The Made in US craze?

shadewind · #1 12-23-2009, 05:58 AM

I might not be able to understand this since I'm not from the US (might be political... what do I know...) but what's the deal with people considering US-made gear necessarily better than gear made in other countries? You don't think the Germans or the French know their stuff too? Or the japanese?

Just saying...

Meatrus · #2 12-23-2009, 06:02 AM

I dont think there are many people that would say US made is better than anything else, from any other country. Just a lot of people that say they are high quality, which they often are.

PS: You left out the UK, which Wal and Status are (both regarded as great makes)

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shadewind · #3 12-23-2009, 06:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meatrus

I dont think there are many people that would say US made is better than anything else, from any other country. Just a lot of people that say they are high quality, which they often are.

PS: You left out the UK, which Wal and Status are (both regarded as great makes)

.

I just picked random countries, of course the brits know what they're doing too

sevenyearsdown · #4 12-23-2009, 06:04 AM

It's usually in relation to companies that once made only fine products in the United States, but have since farmed out production to cheap labor countries using lesser quality components (while not neccisarilly adjusting the price to reflect such changes).

I don't think anyone here would consider something of poor quality that is not US made without trying it first.

ericw · #5 12-23-2009, 06:05 AM

For me I guess most of it is kind of like cheering for the home team. If products were comparable wouldn't you rather own something made in your hometown (or country) than someplace you've never been?

As for quality difference - I have limited experience in this. A portion of this perception may simply be hype.

"Buying American" where possible is prevalent among traditionalists in many markets aside from instruments.

shadewind · #6 12-23-2009, 06:09 AM

I'm from Sweden, a country where patriotism hardly exists so that may have something to do with it. I'd never buy anything Swedish based on the notion that it's made in Sweden. But I suppose we do have a few brands that are quite good when it comes to instruments... EBS, Clavia et.c.

Meddle · #7 12-23-2009, 06:10 AM

Back when I was mainly a guitard I was ammused by the number of guys my age who saved up all kinds of money to get a Gibson Les Paul studio. Those fugly unbound Les Pauls with the cheap black speed knobs, woofy unmusical pickups, unbound neck. Overpriced? You betcha! But people would buy any old junk if it was 'made in the US', and you could say that Gibson rest on their laurels, by producing average build equipment and inflated prices. Historically inaccurate reproductions, random fringe-interest stuff like the Robbie Krieger SG guitar and dodgy 'innovation' equipment.

I think all instruments should be taken on a case by case basis, it depends what you want. If you want a CNC machine made bass that will get drinks spilled on it every night and you don't care if you replace the pickups then I don't see why you would need a US built instrument really.

shadewind · #8 12-23-2009, 06:12 AM

One of our guitarists have an ESP Eclipse II and the other one has a Gibson Les Paul (60's neck) and I think the ESP is a better guitar personally. But the ESP is a quality instrument as well so it's a fair comparison.

Yerf Dog · #9 12-23-2009, 06:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ericw

For me I guess most of it is kind of like cheering for the home team.

That's how I look at it.

Wadge · #10 12-23-2009, 06:14 AM

I live in Europe (Malta) and have played American, Japanese, British, Korean and Chinese.

I have found medium to high priced American instruments to be mostly deserving of the credit they get. They are mostly well made with good customer service.
I have a japanes fender (62 reissue fretless) and as far as I can tell, quality is top notch. Rodger Sadowsky, who has his Metro line built in Japan, also attests to the quality of Japanese builders. Nowadays, people do not farm out work to Japan because wages are not that low. The Japanese are also fussy about quality and don't really accept shoddy workmanship.
The korean instruments I have tried and own can vary. I own a Tobias Toby Pro 6 string which I like very much. The electronics were poor and the nut wasn't beautifully cut but it is otherwise well built and a sadowsky preamp made it the bass it should always have been.
Chinese instruments - so far I haven't come across any that I've wanted to own and they usually tend to be cheap knock-offs of established designs. I'm not trying to diss Chinese workmanship by any means - just must experience.

maestrovert · #11 12-23-2009, 06:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ericw

For me I guess most of it is kind of like cheering for the home team. If products were comparable wouldn't you rather own something made in your hometown (or country) than someplace you've never been?

As Steve Earle said at the beginning of his performance on the "Austin City Limits" tv show:

"Are ya hungry ? Out of work ? Eat your Nissan..."

tdogg · #12 12-23-2009, 06:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ericw

For me I guess most of it is kind of like cheering for the home team. If products were comparable wouldn't you rather own something made in your hometown (or country) than someplace you've never been?

As for quality difference - I have limited experience in this. A portion of this perception may simply be hype.

"Buying American" where possible is prevalent among traditionalists in many markets aside from instruments.

the quality difference isnt that big of an issue. many quality basses are made all over the world (i have a warwick as my main axe.). someone stated before that alot of american companies have started using cheap overseas (usually japanese, taiwanese, mexican, or chinese) labor to cut production costs. people in america pay more for products "made in america" because it usually means higher quality. americans have a certain errogance about this. the funny thing is, alot of people say that we need to buy american cars (dodge, ford, GM) to promote the american economy. but my dodge was assembled in canada, and my japanese motorcycle was assembled in Minnesota.

snyderz · #13 12-23-2009, 07:14 AM

80% (or more) of the things I own are foreign made. All my electronics, from TV to coffee maker. Clothes, shoes, car. That's just the way it is. I have a large collection of knives, and by choice, I buy only US made. I guess it's my last vestige of defiant patriotism. 4 of my 5 basses (hey, 80%) are US made, but I wouldn't let go of my CIJ '62 RI Jazz. It's a honey of a bass!

gareth dunster · #14 12-23-2009, 07:21 AM

My newish p-bass is from the US. The electronics looked like they been soldered by a ten year old and failed shortly after I bought it.

kencasino · #15 12-23-2009, 07:29 AM

I am 66 yrs old, when I was a youngster "made in Japan" was a joke, then they got good and then they got expensive, then the manufacturers went to Taiwan to chase the cheap labor and "made in Taiwan" was a joke. I lived there for almost 3 years and while I was there, things got a lot better, and a lot more expensive, then the manufacturers chased the low wages to Korea, which is starting to put out some nice stuff now, then to Indonesia, which is improving in quality and price, then to CHina where I am sure we will have a long run due to the govt control of the wages. Within our lifetime we will see a large amount of goods being produced in other third world countries and a lot coming out of Africa I bet. at that time CHinese stuff will be a lot better quality and more expensive. That is the way the system works!

Hoover · #16 12-23-2009, 07:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ericw

If products were comparable wouldn't you rather own something made in your hometown (or country) than someplace you've never been?

Ah, the old "if everything else is equal" arguement! Yes, if products were comparable in all other ways then country of origin may as well be the deciding factor. But that's a big "If".

Years ago I wrote a song about the whole knee-jerk, jingoist, misguided patriotism that seems to fuel the "Buy American!" mindset. The chorus was

"It is not the consumer's responsibility
To insure the financial solvency
Of domestic manufacturing industry
In the absence of competitive quality"

(yeah, I know, not exactly a catchy hook, but...)

id90 · #17 12-23-2009, 07:39 AM

I think that "buying American" is sometimes confused with buying a product from the country of origin of that particular brand. e.g. US Fenders and Sadowskys are higher quality than their overseas counterparts. But there are superb non-US manufacturers out there - Wal, Vigier, Warwick and even Cort's high-end models are all excellent. Having said that, I'm a Brit living in France, and I've got Sadowsky NYC. Can't beat it, IMHO!

Baird6869 · #18 12-23-2009, 07:43 AM

I think that that vast majority of quality basses (units built and shipped) are made in the US and that is why they are so popular and so often discussed.

I live in Canada and F Bass and Dingwall are great makers. But for every George and Sheldon making basses in Canada, France or Germany, there are dozens or even hundreds in the USA.

jasper383 · #19 12-23-2009, 07:46 AM

Labor in the developed countries is so expensive, that making entry-level instruments there is economically impossible.

Yakob · #20 12-23-2009, 07:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shadewind

I'm from Sweden, a country where patriotism hardly exists so that may have something to do with it. I'd never buy anything Swedish based on the notion that it's made in Sweden. But I suppose we do have a few brands that are quite good when it comes to instruments... EBS, Clavia et.c.

You left out Hagstrom

!