"Skipp the wait-list price"?

Yes fractal can do whatever they want with their products and charge whatever they like, but lets not lie to all the loyal customers and act like this had anything to do with other people scalping units. People are going to scalp and gouge prices anyway once these $3500 units are sold out and on back order again. There were axe fx IIs selling for $5000-$6000 YEARS after it came out so we all know this does nothing to deter it. People can justify it any way they like, the reality is that this creates a terrible customer perception and makes the company seem shady.
The real victim here are those people who bought more than one unit, thinking they could sell for a profit. Now how are they going to do that? Those poor folks are screwed.

But seriously, the only people I've seen whining about this are trolls who aren't even on the waitlist. Everybody thinks they can do better and treat their customers better than Fractal. If you saw someone list your new baby on Ebay or Reverb for $1000 more than they paid less than a week in, how would you feel about it?
 
I don't fall for hype anymore (or any urge to get any gear... that's just tools) -- so I haven't even put my name on the list. I know that I'm gonna get the AFX 3 (no doubt about that), but I'm in no rush at all right now. I love my Amps and will keep my Amps even when I will have the Axe... because I'm pretty much just interested by effects. I have Amps that are worth way more than the Fractal, so they're not going anywhere. I have couple of other priorities right now and will add some Line6 and some other amps and effects first (such the new Marshall Origin and new PRS MT15 heads) and by end of the year, maybe even next year when things will settle down, I will get an AFX 3... it's not like it's gonna get bad by then, with updates it can only get better -- just like AFX II owners can still use their unit right now at full capacity.

The whole need to be in a waiting line (like in front of an Apple store for the new release of another stupid phone, tablet or whatever), it's the most stupid thing I could imagine of... But hey, it's a free world, to each his own if it's your thing... (to be fair, at least with Fractal waiting list, you don't have to physically waste your time... some precious time you could be so much more productive and creative than just "wait" to be sure you have the shiny "new stuff"). And since it's also a free market, Fractal has all rights to set any price they want and then let the customers to decide if it's "right" or not. If there's a demand... why not?! Good for them!
 
Essentially, looking forward to getting right on working with a much more capable version of what you've been using professionally for 7 years now is as much of a business decision as any other. Nothing stupid about it.

I respect that some don't see it that way, and do or don't like FAS's way of running their business. I don't think that makes them stupid, even if I don't agree. As we agree that it is "to each his own..." you might allow me and others to have our "own" as well without the derogatory reference. I have good reason for what I do.
 
I don't fall for hype anymore (or any urge to get any gear... that's just tools) -- so I haven't even put my name on the list. I know that I'm gonna get the AFX 3 (no doubt about that), but I'm in no rush at all right now. I love my Amps and will keep my Amps even when I will have the Axe... because I'm pretty much just interested by effects. I have Amps that are worth way more than the Fractal, so they're not going anywhere. I have couple of other priorities right now and will add some Line6 and some other amps and effects first (such the new Marshall Origin and new PRS MT15 heads) and by end of the year, maybe even next year when things will settle down, I will get an AFX 3... it's not like it's gonna get bad by then, with updates it can only get better -- just like AFX II owners can still use their unit right now at full capacity.

The whole need to be in a waiting line (like in front of an Apple store for the new release of another stupid phone, tablet or whatever), it's the most stupid thing I could imagine of... But hey, it's a free world, to each his own if it's your thing... (to be fair, at least with Fractal waiting list, you don't have to physically waste your time... some precious time you could be so much more productive and creative than just "wait" to be sure you have the shiny "new stuff"). And since it's also a free market, Fractal has all rights to set any price they want and then let the customers to decide if it's "right" or not. If there's a demand... why not?! Good for them!
i don't think the waitlist is to create hype. i think it's to avoid the problem of putting stock on the website, and people having to be there THAT MOMENT to click "Buy" and checkout quickly. that's not a good experience at all. to me, that would be more about generating hype than a waitlist where you have to .... wait. wait ≠ hype in my opinion.
 
I am on the wait list, and I am not bothered by the jump ahead pricing.

Buying at 3500 is tempting, but that extra 1k could go to my planned Strandberg or Kiesel purchase. That guitar purchase is essential to my plan of becoming the first djenter old enough to need Depends.
 
"i don't think the wait list is to create hype. i think it's to avoid the problem of putting stock on the website"

100% agree - an earlier post addressed that. When you have to deal with supply chain and manufacturing and all that its really, really hard to get things right. So, you create a wait list, do a little bit of math and bingo.. you get a pretty solid idea of how much inventory of parts you need, you get vision on supply issues and ways to work around them, and you also get an idea of staffing needs to get a product launch out smoothly while maintaining quality and customer satisfaction.

Setting aside a small number of items in the 'impulse isle' I don't think hurts that significantly, if at all. In fact I am willing to bet they have that all factored in. The alternatives are far less appealing to me as a consumer.. but each his own.
 
I just can't get all that worked up about this waitlist thing. I think we should all remember to be respectful to each other in our disagreements about the issue though.

In my limited knowledge of business related factors playing into this, I think the waitlist setup is one way for Fractal to avoid going into excessive production debt. Remember that they are a small company. Digitech has Harmon to back them up, Line6 has Yamaha ...and so on. Cliff has no where to go but the bank. The waitlist allows Cliff to keep manufacturing on pace with sales instead of putting $1M+ in capital toward manufacturing and then releasing them all at once to meet expected demand. Less risk for him this way. If he wants to sell a few at an inflated price to those who don't want to wait, that's his business. I won't pay it but we've already seen some who will. If someone is that put out by it, they could always go buy from a near peer competitor (...well, except there isn't one).
 
All they are doing is selling units at full list price for people that don’t want to wait. Once the wait list is processed, the discounted waiting list price will become the regular price. They did the same thing with the AxeFX II.

Leave the cool-aid and conspiracy theory stuff on TGP...
 
The real victim here are those people who bought more than one unit, thinking they could sell for a profit. Now how are they going to do that? Those poor folks are screwed.

But seriously, the only people I've seen whining about this are trolls who aren't even on the waitlist. Everybody thinks they can do better and treat their customers better than Fractal. If you saw someone list your new baby on Ebay or Reverb for $1000 more than they paid less than a week in, how would you feel about it?

Nah, the second these $3500 Axe FX IIIs have run out and there is no supply to meet the demand, scalpers will probably get $5000 for them. They will end up making MORE money because scalpers ALWAYS base their prices off of the original. All they have to do is play what will end up being a very short waiting game. If there is a high demand and a shortage in supply, prices skyrocket. Basic economics dude. You know what happened? Fractal saw their baby on Ebay and Reverb for $1000 more, they thought to themselves "People are willing to pay $1000 more?! We should CHARGE $1000 MORE!" People can feel any way about this move of Fractal's part, but if you seriously think this anything but a way to jack up prices by 40% to profit from people's growing impatience and play off of their emotions, you're naive or willfully ignorant.
 
the reality is that this creates a terrible customer perception and makes the company seem shady.

Just this part alone shows you do not know what you are talking about. Have you read thru this forum since 2009? I have. I can count on my 10 fingers, without using them all, the people that consider FAS shady or deceiving. That's about 10 years of reading this forum. Jeeezzzz!
 
Nah, the second these $3500 Axe FX IIIs have run out and there is no supply to meet the demand, scalpers will probably get $5000 for them. They will end up making MORE money because scalpers ALWAYS base their prices off of the original. All they have to do is play what will end up being a very short waiting game. If there is a high demand and a shortage in supply, prices skyrocket. Basic economics dude. You know what happened? Fractal saw their baby on Ebay and Reverb for $1000 more, they thought to themselves "People are willing to pay $1000 more?! We should CHARGE $1000 MORE!" People can feel any way about this move of Fractal's part, but if you seriously think this anything but a way to jack up prices by 40% to profit from people's growing impatience and play off of their emotions, you're naive or willfully ignorant.
play off their emotions? what emotions...?

the Axe-Fx III is shipping to waitlist customers. it's happening. why does there have to be some conspiracy? why can't a company do something without being accused of having some ulterior motive?

if you think FAS is doing this to scalp customers themselves, you're naive or willfully ignorant.
 
Nah, the second these $3500 Axe FX IIIs have run out and there is no supply to meet the demand, scalpers will probably get $5000 for them. They will end up making MORE money because scalpers ALWAYS base their prices off of the original. All they have to do is play what will end up being a very short waiting game. If there is a high demand and a shortage in supply, prices skyrocket. Basic economics dude. You know what happened? Fractal saw their baby on Ebay and Reverb for $1000 more, they thought to themselves "People are willing to pay $1000 more?! We should CHARGE $1000 MORE!" People can feel any way about this move of Fractal's part, but if you seriously think this anything but a way to jack up prices by 40% to profit from people's growing impatience and play off of their emotions, you're naive or willfully ignorant.

You never did answer my question. Are you on the list?

Go away already. BTW, you suck at math.
 
Just this part alone shows you do not know what you are talking about. Have you read thru this forum since 2009? I have. I can count on my 10 fingers, without using them all, the people that consider FAS shady or deceiving. That's about 10 years of reading this forum. Jeeezzzz!

Go to ANY facebook group right now that is talking about the price hike, like the Fractal Audio Axe FX group. A LOT of people are very angry about this. The forum is by no means a diverse range of opinions on Fractal products or tactics.
 
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You never did answer my question. Are you on the list?

Go away already. BTW, you suck at math.
I *might* be. I *might* not be. That is 100% irrelevant to you. I suck at math? What is 1000/ 2500? I help you out with my terrible math skills. It's (.4). What is .4 written as a percentage you ask? Well that just happens to be 40%! You just showed everyone that it was, in fact, you that sucks at math. Good job, buddy.
 
Go to ANY facebook group right now like the Fractal Audio Axe FX group. A LOT of people are very angry about this. The forum is by no means a diverse range of opinions on Fractal products or tactics.
No thanks... I quit the Facebook group because almost everyone I encountered there except people from this forum were a bunch of tools.

I put zero stock in anything coming from those pages based on my experience.
 
I *might* be. I *might* not be. That is 100% irrelevant to you. I suck at math? What is 1000/ 2500? I help you out with my terrible math skills. It's (.4). What is .4 written as a percentage you ask? Well that just happens to be 40%! You just showed everyone that it was, in fact, you that sucks at math. Good job, buddy.


Hey bro, can I get a bag of whatever you’re on? It sure seems to be very effective and powerful at disassociation from reality…
 
I *might* be. I *might* not be. That is 100% irrelevant to you. I suck at math? What is 1000/ 2500? I help you out with my terrible math skills. It's (.4). What is .4 written as a percentage you ask? Well that just happens to be 40%! You just showed everyone that it was, in fact, you that sucks at math. Good job, buddy.

You are correct. I fat fingered and made a mistake and have no problem admitting it. At least it got you to actually reply to my previous question.

And it is not irrelevant to me. If you have no intention of buying a unit and you have been so enamored by all the facebook complaints then I would question why you felt the need to come here, a place you cannot stand, and insult people and toss out ignorant assumptions other than to just be an ass.
 
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No thanks... I quit the Facebook group because almost everyone I encountered there except people from this forum were a bunch of tools.

I put zero stock in anything coming from those pages based on my experience.
It's the same reason I dont put stock in this forum, it's almost exclusively Yes Men to the Fractal staff. It's a HIGHLY biased group of people. Again, I love what Fractal has done to change the guitar game. Im on this forum because I fell in love with the Axe FX II and I expect the III to be even better. Im still going to voice my opinion when I think they make a poor choice. I think they rushed this whole thing out because other modelers were coming out that compete with the Axe FX and actually sound decent and Fractal decided they also had to put out a new product so people would be talking about Fractal again. They also very clearly took ideas like LED changable tags on the floor board from the helix and other switchers and the rig modeling from the Kemper. Not that I disagree with the choice to make improvements on their products, but like theyve been saying for a while now, they havent even used all of the power of the Axe FX II and I think that's pretty obvious with the fact that the modeling on the III is almost identical to the II. Im sure the III will get better in due time, but how much better, really? Even with all the additional CPU power, the III is only marginally better in terms of performance. Watch every video of people demoing it and NOBODY raves about the improvements. Everything is only *kinda* better.
 
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