Great observation. Recently, I had saved the money to go vintage, reissue, custom, whatever. Wasn’t sure the direction to take. Then I saw how G&L put together a guitar for you and I went that way, got a Comanche, on sale for Black Friday, saving thousands.
@ I’m enjoying playing it. Yet I’m no pro. The Z pickups are quiet yet pack a punch, the wiring is flexible, and the treble and bass tone knobs easily dial in tones. Regarding this video, if the Comanche is a vintage style, it only goes back to around 1989. But its creator Leo Fender was there “before the beginning” so it evolved in a proper fashion. There are new or excellent condition models on Reverb all the time for remarkably low prices.
We all buy our various mighty axes b/c our heroes played this or that model. There are four essential electrics: A Les Paul, Strat, Tele, and a 335/175. After those, it's all searching for that niche sound (Rick 12-string. Gibson double-neck, Firebirds, Explorers, Jazzmasters, Flying Vs).
I love my Classic Vibe Squiers. I got the blonde 50s Tele, put Fender 52 tele pickups in there and upgraded the bridge to the American Brass one, it plays phenomenally and sounds great. I have a CV Starcaster as well and then just got the Rascal bass for Christmas. The Rascal bass is AWESOME. I can't believe Squier does more matching headstock colors than Fender does these days.
I can totally relate. As a Beatles fan, I had to have a Hofner and Rickenbacker basses. I got really lucky getting a 70’s Hofner at an astonishing price from a relative. I can thank Jaco for my fretless jazz bass. The list goes on…
The Big F can reissue those Elite Strats (and Ultra?) with the roller nuts, Ibaneztic necks, and HSH Lace Sensors etc. ANYTIME...! Those I will make room for. Absolutely.
You are not a poser, Phil. You are as subject to marketing as any of us are. Personally, I'm an American Vintage junkie. I have six of them and they are all incredible. But back to the poser issue, I bought my first Les Paul before Slash was even born. So, he's your poser.
I got an Hss player Strat w/ a stock Floyd rose. I don’t use that floyd at all. I don’t even put the bar in. I preferred it over my American vintage ii 57 Strat that I sold it and kept the modern spec’s one with the Floyd that I took in on trade. I didn’t even want it, it was just an extra thrown in to make the prices match up. Modern specs > vintage specs.
EXACTLY !!! And, for instance, on top of it, if you take a NEW Epiphone Les Paul Custom Ebony and a NEW Gibson Les Paul Custom 57 Black Beauty, and you really exactly compare the shapes and measure the dimensions of both the original and the knockoff, you'll see REAL visible differences: lower body horn, not same shape, not same width, not same headstock, not same pickups positions relatively to the bridge and fretboard, etc, etc, etc. Still, you'll pay nearly the price of a Gibson for a "CNC cut" knockoff that only remotely looks like the same than the original from the same company (Gibson, Epiphone, same company). The only things that would make the Epiphone Les Paul Custom Ebony a LITTLE BIT MORE expensive than, let's say, the Epiphone Les Paul Classic Ebony would only be the ebony fretboard and the bindings on the back of the body and on the headstock (still a hand made process), AND THAT'S ALL (and don't talk about pickups because the price of making ANY standard same type pickup is pretty much the same nowadays, and VERY INEXPENSIVE no matter what). So it should be a little bit more expensive, but not DOUBLE the price. I often repeat the same thing: I got a MINT used Gibson Midtown Custom Ebony for a little less than a new Epiphone Les Paul Custom Ebony, and the Gibson Midtown sounds and plays LIKE A DREAM, and it "looks" fancy and "expensive" (bindings on the headstock, black "composite" fretboard). Now, and for the "purists", I CAN'T STAND nitrocellulose finishes, they wear off, they're always somewhat "sticky", and they're highly FLAMMABLE ... and modern high quality super hard polyurethane finishes can be applied in much thinner layers than any nitrocellulose (leaving a much more resonant instrument), are many times HARDER than any nitrocellulose, and if you're careful, will still look perfect like brand new for decades. My old Jazz Box Ibanez Artist 2616 CS that I got when I was a kid and loved and still love so much is like 45 years old and apart from the chrome hardware which faded a bit still looks as good as new, and sounds better than new (the woods have dried to perfection).
The most expensive Squier right now (in Oz) is the Hello Kitty Strat at AUD $980. If you want to really go nuts, the Hello Kitty Strat Pack will cost you AUD$1,601.00
I kinda want a Les Paul Special that is beat to hell because Paul Westerberg was playing one on an album cover. Even though I already have a great Les Paul. 😵💫🤣
The most expensive Squier is the Paranormal Troublemaker for $499, not a vintage themed model. As for stuff like the American Vintage series, yes I do believe they cost more to manufacture than an American performer and you get an expensive case with it. If you want to talk about Gibson and Fender custom shop, those are veblen goods. Part of the attraction to the item is the high price.
@ Classic Vibes were $199 in 2012. Adjusted for inflation, that’s $273. They are making more profit from the “sale” prices than they made from the the original retail prices
How much more labor is there to applying Nitro compared to poly? How much more difficult is it to use hide glue than Titebond? How much more materials are there in a 1 piece neck than one with scarf joints? I'll bet % wise in these 3 things it's a lot. I mean Martin charges like $1200 to use hide glue instead of Titebond. I'm not asking which is better or how much better. Just which is more expensive? There's obviously some monetary reason guitar manufacturers avoid these things like the plague and if they do offer them they charge through the nose for it.
Well,Its a Hot Mod Squire!You can Actually,Vintage Wire,with Vintage Tone Capacitors,CTS Pots and Hot Mod,with New,Fender Parts,your own Custom Shop,American Parts,for a Better Price!If You are Open to This😮😃😎❣
1:48 no the reason is that with the quality of cheaper guitars nowadays the likes of fender and Gibson can only set themselves apart based on history etc. Also, These companies CANNOT have pricing similar to the newer companies as that’s the only thing that sets them apart now, we price high because we’re the “real deal”. Admitting anything else would be business suicide
because noone wants the perfect guitars. we all want to be like hendrix, clapton, jeff beck (or whoever inspired you to pick up a fender). there are millions of ugly ass super strats with perfect playing but we still look for 21 frets, 7.25 radius oldschool stuff because these mfs at 60s did rock the world with them.
Fender carefully protects the branding of vintage guitars. They cannot risk another 1980s MTV world where new entrants to the guitar market (flashy pointy guitars made for videos) have the ability to take chunks of market share. Fender/Gibson almost vanished that decade. Relic guitars are vitally important to Fender/Gibson for the same reason. They are the only curators of the original 1950s famous guitars, that is their only business moat, and they are going to protect it like headstock shapes; because if "newest is bestest" used in marketing televisions, laptops, and phones, then Fender/Gibson become irrelevant and extinct. Imagine "Our guitars have better tone because we use the latest CNC and hot tech programming teams".
80s MTV guitar thunder stealing? Have you forgot, the internet killed the TV star? I don't think people really care for new guitar designs anymore. Brands don't matter so much, and all the stuff being made are cnc'ed. It really comes down to QC and the feature it comes with. Big brands are charging too much, others are taking up the space they left behind. You can still get a very good guitar for half price of the big brands, even shopping used is better. Guitars haven't changed much in decades. A decent amp is a lot of where the tone is heard.
Premium pricing on these fender reissues is total bullshit. Guitars and amps. Total bullshit. Did I mention it’s total bullshit? Bullshit. Total bullshit.
As a former engine builder for 10.5 Outlaw drag racing, and Class A monohull boats, vintage is trash. A 64.5 Mustang will be smoked by a 2020. A 68 Stingray will be eaten alive by a C6. Vintage=pretentious, modern=performance. SAME WITH AMPS.
Price is a representation of value, not of cost+set margin. If the buying public values it to the point that they buy it, then the price is right. Obviously, this is for luxury items like guitars, not for essentials. Basically, we vote with our wallet.
Extortion is what the "Vintage" pushers are doing and "Vintage" is for Wines, not disintegrating decrepit 70 year old guitars that can't even be properly played anymore because they're so fragile. Ridiculous but hey, Marketing is very often Ridiculous Mind Kontrol.
They sell the myth that '50s and '60s guitars are the best, take the 59 burst for example! they then release the cheaper versions such as Squire CV and the person purchasing it is then subscribed to the myth, they are not better, just different. The myth began when Gibson and Fender started releasing sub standard guitars in the '70s and people started buying up the used '50s and '60's because they were much better quality than the contemporary models, and the myth was born!
That and the fact that the vintage guitars weren’t prohibitively expensive because people who don’t even play them weren’t buying them as an “investment”. Many of the vintage pedals became famous because they were what some poor teenager could afford with their paper route money used at the music store. All of these happy accidents that allowed the creation of great music have somehow metastasized into mythologizing certain gear.
100% on point. I still like "vintage" style guitars more, even though reissues shouldn't cost as much as they do.
They will charge what people will pay. Don’t pay for the “vintage” if you think it costs too much.
It is refreshing to watch someone so transparent about himself. My hat 🎩 is off Sir.
LOve this video! This kind of honesty is very refreshing (and rare) on the internet…and fun…thanks to you!
Great observation. Recently, I had saved the money to go vintage, reissue, custom, whatever. Wasn’t sure the direction to take. Then I saw how G&L put together a guitar for you and I went that way, got a Comanche, on sale for Black Friday, saving thousands.
That's a really nice guitar. How does it sound/play? Smoking deals can be had on used gear too 😊
@ I’m enjoying playing it. Yet I’m no pro. The Z pickups are quiet yet pack a punch, the wiring is flexible, and the treble and bass tone knobs easily dial in tones. Regarding this video, if the Comanche is a vintage style, it only goes back to around 1989. But its creator Leo Fender was there “before the beginning” so it evolved in a proper fashion. There are new or excellent condition models on Reverb all the time for remarkably low prices.
We all buy our various mighty axes b/c our heroes played this or that model. There are four essential electrics: A Les Paul, Strat, Tele, and a 335/175. After those, it's all searching for that niche sound (Rick 12-string. Gibson double-neck, Firebirds, Explorers, Jazzmasters, Flying Vs).
I love my Classic Vibe Squiers. I got the blonde 50s Tele, put Fender 52 tele pickups in there and upgraded the bridge to the American Brass one, it plays phenomenally and sounds great. I have a CV Starcaster as well and then just got the Rascal bass for Christmas. The Rascal bass is AWESOME.
I can't believe Squier does more matching headstock colors than Fender does these days.
hard to beat the upper end squiers for the money. especially if you hit things like fenders xmas sales.
Yeah the rascal bass looks amazing. I wish they made it lefty.
I'm a sucker too and just love my addiction to gear.
I like how honest you are. I have a Gibson 335 I'll probably never play outside of my apartment.
Love your honesty. It’s also great to see someone else who buys gear because of a player’s choice…😂😂love your channel and material! 🎸thanks!!
I can totally relate. As a Beatles fan, I had to have a Hofner and Rickenbacker basses. I got really lucky getting a 70’s Hofner at an astonishing price from a relative. I can thank Jaco for my fretless jazz bass. The list goes on…
The Big F can reissue those Elite Strats (and Ultra?) with the roller nuts, Ibaneztic necks, and HSH Lace Sensors etc. ANYTIME...! Those I will make room for. Absolutely.
You are not a poser, Phil. You are as subject to marketing as any of us are. Personally, I'm an American Vintage junkie. I have six of them and they are all incredible. But back to the poser issue, I bought my first Les Paul before Slash was even born. So, he's your poser.
I own a 1969 pink paisley strat, worth every penny!
ProTone Squiers are the nicest series I have played.
I got an Hss player Strat w/ a stock Floyd rose. I don’t use that floyd at all. I don’t even put the bar in. I preferred it over my American vintage ii 57 Strat that I sold it and kept the modern spec’s one with the Floyd that I took in on trade. I didn’t even want it, it was just an extra thrown in to make the prices match up. Modern specs > vintage specs.
EXACTLY !!!
And, for instance, on top of it, if you take a NEW Epiphone Les Paul Custom Ebony and a NEW Gibson Les Paul Custom 57 Black Beauty, and you really exactly compare the shapes and measure the dimensions of both the original and the knockoff, you'll see REAL visible differences: lower body horn, not same shape, not same width, not same headstock, not same pickups positions relatively to the bridge and fretboard, etc, etc, etc.
Still, you'll pay nearly the price of a Gibson for a "CNC cut" knockoff that only remotely looks like the same than the original from the same company (Gibson, Epiphone, same company). The only things that would make the Epiphone Les Paul Custom Ebony a LITTLE BIT MORE expensive than, let's say, the Epiphone Les Paul Classic Ebony would only be the ebony fretboard and the bindings on the back of the body and on the headstock (still a hand made process), AND THAT'S ALL (and don't talk about pickups because the price of making ANY standard same type pickup is pretty much the same nowadays, and VERY INEXPENSIVE no matter what). So it should be a little bit more expensive, but not DOUBLE the price.
I often repeat the same thing: I got a MINT used Gibson Midtown Custom Ebony for a little less than a new Epiphone Les Paul Custom Ebony, and the Gibson Midtown sounds and plays LIKE A DREAM, and it "looks" fancy and "expensive" (bindings on the headstock, black "composite" fretboard).
Now, and for the "purists", I CAN'T STAND nitrocellulose finishes, they wear off, they're always somewhat "sticky", and they're highly FLAMMABLE ... and modern high quality super hard polyurethane finishes can be applied in much thinner layers than any nitrocellulose (leaving a much more resonant instrument), are many times HARDER than any nitrocellulose, and if you're careful, will still look perfect like brand new for decades. My old Jazz Box Ibanez Artist 2616 CS that I got when I was a kid and loved and still love so much is like 45 years old and apart from the chrome hardware which faded a bit still looks as good as new, and sounds better than new (the woods have dried to perfection).
Where can I get one of those laser-pointer Stratocasters?
I'm a gigging musician chic myself totally agree with you
From a players perspective, you are damn right!
I have a Squier Classic Vibe 70’s Telecaster Due for delivery tomorrow. I got it as a open box for $399 instead $449
A “jersey of someone who throws a ball somewhere” 😂😂😂😂
The most expensive Squier right now (in Oz) is the Hello Kitty Strat at AUD $980. If you want to really go nuts, the Hello Kitty Strat Pack will cost you AUD$1,601.00
You know what I hated about the RI Fenders I have had, the truss rod adjustment at the heel
Not a poser my friend - you're a SUPERFAN!
Thanks.
I kinda want a Les Paul Special that is beat to hell because Paul Westerberg was playing one on an album cover. Even though I already have a great Les Paul. 😵💫🤣
I admire your channel . Did Leo Fender or Gibson ever imagine the endless talk about how good a guitar is or is not .Single Coil or Humbucker
🎸
The most expensive Squier is the Paranormal Troublemaker for $499, not a vintage themed model.
As for stuff like the American Vintage series, yes I do believe they cost more to manufacture than an American performer and you get an expensive case with it.
If you want to talk about Gibson and Fender custom shop, those are veblen goods. Part of the attraction to the item is the high price.
and recently for the xmas sales they had the troublemakers for $315, and its a heck of a guitar for that money.
@ Classic Vibes were $199 in 2012. Adjusted for inflation, that’s $273. They are making more profit from the “sale” prices than they made from the the original retail prices
It's a vintage Les Paul!
@@YIIMM a vintage Les Paul with a full scale bolt on neck
How much more labor is there to applying Nitro compared to poly? How much more difficult is it to use hide glue than Titebond? How much more materials are there in a 1 piece neck than one with scarf joints? I'll bet % wise in these 3 things it's a lot. I mean Martin charges like $1200 to use hide glue instead of Titebond. I'm not asking which is better or how much better. Just which is more expensive? There's obviously some monetary reason guitar manufacturers avoid these things like the plague and if they do offer them they charge through the nose for it.
So an Affinity is better than a Classic Vibe?
Well,Its a Hot Mod Squire!You can Actually,Vintage Wire,with Vintage Tone Capacitors,CTS Pots and Hot Mod,with New,Fender Parts,your own Custom Shop,American Parts,for a Better Price!If You are Open to This😮😃😎❣
1:48 no the reason is that with the quality of cheaper guitars nowadays the likes of fender and Gibson can only set themselves apart based on history etc. Also, These companies CANNOT have pricing similar to the newer companies as that’s the only thing that sets them apart now, we price high because we’re the “real deal”. Admitting anything else would be business suicide
preach brother preach
Its the same reason that Violins are so expensive they rationalize if you can get $2.5 million for a Stad I can charge $30,000 for my look alike.
because noone wants the perfect guitars. we all want to be like hendrix, clapton, jeff beck (or whoever inspired you to pick up a fender). there are millions of ugly ass super strats with perfect playing but we still look for 21 frets, 7.25 radius oldschool stuff because these mfs at 60s did rock the world with them.
Fender carefully protects the branding of vintage guitars. They cannot risk another 1980s MTV world where new entrants to the guitar market (flashy pointy guitars made for videos) have the ability to take chunks of market share. Fender/Gibson almost vanished that decade. Relic guitars are vitally important to Fender/Gibson for the same reason. They are the only curators of the original 1950s famous guitars, that is their only business moat, and they are going to protect it like headstock shapes; because if "newest is bestest" used in marketing televisions, laptops, and phones, then Fender/Gibson become irrelevant and extinct. Imagine "Our guitars have better tone because we use the latest CNC and hot tech programming teams".
80s MTV guitar thunder stealing? Have you forgot, the internet killed the TV star? I don't think people really care for new guitar designs anymore. Brands don't matter so much, and all the stuff being made are cnc'ed. It really comes down to QC and the feature it comes with. Big brands are charging too much, others are taking up the space they left behind. You can still get a very good guitar for half price of the big brands, even shopping used is better. Guitars haven't changed much in decades. A decent amp is a lot of where the tone is heard.
Good one, Philip (Go Oregon ducks)! 🏈
Unfortunately I'm a gear nerd, sports nerd and car nerd.
i must admit.. sometimes i click just to see the guitars you have in the background. ;9)
Vintage = old = backwards. If vintage is so great why isn’t the next iPhone built from vintage vacuum tubes 😂
Cool!
Premium pricing on these fender reissues is total bullshit. Guitars and amps. Total bullshit. Did I mention it’s total bullshit? Bullshit. Total bullshit.
It's more expensive to make an "American styled Vintage" guitar because of the cost of translating the instructions into Chinese!
As a former engine builder for 10.5 Outlaw drag racing, and Class A monohull boats, vintage is trash. A 64.5 Mustang will be smoked by a 2020. A 68 Stingray will be eaten alive by a C6. Vintage=pretentious, modern=performance. SAME WITH AMPS.
Price is a representation of value, not of cost+set margin. If the buying public values it to the point that they buy it, then the price is right.
Obviously, this is for luxury items like guitars, not for essentials.
Basically, we vote with our wallet.
Extortion is what the "Vintage" pushers are doing and "Vintage" is for Wines, not disintegrating decrepit 70 year old guitars that can't even be properly played anymore because they're so fragile. Ridiculous but hey, Marketing is very often Ridiculous Mind Kontrol.
They sell the myth that '50s and '60s guitars are the best, take the 59 burst for example! they then release the cheaper versions such as Squire CV and the person purchasing it is then subscribed to the myth, they are not better, just different.
The myth began when Gibson and Fender started releasing sub standard guitars in the '70s and people started buying up the used '50s and '60's because they were much better quality than the contemporary models, and the myth was born!
That and the fact that the vintage guitars weren’t prohibitively expensive because people who don’t even play them weren’t buying them as an “investment”. Many of the vintage pedals became famous because they were what some poor teenager could afford with their paper route money used at the music store. All of these happy accidents that allowed the creation of great music have somehow metastasized into mythologizing certain gear.
Provenance hoarding