Folks:

Quite a high-energy day in the offices what with the launch of our Stratocaster® Spring Break Sale-a-bration. I've been getting emails and texts about the program all day today and it looks like we have a winner on our hands here. If you've ever considered adding a Strat® to the stable, doing so within the next two weeks is highly recommended!

The Sale-a-bration is a unique program and one quite unlike anything we've done before ... we've basically authorized all retailers to be able to offer a reduction in advertised pricing for these guitars but are only giving them the ability to do so for just a couple weeks. (Or, stated a bit more directly: you'll have the chance at some of the lowest out-the-door numbers you'll ever see on these models for the next two weeks here.)

We chose the Stratocaster for the program for an obvious reason: because everyone needs another Stratocaster. In seriousness, the list of models that we've been able to make eligible is impressive and we're really trying to offer something for everyone here, even lefties! Here's an excerpt from our internal document on the program that covers all the models involved:

American Standard Stratocaster®
0113000700 AM STD STRAT RW 3TS
0113000705 AM STD STRAT RW OWT
0113000706 AM STD STRAT RW BLK
0113000719 AM STD STRAT RW JPM
0113000747 AM STD STRAT RW SSB
0113000794 AM STD STRAT RW MSR
0113000795 AM STD STRAT RW MSB
0113002700 AM STD STRAT MN 3TS
0113002705 AM STD STRAT MN OWT
0113002706 AM STD STRAT MN BLK
0113002719 AM STD STRAT MN JPM
0113002747 AM STD STRAT MN SSB
0113002794 AM STD STRAT MN MSR
0113002795 AM STD STRAT MN MSB

American Standard Stratocaster Left-Handed
0113020700 AM STD STRAT LH RW 3TS
0113020705 AM STD STRAT LH RW OWT
0113020706 AM STD STRAT LH RW BLK
0113020794 AM STD STRAT LH RW MSR
0113020795 AM STD STRAT LH RW MSB
0113022700 AM STD STRAT LH MN 3TS
0113022705 AM STD STRAT LH MN OWT
0113022706 AM STD STRAT LH MN BLK
0113022794 AM STD STRAT LH MN MSR
0113022795 AM STD STRAT LH MN MSB

American Standard Stratocaster HSS
0113100700 AM STD STRAT HSS RW 3TS
0113100706 AM STD STRAT HSS RW BLK
0113100719 AM STD STRAT HSS RW JPM
0113100747 AM STD STRAT HSS RW SSB
0113100794 AM STD STRAT HSS RW MSR
0113100795 AM STD STRAT HSS RW MSB
0113102700 AM STD STRAT HSS MN 3TS
0113102706 AM STD STRAT HSS MN BLK
0113102719 AM STD STRAT HSS MN JPM
0113102747 AM STD STRAT HSS MN SSB
0113102794 AM STD STRAT HSS MN MSR
0113102795 AM STD STRAT HSS MN MSB

American Special Stratocaster
0115602303 AM SPEC STRAT MN 2TSB
0115602309 AM SPEC STRAT MN CAR
0115602357 AM SPEC STRAT MN SFG

American Special Stratocaster HSS
0115700300 AM SPEC STRAT HSS RW 3TSB
0115700306 AM SPEC STRAT HSS RW BLK
0115700309 AM SPEC STRAT HSS RW CAR

American Deluxe Stratocaster
0119000700 AM DLX STRAT RW 3TSB
0119000720 AM DLX STRAT RW AMB
0119000723 AM DLX STRAT RW OLP
0119000759 AM DLX STRAT RW TUNG
0119000770 AM DLX STRAT RW SSM
0119002700 AM DLX STRAT MN 3TSB
0119002720 AM DLX STRAT MN AMB
0119002723 AM DLX STRAT MN OLP
0119002759 AM DLX STRAT MN TUNG
0119002770 AM DLX STRAT MN SSM

American Deluxe Stratocaster Left-Handed
0119020700 AM DLX STRAT RW LH 3TSB
0119022700 AM DLX STRAT MN LH 3TSB

American Deluxe Strat® HSS
0119100700 AM DLX STRAT HSS RW 3TSB
0119100720 AM DLX STRAT HSS RW AMB
0119100723 AM DLX STRAT HSS RW OLP
0119100759 AM DLX STRAT HSS RW TUNG
0119100770 AM DLX STRAT HSS RW SSM
0119102700 AM DLX STRAT HSS MN 3TSB
0119102720 AM DLX STRAT HSS MN AMB
0119102723 AM DLX STRAT HSS MN OLP
0119102759 AM DLX STRAT HSS MN TUNG
0119102770 AM DLX STRAT HSS MN SSM

American Deluxe Strat V Neck
0119202703 AM DLX STRAT V NECK 2TSB
0119202706 AM DLX STRAT V NECK BLK
0119202709 AM DLX STRAT V NECK CAR

American Deluxe Strat Ash
0119300731 AM DLX STRAT ASH RW ACB
0119300752 AM DLX STRAT ASH RW TBS
0119300775 AM DLX STRAT ASH RW WTRANS
0119302731 AM DLX STRAT ASH MN ACB
0119302752 AM DLX STRAT ASH MN TBS
0119302775 AM DLX STRAT ASH MN WTRANS

Standard Stratocaster
0144600502 FEND STD STRAT RW LPB
0144600506 FEND STD STRAT RW BLK
0144600509 FEND STD STRAT RW CAR
0144600532 FEND STD STRAT RW BSB
0144600575 FEND STD STRAT RW MDW
0144600580 FEND STD STRAT RW AWT
0144602502 FEND STD STRAT MN LPB
0144602506 FEND STD STRAT MN BLK
0144602509 FEND STD STRAT MN CAR
0144602532 FEND STD STRAT MN BSB
0144602575 FEND STD STRAT MN MDW
0144602580 FEND STD STRAT MN AWT

Standard Stratocaster Left-Handed
0144620502 FEND STD STRAT LH RW LPB
0144620506 FEND STD STRAT LH RW BLK
0144620509 FEND STD STRAT LH RW CAR
0144620532 FEND STD STRAT LH RW BSB
0144620575 FEND STD STRAT LH RW MDW
0144620580 FEND STD STRAT LH RW AWT
0144622502 FEND STD STRAT LH MN LPB
0144622506 FEND STD STRAT LH MN BLK
0144622509 FEND STD STRAT LH MN CAR
0144622532 FEND STD STRAT LH MN BSB
0144622575 FEND STD STRAT LH MN MDW
0144622580 FEND STD STRAT LH MN AWT

Standard Stratocaster HSS
0144700502 FEN STD STRAT HSS RW LPB
0144700506 FEN STD STRAT HSS RW BLK
0144700509 FEN STD STRAT HSS RW CAR
0144700532 FEN STD STRAT HSS RW BSB
0144700575 FEN STD STRAT HSS RW MDW
0144700580 FEN STD STRAT HSS RW AWT
0144702502 FEN STD STRAT HSS MN LPB
0144702506 FEN STD STRAT HSS MN BLK
0144702509 FEN STD STRAT HSS MN CAR
0144702532 FEN STD STRAT HSS MN BSB
0144702575 FEN STD STRAT HSS MN MDW
0144702580 FEN STD STRAT HSS MN AWT

Blacktop™ Stratocaster HH
0148100506 BLACKTOP STRAT HH RW BLK
0148100509 BLACKTOP STRAT HH RW CAR
0148100572 BLACKTOP STRAT HH RW SNB
0148102506 BLACKTOP STRAT HH MN BLK
0148102509 BLACKTOP STRAT HH MN CAR
0148102572 BLACKTOP STRAT HH MN SNB

Blacktop Stratocaster HSH
0148900506 BLACKTOP STRAT HSH RW BLK
0148900559 BLACKTOP STRAT HSH RW TSV

My own role in the whole thing has been figuring out how to make it come alive here on Fender.com - in just a few days my team created a "Spring Breaky" design treatment and built out a new Sale-a-bration landing page that features all the models mentioned above.

Anyway, it's fun seeing a plan come together (particularly this quickly) and then watching the masses absorb it. And by the way: $50 shopping spree in the Online Store to the first person who transcribes all of the model names above into their actual 'real world' model names and posts them here.

_________________
Director at Fender. Guitarist & guitar collector. All views/opinions expressed here are my own and not Fender’s.

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Amazing number of Stratocasters listed for the sale! Thanks Brad! I'm thinking after this two weeks you will have to jump start the Strat manufacturing plants or we'll be short of stock for spring and summer

_________________
you can save the world with your guitar one love song at a time it's just better, more fun, easier with a fender solid body electric guitar or electric bass guitar.

That's one of the things that motivated this post - not only is it a great sale but the list of instruments involved was really wowing me earlier this afternoon as I reviewed it. We're not kiddin' around with this one.

_________________
Director at Fender. Guitarist & guitar collector. All views/opinions expressed here are my own and not Fender’s.

Follow me on Instagram:
@brad_on_guitar

And on Facebook:
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This is confusing. Have each of these models been reduced to a specific "lower" price point which dealers must adhere to, or is Fender just freeing up dealers to sell them at whatever sale price they feel like?

If you click on the sale ad, you're taken to a page where it just lists the Strats' MSRP. Where's the sale price? What's the reduction amount or % off? Why is this a big secret??

I have to agree about the confusion. There is nothing in the promotional material that says dealers can set their own prices, and what do you mean by "basically" authorized? If I look at sale prices online, are these the exact same prices that I am going to find anywhere?

The entire sales campaign is vague and nebulous, and I don't know if that's intentional or not. Is it inept marketing or a sales campagn designed by lawyers? Could someone please clearly explain in plain English how this sale works?

Thank you.

Great news, Brad.
We also have a reduction on prices here in Germany. Yeah, it´s a great thing lower the prices because all people have to have a Fender.
I already have some Fenders so I think it is good getting another one \m/
Thank you good people at Fender, great idea and well done!

All the best,
Robin

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_________________________________
http://www.youtube.com/robinstrower
_________________________________

cormorant/MM2: you've both hit on some interesting points. Here on Fender's own website you'll notice a recurring theme that instrument pricing is always spoken of here in terms of MSRP. Do keep in mind, this is a manufacturer's website - we do the research, development, and building, and it's our dealers who do the actual selling ... hence in a scenario like this the dealers themselves are the ones who are at liberty to opt in to the program and promote it as they see fit. The result is a hint of the nebulous feel that you're mentioning here. (Believe me, I'd LOVE to take our prices and mark a giant red slash through them that shows discounted pricing for the run of the sale period - we just can't do it!)

_________________
Director at Fender. Guitarist & guitar collector. All views/opinions expressed here are my own and not Fender’s.

Follow me on Instagram:
@brad_on_guitar

And on Facebook:
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Thanks for piping in, Robin ... and yes, what you're speaking of there is a different program altogether that we launched a bit ago for European markets. Great opportunity to save. Glad to hear you already have a stable of Fender instruments ... but you can surely always squeeze in one more, right?

_________________
Director at Fender. Guitarist & guitar collector. All views/opinions expressed here are my own and not Fender’s.

Follow me on Instagram:
@brad_on_guitar

And on Facebook:
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I understand now. You've authorized dealers to sell the guitars at a fixed discounted price for the duration of the sale, and if they don't want to participate in the sale they don't have to.

Thanks for clearing that up.

P.S. The guitar I'm really holding out for is the Fender Classic Player Telecaster Deluxe With Tremolo but with the standard Tele single coils. The Trem plus separate controls for each pickup. I'm getting pretty old here, I hope I live long enough to see one I can afford.

Happy to help shed some light here. That's getting closer, although the "fixed discounted price" bit is still not quite accurate - instead it's really more about granting the ability for a dealer to advertise at lower pricing than we normally allow if he/she wishes.

I guess the main point here is, the discussion about the specific details of the offer is really one that occurs directly with your local dealer rather than here - our part in it is basically to wave a giant flag notifying you that the event in question is occurring and that you need to get to your dealer. (This is really the uninteresting side of the discussion, of course - we try as much as possible here to keep the focus on the exciting part which is that it leads to great deals on gear. But, in light of your questions and the "behind the scenes" nature of this thread I just wanted to quickly explain how it all works from this side.)

_________________
Director at Fender. Guitarist & guitar collector. All views/opinions expressed here are my own and not Fender’s.

Follow me on Instagram:
@brad_on_guitar

And on Facebook:
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GC just adjusted my Am Spl I purchased just last Sunday to reflect the Spring Break Fender promo sale price PLUS GC's $100 off coupon... WOW!

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Tiger J

my gear:

Jackson USA Phil Collen PC-1
Warmoth Custom-Build Stratocaster (The Andersong)
Fender American Special Stratocaster
Squier J. Mascis Jazzmaster
Fender Mustang GT40
Eleven HeadRush w/ two Alto TS212 FRFRs

Brad, thank's for the insight. I had thought fender was offering dealer incentives.

That's fantastic - glad to hear it, and thanks for sharing. What model/finish did you go for?

_________________
Director at Fender. Guitarist & guitar collector. All views/opinions expressed here are my own and not Fender’s.

Follow me on Instagram:
@brad_on_guitar

And on Facebook:
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My pleasure!

_________________
Director at Fender. Guitarist & guitar collector. All views/opinions expressed here are my own and not Fender’s.

Follow me on Instagram:
@brad_on_guitar

And on Facebook:
facebook.com/bradonguitar

Actually, never mind the question there ... I'm seeing it identified in your sig. Good choice!

_________________
Director at Fender. Guitarist & guitar collector. All views/opinions expressed here are my own and not Fender’s.

Follow me on Instagram:
@brad_on_guitar

And on Facebook:
facebook.com/bradonguitar