does it matter where (bass) guitars are made?

[JRA]

sweetwater customers get these notices/articles in their email, but in case you don't subscribe: i thought it might be an interesting read for some....maybe more for those who are fence sitting re: a potential purchase.

Does It Matter Where Guitars Are Made? - inSync

i don't think the builders (interviewed in the article) have 'shattering news/views', but i thought i'd share and then follow the comments.

thanks,

jim

i'm in the group who doesn't really care where the instrument is made --- as long as it plays well for me!

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

I play a Squier by Fenders Classic Vibe 60's P . I've owned 5 of these and the build and sound quality has been consistently good. These were made in China.

I also play ErniebBall MusicMan basses. My Caprice is my 2nd US made MusicMan.
Better quality excellent build. Consistently great. It's a higher level instrument and I like having them both.

If I don't want to bring out my $1700 MusicMan I have the $250 Squier .

I've owned a Japan and Mexican Fender P, a Czek made MTD, 3 China MTD's, and an Indonesia SireV7 Vintage. All were great basses.

The great thing is that there a are great basses to be had at every price point for various countries of build origins.
You can even get great US maxed basses for like Peavey for ridiculously low prices.

 

[micguy]

To me, it matters a great deal. I'm particular, and like things just so. The bass builder that works out of my basement does things just the way I like, and nobody else does things quite like that, so yes, where it's made matters a lot to me.

 

[socialleper]

I don't think it does anymore for a few reasons.

1. All the parts are machine milled these days. A factory in the US, Japan, German, and the Philippians can all have the same mill running the same program.
2. The rest of the world has caught up to the US. There is little training differences in an assembly line here in the US or in Asia. They read at the same level and have the same technical skills as we do here.
3. The only thing it really indicates is that there are probably some differences in the equipment use. A Korean or Mexican built bass is almost never 100% identical to the US version as far as specs. They will use cheaper hardware, pickups, woods, paint, etc.

 

[kodiakblair]

Couldn't care less where any of my basses were built, as long as they play great. I do like that a couple say "made in Great Britain" but that wasn't the reason for purchase.

 

[bholder]

It depends - matters a lot to certain individual who think it matters, but otherwise, no. No country or continent has a exclusive lock on either skilled craftsmen or CNC machines. There are some countries with very lax manufacturing laws, of course, but that's a separate issue. "USA made" is no longer any sort of guarantee of better quality (and never really was, to be honest).

 

[Gorn]

Nope.

 

[Michael Jewels]

I don't think it does anymore for a few reasons.

1. All the parts are machine milled these days. A factory in the US, Japan, German, and the Philippians can all have the same mill running the same program.
2. The rest of the world has caught up to the US. There is little training differences in an assembly line here in the US or in Asia. They read at the same level and have the same technical skills as we do here.
3. The only thing it really indicates is that there are probably some differences in the equipment use. A Korean or Mexican built bass is almost never 100% identical to the US version as far as specs. They will use cheaper hardware, pickups, woods, paint, etc.

I agree, socialleper.

I also believe that most of the world has caught up to the US. Everyone realizes if they want to sell instruments in the US or anywhere else in the world, they had better put out a very good product, and for the most part, they do.

One example I can give first hand, is my G&L ASAT Tribute Telecaster.

Made in Indonesia in 2003, the quality is very good in both materials and workmanship. American pickups, so what's not to like?

Bought it in 2005 for $465.00 versus about $1,200.00 for the American made model.

I also have a Musicman Stingray bought in 2001, and the quality speaks for itself. The best.

Has anyone picked up a mid level Ibanez lately? I tried an Ibanez SR 655 recently, and for $750.00 you get a great-sounding instrument that's very well made.

I will also say that I think the American made stuff is still slightly better, due to top-notch materials, excellent workmanship to pride in set-up. This is why regular Stingrays are approaching the $2,000.00 mark. Rics are already there.

If you spend $2,000.00 on a Prestige Ibanez, you're also getting a top-notch instrument too, but I think most players would go for the US made stuff. Either way, you win.

Mike

 

[Fat Freddy]

I've got basses made in Indonesia, USA, Mexico, Poland and UK.....

So to me.....No....

 

[Killed_by_Death]

I've seen big projects get delayed & go over budget due to QC & one particular country was banned from purchases by many project managers.

Recently I compared a Indonesian LTD to a Chinese LTD (same model) & the Indo one was better.
and as a followup I bought a very similar model LTD from Korea which is better than both of those

My Korean BTB was built like a tank, but almost as heavy.

 

[Reedt2000]

I love the Indonesian G&L I picked up this year.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Building bass guitars is mostly 1950's technology, well within the capabilities of any industrialized society. We like to mystify it with terms like "Mojo", but its just wood, metal, wire, and paint. Compared to the device you are viewing this thread on, it might as well be a hunk of chipped flint. As others have said, CNC files and machinery are everywhere, so it's down to the QC of any particular factory. Having owned a Steinberger bass, I'd argue that wood isn't even necessarily the best material to make electric instruments out of, sooner or later they will just get 3-d printed. Then we can all argue about which polymer sounds better.

 

[Vinnie Boombatz]

Depends on what you want in an instrument. Collector, player, hoarder, gigging musician, etc.? These days great instruments are being made all over the world, and there are total junk and dogs being made as well, even in the USA. As long as the craftsmanship is good, anyone can make a good bass. Part of it is rolling the dice to get all that organic material (wood) to get along and produce a nice sound.

I don't really care where someone's bass was made. Can they play and sound good in the setting they're playing in? If so, that's what I like. Maybe someone can't afford the nicest USA made instrument but has the chops and can play but he/she can only afford something made overseas. Why should it matter where his/her bass was made?

 

[chris_b]

The QC accepted by the company is the only deciding factor not where the item was made.

 

[hrodbert696]

In principle, no. But you generally do get what you pay for; the market is saturated enough that you aren't going to get a lot of instruments that are hugely overpriced or underpriced for what they are. From what I can see, a lot of manufacturers do choose to keep their premium-end production domestically located where they can supervise it closely. But if you buy a $1300 Korean-made Lakland Skyline, you're generally getting comparable quality to a $1300 MIA Fender. The $2500 US-made Lakland goes more in a category with a Custom Shop Fender.

 

[ZenG]

Sometimes an identical bass can be made in multiple locations.

Personally I like the Indonesian Ibby Mikro over it's Chinese counterpart (for one example). The Indonesian was much better.

I tend not to like "Made In China" versions of basses.

Anyway...it's all about the wallet. A Made In America (or Canada) bass might be really nice but if it doesn't compete with the price point of a similar bass that can be had for less and is perfectly fine to play...then why buy the higher priced bass.?

National loyalty? Joke. It was, in many cases, North Americans who moved their plants offshore so they could build cheaper instruments at a better profit for them and then ship back to these shores for you and I to buy.

If they were so "country of origin" conscious , they would have kept the plants on these shores.

They have no scruples about what country they get lower paid workers to build there goods in. So why would I be wringing my hands over it?

 

[DiabolusInMusic]

I much prefer to buy instruments from countries with a high regard for workplace safety and human rights. That being said, I do not exclusively do so.

 

[JRA]

The bass builder that works out of my basement does things just the way I like

...so you build your own?

 

[micguy]

...so you build your own?

Very perceptive of you. Yes, I build my own.

As it turns out, almost all the parts I use are made in the USA. Warmoth, Hipshot, Dimarzio, Nordstrand - I think some of the resistors and capacitors may be from outside the US, but most everything I like happens to be domestic.

 

[JRA]

I build my own.

aha!