Fender makes the best guitars

Popularity and marketing does not equate to the "best guitar". The fact that famous people play a specific brand of guitar also does not equate to the "best guitar". Although a guitar maker may innovate some new accessory or feature this also does not equate to the "best guitar." Sound and and intonation (The ability to truly tune) make for the best guitar. Hand made vs. factory produced, each has their good points and bad points. Fender is a mass produced factory made guitar, not even their high end guitars are hand made. All fender guitars start out the same way, high end fenders are just glorified versions of it's stock models. They are made with the same wood and the same manufacturing process. The only difference between a stock fender and a high end fender is a flashy paint job and flashy hardware. Factory mass produced guitar makers are not concerned with sound but rather consistency in parts fitting together so as to produce as many guitars as cheaply as they can with the least amount of knowledge necessary from it's employees in the least amount of time. Factory produced guitars can very greatly in their sound and their ability to be truly tuned (Intonation) Factory produced guitars must be bent and tweaked after they are delivered to a retailer. It is unlikely you would be happy with the way a mass produced guitar played or sounded if you picked one off the rack in a factory ready for shipment. In essence fender sends their guitars out without the intonation or action adjusted. It is set to what the guy at the factory likes who does this process. This is not to say that this is bad or good as 99% of guitar buyers would not know the difference and would not even know how to choose a preference in the "action" of the strings in relation to the fret board. When you change the "action" you change the "intonation" No discretion is given to the variances in density but only the moister content to the wood used to make mass produced guitars. Two identicalle thickness guitar tops can differ by as much as l00% in density, 200% in longitudinal stiffness and 300% in lateral stiffness. Brace wood also varies as much and more. Density is a huge driving factor in the sound a guitar makes. Also no discretion is given with regard to density or stiffness of neck pieces. This is especially important with acoustic guitars. Mass produced guitars vary widely in their sound and intonation from one guitar to the next. Depending on the day of the week each Fender guitar is made, you could get a complete lemon Polyurethane, catalyzed and ultraviolet-cured finishes are used on factory produced guitars and are unrepairable. In order to repair a scratch on such a finish it must be completely striped and repainted decimating what little resale value it would have. On that note, mass produced guitars that are not connected to someone famous IE: an autographed guitar, have little to no resale value compared to their purchase price especially if it's scratched. Most, if not all prominent successful guitar players play a specific brand of guitar because they are being paid by the company who makes them to play them. It is most unlikely their favorite guitar or guitar of choice. In this video you can see there is virtually no attention to detail in the construction of a fender gutar all that is of consern is whether or not the pieces will fit together by the measurements that make. The people operating the machines haven't a clue to what goes into making a good guitar. They are machine operators they could be making popsicle sticks as far as they are concerned. http://www.youtube.com... Hand made guitars (Luthier) The Luthier has his or her reputation on the line with each and every guitar they make. Pains taking effort and measurement is used to select the wood used to make their guitars. All pieces that are used to make a hand made guitar are chosen "because of their density and stiffness" and matched together to produce the most stable and constant platform to get the best possible sound and intonation. Miss matching densities and stiffness produces substandard sound and intonation. The lutier also shaves the wood in specific places to give specific sound characteristics qualities preferred by the customer. This is something that you will never get from a factory mass produced guitar maker. The luthier chooses hardware based on what the guitar is being designed for. Expensive hardware does not equal better sound. Hardware for a hand made guitar is chosen for it's effect on sound not flashiness or appearance as is the case with mass produced guitars. Fender will sell you anything if it means upping the price. The finish on most hand made guitars is labor intensive using polishes and lacquers. Theses types of finishes are repairable without having to strip the entire surface should a scratch occur. This preserves the resale value as the guitar is still considered "all original" And it goes without saying hand made guitars hold their resale value or increase in value regardless of who owned it. The person who buys a hand made guitar has the maker as his tech support. The luthier has a more vested interest in your investment and will bend over backwards to make you happy as his reputation as a guitar maker is on the line. See what kind of service you get from mister nose ring at the local music store where you bought your Fender at. In my opinion there is no best guitar but rather the needs of the person playing it. Factory guitars are better for beginners, they are cheap they are more durable and come in a myriad of designs to choose from. But they are over engineered and this affects sound quality. Factory guitars are over engineered on purpose to avoid costly warranty repairs and replacement. Hand made guitars are for experienced guitar players who know how to tell good sound from bad sound. Hand made guitars are more delicate and precise and not as durable as a factory guitar. This is why they sound better and have better intonation. Ask any experienced or prominent guitar player what they look for first and foremost in a guitar and they will tell you sound and intonation are the most important features in any guitar. http://www.esomogyi.com...