My tongue in cheek 'Fender Custom Shop' review over at Gearnews.

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stonevibestonevibe Frets: 7082
edited July 2016 in Other Reviews
I am getting so bored of relic guitars, so I wrote this piece over there.

Would love some feedback from you guys as well if possible. As I know I am an opinionated twat at times.


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Comments

  • darcymdarcym Frets: 1297
    edited July 2016

    think it's a pretty poor write up to be honest.

    The relic business is a core part of Fender customs shops line, and they make lower end / priced models with the road worn series to put it in multiples peoples price point.

    They change the relics up with some interesting colour schemes the paisley you put in the article for example.

    At the same time Fender innovate as best they can - they came out with the Cabronita a few years ago, that was a huge success, they tried other Cabronita style guitars, they took the concept and applied it to other body shapes.

    They come up with the Pawn shop range.

    The re-issue existing famous amps, period correct

    the re-issue existing famous amps with a modern twist

    they try new amps at all price points.

    They try things like the hot swap pickup card thing (can't think of the name of it)

    They take concepts to the extreme with the tribute guitars

    Not sure what you're trying to say here other than you don't personally like relics and you personally are bored of them, but only a fool would not keep the product line alive when it clearly is a good seller for them, and they try to do different things with different finishes, not much more you can do with it.

    At the same time they innovate with new items or re-issues with a twist of old favourite items.

    Are they a bit greedy in pushing some models - in this case such as the relics, probably, but they also did this with the signature range, at one point you had to be someone special to get a signature Fender, now they give it to anyone because it's a good shifter, but they are a business.


    What are any other guitar maker doing that's not warranting your same comments.


    Gibson - base models overpriced, custom shop models mental, their aging / relic models offensive priced - nothing new

    Suhr - quality boutique guitar maker, %70 of his range is a well made Fender with a different headstock - and now he's doing relics of the fender clones....

    I understand that your personally bored of relics, and the market is very full of them and has been for a few years, but I don't get why you're calling out Fender for doing nothing new, when they try to do new product (ok, not all of them good / success) they build and improve on their existing products and strong product line, and they try to do things at all price points.

    I think it's a badly written article (not the actual writing) where you allow your personal boredom with a specific product to be used as a platform to critique the brand incorrectly, while not showing the same critique of people copying the Fender relic product and the whole fender guitar, or copying the relic process.






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  • EricTheWearyEricTheWeary Frets: 16253
    I always get the impression relatively little comes out of summer NAMM (or SNAMM!), especially from the bigger companies. Running off a few custom shop models with wacky paint jobs just gives Fender something to talk about and in the vacuum of significant other releases get a bit more publicity for them than had they been a winter NAMM release.
    As has been said they are hardly the whole Fender line and if there are enough fools willing to be parted with their money out there to make this a business then good luck to them.
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  • stonevibestonevibe Frets: 7082
    The article is definitely an opinion piece, along the lines of playing Devil's advocate.

    So take on board all the points mentioned above. But yes I am personally very bored of the same old 'relic releases across the various Fender lines and other manufacturers.

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  • Shark_EyesShark_Eyes Frets: 374
    Well put @darcym exactly what I was thinking.

    Fender have been listening to their customers, for example they've re-released the duo-sonic and the mustang in both traditional and new formats, with new colours, they've done well with the Bass VI etc.The fact that they're still exploring the relic situation and taking it in new directions is a good sign to me.

    I'm not a huge fan of relics, but putting it down in this way just comes off aloof and condescending, sorry. I have a pet hate of articles that bemoan the status quo but don't suggest an alternative, or show the other side and highlight things that they are doing well and that should be explored further.
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  • stonevibestonevibe Frets: 7082
    edited July 2016
    Well I have only their promotional material to go on, as its not a review. So its more we talk about news i.e what has just been released and what is rumoured to be happening.

    So some of it, in fact a lot of it is opinionated on what we feel is useful, cool or just plain boring.

    I find all your feedback useful and the piece was meant to divide opinions. So its good that it has done on here. As in I don't like them and you guys are okay with them.

    Thank you all for the feedback, much appreciated.

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