FMIC - you're killing me, buddy

Danhedonia said:
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.
Click to expand...
Fender obviously doesn't want your money. I'm sure there are plenty of other builders who would be happy to accommodate you.
 
I do get the point - here is my counter-point:

* Arcturus is $2,500. In my febrile imagination the MIA JM would be $1,100. For me, at this point of my life, I can justify the latter but not the former. (Much as I'd like to have one ...). Price still matters when the difference is +/- 50%.
* I do indeed like / love the options provided by alternative builders. But at the risk of seeming very uninformed, I've yet to see something that has all the crucial aspects of a Jazzmaster (the sympathetic string length, the super single coils, the broader fretboard) at a price under $2k. Which brings me back to counter-point A about price.

You're right - I know what I want. A pre-assembled JM made with first-rate parts for <$1,200. Given that I find MIA Strats acceptable (or at least the good ones), it seems that it has to be possible.

Along the same lines of this discussion is a point I saw being made in Talk Bass, where someone tried to order a $1,800 MIA bass from Fender. They wanted a certain color body (which was stock) with a rosewood fretboard (which was stock for the model but on other colors). FMIC's response: "Nope, no can do."
 
Danhedonia said:
I do get the point - here is my counter-point:

* Arcturus is $2,500. In my febrile imagination the MIA JM would be $1,100. For me, at this point of my life, I can justify the latter but not the former. (Much as I'd like to have one ...). Price still matters when the difference is +/- 50%.
* I do indeed like / love the options provided by alternative builders. But at the risk of seeming very uninformed, I've yet to see something that has all the crucial aspects of a Jazzmaster (the sympathetic string length, the super single coils, the broader fretboard) at a price under $2k. Which brings me back to counter-point A about price.

You're right - I know what I want. A pre-assembled JM made with first-rate parts for <$1,200. Given that I find MIA Strats acceptable (or at least the good ones), it seems that it has to be possible.

Along the same lines of this discussion is a point I saw being made in Talk Bass, where someone tried to order a $1,800 MIA bass from Fender. They wanted a certain color body (which was stock) with a rosewood fretboard (which was stock for the model but on other colors). FMIC's response: "Nope, no can do."
Click to expand...

It's not about being doable, it's about being profitable. Get 500 of your closest friends to order the same model in the same color and Fender will do a Special Run.
 
I don't quite get the criticism with switching models. If something doesn't sell, move on. I've heard Paul Reed Smith say recently that modern guitar buyers always want new, new, new and get bored quickly. So I think we'll continue to see a lot of model changes from the big companies.
 
Danhedonia said:
I do get the point - here is my counter-point:

* Arcturus is $2,500. In my febrile imagination the MIA JM would be $1,100. For me, at this point of my life, I can justify the latter but not the former. (Much as I'd like to have one ...). Price still matters when the difference is +/- 50%.
* I do indeed like / love the options provided by alternative builders. But at the risk of seeming very uninformed, I've yet to see something that has all the crucial aspects of a Jazzmaster (the sympathetic string length, the super single coils, the broader fretboard) at a price under $2k. Which brings me back to counter-point A about price.

You're right - I know what I want. A pre-assembled JM made with first-rate parts for <$1,200. Given that I find MIA Strats acceptable (or at least the good ones), it seems that it has to be possible.

Along the same lines of this discussion is a point I saw being made in Talk Bass, where someone tried to order a $1,800 MIA bass from Fender. They wanted a certain color body (which was stock) with a rosewood fretboard (which was stock for the model but on other colors). FMIC's response: "Nope, no can do."
Click to expand...

A quick price up, You could do a Warmoth JM, with a Mastery bridge and vibrato, with Lollar JM pickups for $1300 and it would kick the ass out of a MIA Fender. That is with Warmoth painting the body and finishing the neck. And if you went with a solid color or non vintage tint on the neck, you could knock off about $150. I can't imagine giving Fender $1200 for a guitar.
 
Last edited:
Chad said:
A quick price up, You could do a Warmoth JM, with a Mastery bridge and vibrato, with Lollar JM pickups for $1300 and it would kick the ass out of a MIA Fender. That is with Warmoth painting the body and finishing the neck. And if you went with a solid color or non vintage tint on the neck, you could knock off about $150. I can't imagine giving Fender $1200 for a guitar.
Click to expand...

You may be a rock, but you sure did help. That's something for me to put on the radar screen, and I thank you.
 
Aren't AVRI JM's are +$500 more than AVRI Strats?

Wouldn't that, plus the bound neck you ask for put an AS JM around $1700-1800? But then I don't think Fender prices everything on as commodty (labor+parts+x% profit), they want models in different price tiers. That may be why Fender doesn't offer it, because it won't fit in the "sweet spot" of their price chart. Either way, I guarantee you that FMIC has crunched the numbers and deemed it not optimal.I expect they sell far more than 100+ various Teles and Strats for each JM they sell.

As to the comings and goings of the Bass VI, well, there you've touched on a topic close to my heart. But while "cool", it was never "wildly popular.
 
Last edited:
Wyatt said:
As to the comings and goings of the Bass VI, well, there you've touched on a topic close to my heart. But while "cool", it was never "wildly popular.
Click to expand...

Yeah, the Bass VI is a very cool beast. You can't really do the guitar thing on it because chords sound mushed and jumbled and the string spacing is too close to do a real bass thing. They are their own instrument and it doesn't really "fit" neatly into a conventional band. I had one years ago and really liked it. I did get to use it in a band for a bit, I came into the band as the second guitar player after leaving a band as a bassist, so there were a few tunes, I played the VI on.
 
Help!I'maRock! said:
I don't get hung up on brands. They make what I want or they don't. I'm likely to mod whatever I buy. And I sure don't care about country of origin.
Click to expand...
I'm the same. There are some that I gravitate toward out of prior experience, certainly, but I'm an equal-opportunity guitar purchaser. And I got over country of origin a long time ago. It's either a nice instrument, or not.
 
Chad said:
A quick price up, You could do a Warmoth JM, with a Mastery bridge and vibrato, with Lollar JM pickups for $1300 and it would kick the ass out of a MIA Fender. That is with Warmoth painting the body and finishing the neck. And if you went with a solid color or non vintage tint on the neck, you could knock off about $150. I can't imagine giving Fender $1200 for a guitar.
Click to expand...

Exactly why Mastery Arcturus is 2950. :wink:
 
dougk said:
Exactly why Mastery Arcturus is 2950. :wink:
Click to expand...

Which is why I can't wait for you to unleash the Titan. If it were 10 years ago, I would be ok dropping 3k on a guitar. These days, $1500 is pushing it. Not that your stuff isn't worth what you charge, I've got 2 kids about to hit middle school, which means 2 kids driving in 3 and 4 years, and going to college in 5 and 6 years.
 
Chad said:
Which is why I can't wait for you to unleash the Titan. If it were 10 years ago, I would be ok dropping 3k on a guitar. These days, $1500 is pushing it. Not that your stuff isn't worth what you charge, I've got 2 kids about to hit middle school, which means 2 kids driving in 3 and 4 years, and going to college in 5 and 6 years.
Click to expand...

Totally. Though Titan will never have a mastery

Jimmy_Meme.jpg
 
dougk said:
Totally. Though Titan will never have a mastery

Jimmy_Meme.jpg
Click to expand...

Not even if I give you one million dollars.

million.jpg


If I can get it with a Bigsby, I will be just fine. Or a Tele style bridge I can replace with a Mastery Tele bridge.
 
I used to have a very different level of disposable income - I was a corporate sales manager (and one making #'s) -- now I'm a high school math teacher. I looked for meaning and that sent any notion of a $2k guitar out the window (let's not forget how bad of a player I am).

The number crunching, etc - all of those explanations would resonate more if I didn't see things like the following from Fender:
* MIM this-n-that's with a street price of $999. Really!??! Congrats if you don't care about country of origin, but for some, resale value is a necessary component of purchase justification.
* Bastardized artist series (Van Loeuwen or however you spell it JM) retailing around $1,200.
* As for Strats outselling JMs 500-1, I would doubt that, but would love to know what the ratio is. Part of that is probably fed by what FMIC is marketing.
* Ludicrously priced $550 "Jazzmasters" with stop tails and humbuckers. Who buys these, if JMs are so unsaleable?

My point is that I think FMIC is just sort of out of it when it comes to product management - I don't get a vibe at all that I'm just unusual in my tastes. I think they're asleep at the wheel.
 
While I'm at it - someone please explain the Bassbreaker to me. My understanding:
- based on the Marshalls that were based on Bassmen
- "Modern" voicing (whatever that is - apparently flattish response curve 'in order to be pedal friendly'?)
- Uglier than ugly

I don't get them. They're not going to compete for the Black Metal kids' dollars - who was the target market?
 
Danhedonia said:
While I'm at it - someone please explain the Bassbreaker to me. My understanding:
- based on the Marshalls that were based on Bassmen
- "Modern" voicing (whatever that is - apparently flattish response curve 'in order to be pedal friendly'?)
- Uglier than ugly

I don't get them. They're not going to compete for the Black Metal kids' dollars - who was the target market?
Click to expand...

I think their target audience is 45 year old basement players because I really like the clips I've heard. :grin:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top