OpenTube

I Love Rick Beato, But His Hot Take On Fenders is Pure BS

Totally Wired Guitars

15,445 views

Rick Beato finally weighed in on Fender vs World debacle and, boy, did he roast them. Deserved.

While there are definitely some points of his that I agree with, there are also some claims that I think are way overblown and mega exaggerated. See: FENDER = TRASH / PRS = PERFECT

As a guitar tech who spends 99.9% of his time working on both old and new Fender and Squier guitars here in New York City, I wanted to offer a differing perspective and explain why a lot of the negative experiences people have with these and really, guitars in general... aren't always as simple as "this company has bad quality control."

As the saying goes..."There's always something."

But Certainly Not just with Fender.

Let's talk about it.

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Featured in this video (Affiliate Links):

Fender Vintera III Mid 60s Jazzmaster Electric Guitar: https://www.zzounds.com/a--3994077/si...

FOALS FJM7 Ultra (5% Off Discount): https://foalsguitar.com/discount/TOTA...

PRS SE Silver Sky Electric Guitar, Maple: https://www.zzounds.com/a--3994077/si...

PRS SE Silver Sky Electric Guitar, Rosewood: https://www.zzounds.com/a--3994077/si...

PRS Paul Reed Smith John Mayer Silver Sky Electric Guitar, Rosewood Fretboard: https://www.zzounds.com/a--3994077/si...

Fender '65 Princeton Reverb Amp: https://www.zzounds.com/a--3994077/si...

Universal Audio OX Amp-Top Box: https://www.zzounds.com/a--3994077/si...

Check out the rest of my favorite & recommended gear:
https://www.zzounds.com/share--totall...

Want to support the channel? Rep your favorite offset!
👕 Totally Wired Guitars Offset Tees:
https://totallywiredguitars.etsy.com

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Have a question about offset guitars or need a setup, mod or custom build? Email me: totallywiredguitars@gmail.com

20 Comments

@totallywiredguitars Creator 4 months ago Pinned

I agree with Rick on more than a few points.

That said, I think it's very easy to pile on Fender right now and Rick made some pretty sweeping statements about Fender guitars (without clarifying what exactly was wrong, aside from his particular Am Std Strat neck being "trash") - and I thought this conversation needs a bit more context to lay out all the reasons why even great guitars, PRS included, shipped with great QC and a great setup, may not feel all that great by the time someone buys and pulls it out of the box.

Curious to hear your experiences.

Have you ever had a guitar that felt amazing out of the box and then six months later played like garbage? Or of course, the opposite, where you knew you weren't just polishing a turd, and the work that either you or your tech did, made an otherwise "trash" guitar feel incredible?

@ELIYAMOHHMED 4 months ago

My friend bought a fender guitar, wanted it American to support American made product and locally owned music stire. Paid 1,700 for a standard American stratocaster , brought over for me to check it out . Needed a setup , rough frets , high action and sharp fret ends.

@belmontbutty4143 4 months ago (edited)

Hi Eddie, all fair points on the QC at Fender. Out of interest, what was your take on the bound neck Sherwood Green Jag you bought, and do you think that 40-41mm nut width is a deal breaker? Is it better than the Vintera III equivalent? All the best. Ps, I like the T shirt.

@davidsmith3907 4 months ago

Similar journey with setups.My first fender was a Japanese jag in 1994. After paying 100 pounds for a set up I didn’t have I started learning how to adjust guitars myself.Every guitar needs adjustments to how you like it from the box. My problem with Fender is that I think they have too many variants and models.Choice paralysis and lost identity.

@stephenatgraceland 4 months ago

I only buy guitars from stores/chains that include a subsequent free setup (and allow returns.) Fortunately, my main store does.
It does not reflect well on the guitar manufacturing industry, however, if most new guitars are sold in a compromised or unusable condition. Most products people spend their hard earned money on are purchased with the expectation that they are ready for use.

@terrymcguniess7582 4 months ago

hey everyone quick tip for those wanting a MIJ jaguar or JazzMaster fender in the US is selling the MIJ 2025 line up for around 1,700

@TheFreeman4955 4 months ago

I’ve got an American Vintage II 61 Strat I’ve tried to get set up twice. I got it used so no warranty. Still frets out. The B string sounds funky also. The last luthier is a 5 star rated guitar repair shop that many musicians use. They kept it for a month. He didn’t even charge me because he wasn’t happy with it. For an expensive guitar I hardly play it’s very disappointing. I’ve thought of swapping that beautiful rosewood slab neck for an aftermarket. Totally kills the vibe!

@Mr.Monster1313 4 months ago

I bought a new fender pbass MIM in 1990ish ..ive never set it up..still plays good ..im still playing it today.

@dannijr2 3 months ago

Superb review. I love my Fender Vintera II Jazzmaster. Arrived perfect and still is two years after. The only thing is I needed to shim the neck, plus change the bridge to a Mustang one. Now it's totally perfect. I love it. Also I think if you want a really really good guitar you have to pay some extra money. My Fender Stratocaster '56 Custom Shop is incredible. Love it! 🎉❤

@Fourrings80 4 months ago

I got a pre owned pro ii strat for $1200. Amazing guitar for the price. Some fantastic deals to be had on people dumping their Fenders.

@AELvid 4 months ago

I agree. Setting up the guitar is your personal choice and i find it fun to do. My fender neck is great, plays great and sounds amazing. I have a MIM

@edgarbarajas4575 4 months ago

Bought a used 2018 MIM fender tele and it's been perfect for years. The new Squires have tons of great options and at competitive price points. My cousin has a new Squire P Bass that plays amazing. I set up my own tele and my cousin got his set up by a pro. Obviously our instruments needed set ups. So does every other instrument from any other company. Take care of your instrument and it will take care of you. But yeah Fender's lawsuit is stupid and I hope they get their act together on that front, I want to feel good about giving them my business again.

@Exploit_the_VIBE 4 months ago (edited)

I just bought a player 2 strat. The neck is the right shape but the E strings slip off the edge too much... the frets are not worth the price I paid for it. Oh and I've had to set up the neck and strings. I too have been playing since the 90s and working and modifying guitars since my first guitar and I've played some incredible guitars through the years. But the player standard strat should be better than what I got...

@ricardosilvestri94 4 months ago

Because I was lucky enough to work for a luthier back in the mid-'90s who was one of the original Fender Custom Shop guys decades earlier, I got to see and hear everyone's experience with Fender, G&L, Music Man, PRS, Gibson, Taylor, Guild, and every maker in between.
I've seen my old boss take a $120 guitar (in 1990s money) and make it play almost as well or better than a $2000 guitar.
As for my experience with Fender: In the early-'90s my brand new American Stratocaster with Lace Sensor pickups (those were a big deal at the time) still plays and sounds better than many other guitars to this day (yes, I swapped out the pickups eventually). The only Fenders that sound and played better to my taste are G&L (RIP), which is IMHO still a Fender!
But no matter what you get, a guitar is only as good as its setup.
Hearing Beato's rant, it's almost as though he forgot what a guitar is actually made out of!

@AjaxCrypto 4 months ago

I agree with Rick Beato, The current quality of Fender is not worth the price.

@PATCHAZ21 4 months ago

6:05 I’ve always looked at fender how people are now. But! Homie got a point, bikes, instruments, skate boards really anything with quality,.. takes a first set up.

@zeroman614 3 months ago

The setup issue is a dealer issue. Factory setups are meant to be right in the middle. If someone likes low action, every Fender would need a setup. Rick also plays with .008 strings on his Gibsons so the .010s on a medium action would be awful.

@dronesandothertones8902 4 months ago

I have purchased 3 fender necks in the past few years for parts builds and these necks play great.

@peterwilson8039 4 months ago (edited)

I recently bought a used Epiphone Les Paul with a slight twist in the neck. Because I paid next to nothing for it, I'm trying to deal with it. It's great for blues. But if I were a professional musician it would be going in the trash. I'm saying that to make the point that some things, you can't fix with a setup.

@TW2LV2 3 months ago

The only guitar I ever played at a guitar center that was very decently playable and ended up taking home was fender tele. Rick's 'stance' was very half baked and it felt like he didnt really give any thought into why he was saying those beyond wanting Fender to look bad. Honestly, not even needed cuz they already look bad after this move, so what was even the point Rick?? Cheers Rick