Hello everyone.

I want to buy a fender, but when i look at the fender web site, i see a price, U$689-749
When i look for the authorized dealers prices, i see for the same guitar U$499, why that difference?
I want to buy a really good fender guitar, an american one, not a Chinese guitar, or a mexican one. In looking for the fender standard Stratocaster Arctic HSS, but there is a difference of U$ 190, can someone help me please?
If i need to pay more for an american fender, i will, because i dont want crap chinese products.


Thanks a lot everyone!

The prices listed on the fender site are MSRP or Manufactures Suggested Retail Price.

MSRP are always higher than actual price. Dealers get a wholesale price from Fender then the dealers mark the price so the can make a reasonable profit from the sale. It also makes it seem like you are getting really good deal.

Don't count out the Mexican Fenders the prices are lower but you see many singing their praises for the MiMfenders, as well as the Japanese Fenders.

Jimmy Vaughan's signature guitar is a MIM and I have seeing many posts praising the quality of the guitar. Only about $700 too. Also, I have seen many post about the superior quality in the Japanese fenders most saying they as good if not better than many american fenders.

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the vacuum store is a lot like the guitar store. but they do not attract the same clientele as the guitar store, cause if they did, the vacuum store would be loaded with a bunch of broke guys who just wanted to run the new vacuums.

Okay, so here's the prices:

MSRP -- "List price". Basically, you should almost never pay this price unless you're talking about an extremely rare guitar. If you pay this price from an American retailer, you're getting ripped off.

Minimum Advertised Price -- This is what you'll usually see at the larger retailers. It's the lowest price that an authorized dealer is allowed to publically admit to. Sometimes called "street price", even though you can do better (sometimes)

What you want to pay -- no more than the MAP listed above. If the store is trying to sell the guitar for more than MAP, then negotiate. If the store is trying to sell for MAP, STILL NEGOTIATE.

To protect the innocent, I'll share this story with certain details left out. I wanted a guitar that turned out to be a brand new model. I told them to hold it for me while I went to dinner. I came back from dinner and said I wanted to buy the guitar. I then asked, "hey, can you do anything about the price?" The response was to effectively knock $200 off of a $1200 MAP instrument. Given MSRP was in the $1600 range, you're talking a 60% disconnect between what I actually paid and what could actually have been charged.

Sometimes you might need to go the extended warranty route if you want to increase your discount. Basically, you get an extended warranty and they discount the guitar by an amount that is greater than the extended warranty.

At some larger stores, salespeople are evaluated based upon collecting email address/contact info. If they put you into the system as a sales lead, and then actually make the sale, it helps them look good. It doesn't cost you anything, it helps them out, and you can sometimes get a better deal as a result.

Don't forget: when you're dealing with a store, a salesperson can be on your side. Help them to help you, and everybody wins.

I appreciate ur help, was very clear!!! now i can go with no fear to buy my guitar! thanks a lot, really thanks!

By the way, the Fender's assembled in China are not "crap".
Not everything that's imported from China is substandard.
It is entirely dependent on the company that sells that product.

Your viewpoint is biased if you have not compared the Chinese, Mexican, Japanese and American versions and seen/played the differences at the various price points.
They are all aimed at a certain segment of the market and speced priced accordingly.

Good luck with your decision.

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"C'est parti mon Kiki "

And also their food can be quite delicious.

There is a Chinese restaurant in Cranston that on Sunday's bake all the pastries, dumplings etc..
Being French I have to say that is exquisite.
I actually discovered traditional Chinese cuisine working in The Great Kubla Khan Restaurant in New Haven early 90's.
If any one has never had Dim-Sun ( ) traditional as it is done in China

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"C'est parti mon Kiki "

Must be Cranston RI, kinda far for me. I'm french too and I greatly miss bakeries.

Actually, it's dependent on the company in China that actually makes the product for the company that sells the product. Which makes you wonder how important the company that sells the product is in the full equation.

There are bigger issues at hand than product quality: human rights, worker treatment, US economic security, supporting nations that are our friends, domestic jobs, national security, etc.

Buy American. Buy from other countries that respect human rights and freedom. Buy from countries that are our neighbors that can't seem to support their own citizenry.