I had the exact same thought. Sire can’t make basses fast enough to meet demand due to their great quality. And because Sire offers premium quality at player prices, that double-whammy can only put a shit-ton of heat on the behemoth competitors in the market. The result is that those competitors are feeling Sire eating up more of the market with every passing day.
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After watching Andertons video on the Standard guitar lineup it seems like these are Classic Vibe quality but cost more because of Fender on the headstock
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Right; but it also puts a cap on how much they can raise prices for the Squier line, it seems to me.
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I’m thinking Squier Anniversary edition quality.
And that it puts downward pressure on the Player series. What were the best selling basses in 2024? Player series Jazz and P, by a lot.
All in all good for the consumer
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MII will likely be higher quality than MIM, yeah. At least based on the many MII instruments I have owned.
MII Squiers are made in Cort’s factory, so think higher end Cort quality Fenders here. Very likely better than MIM Players.
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Or maybe because the standard comes in at $599, they just keep the player at $799.
I don’t see the incentive for Fender to lower the price on the player series? They’re using different wood for the body, pickups etc.
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I see the possibility of the Standard chipping away at Player sales.
The Player is like $699, the Player II is like $799, and the Standard is $599.
Too many options in the price range perhaps? I don’t see them lowering prices but maybe dropping the Player and going with the Standard and Player II
Sure, but when you said ‘downward pressure and good for the consumer’ I assumed (incorrectly) that you thought it would bring down the price of a Mexican Fender.
The only reason I think they’re making an Indonesian Fender is that Sire have been eating their lunch for a while.
The whole working man’s guitar thing is marketing hooey IMHO.
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I think options are good for the consumer. And I like the idea of a ceramic pickup on a P like the Standard, and look forward to what it sounds like.
I think it has already brought down the price; Players were in the $800 ish range last year
I think Sire has made Fender improve on quality; even the quality control on Squier has gone up, and Mexico does some good work these days too.
But I think the “Sire has been eating lunch” doesn’t follow the numbers. Of the top 18 selling basses in 2024, 14 are a Fender/Squier/Jackson, and none are Sire. But if Sire can ever ramp up production, they certainly would. And I think Fender is hearing Marcus’s footsteps.
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I’m kind of surprised / impressed by the QC on my new Squier tbh. I’ve read some horror stories about their CV bass VI’s so I was prepared for some issues out of the box but there’s nothing that really has to be addressed right now. The frets aren’t as finished as I’d prefer but it’s perfectly playable. The strings suck but that’s not a quality thing (they decided to put 84’s on for the low E). Down the road I may look at replacing the trem altogether with a hard tail, maybe replace that floating bridge but those are QoL things.
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I was referring to overall build/materials quality and increasing global market acceptance of Sire, not trying to compare their overall units sold or sales revenue to that of Fender. That would be ridiculous.
Sire has one factory. Fender (and most of the big usual mass-manufacturers) has a slew of factories operating simulataneously all over the world. Plus, Fender’s legacy brand recognition is well-ingrained with the the general public: Just as many people (in America, at least) commonly call tissues “Kleenex,” many of the general public commonly think of a bass as a “Fender” (Note: I’m not referring to players here).
I agree with that. But the gap is closing. I look forward to what Sire has next. I think the Z3 is exciting. If only it were a short scale. But that’s a personal thing
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although i have a couple of peterson tuners, i have to honestly say this is still my fave tuner. and this is a crazy good price if anybody needs one.
https://reverb.com/item/49518420-tc-electronic-polytune-3-noir-mini-polyphonic-tuning-pedal
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If you’re shortsighted like me then the Korg Pitchblack X might be for you.
Regular sized pedal, huge display, fast tune, not expensive.
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That is the one I bought in the January sale. It does what it needs to do well, so I am happy.
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Brought my 4th bass home last night from another trade. After the wife gave me the, “oh another bass” face I replied with:
“Well now that I’m actually a bassist it’s good for me to get my hands on all kinds of basses to figure out what I like the best”
Said with a totally straight face 
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The one that got away… Jackson X Spectre IV
Well, I actually cancelled the order, broke my heart to do it, but I need to get some stuff paid off, so had to put my sensible hat on.
We may be moving later this year, so it can wait until after that, rather than pay import tax on one I buy here.
It will be mine, oh yes, it will be mine! 
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This is a line I plan on using.
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It came out so naturally.
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I like the old tried and true “a kid at school gave it to me”! It worked 50 years ago with my parents, so why not with the wife?
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