The New York Times recently profiled Fender and its struggles amid the economic downturn and its failed IPO attempt earlier this year. It’s an interesting read and sheds some light on how hard the economic downturn has been on not just Fender but all music instrument makers. I do, however, take issue with this statement:
Like many other American manufacturers, Fender is struggling to hold on to what it’s got in a tight economy. Sales and profits are down this year. A Strat, after all, is what economists call a consumer discretionary item — a nonessential.
Nonessential? Maybe I could live without my Strat, but I sure wouldn’t want to!