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Chinese knock-off basses

#181
Axstar said:
...there is no reason why Chinese builders can't build a proper instrument if required.
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There’s your answer. The Chinese were building musical instruments over a thousand years before anyone in the world even knew North America existed, except for the prior owners. There is no made in USA monopoly on quality. The Chinese can build a quality bass as well as anyone, and your money goes further. The weak link in the transaction is the risk associated with the integrity of the seller. Do your homework, and remember, no refundable.

I might consider getting an unbranded one but only for modding purposes because the resale is easier. I can’t legally sell my modded Fender Pbass because I changed all the hardware and electronics, and routed the body for an additional pickup so now it’s subject to trademark infringement because it’s not really a Fender Pbass anymore. I know it says Fender on the headstock and kinda looks like a Fender, but it doesn’t sound or play like one anymore so it’s really just a fake.

I might be able to list it for sale as “Black bass with some Fender parts,” but I don’t think I can say “Wow!!! 1978 Pbass. Look!!!”, because that would be wrong.
 
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#187
jdthebassman said:
because every bass I have played made in china was crap. sorry to say.
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Well i have a Squier made in China and it is amazing ! So not everything make in China is crap. Conterfeit items yes but Legit Company like Fender, Cort etc produce decent bass from china...
 

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#188
Benag said:
Anyone know anything about these?
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Aluminum has a very different and much higher coefficient of expansion due to heat than does wood. That bass has a Maple neck and and some kind of body. But the head looks like aluminum. I can't tell what the body is made of, but in the Specs it says Aluminum too. This construction with Aluminum was reported a problem over the years with Travis Bean basses, even the Kramer with their Aluminum neck designs.

Some owners would find as the neck heated up on stage, the thing would need re-tuning. Sometimes it was even enough to throw string intonation out.

I know nothing about this bass, but do see it's construction materials. And that alone could pose a similar problem.
 
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#190
Eddie LeBlanc said:
Aluminum has a very different and much higher coefficient of expansion due to heat than does wood. That bass has a Maple neck and and some kind of body. But the head looks like aluminum. I can't tell what the body is made of, but in the Specs it says Aluminum too. This construction with Aluminum was reported a problem over the years with Travis Bean basses, even the Kramer with their Aluminum neck designs.

Some owners would find has the neck heated up on stage, the thing would need re-tuning. Sometimes it was even enough to through string intonation out.

I know nothing about this bass, but do see it's construction materials. And that alone could pose a similar problem.
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Thanks for the info! That's all good to know!
 
#191
There’s a huge range of quality out of any country and sometimes even out of the same maker. It’s all a function of what the importer is willing to pay for. You can buy Chinese double basses that are disposable crap, decent student instruments, entry level professional instruments, and a few real works of art. I have a Chinese made Loar LH-700 guitar that is an awfully good copy of a 1930s Gibson L-5, and a Chinese P-Bass body made of plywood that’s not even firewood.
 
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#192
Pete Langford said:
What does anyone know about the chinese knock-off basses? I was told about the D.H. Gates web site and checked it out. They look great and are amazingly cheap.
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I do not know about the site, but the Chinese imports are, unless you get a really cheap one or a second-quality instrument are a phenomenal value. Admittedly I have mostly been exposed to guitars. Still, spend at least a couple of hundred and you get an instrument worth five times that or more in a big name.
 
#193
My Chinese Monzani tenor sax impressed my tutor and a friend - a professional sax player, and I enjoy it as a novice.
€400 complete with case.
I've a £200 Chinese Ohana ukulele that is a little gem.
A Chinese copy of a 17th century parlour guitar which was around £600, and is my all-time favourite guitar.
Electric bikes - ? Definitely go Chinese.
Rolex and the rest have been using Chinese watch internals since the Seventies I'm told - just like the fakes ...
The UK has had its turn at being the workshop of the world - so I can hardly deny China its chance.
 
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#195
I don't agree with the Chinese builders placing brands that clearly aren't the work of the originator on their instruments. However there's some decent wood work being done in quite a few of the factories there. Lately I've been scouring DH Gate, Alibaba, and Ali Express trying to find a factory that will make something to my specs or even a DIY body/neck kit. Still looking:cool:
 
#196
armyadarkness said:
<snip>
Heck... Dee Dee Ramone is as American as you get... the iconic inspiration for all modern hard rock alt and punk... and Fender Honored him by making a nice Squire. To me, that's counterfeiting at its finest. <snip>
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I an unaware of any "Dee Dee Ramone" SQUIER model. I own one of THESE:

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It is, in fact a FENDER "Dee Dee Ramone" bass made in Mexico. I like it very much. I'm sure that Fender could have made a Squier version for much less, but they did not, AFAIK. Just a little change of pace in a 10-page discussion of Chinese basses!
 
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#197
eldoryder said:
I an unaware of any "Dee Dee Ramone" SQUIER model. I own one of THESE:

It is, in fact a FENDER "Dee Dee Ramone" bass made in Mexico. I like it very much. I'm sure that Fender could have made a Squier version for much less, but they did not, AFAIK. Just a little change of pace in a 10-page discussion of Chinese basses!
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Well to be honest, I was only using Dee Dee as an example, because he's a big deal to me... and an American icon. I really had no ideawhere his bass was made... but I thought that both he an Matt Freeman's were Squires.

In any event, was certainly no poke at foreign quality, as I am the proud owner of many such instruments from foreign places...It was more of an eye roll at Fender Musical Instruments as a company.

I love that bass no matter where it's made, but I do personally feel that if we're to be buying artist models so that we can have what the artist has, then it should be made where the artists model was made.

I feel the same about Orange and Trace Elliot making their amps and cabs in America... again, nothing to do with quality. I'd just be pissed if I found out that the United States Government was having American flags made in North Korea too!

lol... But you have to forgive me, I teach economics and and civics, so after so many years of being on the front lines, I take screwy stuff like that personal... and while I wish that others did, I don't expect them to!

More importantly, how is the bass? I have a lot of Fenders, never had a Mexican, but always heard outstanding things about them.

In the mid 90's before Fender went hardcore Mexico, it built stuff in Cali, sent it to Mexico to be painted, and then brought it back for final assembly... or so I'm told. I had a Tele and LOVED IT!!!

American paint regulations are catastrophic... insurance, epa and dep regs, and licenses are criminal, so Fender gave up all of their wonderful, cool, transparent colors by the end of the 90's- early 2000's.

Is there anything different about the Dee Dee model?
 
#199
armyadarkness said:
Is there anything different about the Dee Dee model?
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From Fender:

"Features include an Olympic White gloss finish, maple neck with “C”-shaped profile and vintage-style heel truss-rod adjustment, 9.5”-radius maple fingerboard with 20 vintage-style frets, split single-coil pickup, three-ply black pickguard and vintage-style bridge with four single-groove saddles. Additional features include Dee Dee Ramone’s signature on the back of the headstock, special “Dee Dee Ramone One Two Three Four” inscribed neck plate, vintage-style heel truss-rod adjustment, Seventies Fender logo decal and a single disk string tree. Finally, the Dee Dee Ramone Precision Bass guitar includes an exclusive 40-page full-color scrapbook featuring never before seen photos of Dee Dee, as well as his personal illustrations, artwork and doodles, and a biography and quotes from musicians and personal friends of Dee Dee. It also includes a sticker and 18” x 24” color poster of Dee Dee playing his P Bass live with the Ramones."

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Here's a link to what's inside the 40-page booklet:

DEE DEE RAMONE CASE CANDY 3-11-16 by Michael Selvey

Oh... and a gig bag, too. DEFINITELY more swag than your average Squier "Artist Model"!
 
#200
eldoryder said:
From Fender:

Oh... and a gig bag, too. DEFINITELY more swag than your average Squier "Artist Model"!
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Very cool. Surprised that they use Vintage frets.

I was fortunate enough to grow up with them and travel in the came circles. Our set list still has a lot of Ramones, and my friend is the President of the Dee Dee Ramone Foundation, so I still get to see all of his friends and family annually.

If you're a fan check it out.
 

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