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Chinese knock-off basses

#22
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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Well, I am dubious when this is a description of the item for sale...

"For music lovers, cheap bass guitars for sale is another very important instrument. The sound of thunderbird bass guitar is relatively low, and more solemn, which can bring a different feeling. The double bass guitar is suitable for blue and jazz music, also, you can learn to sing a song with the double neck bass guitar for your beloved girl, which can show your love so perfectly. The wholesale pink bass guitar in our shop are of highest quality and low price, come on and buy a new bass guitar body!"
 
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#23
jdthebassman said:
because every bass I have played made in china was crap.
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that's funny! every chinese made bass i've played (only two) has been excellent, wildly beyond my expectations...and cheap! they're my main players! ;)

i've had the best possible luck with chinese instruments. you haven't had any luck at all. but at least we both live in the same 'balanced' universe. :D
 
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#24
Charlzm said:
Well, I am dubious when this is a description of the item for sale...

"For music lovers, cheap bass guitars for sale is another very important instrument. The sound of thunderbird bass guitar is relatively low, and more solemn, which can bring a different feeling. The double bass guitar is suitable for blue and jazz music, also, you can learn to sing a song with the double neck bass guitar for your beloved girl, which can show your love so perfectly. The wholesale pink bass guitar in our shop are of highest quality and low price, come on and buy a new bass guitar body!"
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Yeah, their translation skills rank as " not so much"!
Don't get me started on 70's/80's era Japanese to English translations. Manuals for Yamaha products, especially their large frame mixing consoles, liberally made use of the word f#ck every time they instructed you to insert a connector in a jack or hook up the power supply cables! :nailbiting:
 
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#25
To those posting here about their satisfaction with Chinese instruments, do you have an opinion on the quality of the Fender style maple necks offered by Chinese manufacturers?
Is maple....maple , wherever it's grown?
I'm sure there are varying levels of fretwork and finishes, but I see more and more of them offered, and can't help but wonder if they're legit at those price points, or a poo fest to avoid at all costs!
 
#27
I ordered a "custom" 5 string bass based roughly on a stingray design. They sent me an exact clone. But like a clone that had been copied too many times on a photocopier...
It is an utter piece of trash. Unplayable. Electronics not wired correctly. Looks good from 15 feet away, up close it is a travesty. Hardware is like that metallic candy you sometimes see on "fancy" cakes.
It's not good enough to be a wall clock.
I leave it in a window so that it gets direct sun every day as a personal protest to the "luthier".
I would avoid these types of clones.
There are some fine instruments to be had, but quality control and accountability are severely lacking in the knock-off market, so it's a dangerous situation for a buyer.
 
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#28
bholder said:
And CNC machines operate the same no matter where they are
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images2b2.png
 
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#29
You are rolling the dice. Because whatever ahows up at your door is your baby, there is no feasible way to return it without being out a lot of money with absolutely nothing to show for it. I've bought a lot of stuff without trying it first. I'm a bit of a gambler in that regard. But I would never do it with the knock offs.
 
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#30
B-Mac said:
Well, here's a few pics of my Dillion 534-004 Semi-Hollow that I bought brand new in November
View attachment 2979535 View attachment 2979536

Bound Maple semi-hollow body
Bound F holes and a 4 ply pickguard
Bound set neck with Indian rosewood fingerboard
White Pearl dot inlays + side markers
20 Hand polished 2.7 mm Frets
Wilkinson deluxe bass gears
1 ½ inch Graphite nut width
Two volume, two tone, plus a 3 way switch
2 Dillion custom alnico pickups
D’Addario Strings ( 45 – 100 )
34" Scale length
11 inch radius

The mud bucker tone knob is push-pull for coil split and really changes the clarity of the mud bucker pup without noticeable noise

I guess this is based on a cross between the old Gibson EB-2D and the newer Midtown?
It is a little on the heavy side but it is really nice fit, finish and sound wise.
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May I ask what you paid for this beautiful beast?
 
#31
Bassbeater said:
I ordered a "custom" 5 string bass based roughly on a stingray design. They sent me an exact clone. But like a clone that had been copied too many times on a photocopier...
It is an utter piece of trash. Unplayable. Electronics not wired correctly. Looks good from 15 feet away, up close it is a travesty. Hardware is like that metallic candy you sometimes see on "fancy" cakes.
It's not good enough to be a wall clock.
I leave it in a window so that it gets direct sun every day as a personal protest to the "luthier".
I would avoid these types of clones.
There are some fine instruments to be had, but quality control and accountability are severely lacking in the knock-off market, so it's a dangerous situation for a buyer.
Click to expand...

sorry for your 'loss'. your description of "clones" via the copier process makes sense. i'm not a "chinese fan-boy" and i'm not trying to defend my point by arguing 'zero-sum', 'binary-think'. i bought chinese made instruments from a chinese brand/manufacturer and they just happen to be excellent players and cheap at the same time. ;)


good luck with your options! :thumbsup:
 
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#32
JRA said:
sorry for your 'loss'. your description of "clones" via the copier process makes sense. i'm not a "chinese fan-boy" and i'm not trying to defend my point by arguing 'zero-sum', 'binary-think'. i bought chinese made instruments from a chinese brand/manufacturer and they just happen to be excellent players and cheap at the same time. ;)


good luck with your options! :thumbsup:
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There are definitely great Chinese basses out there, I just didn't get one. I would try again if I knew someone who had bought from a specific seller or factory and had a good experience. I just bought a Sire v3 (Indonesia) which is a killer bass. I really don't care who makes the bass, I just want it made well!
I think it would be interesting to have a Chinese bass thread that helped buyers find good companies.
 
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#33
Peteyboy said:
May I ask what you paid for this beautiful beast?
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I bought it brand new from XYZ Guitars out of Brookline, Massachusetts on Reverb. They are an Official Dillion Dealer. They had it listed for $539 and free shipping with a Dillion padded gig bag. I wanted a Hard Shell Case which they didn't have and Dillion does not make. So after some whining by me that I only buy if I can get a HSC they came down in price and I got it for $465. Later I was able to locate a no name hard shell case from a place in Canada. The case for the Epihone JC bass fits this perfect.
@GretschWretch has two of these and he'll also tell you how great these are.
 
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#36
2tonic said:
To those posting here about their satisfaction with Chinese instruments, do you have an opinion on the quality of the Fender style maple necks offered by Chinese manufacturers?
Is maple....maple , wherever it's grown?
I'm sure there are varying levels of fretwork and finishes, but I see more and more of them offered, and can't help but wonder if they're legit at those price points, or a poo fest to avoid at all costs!
Click to expand...

I've got a squier strat from China. It's a 50th anniversary model. Unreal guitar for $200. Have had a few high profile guitarist friends who get their own customs play it and they all loved it.
 
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#38
buldog5151bass said:
You generally get what you pay for.
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i agree, unless you get a deal. and then there's that "great deal" thing. and then there's that worth vs. value thing.

i'm thinking a manufacturer/builder could live any place in the known universe, do things differently than your neighbor, and still produce a good/great instrument. i'm thinking some could 'do it for less'.

i'm also thinking that chinese instruments may become 'average' when it comes to price (in the USA)...the deals could dry up in the near future.

china: just another option, IMO. ;)

my last two 'whole instrument' purchases (2013?) were chinese cheapies. i got lucky = nice players.
 

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