Along with electronics, it is a crucial element that dictates the overall sound of an instrument. The main issue with this factor is the availability and expense to get the finest tonewoods. There are many regulations that restrict the use of tonewoods or make it very complicated to get.
This will naturally increase their price of manufacture, which will increase the sale price. With Fender, there are two main tonewoods they use: Ash and Alder. In reality, Alder does not have any issues in terms of accessibility. Ash, on the other hand, has some difficulties. The most noticeable one is that Ash can be difficult to work with. This is mainly because the manufacturing process has to be made quickly to preserve the richness of the wood. Another complication is the fact that two ash bodies are more likely to be different in a tonal aspect.
This makes it complicated to have consistency, which implies they will have to use more to obtain the same consistent tone. Tonewood is a crucial aspect in determining the price of a guitar and is one of the reasons Fender guitars have a greater value and are more expensive.
It is no secret that nowadays every company, whether they are big or small, rely heavily on machines and automated processes to build their guitars. Specialized machines do the work of cutting the wood into a body and shaping the neck with precision. Wire cutting for the frets is another process that requires machinery.
However, there are specific aspects of building a guitar that requires expert hands to ensure the process is completed with satisfaction. Sanding and polishing are two parts of the process that Fender leaves to their staff of world-class luthiers. These series of guitars are usually made by a specific luthier with a specific group of people to ensure authenticity and uniqueness to the final product.
This is another factor that explains why Fender guitars are so expensive. I will say that the detail and passion of craftsmen can never be replaced. The amount of attention and detail given to a Fender guitar is what makes it so much more valuable, therefore pricier.
A guitar pickup is crucial in determining the overall tone of the instrument and it will certainly dictate the value of a guitar. Since , when Leo Fender introduced his first line of electric guitars, Stratocasters came with a three single-coil configuration for optimal tonal versatility.
Adding to this, single-coil pickups have certainly evolved over the years and Fender has made sure their customers have many, many options. This is where prices are most noticeably over the top. Fender has many different series of guitars that are luxurious commodities. They all have different specs that are unique to them. Some of the most noticeable series that fall into this category are the Limited Edition series, the Deluxe series, the Parallel Universe series, and the Artist Series.
Some of the specs that make this series of a higher-end are the chrome, gold-plated hardware, and noiseless pickups that sound great. Fender Deluxe became a great success before being discontinued and as time goes by, their value will increase.
Out of the three series I am mentioning, the Artist series is the most expensive one. This is because of two facts, the first one being that some guitar legends helped design their signature models. The second fact greatly plays on what I mentioned before, the legacy of the Fender players. They are excellently made guitars, but their price is highly influenced by their mystique.
This exotic series Fender created takes different models of theirs and transforms them into unique hybrid instruments. This, in turn, creates different sounding instruments that prove to be even more versatile than the normal models out there. There are other series that can be worth mentioning but you get the idea.
The matter of fact is, these series are very unique and have different characters that make them very valuable instruments. This is another great reason why Fender guitars are so expensive. A factor that is particularly important to many American guitarists is buying locally. I think electric guitar; frankly; is played out. Masters like Mozart; Beethoven, Liszt, and Chopin and more took piano forte and stretched it to the limits of the imagination. Players are still using piano to write songs; but the instrument itself is played out.
There is nowhere left to go except plodding down well trodden paths; and that is enough for most people I guess. I find it sad to be honest. I really really liked this article. I own a Mex Strat.. I also own an Epi LP Standard.. I think I will end more of a Fender guy.. Hi Rob. Thanks for reading and glad your enjoying the Blog. If money was no object? A Gibson Les Paul and Marshall stack! Sounds like an HSS strat could be the way to go for you, even though some people think that is not a proper Strat.
Close Menu Guitar. Guitar Gear Reviews. Guitar Reviews. Guitar Amplifier Reviews. Guitar Lessons. Guitar Tips. Guitar Overdrive Pedal Shootout. Adam Harkus Music. Music Production. Music Lessons. Music Business. Harson Robkus.
Goa: A Lesson in Life. Prague : The Musical City. A Postcard to Blackpool. I became a professional guitarist almost by default. I am a class-A guitar nerd, obsessed with the guitar in such a way that there was no other course of action but to play and be around guitars for a living.
I love not only playing guitars but just looking at them as pieces of art. Two guitars in particular that seem to get the most love and are two of the most popular brands in the history of the instrument are Gibson and Fender. There has always been brand loyalty around these two guitar makers that have a rivalry amongst guitarists not unlike Mac vs.
PC, or New York vs. Chicago Pizza. One thing that puzzles me, and maybe you, too, is the price difference. Even though they seem to carry relatively equal market share, demand equal respect, and they both produce some of the most iconic sounds in music, Fender usually comes out cheaper — sometimes significantly cheaper. What gives? Fender was founded in by Leo Fender and in they unveiled the first mass-produced electric guitar. The guitar was known as the Telecaster.
Orville Gibson founded Gibson back in It was the year that Gibson came out with their first solid-body electric guitar, the Les Paul. Other guitar models followed such as the Flying-V and SG and saw great success as well. Okay, so Fender was first to the electric guitar game with their Telecaster.
Les Paul, who was one of the biggest pop stars at the time, received one from Fender. They were hoping for his endorsement. After all, the guy was selling out shows and his face was the front of all the magazines.
Well, Les Paul declined. Instead, he went to Gibson and told them to make an electric guitar like the Tele, otherwise, Fender would take over the world.
Gibson did just that, responding with the Gibson Les Paul which had a richer warmer tone and had enough power to blow out an amplifier to the point of creating distortion — something neither Fender or any other electric guitar could do at the time. Recently in an article from Business Insider , Ian S. Fender dominated in the 50s, but then Gibson took over in the 60s thanks in large part to Eric Clapton. It all comes down to materials and methods. Gibson had been making acoustic guitars and mandolins for half a century.
0コメント