Fender Custom Shop Prices

UncleBiff

I’m in the market for a Fender Custom Shop instrument, preferably a Tele but not ruling out a Strat (I have a Jazzmaster), so I’m looking everywhere online to see what’s around and I just can’t get my head around the price differences between different models that seem very similar. Is there any reason that I’m not aware of, or are the shops just making the prices up?

guitars4you

Without knowing the specifics of what you are looking at

The first differential is the finish - NOS - Closet - Journeyman - Relic - Heavy Relic - Listed in cheapest first and that can be £500/600 differential between the 5 options 

Hand wound p/ups can add £100/200

The price list/order form is effectively an ala carte menu - some options are free - Other cost more - ie 1/4 sawn maple for the neck and/or AAA dark rosewood - each on their own maybe only £50 on the order form, but add 2/3 options and you've made it £150 ish more expensive at cost price 

Depends on the dealers delivery date - 2020 and prices went up again - Most dealers will still have 2019 stock as well and even some 2018 and these will be at the pre-factory price increase + a potential differential on the exchange rate

In many ways Fender C/Shop don't make 100/200/300 of the same Strat, like a production model run - Hence 1 price across all the dealers - Effectively Coda, myself, Peach, Andertons etc would order 50/100 Strats with our choice of specs - as such my 59 would be fairly unique, and Coda's might be similar, yet still different, hence a price differential 

Hope that helps - But get back in touch for more info and any specific differentials

barnstorm

If you're happy to buy used, stick a WTB and your budget in the classifieds here. Might well be that nobody on the forum has anything suitable for sale, but one of the nice things about this place is that people often remember what other folks are looking for and shout if they spot a guitar that fits the bill.

LPManic

Think about buying second hand. 

A new CS guitar loses £500-£750 value as soon as you open the case.

Wazmeister

I’ve got to say the rise in guitar prices is incredible; as little as a few years ago, a good CS could be had around £1600 second hand.

New dealer prices are getting closer to £4000 on some models, with Masterbuilt now almost unaffordable.

Id love another relic Tele CS; really miss mine, but £2000 I reckon is my all I’m budget.

As a previous big hitter who has bought when I wanted to, I know feel that these CS are simply out pricing themselves.

Theres a lovely used Tele in this forum but at around £2700, they are just too much imho

RaymondLin

Wazmeister said:

I’ve got to say the rise in guitar prices is incredible; as little as a few years ago, a good CS could be had around £1600 second hand.

New dealer prices are getting closer to £4000 on some models, with Masterbuilt now almost unaffordable.

Id love another relic Tele CS; really miss mine, but £2000 I reckon is my all I’m budget.

As a previous big hitter who has bought when I wanted to, I know feel that these CS are simply out pricing themselves.

Theres a lovely used Tele in this forum but at around £2700, they are just too much imho

They are way out of budget for me now.  I have a mental cap of £2k for a guitar, plus...it's a bolt-on guitar.  But i guess there will always people with money to burn.

Really happy with what I got too so i don't see any urge to add to them myself.

Wazmeister

I even saw a nice LSL today which was £2800 new !!! Crazy prices....

I love this one at Coda but £4000 ?!!

https://www.coda-music.com/fender-custom-shop-ltd-edition-loaded-thinline-nocaster-aged-hle-gold.html

Ive nearly always bought from coda first, as I think Doug’s service is second to none.

Also he has nice stock, as does Mark @guitars4you. And I’d love to buy from Mark, as he is such a top man. 

Maybe, Ill have to settle on a Squier !

Hattigol

Still see plenty of used CS around the £2k mark personally...

Also, never quite sure why people get so sniffy about Fenders 'only' being a bolt-on neck. Like a glued in neck can justify top dollar but bolt-on guitars can't?

RaymondLin

Hattigol said:

Still see plenty of used CS around the £2k mark personally...

Also, never quite sure why people get so sniffy about Fenders 'only' being a bolt-on neck. Like a glued in neck can justify top dollar but bolt-on guitars can't?

I guess the bolt-on thing is largely to do with the concept of the guitar was to design and make something that is easy and cheap to make as possible.   So the whole top dollar aspect of it is the opposite of the ethos of the entire concept.

Iamnobody

Hattigol said:

Still see plenty of used CS around the £2k mark personally...

Also, never quite sure why people get so sniffy about Fenders 'only' being a bolt-on neck. Like a glued in neck can justify top dollar but bolt-on guitars can't?

I think the perception is that a set neck is more labour intensive ergo it costs more. 

I don’t know if for certain if that is the case. But if you look at the detail on a Les Paul or 335 and compare them to say a Fender Telecaster, the Tele must be so much simpler to build in every aspect. 

UncleBiff

guitars4you said:

Without knowing the specifics of what you are looking at

The first differential is the finish - NOS - Closet - Journeyman - Relic - Heavy Relic - Listed in cheapest first and that can be £500/600 differential between the 5 options 

Hand wound p/ups can add £100/200

The price list/order form is effectively an ala carte menu - some options are free - Other cost more - ie 1/4 sawn maple for the neck and/or AAA dark rosewood - each on their own maybe only £50 on the order form, but add 2/3 options and you've made it £150 ish more expensive at cost price 

Depends on the dealers delivery date - 2020 and prices went up again - Most dealers will still have 2019 stock as well and even some 2018 and these will be at the pre-factory price increase + a potential differential on the exchange rate

In many ways Fender C/Shop don't make 100/200/300 of the same Strat, like a production model run - Hence 1 price across all the dealers - Effectively Coda, myself, Peach, Andertons etc would order 50/100 Strats with our choice of specs - as such my 59 would be fairly unique, and Coda's might be similar, yet still different, hence a price differential 

Hope that helps - But get back in touch for more info and any specific differentials

I totally get the little differences and cost increases, being a maker myself, but what sparked this thread was looking at a few guitars today that ranged from around £2800 to over £4200 with minimal changes from what I could see or were down on the spec sheet. When you get into fancy woods and inlays and custom features I get it, the price can jump easily, but on a Telecaster its just a different colour or pickups half the time which can be a few hundred pounds max surely?!

Wazmeister

Hattigol said:

Still see plenty of used CS around the £2k mark personally...

Id love to see a CS Tele relic around £2k...

None on here and none it appears on eBay.

Hattigol

Wazmeister said:

Hattigol said:

Still see plenty of used CS around the £2k mark personally...

Id love to see a CS Tele relic around £2k...

None on here and none it appears on eBay.

My CS Strat and Tele. Both bought off here for £2k in the last 12-18 months.

http://imgur.com/gallery/dm7nGcW

Wazmeister

Hattigol said:

Wazmeister said:

Hattigol said:

Still see plenty of used CS around the £2k mark personally...

Id love to see a CS Tele relic around £2k...

None on here and none it appears on eBay.

My CS Strat and Tele. Both bought off here for £2k in the last 12-18 months.

http://imgur.com/gallery/dm7nGcW

And that’s my point .... price rises in the last 12-18 months have been colossal.

Love both of them, especially the Tele !

UncleBiff

Hattigol said:

Wazmeister said:

Hattigol said:

Still see plenty of used CS around the £2k mark personally...

Id love to see a CS Tele relic around £2k...

None on here and none it appears on eBay.

My CS Strat and Tele. Both bought off here for £2k in the last 12-18 months.

http://imgur.com/gallery/dm7nGcW

That’s the Tele I’ve been looking for!

guitars4you

UncleBiff said:

guitars4you said:

Without knowing the specifics of what you are looking at

The first differential is the finish - NOS - Closet - Journeyman - Relic - Heavy Relic - Listed in cheapest first and that can be £500/600 differential between the 5 options 

Hand wound p/ups can add £100/200

The price list/order form is effectively an ala carte menu - some options are free - Other cost more - ie 1/4 sawn maple for the neck and/or AAA dark rosewood - each on their own maybe only £50 on the order form, but add 2/3 options and you've made it £150 ish more expensive at cost price 

Depends on the dealers delivery date - 2020 and prices went up again - Most dealers will still have 2019 stock as well and even some 2018 and these will be at the pre-factory price increase + a potential differential on the exchange rate

In many ways Fender C/Shop don't make 100/200/300 of the same Strat, like a production model run - Hence 1 price across all the dealers - Effectively Coda, myself, Peach, Andertons etc would order 50/100 Strats with our choice of specs - as such my 59 would be fairly unique, and Coda's might be similar, yet still different, hence a price differential 

Hope that helps - But get back in touch for more info and any specific differentials

I totally get the little differences and cost increases, being a maker myself, but what sparked this thread was looking at a few guitars today that ranged from around £2800 to over £4200 with minimal changes from what I could see or were down on the spec sheet. When you get into fancy woods and inlays and custom features I get it, the price can jump easily, but on a Telecaster its just a different colour or pickups half the time which can be a few hundred pounds max surely?!

 £4200 is probably the new 2020 price  - Still see 2019 Stock £3300/3500/3800 ish

But without knowing the price of every new guitar in every shop I don't see any/many £2800 for new stock, unless a slow seller and a clear out deal by that dealer 

crunchman

They are definitely overpriced at the moment.

You can get a CS Gibson R8 for around £4k - which is overpriced in itself, but there is no justification for a bolt on to be more than an R8.  There is a lot less work in a Strat or Tele than a Les Paul.  The carved top is much more labour intensive.  Add in the set neck and the more expensive raw materialson the Gibson, and there is no excuse for a £4k Strat or Tele.

The Gibson is also too expensive at £4k but it's not quite as ridiculous.

Strat54

Yep, a few offers around at £2800 like these...

https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/product/180809331116008--fender-custom-shop-eu-limited-1952-tele-journeyman-relic-chevro

https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/product/190123338086008-3241618--fender-custom-shop-limited-edition-1952-tele-lush-close

There's still enough people spending for now though, so I wouldn't expect many reductions till the winter months. The vintage market is also buoyant still. I have friends that are dropping $50/60k on guitars without a second thought.One just bought a minty Broadcaster for a six figure sum.

RandallFlagg

I agree, I agree...but...

I have just ordered a brand new Custom Shop Tele...could resist no longer...Excalibur will be mine.

guitars4you

Strat54 said:

Yep, a few offers around at £2800 like these...

https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/product/180809331116008--fender-custom-shop-eu-limited-1952-tele-journeyman-relic-chevro

https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/product/190123338086008-3241618--fender-custom-shop-limited-edition-1952-tele-lush-close

There's still enough people spending for now though, so I wouldn't expect many reductions till the winter months. The vintage market is also buoyant still. I have friends that are dropping $50/60k on guitars without a second thought.One just bought a minty Broadcaster for a six figure sum.

Can see why the first link is on offer
Those Lush Closet finishes have not really caught on - Certainly compared to Journeyman - I have also had a problem with 1 or 2 with static on that finish 

Strat54

RandallFlagg said:

I agree, I agree...but...

I have just ordered a brand new Custom Shop Tele...could resist no longer...Excalibur will be mine.

There you are....there's still people about with money! What did you go for? I'm still hovering over the Broadcaster's but there's not been that many in to the UK yet...and probably won't be now. 
Interesting about the static issues with the Lush Closets @guitars4you  ;