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Double Bass Acoustic Image Series III
- Thread starter Ric Vice
- Start date
- Jul 20, 2003
- 161
- 1
- 65
- Disclosures
- Proprietor: Bass People, Green Square Music
- Apr 3, 2003
- 35,516
- 19,950
- Disclosures
- Editor-in-Chief, Bass Gear Magazine
- Mar 22, 2000
- 1,972
- 73
- Disclosures
- Big Cheese Emeritus: Gollihur Music (retired)
Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the Series III stuff is delayed further, especially the combos.
Just spoke with Rick, the heads should be ready to being shipping in about three weeks, but the combos won't start rolling off the assembly line until January. They'll get just a handful of cabs flown into the US in early December, after the complete cabinet production run is done, but then it's a slow boat from China for the rest of the run. The electronics and speakers are assembled and installed into the cabs in the US.
Ouch. I guess we'll all have to revert to wait mode.
Just spoke with Rick, the heads should be ready to being shipping in about three weeks, but the combos won't start rolling off the assembly line until January. They'll get just a handful of cabs flown into the US in early December, after the complete cabinet production run is done, but then it's a slow boat from China for the rest of the run. The electronics and speakers are assembled and installed into the cabs in the US.
Ouch. I guess we'll all have to revert to wait mode.
Bob Gollihur said:
Bob, I hope I read your post correctly and understand only the cabs are made in China- not the electronics.
jpbass5 said:
Just curious - what would it matter? If you got the same quality and value, what would it matter where it's made?
Where does it matter where components are manufactured, or where parts are assembled?
Personally, I do care that the company is responsible and treats it's employees fairly (by US standard), but I don't care what part of the world they work in.
seamonkey said:
For me, knowing that an instrument/ amp was made in a smaller dedicated shop gives it a little more "magic". I'm sure the quality of the product won't suffer.
Just my personal taste.
I must add that my current amplification is from Sweden. My bass is from Japan. Both kick butt.
Thanks much for the update - for us on a budget it helps to plan. Maybe EA will surprise us and deliver the NM208 early!Bob Gollihur said:
Bob Gollihur said:
Welcome to the world of the plastics industry. There are so many parts of the injection molding tool (mold base, hot runner, machine, robots, control unit, etc.), usually made by different companies, that have to come together and work together correctly, that it always takes much longer than expected to put a new tool into production.
Most people agree with that sentiment, then buy all their goods from Walm*rt because they can save a couple of precious bucks. They also say they don't approve of torturing animals, while subsisting on $1.99 "value" meals from the fast food industry without wanting to know why the meat is so cheap--as long as it is.seamonkey said:
Besides the almost universally worse work and environmental standards, and the U.S. job displacement pressures, what I don't like about buying Chinese is that you are subsidizing a Communist government that is literally buying our country and has no policy to improve human rights or basic freedoms for its own people.
There was a time when perceived quality and value did not blind us to everything else. Sorry if this sounds like a rant, but I can't leave that question unanswered. No offense to my fellow TBer who I'm sure meant well, but did ask!
seamonkey said:
Personally, I try my utmost to avoid "Made in China"... true, sweatshops are found in many parts of the world, but China's brutal political repression and ongoing genocide of the Tibetan people is the deal...
sorry, I know this is off topic, and I will end it with a link for more info rather than dragging it out here...
http://www.boycottmadeinchina.org/
Production delays happen when launching a new product. Usually you don't see it because the manufacturer keeps the product launch a secret while continuing to sell the old model, so that everybody who bought one in the last few months suddenly becomes an unhappy camper. Or, they start selling the new product before the bugs are worked out. I applaud AI for having the integrity to shut down production and concentrate on bringing up the new product, even if it can be a painful process.
Let us know when the heads are shipping, and as a reminder, an owners manual with specs would be really nice to see. It doesn't need to be pretty -- just the basic information.
Let us know when the heads are shipping, and as a reminder, an owners manual with specs would be really nice to see. It doesn't need to be pretty -- just the basic information.
MikeBarber said:
Actually, I was hoping we would spend more time at Link Removed . Think we could give that one a click?
Aleph5 said:
Great input. This is not just a US problem. All across the world made in china products are imported because of their quality and value. For those of us in the US, we'll find that China has a lot of our dollars in the bank and thus a lot of power in what we import.
For those of us in the US, buying "US" seems like the right thing to do. Trouble is you have no idea where parts of something are made.
The "parts" can be made in one country, and assembled in another. Where they're assembled is where it gets to say "Made in ..." from. To me this is nothing more than slight of hand.
Personally I do feel the AI are over priced for their value. And they're doing the same as any other manufacturer. Buying the parts on the cheap and assembling them elsewhere. But AI is going to get their price as long as people are willing to pay it.
Sounds like people who are really concerned about this need to ask amp makers where they get their parts.
Chris Fitzgerald said:Actually, I was hoping we would spend more time at Link Removed . Think we could give that one a click?
Sounds like AI has figured out cheaper ways to make their amps. Maybe they could consider passing the savings onto their customers.
Right now, AI has no reason to lower their prices. The Clarus is already lower priced than any of the other switching bass heads, though they probably all have similar parts complements.
For better or worse, the way for the price to come down is for someone else to come out with a cheaper amp. But there may not be much of an incentive. It is still cheaper to manufacture a Class-AB amp.
My guess is that the actual demand for portability is a relatively small fraction of the overall bass amp market. For me, portability is mostly a luxury, though it is one that I am not unwilling to pay for.
For better or worse, the way for the price to come down is for someone else to come out with a cheaper amp. But there may not be much of an incentive. It is still cheaper to manufacture a Class-AB amp.
My guess is that the actual demand for portability is a relatively small fraction of the overall bass amp market. For me, portability is mostly a luxury, though it is one that I am not unwilling to pay for.
Ever consider the fact that the series has gone through a massive overhaul, and yet their prices remain pretty damn similar to what they were before? IIRC, a new Contra IIa was the same price as the new III. Considering the improvements to the line and the maintained cost, they already passed their savings onto the customer.seamonkey said:
Aaron Saunders said:
Sure - That's the way technology works.
The last TV I bought has more features, and better performance than my old. The last computer I bought has better performance and more features than my old one....
And surprisingly they cost less. Both TV's and computers are bigger markets, but the PWM amps with SMPS competition is growing. I expect more competition for AI.
My main point is it looks like AI is buying all their assemblies out of the US, but then assembling them here, and claiming they're "Made in the US". While some in the US may feel better about buying "Made in the US" it's really just slight of hand. It could be the whole amp is made outside the US, but just bolted together here. The skill of the labor to bolt together parts is much less and thus probably paid less in the US.
It's a world economy now. I believe in researching companies I buy from. If to the best of my knowledge they are ethical and have similar values I will buy from them no matter where the parts are made. AI looks to be an ethical company.
The new Yamaha head looks good. And so do Mark Bass heads.
In any case, I prefer to go the route of separate power amp (plenty of PWM amps to choose from, for example Stewart Audio) and my favorite pre-amp.
seamonkey said:
There are very tight regulations on what can be labeled "Made in the USA." If they meet the requirements, what is wrong with putting it on their amps?
Jazzman said:
Just a quick google of
what does "made in the US" mean
Takes me to Invalid Link Removed, to which I find:
"... it is possible for a product made from 100% foreign parts or materials to meet the 75% U.S. content safe harbor. These results are contrary to consumers' views that both the origin of parts and the location of processing are significant in defining Made in USA ..."
Looking Elsewhere, it looks like there are really no enforcement. If you find a company that is exploting "Made in America" you need to report it.
