Fender Walks Back Major Decision! (Big surprise with NAMM!)

Big news regarding Fender (and the Fender sub-brands like Jackson, Squier, EVH, Charvel, etc.) and whether or not they will attend the annual NAMM convention. CEO and President of NAMM John Mlynczak has also made some interesting statements about overseas companies at the convention and their future there. Also, will Gibson be back at NAMM 2025? Let's get into the details.
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Rubric: -5 points for Danzig references. -5 points for not reading the description. -5 points for not watching far enough into the video to answer your own question. -5 points for misquoting me in your comment. 20 points possible. Everyone starts with an A!

[@mannyfragoza9652]

Fender coming back to NAMM will be like a rich kid coming back to his old hood. Some will be happy some will not give 2 shits

[@timesurfingalien]

Budget brands are kicking their butts in sales

[@mannyfragoza9652]

and you will see a continuation of that in the future.

[@Joe-mz6dc]

Bingo.

[@hughbarton5743]

In fact, relative to big name brands, guitars from other sources have always out performed, and will do so. Forever. So:what to do, guitar makers? Sell some cheaper stuff! A true story: in America alone, there were !literally hundreds of automobile manufacturers. Now: Look again: (markets tend to tighten up over time...) The big 2 And Chrysler, Tesla, and whatever... As always, deal with real people, face to face....try their product, of course....

[@I.am_Groot]

Fender has responded well I just don't think they are going to join the mix of new budget options by changing their entry level options as much as the mid offerings. It's time for the big brands to start offering better electronics and try to turn the MIM line into more what PRS has done with SE

[@mannyfragoza9652]

@@hughbarton5743 Good example with carmakers like everything else there will always be a certain class of people who will buy Fender no matter the cost IMO.

[@Barbarapape]

Now that a lot of brands are using KZbin to announce new products is there any point in attending Namm with all the hassle and expense ? I used to go the the large guitar shows, it was expensive and hard work only to be unable to get close to what you were interested and not be allowed to try most of it. Times have changed Fender and Gibson are for the brand nerds that refuse to buy anything else.

[@Darkslide2AR-FE]

well there are lesser known brands that needs to make connections and network at NAMM so it still serves it's purpose, just not as important for the larger more well known brands.

[@davidgreenwood6029]

Modern Fender Am Pro II are among the best guitars ever made for the price point.

[@roofkorean6948]

So many of the Fender Player series models have been discontinued recently. I heard they're getting ready to replace the Player series with a new line, which is unfortunate imo because I love the price point & quality of the Player series. I'm just worried they're going to make everything more expensive now and have Squires start to take over that price point where the Player series was. If the new Fenders come with locking tuners and maybe a case, then I could understand the change, but I have a feeling we'll still have to purchase those separately.

[@lodrezzon]

I'm 57. My first bass was a Fender Musicmaster bought for me for $250, back in 1977. Since then, I've owned many, many basses. I finally decided on a Tobias Growler to be my 'main squeeze' in 1996, and played it exclusively up until 2020. With a little Covid cash, I branched out and bought 2 Sterling Stingrays (4 and 5 string models). I love them, but after 4 years with them, I really wanted something faster and funkier in my bass arsenal. In my search for the next big thing, I recently ran across a few videos highlighting Jackson basses. Holy moley was I impressed by the sound, considering I've been looking at Keisels, Alembics, Warwicks, and Spectors. So I bought one (Jackson Pro Spectra Bass SBP IV - Trans Black Burst). I loved it so much, I bought another one (Jackson X Series Spectra Bass SBX IV Electric Bass Guitar - Neon Orange). These are PHENOMENAL basses! My point? I cut my teeth on funk, rock, and jazz bands in the 80s, and always thought of Jackson as a mid-level rocker bass; like Ibanez or Pevey. They never impressed me in the 80s, so I wrote them off. There is so much competition in the world of instruments right now that older players like me who like buying instruments don't know everything that is out there, and rely on reports from NAMM for information. (I didn't even know Fender had bought Jackson, I was that out of the loop). I think someone at Fender is dropping the ball on marketing and market share intel (regarding Jackson). Sometimes selling an instrument requires redefining and remarketing the brand for the current buyer's market, and then advertising the hell out of it. NAMM is a huge part of that equation, since I easily watch 10-20 videos every year on basses, keys, and guitars. And of course, thanks for your input Max. I'll be buying a Red AIO 335 next week due to your last video. I guess NAMM isn't the only place for good guitar intel!

[@pat5882]

Your post was a damned good read, cheers!

[@MashaT22]

I know they Fender and Gibson think cutting out the middle man and going direct to consumer is good and think that they don’t need anyone or anything to make sales . . . but that’s only true to a degree. All these budget brands are kicking their butts AND most consumers prefer to buy from dealers rather than direct where there will be much better customer service, possible QC checks before shipping, setups, services and/or other freebies (and unspoken discounts) included. It’s not just Sweetwater, but lots of retailers and shops do this. Additionally, it’s good business for people looking to get a hands on look at new guitars at NAMM in a single place. Business deals and meetings still happen despite the digital world, but being open to the public now, this is a huge advantage-fest for people wanting to get a firsthand look at new guitars. Yes, it costs a lot of money to shows products at NAMM, but I don’t think the big boys can afford NOT to go in this day and age. It’s like a giant advertising opportunity with thousands of eyeballs at once. With all this online advertising, people want to filter out some of that noise by going to a show to see what’s out there and have fun. Most of those people are actively looking to buys stuff, unlike most people watching guitar KZbin who may or may not have cash to buy. The people who bother going likely travelled somewhat to come to that event, which makes it more probable that they’re in their market to buy something or many things. Why wouldn’t you want to grab the attention of those people, if you were Fender. Those could be lost sales to other companies who bothered to show up to NAMM, and also boast better quality/specs and lower price points, not to mention more unique types of guitars and/or updated offerings as compared to what the big brands sell. Neither company can afford to lose business just because they don’t want and/or think they need to invest time, money, and effort into NAMM. Lots of folks said these brands would never come back, but I had a strong feeling everything I said above would happen and one or both would crawl back when they’d realize how much business they’re actually losing. I hope Gibson will be smart and follow suit. Brand name and history alone are not enough to sustain these companies who are alienating their core customers with overinflated prices, questionable QC (sometimes it’s decent to great, other times it’s really bad issues), as well as most of the same thing on recycle-mode up for sale. I said this would happen when Fender and Gibson first backed out of the event - it was a stupid move, and then let the little brands swoop in just by not showing up to NAMM. Gibson making fancy red carpet side parties is only catering to the rich. I mean, the rich buy guitars, but basic economics is to sell higher volume at lower costs . . . and they keep trying to do the exact opposite at Gibson and Epiphone by making them art and collectible pieces rather than selling amazing instruments to musicians at reasonable costs. unattainable level for most people. Now NAMM needs to offer better recording resources and spaces for KZbinrs to record/post content from the show!

[@Razrback]

love your vidz max thank you

[@thebaldshredder]

This great news all around for several reasons. Most obviously is that attendees will get to see new stuff from Fender, Charvel, Jackson, EVH, etc. I always looked forward to seeing the new Charvel and Jackson models. Second, this is going to bring more people back to the event. You've got the hundreds of Fender employees that will be there plus others who might feel like it's worth going again just because Fender is coming back. The biggest benefit may be that it motivates other companies to either come back or even come for the first time. It's kind of a circular effect. Fender is there with a huge display bringing tons of people, more people attend because of this, and more companies attend because of this announcement. End result is more people and more companies. This is all very good for NAMM. And as far as I'm concerned, Gibson and can stay away forever. Won't miss them a bit. Great analysis Max!

[@tortillaman2491]

I wonder if SamAsh going out of business has anything to do with Fender coming back.

[@pigxstix]

I worked in an area that relied on traditional networking like NAMM. As tech evolved (social media, video conferencing, etc.) it became less necessary. There were those in upper management that saw that as a 100% new way of doing things - and saving money. But they were only partially right, those new things are great. But they can't completely replace the in-person networking. There's something to be said about those real relationships. They're different than virtual ones. There's a difference between cold-calling a rep you've never met and calling someone you know well from hanging out and getting drinks and doing deals together. I think Fender and others are learning that one doesn't replace the other, but they compliment each other and are both important.

[@narrowonflow]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="5">0:05</a> hold on jst one minute... wtf are you doing to that truck😅

[@peterhicks6328]

I'd love to see the affordable/budget guitar companies at namm. companies like firefly, IYV, eart, indio by monoprice, temu, glarry, etc.

[@BackWoodsBillyCraftBeerReviews]

Years ago you waited for the <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="660">11:00</a> News for news and weather. Now it's at your finger tips. Magazine adds were the normal way for companies to get info & marketing. Fender is actually smart to recognize this. Gibson has as well. I believe that Fender will help Namm by taking a big booth plus it's other companies. The American companies are recognizing that Chinese companies are taking a chunk of their share. Price Quality... Nice Information.. Cheers 🍻 🥃🥃 🎸 🎵🎶🎶🎶

[@sunn_bass]

Very good discussion on the industry. One thing that would not surprise me is if Fender bought a large company. I think Thomann (along with the Harley Benton house brand) would be an interesting acquisition. The outlay of money would be large but the benefit for them in the EU would be huge. Not that I am for or against something like this, in the world of business this type of acquisition, would make sense. Companies want growth, expanded geographic footprint and different market channels, this would do it.

[@frankking439]

NAMM has never been about the average player. It's an industry show designed to sell guitars to dealers. Fender wouldn't be back unless they weren't selling enough guitars to Sweetwater and direct.

[@wasteddude9387]

Hey Max. I’m going to put a lot into a small package here. I was wondering if maybe Fender found it’s projections (and perhaps its reputation) falling so short, they could no longer disregard the combined impacts of budget guitar enthusiasts, guitar repair and mod DIYers, an incomplete post-Covid recovery, while people disagree on the status of the current economy. But then I recalled Andy Mooney’s deep-as-a-dish perspective on today’s guitar market. So now I suspect that Fender is using its lesser labels to snag young first time buyers. And they’re confident they’ll scoop up retirement age buyers with Fender label strats. Those are the two areas Andy Mooney is confident in. I think he wants to get back to NAMM and networking, because he wants hard data. If he believes guitar buyers are in the “bookend” years, he might be investigating how to snag the middle ground with amp sales, or perhaps he’s considering the possibility he might want to get into manufacturing whatever is selling there.

[@jornfox3545]

good morning Viet-NAMM !!!!!! Hope it goes well.

[@speedwayaudio3]

Fender with holds products from the mom-and-pop shops like the one I work at, to keep product for their web site. It takes weeks and sometimes months to get product from them. Seem they forgot who made them what they are today. Certainly not GC or SW. Shop local and put hands on your guitar before you spend your hard-earned money.

[@theshreddly]

Man, I've been *needing* to go to NAMM for years now. A couple of my endorsements have gave me the hookup on badges, I've just always been in a bad spot timing wise. 2025, that might finally be my chance! It is my literal dream to be on the Charvel artist roster, but also? Have my own signature star; 6 AND 7 string models, with multiple finishes etc. I need to go, plant my feet, and shake hands in person. Swimming through emails is tiring. I might be able this year, and be set up to play at one of my brands booths. No pressure, ugh! Lol 🤘🤘🤘

[@RocktCityTim]

One thing that I will relate about NAMM from an exhibitor's perspective - for the past 8 or so years, in both Anaheim and Nashville, we have witnessed more and more "end users" and fewer "merchants" coming through the exhibit halls. While it's great to "press the flesh" with customers, the purpose of the shows - to allow direct, person to person interface with resellers and distributors - has lessened and business deals are the exception rather than the rule for most exhibitors. When you weigh the cost of exhibiting against the potential return, it really is no surprise that many larger companies are bypassing the shows. The evolution of online, direct sales and very accessible web presences bring the shows' purposes into question. Why would I want to invest 10's to 100's of thousands of dollars into a tradeshow - with the associated staffing and travel expenses - when I can send a few guitars, amps, pedals, etc. out to KZbin influencers and get more directed messaging for a much lower investment. You are a perfect example - your channel has over 200K subscribers. While most of your videos average around 20K views, some hit that gold level - like the "Mythbusting Cheap Guitars" episode that hit over 300K views.

[@marlan3rd]

Interesting perspective , I think the big guitar companies have to change with the times to survive and preserve their brand recognition. We keep hearing how Gibson keeps having financial problems so it is possible that brand recognition may not be enough anymore especially since there have been some quality control issues.

[@snapfinger1]

NAMM w/o Fender & Gibson is like Daytona Bike Week w/o Harley or Honda or the Detroit Auto Show w/o Ford & Chevy.

[@timesurfingalien]

It doesn't seem to bother Gibson being known as the company that charges you 20x more for the same product

[@FrankBuyers...guitarista-iu3zg]

Because you can't afford Epiphones or Gibson or Fender 😅😅😂

[@user-qs7ph1uh5h]

Prada, Hermes’, Gucci and Louis Vuitton has no problem charging 2200.00 for a woman’s handbag worth 400.00, so why should Gibson?

[@idiotburns]

Its literally what every product strives for

[@timesurfingalien]

Spoken like fanbois

[@N7CAL]

Nice Handi Talkie in the background de N7CAL

[@GuitarMAXMusic]

Thanks! KN6VNE.

[@googleboy7]

Hi Max, I'm sorry, while I have always been a Fender guy, starting with my 1963 Fender Jaguar, things are changing. With the increasing advent of high quality, low price guitars (I bought ten of them in the last year Thanks to reviewers like you) the big name brands no longer have a strangle hold on the market. For example, I bought a $1,600 Martin SC 13e two years ago. I had a lot of problems with it. I sent it back to Martin. They didn't or couldn't fix some of the issues. They told me they only pay attention to the finer details on their "more expensive" guitars. HUH?!!! On the other hand per your review and those of others I bought a Firefly GT01-E for $149 during last year's Thanksgiving Day sale. It arrived flawless and IMHO, magnificent! I guess I'm feeling ripped off by the name brands. I wouldn't buy them again unless I were doing it for an investment. Shalom/gw

[@turquoiseturkey6710]

I think NAMM is amazing for seeing stuff from brands you either don't know or just don't care about and I personally couldn't care less about Fender, PRS, Music Man etc. But I'll still watch videos and read articles covering the NAMM show and see what new things those companies release and that's made me get interested in brands that I didn't really care for and if they don't go to NAMM then people like me won't see much of their stuff

[@xxxxx7876]

Hey Max, if you know the higher up’s at Nam, you should tell them to let the vendors sell product to the public. If I go to Nam and see something I like, I might want to buy it right there on the spot or place an order. Who wants to go to a show and not be able to buy something.

[@kmetal83]

Cool shirt

[@audiophileman7047]

That's very interesting, good news. When Andy Mooney at Fender said that it would be good for the industry as a whole, he was most likely talking about the show promoting innovation and better products for guitarists. Influencers like the legendary Guitar MAX will go to the show and post videos they make from the show, so the guitar companies get free promotion and advertising. Trade shows have been popular for so long for all kinds of products, I can't see them going away anytime soon in a good economy. I'm not too sure that super budget guitar makers will be interested in this, especially if they get a booth next to a company like PRS. It would be very cool to see the affiliates like the company that makes PRS's SE guitars at NAMM. 🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸

[@cthanks8203]

We need to see more shows for the individual player not dealers

[@cbbohn8107]

Impressive hairpiece

[@bradrehn1007]

Just curious, does Harley Benton, AIO, Eart, Donner... and the plethora of companies in that general price range attend NAMM?

[@GuitarMAXMusic]

Some do, but without having a booth. Harley Benton was like that this year. They had people there taking meetings but no both. Donner had a booth. AIO wasn't there. So, some yes, some no.

[@davidp7833]

Skateboard projects rock

[@russellzauner]

Summer NAMM is still happening, they just rebranded it to NAMM NeXT - it's still about industry but they're shark tanking it a bit. Literally :-) This month, Nashville, honestly it seems refocused almost right at influencers and industry parts that get a little less attention at the annual main show, strategy, business, etc. not just *stuff* or 95% the same stuff with new paint. I am very curious to see who attends, from what organizations, and what they're bringing to demo or push.

[@TheDrunkenScoundrel]

Re: Responding to feedback The Guitar Geek's latest Squier review seems to indicate that they may be actually listening the way some of the upstart brands have been.

[@VolReed]

The fender vintage trem is a man’s trem.

[@cosmicbackwoods]

I didn't hear anything you said after "skateboard project"

[@shannnism]

Man I went to the NAMM dude. I seen some things I cant unsee bro

[@user-cf5tk6gw3v]

Artiphon orba 2 synthesizer

[@8MinuteAxe]

CPR certified trumpet player John Mlynczak. 🤣😂 Congrats on crossing 200k. Are you gonna be in Nashville for the NammNEXT show? Shoot me an email when you have some time. -Mark

[@the.communist]

How does he keep all those guitars dust free?

[@boxfan6656]

skateboarding while taking a movie-selfie, drinking big bottle of Ocean Spray, jamming to Dreams by Fleetwood?

[@papablue3015]

What? Does this mean you're not making a skateboard guitar😂? Thanks 🤘 😊

[@pyratoothNL]

Could it be that the trend for major outlets distributing goods as well as one-shop online sales has had it's race to the bottom and people are now starting to go direct to source, like the old "cottage industry" model? With the online market being saturated in cheap stuff from mass-market suppliers, if you really know what you're looking for and want a quality product, it's better to go direct. I'm trusting Amazon and it's Chinese peers less and less these days.

[@4stringz.]

they’ll have to change the name to INAMM

[@watcherzero000]

I will never stop going to stores to buy gear cause I am done with getting items shipped to me that got damaged in the shipping process. Something is gonna have to be done about these shipping companies damaging peoples property. Plus the rise of theft off of peoples doorsteps. So I am gonna continue to buy from sellers face to face.

[@keithsmith9889]

Global nam would be awesome

[@greyguy69]

I have a jackson monarc pro. Best guitar under a $1000.00. Guaranteed.

[@rb343]

Whats the big secret? Wonder why the video isnt being released.

[@GuitarMAXMusic]

I don't no. It seems weird to not release it. There wasn't anything sensitive in there imo.

[@mikeg6666]

The only reason Fender misses not going is cause the little guys are kicking their asses , so many more options for a third of the price as Fender and Gibson....

[@dougreed9843]

The computer and electronics field. Changed in similar fashion this is due to China doing manufacturing ramping up

[@1Dude2009]

Fender has to decide if it wants to just sell direct or to sell through retailers. Not sure why a retailer, unless highly specialized, would rep Fender.

[@davidmahoherrezuelo]

Harley Benton hohoho 🎉

[@stanesposito2664]

Dang, I thought Fender decided to lower their prices.

[@mikeg6666]

Keep dreaming 😅✌️

[@vincesforza9479]

It mite matter , but I like to see a guitar built with quality and craftmenship at a reasonable price for working musician who see their instruments as a tool and an extension of them selfs not as a collector piece. Or custom shop bull s . T😢hey no it takes a lot of work for working musicians and these prices are over the top. When you see these company from Japan south Korea and China, Indonesia making guitars the way they are for a fraction of the price what's that tell ya . Just my thoughts. I like to see the manufacturing come back here with the same intensity and quality at a reasonable price that would benefit everybody here in or country. Why let them out shine us when we do it the best when we put or shoulder to the grin and give a major women a sense of pride because the are working and taking care of their bissness without worry about a hand out

[@thesnowghost1]

This is pretty big news

[@jeffmansfield914]

During Covid, online sales skyrocketed, and Fender basically told their dealers, “Y’all can suck eggs, because we’ll just sell online through our own website!”. But, now that people aren’t just home all day with nothing to do, receiving big stimulus checks from the govt, and inflation is up, sales are tanking. Fender is going into panic mode and saying, “Heyyyy dealers… we’re coming back to NAMM because we just miss you guys so much 😘😘😘”. 🙄

[@michaelm9211]

Fender is awesome

[@tortillaman2491]

A while back Josh H. Scott posted a negative video about how hard it was to do business with vendors at NAMM because of how loud it was there from people playing instruments or people banging on shit.

[@Joe-mz6dc]

Many vendors have said the same thing. The NAAM organizers have staff running around telling people to turn it down all the time.

[@tortillaman2491]

@@Joe-mz6dc NAMM is irrelevant to the everyday consumer, at least I think so. Does anybody, like you or me, care about what new product is coming out? I usually just wait for the "New from Sweetwater" e-mails to come. Then when I see the price, it's like, "naw, not interested."

[@iamanovercomer3253]

I'm a Fender guy and fender got too corporate....G&L FULLERTON ASAT CLASSIC is beyond Fender professional 2 telecaster.. G&L is better built than fender and it's on steroids ‼️👍

[@Lordbaccus]

Honestly could care LESS! it's always 1953 retreads in a NEW color w/ Signature Artist BLABLA = BORINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

[@Rolli6669]

If Fender is there Gibson has to show up. It's the old 'rivalry'. Guitar nerds WILL notice if they don't and it will be considered a big thing.

[@cthanks8203]

I think fender is leaning more tiward dealers thsn players....its more about the money than the art

[@richardosuna2932]

Trade shows are coming back after the pandemic in every industry. Of course the internet is critical for marketing. But don't under estimate the power of word of mouth, especially from people who work in the industry.

[@EyesOpen369]

Why pay 1500 for a legit telecaster, when they have great cheaper versions.. or buy cheap one with good bones and do some upgrades for it.

[@stopUkrainewar666]

Damn i thought fender were going to correct their prices 😂 or suethe whole world !!! THIS STRATO JAZZ RECIPE IS MINE

[@MENSANurse]

I guess they gotta go back to NAMM now to attract buyers with Sam Ash gone

[@sodapopkidd]

I dont need Fender. I can just get a Firefly.

[@Voxguitarsrock]

" Namm authentic "! Gibson, probably,,

[@tinkutahalutinkutahalu2154]

Los recomiendo mucho para posicionar videos de Musica con me Gustas y Comentarios de gente real Gracias INFLUENCER PANEL.

[@sgt.grinch3299]

Fender and Gibson are just too expensive for most players. All their subsidiaries are now starting to charge over 1k for basic guitars. Youngsters are being forced to use off name instruments. Epiphone and Squire are becoming too expensive.

[@JTB--]

It's interesting how Fender and Gibson feel so confortable coasting when companies like PRS are doing the Fender/Gibson thing better.

[@fuzzcous]

I'm not going if Fenders going to be there. Not this time.

[@wayneblueheart2346]

so i have my share of guitars , NAMM is good for people willing to splurge the big bucks if you will , yes there are some less expensive guitar brands , i prefer my PRS'S i have three fenders and more than a room full of your off the wall brands , NAMM is just a name for big buyers nothing more in my book .

[@JonnyDank888]

I asked my friend to listen to me play without looking at what I was playing, one a 439$ guitar, the other a 3499$ guitar He liked the cheap priced guitar best So tell me why does the Gibson costs so much, oh yeah because it says Gibson .. period

[@onsesejoo2605]

One can also wonder why Fender has survived so long without any major new ideas, such as 7 or 8 string guitars, fanned fret guitars and so on. But then, purists would howl to high heavens should they do something like that...which Japanese already have done and most likely will do better than Fender ever could.

[@the.communist]

Fenders n gibson dont need namm

[@rcjoe406]

Skateboard project lol

[@jetmelt]

It’s much more exciting to see what the little guys are up to. I’ll never buy another fender. And I’m not looking for a Gibson either. They are out of their minds with no new ideas except overpriced copies of old guitars and unattainable one offs

[@canyonproductions7683]

Fender probably just wants to BUY them all 😂. Then ruin the fretwork of course

[@dibyanshuenglishanmathteac8412]

Muchas gracias, mi canal de Artista de Musica está creciendo gracias a influencer Panel Con el pack de visualización que compre.

[@user-gg5me2sj1b]

I bedt they do something new. Nope the same shakey trem. Same single wrap piv-up. Same shit head,ahh put a screw to hold 2 strings. A few years ago, if you want a good American model,you'll have to get a Squire. Hope they sell, like dinet sets in China.

[@sgt.grinch3299]

Gibson will remain the Dentist and Physician brand of choice.

[@StoneXue]

I think Gibson just might consider it a badge of honor to not associate with the "riff raff" at NAMM

[@GuitarMAXMusic]

Good point!

[@breadnaut3087]

NAMM is the dumbest concept possible. Lets put a bunch of musicians and instruments in a warehouse and see what happens.. 😆

[@Joe-mz6dc]

Technically that's not even its purpose. It's supposed to be for the manufacturers and the retailers. It's gotten out of hand with "average folks" going there and making a lot of noise.

[@fallenstard]

...the floop cares?

[@timedwards5600]

Once baby boomers are gone Fender may fade away

[@7171jay]

@timed Doubtful that Fender or Gibson will be disappearing. The names on the products are just to iconic. It's not just about people born between 1945 and 1964. Not all young players are shredders, many recognize the history of the electric guitar and are interested in those brand names. I know fatalism is trending lately but it's not reality.

[@cthanks8203]

Fenders quality has declined through the past years

[@user-qn1tw4nk1e]

Oh look the liar is back

[@obbor4]

Who would that be?

[@mettaton5348]

Holy heck the Fanatic is back lol 😂

[@doctoribanez]

Get help

[@shanewalton8888]

Gibson will do what they always do: sell overpriced crap to gullible rockstar-wannabe lawyers.

[@tymanngruter1808]

Fender is half past dead coming years IMHO!

[@didamnesia3575]

Their products are great, so great they don't even need to join the party... or be civil. Oh wait, that's Gibson!

[@bhollyfanhardin9627]

people down below are saying these cheap guitars are kicking Fenders butt in sales........that may be true but they are not kicking their butts in quality..........i bought 5 firefly guitars because Max said they were/are so great and all 5 were terrible.......not even the same build quality of the cheaper Squier/epipohone guitars.........i bought the FF338 on Max'e recommendation and it was one of the worst new guitars i have ever bought..........and i also bought one of the firefly aerosonics because of max and that guitar was also a big disappointment.....and these two guitars weren't real cheap either at over $200 each........i could have bought used guitars from the major manufactures for maybe a little more and got a vastly better guitar..........the only budget guitar i still have and love and it is my favorite i have had it for about 4 years now.....is my Grote big fully hollow loose copy of a Gibson l5 or es-s that they made for a very short time......this guitar was $320 when i bought mine and is a ridiculously well made guitar......i have upgraded everything on it but out of the box it was a great guitar..........hasn't failed on me in 4 years...........

[@superblondeDotOrg]

I don't want Fender back at NAMM. I don't want Fender wasting more money on marketing. I want Fender to invest in R&D, such as inventing new innovative headless guitars.

[@GuitarMAXMusic]

Good point!