Eric Johnson Strat

[allclaphands]

Eric Johnson is best known for playing STOCK Fender Stratocasters.So my question is why is his Fender guitar series
so expensive?.As previously said Eric Johnson is best known for playing STOCK Fender guitars he then goes to Fenders
and as special/custom guitars built and marketed in his name.It's just a great sales ploy for guitars if you took the persons
name of any guitar and just called it a custom or special guitar would it have less appeal or cost less but just sound the same
I can understand a custom guitar maker having his name put on a guitar as recognition of his skill and talent in building a guitar
to a certain specification and charging a certain premium for it but to have a guitar built as normal as be it with more selective
components and then putting a guitar players name on it and the difference in price. (I think I had better put on my hard hat for this one)


Pete


PS: This is NOT a pop at Eric Johnson who is a very talented guitar player.

[nessmonst]

So Fender are producing a product and badging it to infer that its superior to their 'standard product' for the sole purpose of charging a premium for it?
Why is this different to assembling a 'partscaster' and sticking a Fender decal on it to infer that it is a superior product?
If an Eric Johnston decal was added to a standard strat by its owner would that not be considered by Fender as an attempt to defraud?
OK for them to do it but nobody else??
Jobs for the boys-- profits to be protected--marketing men and lawyers to be paid??
Corporate criminality??--Do they do it because they can get away with it??
Hard hat in place!!

Regards to all
David

[KK1736]

Hi Pete,

I have an Eric Johnson strat and it's not standard/stock. It was built to his exacting standards of tonality. Pickups are different, no string tree, staggered tuners, 12" radius neck with a lovely profile etc, etc. He even insisted on the type of screws to be used for the single ply scratchplate...all in the name of tonality. I have to say I love the sound of my Eric Johnson but more than that I love how it feels in my hands/ when I'm playing it. I personally think a lot of thought and customisation went into the EJ strat compared to some other signature series strats. I suppose you could pick any of the others which might have non-standard pickups and as long as it's the colour associated with a certain guitarist then thats all you get.

In EJ's defence I have to say his signature model is something I would describe as a 'custom' job. Whether the use of specific screws in the scratchplate makes any difference to the tone (I doubt it) at least he is sticking to his principles and trying to give us something he thinks will be tonally superior to other signature models. I think it is, but maybe that's because I spent all that money on the guitar I bought it because it felt and sounded great when I tried it in the shop, I just knew I had to get it.

No need for the hard hat Pete

Regards

Kevin

[meladdison]

Jul 7, 2014 9:44:32 GMT nessmonst said:

So Fender are producing a product and badging it to infer that its superior to their 'standard product' for the sole purpose of charging a premium for it?
Why is this different to assembling a 'partscaster' and sticking a Fender decal on it to infer that it is a superior product?
If an Eric Johnston decal was added to a standard strat by its owner would that not be considered by Fender as an attempt to defraud?
OK for them to do it but nobody else??
Jobs for the boys-- profits to be protected--marketing men and lawyers to be paid??
Corporate criminality??--Do they do it because they can get away with it??
Hard hat in place!!

Regards to all
David

Hi David, Yes, well they do have so many varieties on the market that they must wonder at times what else to do
to keep a fresh face on things, particularly when so many of the products are hanging up in stores still waiting to be sold - I think you answered your own question - its all about Marketing - pretending perhaps that it is different
and so creating an interest.

You are absolutely right but all this comes under the banner of sales.

Regards, Mel

[shadowkarl]

HI all

right so, it is a lot of Marketing! like in wine tasting i always wonder, if you could hear the difference in tone at a blind test. (Even if it is a competition between Master builds)
That still has nothing to do with the Overall judgment of built Quality touch and feel...

But as KK 1736 mentioned the justification may come, because of all the Money spent. (Still a fan of Alan Brason guitars, but not owning one right now.)

Regards
shadowkarl