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Chinese Made Gutars?

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#41
GBassNorth said:
Actually there are Fender licensed options through Warmoth company that would have given you an identical bass. The issue is a fully finished neck and body matching that white one of yours would be in the neighborhood of about $850 USD not including shipping and import fees and other taxes. And you'd still have to buy and install the tuners, bridge, pickups, controls, pickguard, control plate, strap pins and strings, all totaling about another $350. So you're sitting at about $1200 in parts and labor (not including taxes, shipping, customs, etc) to duplicate that white left handed bass.

You clearly had a choice (that you might not have been aware of). You choose what I assume was a more cost efficient option. There's obvious pros and cons to that from both an ethical and financial standpoint.
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I am aware of this option, but I just wanted a simple lefty 5 string Jazz Bass, not something custom-ish.
When I want something in the Warmoth range I can build it even better by myself, just check out [Invalid or Expired Link Removed].

GBassNorth said:
I would challenge you to consider removing the Fender logo from the headstock.
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That's probably something I'm going to do in the near future.
 
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#42
blablas said:
I am aware of this option, but I just wanted a simple lefty 5 string Jazz Bass, not something custom-ish.
When I want something in the Warmoth range I can build it even better by myself, just check out [Invalid or Expired Link Removed].


That's probably something I'm going to do in the near future.
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Some very nice builds on your homepage! With skills like yours I would think it would be really cool to build a Fender tribute bass that kept the general Fender look but was better than Fender in every way possible.
 
#44
blablas said:
I do understand your ethical issues, however, if this is the ONLY way to get a LEFTHANDED five string Jazz Bass I'm willing to go for a fake one that can actually be bought.
Fender or Squier don't offer a lefty 5 string!!!

And for what it's worth, I'll always mention they are fake and never try to pass them off as the real deal!
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If you want it, go to Carvin, Warmoth, All Parts, etc. You get something good, legal, and a company that will stand behind their work.

Or get the parts and build it yourself.
 
#45
GBassNorth said:
Some very nice builds on your homepage! With skills like yours I would think it would be really cool to build a Fender tribute bass that kept the general Fender look but was better than Fender in every way possible.
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Thanks for the compliment!

General Fender look: Been there, done that. :D

leotrib.jpg

Okay, it's fanned and has a Stingray inspired headstock, but for me the Jazz Bass look and feel is there.
It's my personal tribute to Leo Fender.
 
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#48
blindrabbit said:
I don't think you can make sweeping generalizations about any instrument based upon country of origin. Some of those guitars from China are made along side licensed products (such as Fenders), and we know those products are great, so why wouldn't the others be?

Regarding the blatant knockoffs, go read some of the threads like the Rickenfaker one. Sure, some of them are sub-par, but I don't think anyone has had the experience of necks bending in the wind. Many guys report very positive experiences with them, and find the quality, sound, and playability to be just as good as any other instrument from anywhere else.

Why are they cheap? Mass production for one, and if they are knockoffs, they aren't paying any royalties to patent/trademark/whatever holders, so that saves a bunch there.
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Here's a sweeping generalization (or two):
These are all counterfeit instruments, and should be avoided like the plague. For some reason, people don't think of stealing ideas as stealing anymore; they think of it as taking what they deserve.
 
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#50
With companies like Fender who manufacture in both China and the US, how much of the cost difference do you guys think is pure profit for the companies? For years I've been hearing that a pair of Nikes would cost $400 if they were made in the US. But I read in Forbes that the added cost for the new iPhones manufactured in America is $4.00.

I guess I'm of the opinion that the money saved by manufacturing outside the US isn't passed on to the consumer, it's just to increase profit share. And then they can raise the price again on the American version. If someone knows otherwise, please school me.
 
#51
The number of fakes / counterfeit basses I keep hearing about is freaking me out a bit. I always used to shop for lightly used gear and from private sellers to get the most bang for my buck. I'm afraid now. If I was buying a used bass from a brand I'm not familiar with, I could easily get scammed.
 
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#52
I bought a Chinese Precision Bass white with black body binding. Except for the pickup it is great! Looks like they tried to Copt a "Chris Aiken" precision (Squier) bass. It has a mirror pickguard (came with crack near input jack) and a "Chris Aiken" signature on the headstock (which has an authentic looking Fender USA copy decal. I put DR blacks and fret block decals on it. It is one of my favorite basses, and I have Guild, Fender, Danelectro, and G&L
I have also bought two (g&L copy and Musicman copy and they were crap. I guess I got lucky.
 
#53
P bass guy said:
The number of fakes / counterfeit basses I keep hearing about is freaking me out a bit. I always used to shop for lightly used gear and from private sellers to get the most bang for my buck. I'm afraid now. If I was buying a used bass from a brand I'm not familiar with, I could easily get scammed.
Click to expand...

I don't know about other instruments but I know a bit about Les Pauls. You can still spot a fake at a glance, 100% certainty, if you know the signs. It's not complicated but you have to do your homework. Unfortunately some of the fakes are getting more clever. Used to be that one look at the bridge posts would tell all you needed to know. However the Chinese have figured that out. On bound neck models (the fakes tend to be of higher-end instruments with binding), you could look for the absence of nibs on the fret ends. Now I hear that Gibson is discontinuing those nibs on the Standard. The fakes used to have three screws on the truss rod cover, whereas a Gibson has two. But the fakers figured that one out too. Another giveaway is the absence of wings on the headstock, visible from the back. All real Les Pauls have them. Far as I know, none of the fakes do. Subtle signs like differences in the headstock shape, logo, and placement of the pots are harder to spot unless you really know your stuff or are able to compare side-by-side with an authentic guitar.
 
#54
ekimfunk said:
I bought a Chinese Precision Bass white with black body binding. Except for the pickup it is great! Looks like they tried to Copt a "Chris Aiken" precision (Squier) bass. It has a mirror pickguard (came with crack near input jack) and a "Chris Aiken" signature on the headstock (which has an authentic looking Fender USA copy decal. I put DR blacks and fret block decals on it. It is one of my favorite basses, and I have Guild, Fender, Danelectro, and G&L
I have also bought two (g&L copy and Musicman copy and they were crap. I guess I got lucky.
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Well, at least you got some crap ones too. Hope you paid a bunch for them! ;)
 
#55
48thStreetCustom said:
With companies like Fender who manufacture in both China and the US, how much of the cost difference do you guys think is pure profit for the companies? For years I've been hearing that a pair of Nikes would cost $400 if they were made in the US. But I read in Forbes that the added cost for the new iPhones manufactured in America is $4.00.

I guess I'm of the opinion that the money saved by manufacturing outside the US isn't passed on to the consumer, it's just to increase profit share. And then they can raise the price again on the American version. If someone knows otherwise, please school me.
Click to expand...

I think you underestimate the overhead difference between China and the US. Nearly every designer I've known has said they could build their thing for $XX in the US and $XX/4 overseas. The cost of regulation, taxes, labor, and good QA is significant here.
 
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#56
48thStreetCustom said:
With companies like Fender who manufacture in both China and the US, how much of the cost difference do you guys think is pure profit for the companies? For years I've been hearing that a pair of Nikes would cost $400 if they were made in the US. But I read in Forbes that the added cost for the new iPhones manufactured in America is $4.00.

I guess I'm of the opinion that the money saved by manufacturing outside the US isn't passed on to the consumer, it's just to increase profit share. And then they can raise the price again on the American version. If someone knows otherwise, please school me.
Click to expand...

Would depend on how competitive the market is. If it's very competitive, the market should force price down toward cost.
 
#57
okcrum said:
I think you underestimate the overhead difference between China and the US. Nearly every designer I've known has said they could build their thing for $XX in the US and $XX/4 overseas. The cost of regulation, taxes, labor, and good QA is significant here.
Click to expand...

I'm not disagreeing with you, but do you know what the difference in taxes in the US vs China is? I want to learn.
 
#58
Robus said:
Would depend on how competitive the market is. If it's very competitive, the market should force price down toward cost.
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Maybe I didn't state it well but that's sort of my point. When companies are forced to lower prices due to competition, companies shift manufacturing overseas to lower manufacturing costs rather than cutting profits. And then when the manufacturing costs rise in that company they pack up and move somewhere else.
 
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#59
There is a difference between a Fender being made in China, and a ripoff counterfeit made in China.

With the ripoff, you get no accountability, and you are buying an illegal copy.

The company owns the rights, they earned the profit. You get paid for doing your job, so should they.
 
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