Beating Fender at their own game?

[Soloshchenko]

Pricing everything up on the warmoth site I'm surprised that I could do this for slightly less than a new USA Standard Telecaster plus I could have a better general spec than the fenders such as a 1 piece swamp ash body, fender 52 reissue pick ups rather than the stock ones, Birdseye maple rather than the pale straight stuff they use at Fender (it felt worse than the neck on my squire!).

I'd like to see how you priced that, because any way I do it, I cant even come close to meeting the USA Fender price.

Ash Body - finished, 170 + 185 (solid color)
Birsdseye Neck - finished, with nut 193, 25, 85
Pickups 52ri 99
Bridge 21
Tuners 28
Strap buttons 3
pickguard 22
control plate 10
pots 10
jack 3
jackplate 5
knobs 5.50
switch 14
switch tip 1.50
neck plate 4.50
string hold down 2
string ferrules 5
Fender case 145
Logo decal $15
screws and such $10

I get $1036.50, plus shipping on the stuff from Warmoth, maybe $30.  So lets say $1095 with a set of strings.

Amerian Tele, $949 shipped.

To be fair you can usually find a Fender case for 119 locally at Guitar Center.  But also to be fair, you can find a an American Telecaster for about 825 (with case) at Guitar Center too (if you haggle you'll get 40percent off list). 

You cant beat Fender's price on the quality instruments.  But you can go BETTER quality, and custom features for just a little more.

I think the price differences come from the fact that I would be buying my stuff unfinished to save money and as Tweed states, I'd prefer my own satin tung oil finish to the fender ones, plus I didn't really think about a case. As you say, theres only a little amount in it.

 

[-CB-]

Well, then ya cant really compare can ya?

 

[Soloshchenko]

Well, then ya cant really compare can ya?

Of course you can, as you say your getting a better guitar and I'd rather finish my own guitar in pure tung oil than have the fender finish I found on the tele I was recently playing. Plus even at the prices you quiote theres only $100 in it.

Also I care far more about the quality of a guitar than he case its carried in, If my guitar is safe from damage I'm happy.