Ampeg productions

[Bert Slide]

Originally Posted by hodgy

Jerrold has it absolutely right.
I've been to our plant in China that builds the SVT3 and 4Pro, CL and VR. They are doing a fantastic job and work harder and longer hours than anyplace in the US.

It's been proven that working longer hours doesn't necessarily increase productivity. Work too many hours in a day and the quality of work suffers.

There is one reason to move production to China and it has nothing to do with improving quality.

So how many hours a day/week do they work? What are they paid? Do they have any recourse if they are wrongly fired or injured on the job?

[flygirafda3]

Originally Posted by hodgy

Jerrold has it absolutely right.
I've been to our plant in China that builds the SVT3 and 4Pro, CL and VR. They are doing a fantastic job and work harder and longer hours than anyplace in the US.

And for next to nothing, truly what a CEO's dreams are made of.

[JimmyM]

The move to China was done a few years back by the former head idiot of LOUD, who was given his walking papers. Unfortunately, it's a lot easier to screw stuff up than unscrew it, but I think LOUD/Ampeg has done a good job of rebuilding after being damaged so badly by the former head idiot.

[michael_atw]

Just don't touch or lick the paint.


I just buy vintage used. Made in the USA (at some point), pay $1800 for a vintage SVT that is the Holy Roller Ampeg tone.

[Kmonk]

Originally Posted by Tony Flow MMMM

Gallien Krueger is supposed to be back in USA. No foreign production

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Where are the parts made?

There are very few electronic parts which are actually manufactured in the U.S.

Just like the auto industry, manufacturers that are building, or to be more accurate, assembling in the United States, are doing so with parts sourced from various countries.

[mjac28]

I think for anything to be considered made in America only 60%-70% has to be assembled here.

[mcm]

God can't we do anything anymore

[michael_atw]

Originally Posted by mcm

God can't we do anything anymore

The roles will eventually reverse at least in small part. They already are. This is presuming the USA continues into the next few decades with a weaker dollar.

[IronLung1986]

Originally Posted by atomicdog

Which is to say . . . what? There's a lot of high quality gear made in China, Korea and Indonesia. So the point is . . . ?

The point is that american companies should build their stuff in America. Firstly, if given a choice between a perfectly functioning older american portaflex and one of the new foreign made ones, both free, everyone would choose the american one. No one's gona stand there and say "well China's been making some decent stuff lately so I really don't care." I understand that it's sort of fashionable and PC to claim that gear made in the far east is just as good as stuff made here. But the fact is that factory workers in china work in bad conditions and don't get paid well. They work long hours because dedication to one's job is considered honorable. Companies like ampeg have no problem taking advantage of stuff like that, because they know that most americans couldn't care less. Their products slowly decline in quality and their prices certainly never go down.

Supporting american companies who move production overseas isn't worldly or open minded, it's exploitative. And it puts our people out of work.

[mcm]

True

[kellyrojo]

Originally Posted by IronLung1986

The point is that american companies should build their stuff in America. Firstly, if given a choice between a perfectly functioning older american portaflex and one of the new foreign made ones, both free, everyone would choose the american one. No one's gona stand there and say "well China's been making some decent stuff lately so I really don't care." I understand that it's sort of fashionable and PC to claim that gear made in the far east is just as good as stuff made here. But the fact is that factory workers in china work in bad conditions and don't get paid well. They work long hours because dedication to one's job is considered honorable. Companies like ampeg have no problem taking advantage of stuff like that, because they know that most americans couldn't care less. Their products slowly decline in quality and their prices certainly never go down.

Supporting american companies who move production overseas isn't worldly or open minded, it's exploitative. And it puts our people out of work.

This is exactly right except for the prices thing....which is usually right but not in the case of the VM etc squiers which are high quality for cheap pay. Besides this everything you say is spot on. Conditions in many factories in china are TRRIIBBLLEE

[IronLung1986]

Originally Posted by kellyrojo

This is exactly right except for the prices thing....which is usually right but not in the case of the VM etc squiers which are high quality for cheap pay. Besides this everything you say is spot on. Conditions in many factories in china are TRRIIBBLLEE

Thanks, I ranted a little haha. You're right those squiers are pretty good quality. But i've noticed they now cost almost as much as a MIM fender did 8 years ago, and I do think my 8 year old MIM jazz is better quality than a VM squier.

[DJ Bebop]

Originally Posted by Bert Slide

Do they have any recourse if they are wrongly fired or injured on the job?

We are loosing that here

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by IronLung1986

Thanks, I ranted a little haha. You're right those squiers are pretty good quality. But i've noticed they now cost almost as much as a MIM fender did 8 years ago, and I do think my 8 year old MIM jazz is better quality than a VM squier.

OK, so farming out jobs to Mexico is OK but not China. Noted.

[B-string]

It's a continent thing . Could give us a reason to sneak over that border for work?

[beans-on-toast]

Several years ago corporate greed let the charge for offshore production. Production and overseas shipping costs are steadily rising. Some companies are returning production to home ground.

Last week Apple announced that production of at least one product will return to the US with over a $100 million dollar investment. I don't believe the line that they are doing it because that's what consumers want. A contributing factor for sure but maximizing profit is the bottom line. They just see the writing on the wall. Still, good news and hopefully others will follow suit.

[Poopoutyouridea]

As a person from Asia, I feel a need to put in my own opinion. My country (Malaysia) has a large chunk in microchip manufacturing. In fact, some parts in your Intel chipsay carry the tag Made In Malaysia. Over here in Asia, workers work hard. They work from 8 in the morning to about 5.30 in the evening. They don't get paid much, admittedly. An average factory worker's salary is about US$400 to maybe US$600 a month. Not much, but we carry on. Then, you have places like China, Indonesia, and recently, Bangladesh and India. The people there earn even less. The workers are barely trained. They have no understanding of what they are even making, they just do it. And they get paid a pittance. Yet they don't complain. Is quality that bad? I don't think so. The quality of China stuff has stepped up a lot but there are a few blemishes. There will always be blemishes. If the China factories were to have the same attention to detail as the US factories, the price would be more or less the same. So, if I were you, I wouldn't complain. Exploitative, someone said. I don't think so. Is it really exploitative to give a poor, hungry Chinaman who is but a mere mistake by his government a simple living and a simpler paycheck? Obviously it puts Americans out of a job, but you can't fault companies for trying to pull costs down. Imagine what would happen if Ampeg went broke. :P

[IronLung1986]

Originally Posted by Poopoutyouridea

Is it really exploitative to give a poor, hungry Chinaman who is but a mere mistake by his government a simple living and a simpler paycheck? Obviously it puts Americans out of a job, but you can't fault companies for trying to pull costs down. Imagine what would happen if Ampeg went broke. :P

Yes, that's basically the definition of exploitative: taking advantage of someone else's situation to improve your own. Some people call it "zero accountability."

I really don't fault the companies entirely, but talkbass is not the proper place to mention who is truly to blame.

[Einherjar]

Originally Posted by IronLung1986

Yes, that's basically the definition of exploitative: taking advantage of someone else's situation to improve your own. Some people call it "zero accountability."

I really don't fault the companies entirely, but talkbass is not the proper place to mention who is truly to blame.

Blame the man, man. Lol.

[B-string]

I work 7:30AM to 5-5:30PM 5 days a week and two Saturdays 8AM to 3PM each month. So I DON'T work hard? Not to mention amp and computer repair in my "spare" time. Guess American workers just lay back all day on their 5 hour work days.....