Can anyone comment on instruments made in Indonesia?

[Lowness]

Where something is from doesn't matter so much as how carefully it was constructed. I have several high quality basses that were made in Indonesia. On the other hand, I'm sure there are some lower quality ones made there as well - that's pretty much true everywhere. No country really has a lock on either craftspeople or CNC machines.

This works if you have time to got through every brand and model, which we don't.


Country or origin is akin to a brand - MIJ or MIA is simply a quality filter for those people (most people) who haven't time to trawl through all basses.

Country matters is the same way the name on the headstock matters.

 

[tim68]

My G&L Tribute SB2 , is a very well-built instrument.
I'm not sure which Indo factory produces the Tributes.
I know that Cort builds a LOT of different brands.
They do the Squiers, virtually all Ibanez..except the higher end stuff, and much more.
Samick builds most Indo Epiphones. The aforementioned Thunderbirds are made there, and the Toby models, among others.
Nothing wrong with Indonesian basses. There's clunkers from every different country.

 

[CGremlin]

I saw no reason toupee the extra money for a Gibson.

They're just a hair more expensive.

ike Yamaha (who is actually the #1 largest musical instrument company in the world

I think it's kind of cool that even their motorcycles, ATVs, WaveRunners, etc. all have the "three tuning forks" logo. Yamaha never lost sight of its musical heritage.

 

[chris_b]

"Foreign" does not describe a badly made bass.

Factories in any country will make the bass that the commissioning company pays them to make. If it is a bad bass then blame the commissioning company. The finished product is the responsibility of their QC policies.

 

[Jazz Ad]

Country of origin has little to do with quality.
In my view however, it has everything to do with politics and how fair traded you want your instrument to be.
The main reason to buy a locally built instrument or rather, an instrument built in a developed country is the social value associated to it.

The main difference in cost between US and Mexican made instruments for example, is that US workers are allowed a decent wage, health and security in factories, social compensations like health care and paid vacations.

If you have an instrument built by your hometown luthier with local woods, you reduce carbon imprint and favor local enocomy. The money you give to the local builder will be reinvested into nearby services and goods and eventually, your own business or employer may benefit from it. THis is unlikely to happen is you acquire Indonesian goods.

If you buy from a developing country, you help developing said country but also condone underpaid workers, questionable working conditions and high carbon costs.

Indonesia is an example of dominantly Muslim country (the biggest Muslim country in fact) with a fairly successful ongoing democratic process, although retaining established Sultanates.
In this day an age, entertaining good relations and encouraging such a process sounds like a majorly good idea.

 

[tzohn]

 

[Perrygoround]

I have an Epiphone Thunderbird from Indonesia. I was impressed. I saw no reason toupee the extra money for a Gibson. It's unfortunate but true.

Same experience here. Indonesian Epi Thunderbird. Flawless construction, no need improvements in any aspect (well, maybe the 3-point bridge, but that´s another thing haha). No need going big $ USA made gibson.
Also, a couple of years ago I had an indonesian Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plus Top. It was, also, another impressive instrument, with a flawless contructn and that felts like a much more expensive money. I have a chinese Epiphone Les Paul Standard as well. Same brand, same model, different country of origin: the Indonesian was a much better built instrument than the chinese. Hands down.

 

[Yahboy]

Both my SRFF805 and Fender Rumble V3 200 combo is Indo made, great QC , no complaint.
My friend's new Am Std Jazz suffer with Fret issue and unstable neck.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

I've had several made in Indonesia and Korea. No real problems with any to speak of. I felt like I got what I paid for within the limits of the design and materials. The only foreign made bass I can say I did not like at all was a Squire Fretless Jazz made in China. Ski jump neck and it was totally lost in the mix.

I have two Indonesian made Squier standards from around 2005 and they are decent but far from perfect.

 

[RED J]

Many Indonesian guitars I've seen actually have better fit & finish to the wood working than some USA made guitars I've compared them to.

Yup. I have owned a couple and played others, and I don't know what all the manufacturing arrangements are, but they were great by any measure or comparison as production instruments go.

 

[Jay2U]

I heard Cort may be that large Indonesian manufacturer who build instruments for many big brands.

I got two basses made in Indonesia, an Ibanez and a G&L Tribute L2000. Both are of pretty good quality.

 

[Kmonk]

I've owned some Ibanez basses which were made in Indonesia and they were very good for the money.

 

[Duder]

I have an Indonesian Ibanez beginner bass as a backup and it is phenomenal for what I paid for it. It's light, comfortable, and the neck is awesome. My only issue is with the pickups. They're rather quiet (p/j) compared to my Jag(j/j) so I end up having to make adjustments if I switch basses. Not a big deal to me, but some might find it annoying.

 

[Omega Monkey]

No, China is definitely the absolute worst and probably always will be unless their economy and culture drastically change. I have never played a chinese guitar or bass that wasn't horrible (at any price, like I literally would turn it down if it was given to me probably). Indonesian instruments generally seem pretty good for their price. My BB415 is amazing and I paid less than 300 for it used.

 

[Nev375]

The export of lemons is not exclusive to any country.

 

[msb]

Ghost built Indonesian guitars are built to a price point . If somebody is simply trying to get a cheap instrument to market , it will be cheap . The premium instruments are beautifully built . The hazy ground is in the middle . Some have better materials than others . Some have more rigorous quality control . Cort used to make everything in Korea until there was a factory strike . People were making dirt wages and putting in ungodly hours . Cort's solution was to move the factory to Indonesia . (They have since re-opened a factory in Korea.)

 

[Immigrant]

Ed Friedland said in a BP Mag article on the Yamaha TRBX505 that Yamaha has their own factory that makes their lower-end instruments.

I don't know if that's true, but he said it and I've never known him to lie.

I had a Schecter that was built in Indonesia. It was outstanding.

 

[Robert Sperling]

Pffffft, try a G&L L2000 Tribute and see if they suck.... Do I like my USA G&L's more? You betcha, but if I was on a tight budget and didn't want
to spend an extra $1k on any American bass I'd surely go with a tribute, or even a Squier for that matter if I want a more traditional jazz
or Pbass. Like anything else, you gotta play each one because some will be lemons, some decent and there's always a few that are stellar.
Lately the old adage "you get what you pay for" doesn't always ring true! This is a great time to be a musician, there are many high quality
instruments these days, even at the "entry" level price range.

 

[Sindhu Partomo]

As an Indonesian, I believe that you shouldn't worry. Two reasons:

1. Quality

I used to own an L2K Tribute, and it was hard to pinpoint the gap of its build quality compared to the MIA. Again, that was me.


2. Working Condition

For the last 10 years, there have been many worker unions, academics, and university students piling up enormous pressure on various factories to create better working environment (including better terms in contract). And it works. When I was 9 years old, my mom took me to different factories (she was in the garment industry) and I witnessed the best and worst possible conditions of Indonesian factory workers. Long story short, I never wear Nike apparels. Until now.

The condition is greatly improving. Even the lowest paid workers here (minimum wage about $250/month) get full health insurance coverage, enough paid leave, et cetera. Of course there are several companies who are still getting away with violations, but people are hunting them down, and we hunt them hard. And MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS BUSINESSES ARE NOT ONE OF THEM. Rest assured.

 

[Robert Sperling]

Oh, yeah, I forgot... there are many factories but the way it works is they are owned by the government (I believe, at least this is how China
does it), the Nameholder (Eg. G&L, Fender) contracts with the manufacturer/producer to build the product to spec under license. That producer
may make products for more than 1 Nameholder, but they are not ALL made in 1 giant factory or something. And like any industry they have
novices and craftsman and inspectors. And therein lies the real root of your question, the inspection standards tend to be lower in these
types of manufacturers, a glue drip here, a paint blem there, etc., is more likely to be not noticed or even passed QC.