Was this ethical?

[Linas]

So, i sold my California Series Fender P bass special. They guy said all he cared about is that it was made in the USA. It says so on the headstock, but i think it was painted in mexico, then finished in the USA. Was it wrong to tell him that it was made in the USA? I dont want to have mislead the guy, but did i?

[bassaficionado6]

who cares where it was painted. Was it born in the USA or hecho en Mexico?

[Basshole]

No. Most "American" cars are made from parts that come from all over the planet.

It's a global world economy, baby.

[steve21]

If it says "Made in the USA" it could be painted & assembled on Mars, as long as it says "MIA" that's all that guy wants.

[Marcury]

if it was painted in Mexico then the parts must have been made in Mexico too. It makes no sense to manufacture in one country, paint in another and assemble back in the first. if you know that it was made in Mexico then not telling him that was unethical. if you really didn't know then the thing to tell him was you didn't know.

[Basshole]

No...wrong. Because of EPA concerns in this country, it's easier to have the finish applied in Mexico. This is a case where having a USA made instrument finished in another country with more lax air regulation makes good economic sense.

[Lorenzini]

The question for you is:
Is this a MIA or MIM bass?

[wdinc01]

I'd say it was ethical and consider it American, as long as that's where most of the parts come from.

Do you really consider a coat of paint as an entire bass?

[dlloyd]

Originally Posted by Marcury

if it was painted in Mexico then the parts must have been made in Mexico too. It makes no sense to manufacture in one country, paint in another and assemble back in the first.

Wrong. Fender's paint facility got shut down because it fell short of EPA regulations. So they shipped the bodies and necks to the Mexican factory for finishing...

"The California Series came about thanks to the joint efforts of Fender's Corona, California factory and its Baja California Norte, Ensenada, Mexico facility," noted Mike Lewis, marketing manager for Fender's electric guitar division. "The bodies and necks are shaped by Fender's craftsmen in Corona and subsequently hand-painted at our ultra-modern facility in Mexico. Final assembly, including the installation of vintage hardware and electronics, is then completed in Corona. All three instruments are marked by exceptional attention to detail, tonal quality and playability."

[dlloyd]

In reply to the OP, if you told him it was a California Series bass, he has all the information he needed.