Why I no longer stock new Fender and Squier guitars

For years I gave Fender a fair shake .. because the story we all grew up on is part of why so many of us picked up a guitar in the first place .. But a few years back I drew a line .. and I have not ordered new Fender or Squier since .. Here is why ..

1 .. That UK price gouging case was the turning point

In January 2020 the UK Competition and Markets Authority fined Fender Europe about £4 point 5 million for resale price maintenance .. That is the practice of leaning on retailers to keep prices up online .. It is illegal in the UK because it kills competition and hurts customers .. I read the decision in full .. and it confirmed what so many small shops felt on the ground .. the playing field was tilted against us and our customers .. 

2 .. Big brand pressure on small shops

As a tiny specialist shop my goal is simple .. put the right guitar in the right hands and look after it for life .. That model is impossible if a brand expects me to carry warehouse levels of stock .. In my case I was told to hold roughly two dozen guitars plus a spread of amps just to hang the sign in the window .. That is not partnership .. that is a cash flow choke for an independent .. and it pushes shops to sell what the brand needs moved rather than what the player actually needs .. For context .. long running dealer discussions have talked about hefty minimums for the biggest legacy brands .. but the number above is my lived experience as a retailer .. not a rumour from the internet .. 

3 .. Quality control has slipped while prices have climbed

The romance of the headstock logo should never blind us to what arrives in the case .. Over the last few years I have rejected too many instruments for rough fretwork .. noisy pots .. sloppy nuts .. and finish flaws that should have been caught long before a guitar reached my bench .. There are glowing reviews out there .. and there are unhappy customers too .. which tells you the experience has become a lottery .. That is not good enough at today’s ticket prices ..

 

4 .. The current range feels like a mish mash leaning on 1950s ideas

 

I love vintage Fender .. The Stratocaster landed in 1954 and changed everything .. the Jazzmaster followed in 1958 .. Those were revolutionary moments .. But in 2025 the catalogue often reads like a dozen overlapping trims of the same mid century concepts with sticker tweaks and spec shuffles .. while other makers push real player focused improvements as standard .. roasted necks .. stainless frets .. locking trems that actually intonate .. In my shop I would rather champion the brands that innovate for working players today than sell the same idea again with a new colour name .. 

 

5 .. The brand is now stamped on everything .. including bargain bin accessories and ukuleles

 

Fender’s name used to mean you were buying something built to gig .. Now it is on piles of low cost accessories and super cheap ukuleles .. Many of those ukes are made in China and pitched on looks first .. That is fine for a toy .. but it is not the spirit I want in my shop .. where even a beginner instrument should be a musical tool that stays in tune and inspires practice .. 

 

6 .. And yes .. about that acoustic Tele idea

 

The Acoustasonic Telecaster promised to be both things at once .. In practice it sits awkwardly between worlds .. especially unplugged .. and it relies on electronics to cover the gaps .. Some players love the flexibility .. but many found the cost and compromises hard to swallow .. For my customers there are better ways to get great acoustic and electric tones without paying for a single guitar that does neither brilliantly .. 

 

 

 

What I do instead

 

I put time into brands that deliver consistent build quality .. practical features .. and honest value at each price point .. I set them up to my shop spec and stand behind every sale with proper aftercare .. That is what players actually need .. not a logo tax and a mandate to fill my walls with stock I did not choose ..

If you are a customer who wants advice without brand pressure .. come in and put a few alternatives in your hands .. I will show you instruments that are stable .. serviceable .. and gig ready right out of the case .. That is the promise I can keep ..

 

 

Notes and sources .. The CMA fine is a matter of public record and the links below go to the authority’s own case page and decision .. Product history dates come from Fender’s own articles .. Country of origin for the Venice ukulele comes from published spec sheets by multiple retailers .. The quality control and Acoustasonic sections reflect mixed public feedback plus my own bench experience as a retailer ..

Official / Legal / News Sources

 

1. GOV.UK: Guitars: anti-competitive practices 50565-3 (CMA case page)
   https://www.gov.uk/cma-cases/musical-instruments-and-equipment-suspected-anti-competitive-agreements-50565-3  
2. GOV.UK: Non-confidential CMA decision (PDF)
   https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5e79d8aed3bf7f52efedfcad/20200320_50565-3_-_DECISION.pdf  
3. GOV.UK: Case Study – £4.5 million fine for Fender illegally preventing online price discounts
   https://www.gov.uk/government/case-studies/45-million-fine-for-fender-for-illegally-preventing-online-price-discounts  
4. The Guardian: “Guitar maker Fender fined £4.5m for price fixing in UK”
   https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/jan/22/guitar-maker-fender-fined-45m-for-price-fixing-in-uk  
5. Billboard: “Fender Agrees to Pay Record Fine for U.K. Price Fixing”
   https://www.billboard.com/pro/fender-uk-price-fixing-fine-competition-markets-authority/  
6. Thomson Reuters / Practical Law summary: CMA fines Fender Europe for restricting discounting
   https://uk.practicallaw.thomsonreuters.com/w-023-7093?contextData=%28sc.Default%29&transitionType=Default  

Product / Review / Critique Sources

 

 

7. ThatGuitarLover: In-Depth Review — Fender Acoustasonic Telecaster
   https://www.thatguitarlover.com/blog/in-depth-review-the-fender-acoustasonic-telecaster  
8. AcousticGuitar: Gear Review of Fender American Acoustasonic Telecaster
   https://acousticguitar.com/gear-review-fender-american-acoustasonic-telecaster/  
9. MyFirstUkulele: Review of Fender Venice Soprano Ukulele
   https://myfirstukulele.com/fender-venice-soprano-ukulele-review/  
10. GOTA Ukulele: Fender Venice Soprano Ukulele Review
    https://www.gotaukulele.com/2018/10/fender-venice-soprano-ukulele-review.html  
11. MixdownMag: Review of Fender Finneas Acoustasonic Player Telecaster
    https://mixdownmag.com.au/reviews/review-fender-finneas-acoustasonic-player-telecaster/  
12. Reddit thread: user experience & complaints re Acoustasonic
    https://www.reddit.com/r/guitars/comments/182cfip/any_experience_with_the_player_tele_acoustasonic/