Price watch (24)

 

I believe in being fair when it comes to after-market gear. I make it a point to call out atrocious listings, the good bargains deserve some highlight & here're two in the mean time. This American Pro you see above is a steal. That Shawbucker in there is worth more than $100 if it's sold separately. Judging by the colour of the hard case interior, it's relative new. I believe these went for nearly $2K when it debuted. The subsequent version, the American Professional II, exceeded $2K if I remember correctly. The most worthy Fender listing in the mean time.

The American Special was the previous most affordable American made Strat before it became the American Performer with a $200+ price difference. This one here is fairly well taken care of less the dry fretboard which can be easily cured with any wood conditioner. The asking price is a little off $1K which is a very reasonable figure to deal with. 

This belongs to another seller; same guitar but look at that price. Fair enough, this one has Bare Knuckle pickups & deserve a higher asking price but it all depends on the buyer who may / may not accept such pickups despite the proven tone performance. It has some branded electronics as well, Gotoh locking tuners & a Bladerunner Supervee bridge. The seller added a premium to the asking price in view of all these swapped out parts. According to this listing, it's $1.8k to begin with which is not true. Swee Lee & SV Guitars used to list American Specials for less than $1.5k (I remember because I bought one), then again, this one might be bought elsewhere with a higher listing price. An affordable American Strat now sports the price tag of a new American Performer (Swee Lee: $1,649 - $1,729 correct as at Jan 2022). For your consideration, folks.

I have left the seller i/d of the deserving good deals in tact. I believe this is my way of supporting such individuals.  I'm not the price police but I won't hesitate to tell you good / sour deals when I see them.