The new catalog just came today... just in time as the last one is tattered and stained with drool. For those of you in the market, the prices are now at $999 for a new American Standard Strat or Tele.

Guess jacking up your prices during a recession didn't prove too wise a move for Fender. As far as I'm concerned, they simply aren't worth more than that... it's a pretty basic guitar all things said, not that I don't love 'em!

When a company has a product the public wants people will find a way to get the money to buy it.

The MIMs are still a ridiculous $500.

I did also notice that the price on the Road Worns has dropped...if only by $50 and the MIM Deluxe Players dropped $100. The new American Special and the Highway 1's seem like great values...and the American Standard is a great guitar, but not if you're paying over a grand for it. You can build a partscaster that would blow away an American Standard with a $1000 budget.

I agree, $500 seems steep for the MIM standard but the quality does seem better in the last few years. My thinking is that Fender would like to have Squires replace the MIM price point. It's unlikely anyone would spend $300 for a Squire if you could still pick up a MIM standard for $350.

I'd like to see Fender use American Standard Pups in the MIM standards. Wonder what that would do to the price...it would seem like a better value at $500 IMO.

Gibson is worse, but Fender did come out with a new American Guitar for $799. Its ok, I tried one. But really, look for a used guitar. Especially if you plan on playing it, you can find a used American Strat for $700 or less. I found a Highway 1 for $499 in Canton MI Guitar Center.

If we want to object Fender's pricing, then just buy used guitars for now on. I personally feel ripped off because I bought a Lonestar for $699, two months later they sell for $549. I traded mine in after two months and used its $399. It still has the rear fender sticker on it. No scratches, no dents, no fret wear, only typical swirling on the pickguard. Someone is going to get a great deal on that Lonestar.

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I would say the Highway 1 and American special are great values, but really they are not. They're not finished really well. Poor fretjobs and an almost unfinished feel to the neck. Specials have a single ply pickguard, slightly thicker then what's found on the Squires...

While we're on the value wagon, who want a Squire Standard when a used MIM strat is the same or cheaper????

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I received the catalog also and noticed that they did not have the American Deluxe Strat listed... Just the Std and the special.. Anyone know why?

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I heard that the prices had been lowered on American Standards across the board.

I had been at GC the day after Thanksgiving and they had the American Standards marked at $995. Nobody else was advertising that low back then BUT one local shop did tell me that $995 is what they were selling them for even though MAP wouldn't let them advertise at that price.

Plus GC had their great Black Friday sales that day. If I remember right it was another $200 off a $1000 purchase so they were selling new American Standards for $800 that day. Meanwhile the MIMs weren't qualifying for any sort of real discount.

In fact it was while I was looking at an MIM that a salesperson said that for a bit more... and he WAS right

I returned a Gibson LP that was a gift. Since it was a new faded black model, it wasn't too expensive. I'd picked up a MIA strat at the time if I could, but they were $1100. If it would of been black Friday, I would of purchased the MIA instead of a new Roadhouse (which is now $150 less then when I bought it). Recently, there is a MIA for $599. I would have taken that guitar instead.

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"Epitaph on a blues musician’s tombstone: “I didn’t wake up this morning”" Davy Knowles


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Have they deleted features and added more inferior parts in the name of "progress" again?

In my book the early American Series guitars are still the best of the American Strats since 86.

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