Do You Play USA Models?

[ShirazBop]

I am not American, but I would love to play with American Top Models.

I've had 2x Yamaha, 1x Korean Ovation, 1x EBMM SR4, 1x Squier PJ, so still more Asian than Americans represented in my collection.

^^^
We have a Winner!

 

[Dr. Eagle]

I am American and have some of both actually. Gibson, Carvin, Fender... all American basses. My Epiphone Thunderbird Pro V (Chinese) and Warwick Buzzard (German)... not American but cool. I guess I have a majority of American Made basses...

 

[Gaolee]

American, but Asia is winning.

USA Gibson EB-2
Mexico Fender Precision
Korea Epi Thunderbird
China Ibanez AS73 (yeah, it's a guitar. We all have flaws.)

 

[Billnc]

All American instruments, except one MIM Strat, MIJ Squire Strat, MIM Precision, Dean Edgepro5 and Aria Archtop guitar. The list of American instruments is probably 20, G&L, Peavey, Fender, Heritage, Musicman, Martin etc.

We seem to do guitar family instruments very well, like France does woodwinds, Germany and Czech Republic do basses etc. Italian violins, Spanish guitars. Certain instrument building cultures seem to spring up at various times in history in different countries.

Fender, Gibson, G&L and Peavey mastered production building well. By its nature mass production is not as skilled as hand built and that has lead to instruments of near or equal quality being built overseas.

Oh my list is instruments I've ever owned,
Right now one Carvin, one Dean and the Aria, mixed bag right now.

 

[Aspidites]

^^^
We have a Winner!

Only if you like anorexic sticks.

 

[nocontrols]

I am an American and my current no. 1 is American, too. (see my sig)

Having said that, I can play anything, provided it's of a standard quality and I like it enough. Basses come from all over the place.

 

[arsie]

Only if you like anorexic sticks.

The internet delivers.

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One of the things of not being in the US, is that it is harder to get less popular USA brands, such as Peavey, Lakland, G&L to name a few.

 

[UncleFluffy]

Only if you like anorexic sticks.

The phrase I always remember (though I can't remember who to credit with it) is "like sharing a bed with a bicycle frame".

(Though, you can go too far in the other direction as well...)

 

[totallyfrozen]

I'm an American and I don't play USA models but not because I don't want to. I just haven't been able to make myself pay the price to buy a USA made bass yet.

 

[sps500]

Well there are a lot of good ole fashion American Models I would love to get my hands on!

 

[nocontrols]

My current favorite was made in America and, given the trends of the used market, was cheaper than a brand-new Korean or Chinese bass. It's also comparable and arguably better in quality.

Food for thought.

 

[TheBass]

Well there are a lot of good ole fashion American Models I would love to get my hands on!

... even on the basses

 

[cnltb]

Just a poll out of curiosity. I'm wondering if the use of basses deemed "Made in the USA" is common not only in the United States, but also common around the world.

Disclaimer: I am an American, however, this poll is not meant to be ethnocentric or argumentative. I would like to avoid debate driven by claimed USA model superiority/inferiority. This poll is merely out of statistical interest.



That being said, what says the TalkBass community?

I am not US American.
My basses are German,one made in England ,by a german plus an ashbory( english, but not made there).

 

[benthughes]

Despite the great quality of overseas basses I'm biased because then nicest and most consistent basses I've owned were US made. On the other hand , Sadowsky Metro , Spector Euro and Lakland Skyline basses have been superb.

There are several overseas builders that rival or surpass those found in the USA but it tends to be on a smaller scale. US companies like Ernie Ball and Fender have the high quality/mass produced thing down IMO.

I currently own and play 2 Lull basses, a USA Spector and G&L L-2500. I don't think USA basses are the be all end all though.

 

[bluesbasshound]

I'm American and currently enjoy playing an Ibanez GW-1, a Japanese bass designed by American bassist/educator/innovator, Gary Willis.

 

[Bassorator]

I'm Czech and I play us made 72 precision bass and it's one of the best sounding instrument made on this planet.....

 

[AuntieBeeb]

The phrase I always remember (though I can't remember who to credit with it) is "like sharing a bed with a bicycle frame".

(Though, you can go too far in the other direction as well...)

The phrase recently coined in the Viz Profanisaurus is "like banging the cutlery drawer"

"sim. A delightful trope describing sexual intercourse with an unacceptably scrawny woman, with all her knobbly knees, sharp elbows and jutting hips and that."

 

[AuntieBeeb]

And to answer the OP: I'm not American and I don't play American-made basses...simply because I can't afford them!

I'm a proud user of British amps, though. (2 Laney bass amps and a Vox guitar amp)

 

[jetbike]

I'm an Englishman, in Australia, who only has one bass. A 2011 MIA P-bass.

 

[drewk]

For me, I'm not American (Irish all the way ) but I only play American equipment... Music Man basses and Ampeg rigs.... just the best combination in my humble opinion...

Cheers

Andrew