Fender website out of stock of most Strats?

Fender has recorded record sales in the last few months. Apparently since people were stuck at home and/or got stimulus checks they decided to buy a guitar and learn. Sucks a lot are out of stock or backordered. But it makes me happy that people are taking the initiative to learn guitar. And what better way to start than a Fender, right? The good thing for us old guys (and this sounds mean) is that some of these people are going to give up quickly. And the second hand market is soon going to have some fantastic deals on Fender guitars. I look forward to that. But I am genuinely happy for the people who decided to take up the guitar as well. Especially the ones that stick with it. Good for them.

 

Agreed with @valor19 - Fender's had a boom year for sales combined with smaller production since they were on shutdown/limited production for several months in the spring.

Plus they're getting ready to release the American Professional II series here shortly - if they're saying "October" it could be as early as this Thursday (10/1). Someone mentioned in one of the long posts about the American Professional IIs that Fender did miss a full run of American Professional v1s (so they decided to move forward with the Am Pro IIs a few months early); I suspect they also missed scheduled runs of all the other USA models and some of the MIM models as well.

 

My guess would be all the above. In addition, it's looking less and less certain that there will tjhe next NAMM will happen, so maybe they're going to start rolling out the new models over the next 2 or 3 months and not just the AmProII.

 

I was thinking along these same lines. One reason used guitars sold as cheaply as they did in the late '60s and early '70s was the sheer numbers of them for sale. Only it was American and English rock groups that drove the market for new guitars and learning to play not a deadly virus.

Right now seemingly there is a lack of top shelf used gear available and prices have increased dramatically on what is selling. Sooner or later that will shift in the opposite direction the used market will become more saturated and prices will decline as nearly new models are unloaded by those who did give up.

 

yeah. Fender has been selling out on about everything, and the supply chain providing the hardware, and raw materials is seriously weakened due to COVID.. things are Just BEGINNING to return to normal, but, normal is still pretty darn far away...

r

 

Just wait for the 2021 used market!

 

Wonder if Gibson is having this problem, yuck yuck!

 

I was thinking the same thing. There will be lots of virtually unplayed guitars underneath beds very soon.
Everybody underestimates the amount of effort it takes to be a competent guitarist.

 

Then again over this winter a lot of people may find they do in fact have the time to dedicate to it.... unfortunately for the second hand market.

 

..or updated with new PRICES. You order directly from Fender ?

 

Define competent....With most of todays pop music, one could get by knowing only the cowboy chords; nothing complex about it.

 

I believe you got the gist of my comment

 

I would say that since NAMM has officially canceled the 2021 Winter show, that it's a good bet that the show will not happen.

https://www.ocregister.com/2020/08/10/namm-cancels-2021-convention-in-anaheim-due-to-coronavirus/

 

Supply chains got really screwed up for a while. Fender relies on a bunch of suppliers. Lumberyards, paint supplies, pots, wire...they don't just make that in-house. And no doubt they have a just-in-time supply model. If your pallet of CTS pots can't get unloaded because the crane operator is in quarantine, everything gets delayed.

Add increased demand...

And with the increased demand, they may need more employees, more workstations, new machines. How do you train workers for these hands-on jobs without coming within six feet? Or set up work stations? I'm glad that isn't my headache.

 

There are lots available.

 

now looking even LESS likely......lol

 

I was asking about a Kurt Cobain Jaguar down here in NZ as they were on the Fender site but not in the shops. Fender told my local rep production had been affected by Covid so they were only making them to order and doing a batch run at the end of this year or early 2021. It is a niche guitar I guess & I imagine they'll want to concentrate on the bigger sellers right now.