Fender just laid off a whole bunch of people.

[Emergence]

We may be looking at the beginnings of a paradigm shift such as exists in the amp world. Amplifiers are built on boards or hand wired. Sometimes a cabinet has hand work involved. Sometimes, it's just a stamped case. Guitars will increasingly become artisan built or manufactured. The country of origin matters much less with an artisan built guitar. The difference between an artisan and a factory worker knows no national border. For manufactured guitars, the country of origin will indicate the shortcuts that can be expected to have been taken. As with amps, there may or may not be much hand work involved in manufactured products and at certain price points it may become immaterial. As with amplifiers, the price of artisan built guitars will rise dramatically.

 

[Emergence]

I was offered an early retirement package, made redundant as you Brits call it....

I was fast closing on 71 when I retired. My employer couldn't make it worth it for me to stay and truth be told, I'd accomplished everything I'd set out to do and more. The reason for keeping me while others were being shown the door was that specialized skills and knowledge are hard to come by. My post #21 speaks to a paradigm shift in the musical instrument industry. In the field I worked in, my skills and knowledge were such that the general manager I reported to had no idea what I did, only that it needed to be done. Companies at that level of technology survive because there's always someone smart coming along who can make a contribution nobody ever dreamed of. The paradigm shift in musical instrument manufacturing will be temporary. When the artisan's are gone, they'll be gone. What we'll have left will be manufactured products, cheap ones and good ones, but very few special instruments will still be made. There's just no next level of technology for a guitar.

 

[blueruins]

Without getting too far into politics, it may also seem that with the current vibe between the powers that be will lead to a lot more regional isolationism.
I expect the tariffs between nations to start to get really complicated and just like everything else increase exponentially. With nations in conflict shipping between them might not be so lucrative as it once was.
Add to that the ever-increasing price of every day goods and services in and the money that was going to Guitar’s from hobbyists is going to dry up quickly.
I’ve been preparing for this for a little while now and really trying to acquire some decent examples of of the configurations I think I’ll need for the next many years on the cheap.
I’d still like to have at least one nice Gibson just because I’ve never had a Les Paul. But that’s not really my jam so much so if it doesn’t happen I’m pretty solid with what I have now.
Just a few amps on my list and if I have to go into maintenance mode I’m hoping I can hold onto what I have.

 

[loudnlousy]

I was offered an early retirement package, made redundant as you Brits call it.
Considering my health was going downhill due to the demands of the job, I jumped on it.
Glad I did for multiple reasons aside from my health. The politically correctness of working at a uni was getting too oppressive, the powers that be were becoming more ridiculous by the day, and I was just done with it all. First year was rough, then government's social security kicked in. My job wasn't one that could move overseas---I was a stagehand/projectionist, basically a service industry. Working in the Ivory Tower was a thankless endeavor, and the 14-16 hour days had worn me down too far.

As it is now, I'm still catching up on sleep from while I was in the service 50 years ago. Soon, I'll start catching up on sleep from the months on end without a day off. The afternoon naps are worth it. I read, play music, and surf the web. Having the grandkids close is a blessing.
Everyday above the dirt is a good one.

I can hear you.
Our company is "decruiting" 10.000 people. That`s one third of it`s workpower.
Since I am old and very expensive I am one of the people on top of their list.

During the last couple of months they worked with me on an early-retirement-plan.
I put my sign on the contract yesterday.
Feel better now.

 

[juks]

I hope it’s not true . Has anyone verified this story. Some random youtoober , then an article on guitar.com that quotes the same youtoober and a few things on Glassdoor and LinkedIn . Not really what I would call reliable news. I can’t find anything anywhere else , not anywhere .

+1. Every story leads to the same youtube video.

I did see somebody on Fender board living close to the factory stating that there was a FB community post about a Fender employee stating they got laid off and were looking for work. But that happened couple weeks before the video came up.

But that could be correct as I believe you need to give 2 week notice in CA.

 

[wabash slim]

+1. Every story leads to the same youtube video.

I did see somebody on Fender board living close to the factory stating that there was a FB community post about a Fender employee stating they got laid off and were looking for work. But that happened couple weeks before the video came up.

But that could be correct as I believe you need to give 2 week notice in CA.

I hope they give you a two week notice when they fire you.
We're all just cogs in the machine.

 

[Back in Black]

Ooooof, Fender just laid off 300 people today from the Corona, Ca facility. yikes. They were "redundant".

Fender reportedly lays off hundreds of California employees

Fender has reportedly made over 300 employees at its California operation redundant, with the layoffs including everyone from production line workers to senior management positions.

guitar.com

Hypo,

No surprise there.

Just watch the news for an hour. There are more ''underlying'' reasons why, than you can shake a stick at. Right now, guitars do not even register on the scale of ''what's important''

I just cancelled my ''already paid for hold'' on the next incoming batch of Rickenbacker 4003 AC Limited Edition Signature basses, which by the way have just arrived in stock.

My only reason for wanting one of these, was future value speculation. I'm 73 now, if they do climb in collector value, it will likely take 20 years, I'll be 93. The investment dividend can be used to buy me a better casket.

Sometimes, and for all the right reasons, you just have to say...NO! Especially when it's of little to no importance.

A career in the manufacture of guitars...not even if monkeys were flying out my butt. Being a city worker, collecting garbage is far more secure, unionized, and far better paying!

BIB.

 

[juks]

I hope they give you a two week notice when they fire you.
We're all just cogs in the machine.

I dont work for fender .

But you are correct. Employees have unfortunately become like electricity or water. You can just turn them on and off at will.

 

[wabash slim]

I dont work for fender .

But you are correct. Employees have unfortunately become like electricity or water. You can just turn them on and off at will.

...and demand blind loyalty of you.

 

[thunder58]

I hate to hear anyone out of work , breaks my heart

I was an electrician about 30-35 yrs ago . No work in the area and nobody hiring anywhere . Lost it all ... money , home , family . I was on the verge of being homeless .
Landed 2 good jobs and never looked back . Retirement is about 3-4 yrs away

 

[Duo Slinger]

...and demand blind loyalty of you.

"Nobody wants to work!"
Lay me off and I'll probably not want to come back.

Or working the counter at Burger Doodle. People working for minimum wage are getting shot for handing out fries that aren't hot enough, or not enough sauce packets.
What's this world coming to? What's wrong with some people?

Haha yep... wageslave here, can confirm. I got me a minimum wage job to start saving over the summer, and there were "We're Hiring!" signs everywhere. I applied to three places that stated "please be patient, we are understaffed" in addition to "We're Hiring". Only one of them got back to me... So that's a thing, I guess. Minimum wage workers aren't treated great, by customers or by management. You kinda just do your stuff, grimace about it with your coworkers, then go home. Management then wonders why morale is low.

 

[Viking Power]

I hate to hear anyone out of work , breaks my heart

I was an electrician about 30-35 yrs ago . No work in the area and nobly hiring anywhere . Lost it all ... money , home , family . I was on the verge of being homeless .
Landed 2 good jobs and never looked back . Retirement is about 3-4 yrs away

I gave you a like for how the story ended. Glad you made it through and things got better!

 

[thunder58]

I gave you a like for how the story ended. Glad you made it through and things got better!

Thank you friend . 2 jobs ( at the same time for 30 years , f/t & p/t ) wasn't easy . I can vividly remember the day I mailed out 75 resume's only to receive 2 thanks but no thanks responses . When the ex left me , she left me a love seat , coffee pot and the T.V. She also wanted everything she was " entitled " to $$$
But that was then and this is now . And I'm a lot better for it .
Thanks again

 

[G5422T]

Haha yep... wageslave here, can confirm. I got me a minimum wage job to start saving over the summer, and there were "We're Hiring!" signs everywhere. I applied to three places that stated "please be patient, we are understaffed" in addition to "We're Hiring". Only one of them got back to me... So that's a thing, I guess. Minimum wage workers aren't treated great, by customers or by management. You kinda just do your stuff, grimace about it with your coworkers, then go home. Management then wonders why morale is low.

What's morale.

Hard to find in a lot of work environments.

 

[General_Lee]

Hell in a Fender handbasket...

 

[drmilktruck]

What's morale.

 

[Desirsar]

I work in accounting for student loans, I may have one of the only recession proof jobs. They've definitely been laying off people on the federal loan side, no work when the payments are continually suspended, but I wonder what they're going to do with the smaller staff and payments ramp back up. Not my circus, as it were.

Still pays for me to save up, maybe I'll have to pick up something other than a Gretsch this time... but I've been eyeing some Solar stuff, and I doubt they're having any massive sales. I suppose it's possible that a glut in the market in general might push prices down a bit for a while for everything.

 

[Runamok]

I dont work for fender .

But you are correct. Employees have unfortunately become like electricity or water. You can just turn them on and off at will.

This is not a new phenomenon. Maybe in the guitar industry.
Is Fender buying back stock?

Hmm. must find my comment about the end of the guitar boom from this spring.

 

[twangmanster]

Something ain't right. A supposed boom, ka-boom of jobs in July, but all I hear and read about are layoffs, early retirements and no hiring and even warehouses so jam packed they have to expand for more inventory coming in. Somethings not right.

 

[sgarnett]

I dont work for fender .

But you are correct. Employees have unfortunately become like electricity or water. You can just turn them on and off at will.

Well … there are MANY executives that believe that, but then wonder why it’s so difficult to recruit when they want to turn the tap back on after big layoffs.