LeftyBassist.com

I understand the controversy, despite the fact that it impacts us lefties very little, since retailers generally don't want to carry lefties anyway. And even though I've yet to place an order, I don't want to see "Fender's American Design Experience" left handed online custom ordering options go away anytime soon:

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/en ... tml#page=1

If Fender goes to all direct sales like that, I sure hope it isn't the low quality shit storm that ADE is.

Lefties are more used to buying things direct without trying them out.

I know you had major issues with them on yours, Matt. I'm curious what experiences other lefties had with these, as I know a few other lefties ordered too. I guess I still like ADE in theory, but yeah, if they're terrible across the board then why bother?

One of my friends is the production manager here (in Tampa) at Dean.
We were discussing this topic on Saturday. He said even they were having
a hard time selling in stores. Guitar buyers are tending to use music
stores to "try out" a guitar, and then order it online.

He also said that they (manufacturers, in general) are having a huge quality
control problem with their imports. He says they send back 40% of all
guitars they receive for poor quality.

He also said that they can't keep up with orders for their American lines - these are Dean
guitars and basses that cost well over two grand and are hand built here in
Tampa. I've seen their workshop - they're quality instruments.

I ordered a lefty EABC from him, too... only one of two lefties they stock.

pete

Give us a review when you get it.

I will. I'll do a comparison to the Dean Exotica that I play as well.

p

I was at Southpaw Guitar in late October, and Jimmy was saying this was coming down the line. But here is the crazy thing, he said that Gibson was going that route too. He was complaining about how all of the Gibson guitars were having their prices jacked to crazy prices (by 30%), and that they were discontinuing lefty Gibsons, except custom shops. Looks like Carvin may have some competition for the direct to consumer route.

Direct sales is nothing new to the music business. Ibanez, ESP, Schecter, and Eastwood, for example, have been doing it for years, and I haven't heard anyone giving those companies heat for it. The vast majority of boutique companies sell direct too. It's just that now when one of the "Big Two" wants to go that route, dealers are panicking. I can understand that, but I also understand that many of them don't like dealing with Fender and Gibson anyway because the agreements are considered unfairly lopsided. Then you have mom and pop shops and brick and mortar in general on the verge of extinction due to these Wallmart-style mega mall stores like GC, who are facing Chapter 11 themselves. Here's a good description of where we're heading in retail, IMO:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?x-yt-cl=8 ... pjKpttlgmg

Fender obviously needs to do what they need to to stay afloat. How much of that is due to their own negligence or their public shareholders demanding higher profit margins, I don't know, but it's almost never a good thing when companies get too large to self-preserve themsleves.

Yep.
And even Carvin has just annouced a restructuring that seperates thier guitar business from amps and pro sound. They are also subdividing the guitar side into "Carvin" and "Kiesel" lines. The Kiesel line will focus on high end boutique builds and custom finishes.

Great video! Insightful. Thank You for sharing.

"What matters is...How you do what you do. Why you do what you do....Your beliefs that underpin your business" -- Doug Stephens, the Retail Prophet


Fender?

What is the bottom line Cliff's note version of what is bringing about this news regarding direct sales?

I started the thread because it's been in the news and apparently has caused some controversy with some dealers:

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/en ... tml#page=1

folks, don't forget that Fender is way way way in debt and has I don't know how many hundred's of millions of $$$$ of debt instruments that they need to refinance, this year and next IIRC. That was the main reason the IPO got killed off. The 'market' thought they were over leveraged and wouldn't be able to refinance the debt. So this is why you see them spinning off brands and reducing product lines. Fender also recently sold some lines to DW drums http://www.dwdrums.com/info/newsroom.asp?n=nwsDWbuysBrandsFromFender . Expect to see more parts of Fender's non-core business go on the chopping block.

I found this interesting from the article:

The company is also trying to limit the number of products it sells. At the same meeting where it disclosed its direct-to-consumer plans, Fender said it would cut its number of products 25% and focus on its core series of instruments.

Also can't help but think of all the CS instruments that seemed to flood into the marketplace over the last 10 years while their asking prices (and seemingly selling prices) skyrocketed.

All together it makes me more curious as to what truly is happening out there.

But there's so little honesty and transparency that it's prolly impossible to know?

KOA,
sorry to repeat myself, but Fender is walking a financial tightrope. They are over leveraged debt-wise, are having trouble refinancing the debt, and can't offer an IPO to raise $$$.
So what does a company do in that case? They divest/spin off as many ancillary assets as they can (in this case brands). They reduce operating costs by focusing on their core business.

As for the direct-sales aspect of things, it may or may not work out for them. Time will tell. I doubt their intent is to drive their retailers out of business. Guitar Center (and all their subsidiary businesses) owe Fender -and Gibson - a TON of $$$. And GC has it's own financial issues, so it's not in Fender's best interest to drive GC out of business.

True, and it's not like they've cut out store retailers altogether either. Though it remains to be seen how many storefronts will vanish in favor of 1 stop mega retailers in the future. Can't wait to try out the next lefty Squier at CVS!

This thread is depressing

Matt, just go out and buy another Jazz bass. You'll feel better instantly!

Already tried that this past year. Didn't work out so well

How about another Ric? Every gigging bassist needs at least two of them. LOL