How can you be making new models when the older models are still back ordered? Why not update us on where you are at with filling the orders you already have now. Some of us have been waiting months for our guitars already.

Right on! I would like to see fender update on some production news as well. I ordered an American deluxe ash strat a month and a half ago and all I am told is maybe Feb of 2011.

I wonder what Fender would think of if I said I will pay you for my guitar 4 months after I recieve it. LMAO!

Yeah...right on...why can't we get any answers? I think most people with backordered guitars would be happier with a genuine estimate of the lead time rather than bs. lol You already got our money so how about some customer service in return. TM Jazzmaster ordered beginning of October through ZOO music in Dallas, tx. Just in case a fender employee wants to chime in. I know some of you guys have been waiting MUCH longer

You coudn't belive anything they said anyway. They would just update the ETA every two weeks to be two weeks later. Over the course of a year you could watch them push the dates back 18 times. My 9 month long guitar oddessy has lead me to belive that Fender just gives out dates they know they can't make to keep people from cancelling orders.

Simple answer to this one.
You haven't done any business with Fender, they don't sell guitars to the general public.

You've made a transaction with a shop. You've given a shop money, and they didn't hand anything over.

Well, they are calling fender to get these dates. So, if Fender doesn't know when they can deliver to my shop they should stop giving them dates. I'm pretty sure my shop wants to sell me this guitar. Every missed date I have received has come from fender.

Why are so antsy? Go try ordering a piano or a CS John Cruz built guitar these days and you will see how long it takes....
"Rock-on", "take it easy" guitar will come. If you must have a guitar right away there are other ways to get them and you can cancel your order for a full refund (if the full refund is not an option with the retailer, you should never do business with them again).

Fair enough. I'm actualy much less ansy than I make it seem. I actually did order a piano a few years back and your are right it took a long time. They were able to give me an accurate delivery date though.

Any frustration I have, and I'm generally a pretty mellow guy, came from the shifting dates. If its going to take a year, fine, I can wait, just tell me. My gripe has been the shifting dates. If its going to take a year tell me it will take a year. Don't tell me it will take 2 months 6 times

I eventually realized that the dates I was getting were pretty meaningless.

Haha. Well that's not really a "simple answer" since the orginal question was, "How can you be making new models when the older models are still back ordered?" And my question was "Yeah...right on...why can't we get any answers?" (referring to due dates on backordered guitars). So your answer/reply: "You haven't done any business with Fender, they don't sell guitars to the general public" isn't much of an answer. You are correct that we didn't do business directly with the mfg., we ordered through a distributor. But what is your point? Lol and the shop didn't hand any thing over because Fender didn't hand anything over. Nor do they care to let anyone know when they intend to hand anything over. So go flame somewhere else ninjanik.

Hey I agree....if they would tell me a year I would be happier than telling me I'll have it in a month - for 12 months.

And HEY we didn't order pianos. We order CNC'd TM Jazzmasters with thin finish and bolt on necks. Should take slightly less time to mfg. than a piano. Lol not a great analogy.

I'm not ansy...I just want to know when the product I paid for is due to arrive. I will even accept a reasonable estimate. Not much too ask.

Hey don't get me wrong, I reckon through many comments on this and other forums that Fender does not have a handle on their production schedule due to "whatevers". I spoke with some of their staff and read Mike Eldred's responses on this topic. You will see that they are not clueless just business navigating the priorities and issues. I agree that they should improve many other customer service aspects for that matter.

I ordered a strat that was not stocked and the Canadian retailer said it will take a month to get it, I just laughed at that. When DLXs and Standards are on backorder it will take some time to get a Jazzmaster, stangs and vintages and sigs.

Well the point is simple. If you're daft enough to walk into a shop. Hand over a grand for a guitar and walk out with nothing. You deserve everything you get.

That is no kind of shopping experience in my book.

You didn't exactly buy the guitar from fender- you bought it from GC, Musician's Friend, Sweetwater, etc.

Just imagine if you ran a huge international business that supplied guitars to thousands of companies, do you think you could successfully deal with the millions of customers that ordered their guitars from the companies?

I'm pretty sure every major guitar company experiences this too. After all, it does take some time to produce quality instruments, its not as easy as bolting on a neck to a body.

_________________
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(former user jimbo612)

Take a walk ninja.

First of all, they gave me a due date of a month (after speaking with Fender).

Secondly, if you think it's dumb to buy a guitar that's not in stock thats your opinion.

Apparently you're of the same train of thought as Fender: If you buy a non-stock guitar, the mfg. has the right to feed you bs due dates with no explanation.

Maybe I'm old school in that I expect a little customer service.

Maybe you just feel like talking a little smack on an internet forum.

At least we can agree that "it's no kind of shipping experience in my book"