Changes in the Industry

This morning (Tuesday, September 2, 2025) I was doing my usual morning Youtube viewing, and I clicked on one of the music oriented channels that I follow/subscribe to, Rhett Shull. It was a vid he posted a few months back, a review and a comparison of the Fender Player II Mod and the Fender Ultra Stratocasters.

For the record, the Fender "Player" series are made in their plant in Mexico, and the Ultra series (as well as the American Professional series) are made in the Corona California plant.

Th verdict is that the uplifted hardware specs on the Player II mod really make it a toss up quality and sound wise against the Ultra that costs more than twice as much (Ultra series Strat retails for about $2,200, and the Player II mod Strat can be had for a buck less than a grand ($999 is the MSRP).

His comparison is sound, and solid, but at the end of his video, he mentions that this is a brand strategy and how the vast gulf of income income inequality is driving younger players to buy lower cost instruments. And that marketing and branding are things that young people latch on to (this is very true), so having lower cost offers that are "good" is important.

While I don't disagree with that, I am sure that there are other factors. Remember that Fender (and Gibson) have their "fighting brand" the "Squier by Fender", and with a little setup, they can be solid performers (for less than $300!).

No, I think it is the quality of guitars that are coming out of the manufacturers in Indonesia. If you get your hands on one of these instruments from Harley Benton (the house brand of Thomann Music in Germany) you get an exceptionally built and finished guitar that punches way above its weight.

And Fender knows that if they put their Squire series, or even the cheaper Mexican made instruments against it, the quality might be OK, but as a consumer you get far more bang out of your buck with one of those made in Indonesial brands.

The Cort company is a huge operation in Indonesia, and in the 1980's they turned out mediocrity. That is not so today. They build the lower cost versions for most ot the major makers (including PRS, Washburn, and Ernie Ball among many others) that are outstanding values.

The Harley Benton guitars, of which I have 3 on my wall, are all outstanding values.

Do they play as nice as my Music Man Sabre that cost me $2,700? No, but they aren't 1/6th as nice.

Anyhow, here's that video. It has some ovely playing by Rhett, and his usual nice story telling woven through:

One more example

Yesterday, I made a trek to a phenomenal music store. Gryphon Stringed Instruments, and they have a room with the Martin guitars made at their Mexican facilities.

I have to say that every one I picked up was amazing in how it felt and how it played. A guitar that if it was made in the Nazareth Pennsylvania plant would be at least a thousand dollars more expensive, was of equal fit and quality. (the Mexican made guitars were all matte finished) And they all had electronics built in, including a pretty decent tuner.

I have, on my wall, a 000jr that was made in Mexico, and it is a damned fine player. The only thing I might change on it are the tuners on the headstock, but that is a personal preference, not a deficiency. All for $750.

It is fantastic that today's player has so many options of quality instruments at a fair price.