a difference in the MIM line, and the MIA line, but there is inconsistency of quality in both lines. This issue may not be unique to the Fender brand, but one would think that they would understand that people, especially in this economy, are looking for reasonable (or better) quality if they are parting with there hard earned cash.

The thing is that I will look for quality when I decide to buy, and that is as likely to be on the used market as on the new. We all know that Squier has improved their quality, and even the MIM line has offered improve quality instruments. It proves that it can be done. With a better quality control, the brand name might still rise again, but they should not forget that the rise of independent builders with good quality guitars means that Fender has a long way to go if they want to improve brand loyalty.
 
I am a Fender fan - and have guitars of theirs from all levels / brands / eras (except pre-65). I agree they're inconsistent, but I can always play stuff at a store and buy it or not ...

... my issue is that given all the ins and outs of running a big company with the attendant challenges posted here, they still can't seem to simply cough up what people want, even though they're perfectly capable. It's like McDonald's getting away from cheeseburgers - what're you doing, man?

Give me my fucking Standard Jazzmaster already.
 
My thoughts...thin the herd. Have a high and a low of each model but make the low a quality instrument that is great as is but not top of the line.
I can't imagine the need for $3000 instruments. My common man ears can't hear the difference and my common man hands can't feel it.
Is there really that large a market for super high end stuff?
In all my years the $500 to $1000 mark seems to fit the bill in 99% of situations.

Sent from my SM-G928V using Tapatalk
 
Danhedonia said:
Give me my fucking Standard Jazzmaster already.
Click to expand...

MIM Standard, or MIA? They do have a standard Jazzmaster though, it's called the Squier Vintage Modified. Seriously, besides the logo what more do you want? Better pots and switches? OK, if you don't want to do them yourself get it done at a shop and you're STILL below the ludicrous $600 they ask for a MIM Strat.

MonkeyZero said:
I can't imagine the need for $3000 instruments. My common man ears can't hear the difference and my common man hands can't feel it.
Is there really that large a market for super high end stuff?
In all my years the $500 to $1000 mark seems to fit the bill in 99% of situations.
Click to expand...

You've obviously never needed to impress all your lawyer friends at Champion O'Malley's open mic night.
 
That is what happens when your company is now being driven by marketing gurus. They produce models to driving the marketing campaign. Constant turnover because we all know new is better. There are currently 39 variations of the Tele available. And that is just under the Fender brand - not counting the Squier variations. Even more Strats.
 
Denverdave said:
That is what happens when your company is now being driven by marketing gurus. They produce models to driving the marketing campaign. Constant turnover because we all know new is better. There are currently 39 variations of the Tele available. And that is just under the Fender brand - not counting the Squier variations. Even more Strats.
Click to expand...

Yeah, it is a little stupid how many models of the same guitar they have. They should go back to the swimming pool route, and make they pickguard assemblies have some kind of quick connect to the jack. Then make a MIM Strat, MIA Strat and a MIA Deluxe. Then sell guards with different pickup configs that make it easy to replace. No need for the Fat strat, or the double Fat strat or whatever they call them these days. and then do the same for all the models.
 
What do I want in a Standard Jazzmaster? I'm so glad you asked. This: Better than Squier VM quality. I have a VM JM and appreciate it. But it needs far, far better electronics; a decent bridge (license Mastery bridges, already!); a more sophisticated finish; the same level of satisfying solidity that I find in other good MIA FMIC guitars.

Real JM pickups (WTF with putting Humbuckers on JM's?). Good, classic colors. A case. For $1,200.

Why is this a fucking problem??!??!
 
Chad's idea is so sensible and spot on. I went out this weekend looking to drop up to a grand on a really nice Tele with a rosewood fretboard. Nope - no can do. But I could have my pick of 80 Strats at the GC.
 
Danhedonia said:
What do I want in a Standard Jazzmaster? I'm so glad you asked. This: Better than Squier VM quality. I have a VM JM and appreciate it. But it needs far, far better electronics; a decent bridge (license Mastery bridges, already!); a more sophisticated finish; the same level of satisfying solidity that I find in other good MIA FMIC guitars.

Real JM pickups (WTF with putting Humbuckers on JM's?). Good, classic colors. A case. For $1,200.

Why is this a fucking problem??!??!
Click to expand...
Because there aren't enough of you to warrant a production run. You know what you want. Build it yourself.
 
Help!I'maRock! said:
Because there aren't enough of you to warrant a production run. You know what you want. Build it yourself.
Click to expand...

There aren't enough of me? You clearly have not attended a festival with a predominantly rock-based lineup for a while. How many do they have to sell to justify a run? Because there are so many bizarre, fucked up FMIC models that run $800-$1,500 that I cannot imagine sell more than a MIA Standard JM would sell.

And, basically: no, I don't want to build it myself. They're in the business of selling guitars; I'd like to buy one. One that someone else made. We're talking about consumerism here. I'm a consumer / customer.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top