Is Fender destroying the Charvel brand?

[RampantLion]

More and more, I see once cherished models that are being made in Mexico, etc and I'm wondering what your opinions are regarding Fender making so many lower quality Charvels and Jacksons, yet keeping the model names. It doesn't even seem like they are much more inexpensive and I think bringing the models to the masses at the expense of less quality is a mistake. I personally will only buy American or Japanese guitars.

[markD]

In my opinion, Fender is building what people buy. They still offer USA Charvel and Jackson guitars. They are offered at a premium price because they are prestige instruments. Fender's Mexican factory makes great instruments. Anybody that states otherwise is being an elitist. Regarding model names, the way they market is their choice. With the import Charvels I see no reason to change the model names. With the import Jackson's, the only models I see as being confusing is the Sl2H and the SL2Q.

I decided some time ago that Fender priced USA Jackson out of the range I was willing to pay for a shred guitar. I was buying USA Jackson guitars like hotcakes during the last couple years of Akai. They are still great instruments, but the lack of colors and models (though custom select IS awesome) for the money turned me off. These days I am playing PRS and Musicman guitars.

[RampantLion]

I didn't mean to insult anyone, but you really expect me to believe a Jackson Soloist for $600 is as nice as a $2000 Soloist? Or that a Mexican made San Dimas in on par with a Japanese model? Maybe I am an elitist, but I only see consistent quality in Japanese and American guitars.

[pianoguyy]

YES, they are destroying the Charvel name.
But they did the same to the FENDER name.

They no longer make guitars, they make product and make money.

[RampantLion]

I have many, many guitars... over 20 Charvels and Jacksons alone and I do not own a single Fender. Over the years, I've bought a few and then quickly sold them. I think they are one of the only big name companies I find extremely overrated

[RampantLion]

My point wasn't to annoy people who would buy a Mexican guitar, I just believe some models are sacred. It just goats me to see a San Dimas made in Mexico or a Soloist that sells for $600. I don't think every model needs to be mass marketed for everyone

[Hellbat]

My Mexican pro-mod is a good guitar. It cost half of what my US RR1 cost and it's more than half the guitar. Yes, the US built one is superior in every way but the Mexican one is a good serviceable instrument. My US built Fender Strat is also quite a nice guitar.

[Nightbat]

My point wasn't to annoy people who would buy a Mexican guitar, I just believe some models are sacred. It just goats me to see a San Dimas made in Mexico or a Soloist that sells for $600. I don't think every model needs to be mass marketed for everyone

Divinity doesn't put food on the table of your employees
And why shouldn't all models be available at various pricepoints? So the special snowflakes don't feel offended?

[AdRock]

I didn't mean to insult anyone, but you really expect me to believe a Jackson Soloist for $600 is as nice as a $2000 Soloist? Or that a Mexican made San Dimas in on par with a Japanese model? Maybe I am an elitist, but I only see consistent quality in Japanese and American guitars.

Yes, the mexican strats are on par with the old japanese ones. EASILY. As a sound guy I work with and know a ton of great guitar players and I cant tell you how many of them would, or have already, bought a mexican strat over a usa strat.

When I was the house sound guy at a local club I was lucky enough to get to work with some big people in the blues world, as well as the rock world. I would always talk guitar shop with them. I was surprised by how many of these guys, that would have problem paying fender custom shop prices, preferred buying the mexican strats. I was told multiple times that with a pickup change and a good setup the mexican s2trats sounded3 and played just as good, if not better in some cases, than their usa strats.

[Grandturk]

Old school Charvel guys will tell you Jackson destroyed the brand when he started building Charvel in Japan in 1986.

[tomanyjacksons]

It's all about the Benjamins, cause lets be honest if these companies don't make a certain amount of capitol a year, share holders and investors will pull their money out and you'll have what Peavey has, a company that brings everything into the country. Our economy has bred this, it's how it is. I don't buy new guitars because I can't afford them, pricing them cheaper does put them in my price range but for just a bit more, used, which is still in my price range I can get a much better guitar and be far happier even if it has a paint chip or something that brings the value down a bit by buying used. It's not helping Fender at all and I'm sorry for that, but it's where a lot of us are. I would love to buy new and American made only but, that's not happening, in my reality I have to take what I can get, that's closest to what I want. Fender is trying to reach people like me to keep getting money, from whatever price point. I had some major problems with Guitar Center a few years back and told everybody that would hold still long enough (a little bitchy, I know) but I talked to one of their head customer service guys and they tried their damnedest to make things right and they also asked for my help, I know it's a physiological move but I feel if your bitching and not helping you should just shut up. But I now get their constant survey about how they are doing and all of it boils down to sales. That's all they want to know, did this make you feel like you wanted to buy something. Money rules folks. OK rant over. lol

[Matt_B]

Old school Charvel guys will tell you Jackson destroyed the brand when he started building Charvel in Japan in 1986.

I was working in the music biz when that happened and those guitars sold very well. They were great guitars for the money, much like the Mexican ones are now. That said, my first real guitar was a 83' San Dimas Charvel so for me personally, if a Charvel (or Jackson) is not made in the U.S. I do not want to own it. I feel the same about Gibsons (no Epis please) and Fender. I've got no issue with own Asian guitars - I love my 2 Ibanezes.

As someone already said, once you get swap out hardware, pickups and electronics of a foreign made guitar, you've got a great instrument. Heck in some cases you don't even have to do that.

[jspeed]

LOL, what’s the difference between a Mexican building Charvel’s in Mexico or a Mexican building Charvel’s in California? Not much except a few miles, huh? LOL

The best Charvel’s were made by Wayne himself (He & Michael still build them too) everything else is really kinda a fake anyway, lol

Full disclosure, I love the MIJ fakes best!

[xenophobe]

Yes, Fender has not really had a good idea on what to do with the Charvel and Jackson brands over the whole span that they have owned them. The whole Jenna Jameson thing is the pinnacle of their stupidity. They still exist, but things will never be like when it was "the Mothership".

But, Mexistrats have proven to be really well made, the only real thing holding them back are the cheap components. They've been building at that Fender factory for so long now that they can produce USA quality products if they were told to. That won't happen because then it would undercut USA sales.

And as for people saying Fender don't make a great guitar... I dunno, almost every USA Deluxe Strat I've played has been pretty fucking spot on. And Fender Japan produces awesome guitars... built slightly different from USA... slightly different shapes and features, but damn good players with excellent build quality.

[Grandturk]

The best Charvel’s were made by Wayne himself (He & Michael still build them too) everything else is really kinda a fake anyway, lol

Oh my....