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Does it matter where the bass came from?

#42
Slave labor in China.....doesn't that apply to any manufacturer, such as Fender SQUIER that are made in China?

There's a tendency here to single out SX's assembled by slave labor, but why wouldn't that apply to the others?
 
#46
Hifiguy said:
Both good and lousy can come from pretty much anywhere. My three basses are from the US, Japan and Korea and they are all very well made instruments. I would avoid the lowest-price-point Chinese stuff for both quality reasons and the fact that it is likely made by what is virtually slave labor. Apart from that, go where your hands and ears take you.
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I see this claim a lot with dealing with instruments made overseas, and I wonder, are there any statistics or official reports that support this claim? I'm not saying it's not entirely true, I would just like to know to what degree it is or isn't true, and how the different manufacturers handle this.
 
#47
it really matter only to YOU, the person buying it.

I try to only buy gear where I have some confidence that the environment and the workforce is more or less protected. I also struggle with US brands that either make a US-branded product outside the US (Fender/Peavey), add a snazzy extra brand name (Skyline) or give it a different name that implies it's a US company (tribute/sterling). If you're going to sell me a bass made in Indonesia, give it an Indonesian name!
 
#50
Another take on this is the Lakland example. They started out making basses in a small shop, struggling along crafting beautiful instruments. Starting the "Skyline" line (first made in Korea, after 2007 in Indonesia) helped the company break even for the first time. Going with a mix of locally produced "finer" instruments, and an offshore created lower priced line, helped keep a bunch of folks in the US employed. Preferable to them just going belly up because of principles. Of course, as is the case with many things, their success also begets Invalid Link Removed.

Roger Sadowsky even [Invalid or Expired Link Removed], unless they want really specific woods, crazy electronics, etc.

I think several posters have recommended "try before you buy". This is especially true at the lower end of the spectrum.

Good luck, and enjoy the first steps on your journey to the bottom of the staff. :)
 
#52
I think Chinese and other import models do in a few rare cases equal the quality of their American counterparts, the rest of the time coming very close. Japanese Fenders frequently exceed American Fenders as well, IME. However because of (specifically) China's (but not necessarily other Asian countries') highly questionable and murky position on labor and workers' rights, I am loathe to buy anything from them if I can reasonably avoid it. It's my way of "voting with my wallet"; I didn't always feel this way but more and more over time, and especially as China exports its labor model to places like Greece, I grow concerned that I could be supporting an abusive system.
 
#53
I care more about the brand name, and reputation rather than where it's manufactured. Mine are all from Japan, and Indonesia which I have no problem with, and actually prefer. Japan has some of the highest quality workmanship, and technological advancements of any nation.
 
#55
C.Linton said:
I see this claim a lot with dealing with instruments made overseas, and I wonder, are there any statistics or official reports that support this claim? I'm not saying it's not entirely true, I would just like to know to what degree it is or isn't true, and how the different manufacturers handle this.
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Check out the suicide rates for employees at the Chinese factory that builds Apple stuff. Terrifying.
 
#56
Just my 0.02, but when I bought my Ibanez SR400QM I gave no consideration to where it was made. Later after playing it I saw it was made in China. And you know what, it was set up perfectly out of the box. Action super low with no fret buzz, neck with a tiny bit of relief, no rough fret edges etc. I honestly can't fault its construction considering what I paid for it ($650 AUD). I also own a Cort GB34A which is a solid bass for the money, too.

I think quality of construction should be relative only to how much you paid for the bass. In the same way that power to weight ratio is usually a much better indication when comparing performance of two cars as opposed to which one has more raw power.
 
#58
I've played good and bad basses from all corners of the globe. My main bass is an 08 american standard jazz. I have it because it is really one of the top 3 best basses I have ever played. With that said i have played other american standards that I didn't feel were as good as mine. Any lakland skyline I have played has been great and they aren't US made. The big thing to remember is the quality of the individual instrument. Just the other day I played a squier classic vibe 60's p bass that I would say was about 90% as good as an american standard p hanging on the wall next to it. To the OP, if you are looking for a good beginner bass that will undoubtably be useful even as you continue to progress and grow as a player.
 
#59
BlueTalon said:
Here are some free pieces of life advice from an old guy.

1. It is perfectly OK to buy crap, as long as you know you are buying crap.

2. Never be afraid to spend more money to get a better product.

3. Stay away from entry-level stuff. If something is worth doing, it's worth spending some extra money on.


Entry level stuff is for people who don't know anything. And it's usually bought by people that don't know anything for people that don't know anything.

The thought process behind the entry-level stuff is that you spend a minimum to get started, so if you don't like it or stick with it, you are only out that much money. But the dirty little secret is that you are going to be out that much money anyway. Because if you do something it and stick with it, you are going to have to upgrade, sooner rather than later.

If you are getting something for yourself (not just basses, but anything), invest in yourself by starting off getting something with enough quality to see you through. Your next upgrade should be because you are getting seriously interested and good enough to justify a meaningful step up, not because you only realized what you have is a POS after a month or so of experience with it.

You get the wrong bass now, and you'll regret it forever. It will either be such a pain to play that it will hold you back until you do spend the money for something better, or it will be so bad that you don't even want to practice, and can kill your interest entirely.
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I think this is less true than it was years ago. My first guitar was a cheap Hondo Strat copy. Looked great, but the thing was impossible to play. I was constantly frustrated trying to learn on the thing. These days the quality of "entry level" instruments are far superior. My Classic Vibe P. Bass is comparable to the American made 57 P Bass reissue I used to play.
 
#60
leegreenman said:
I think this is less true than it was years ago. My first guitar was a cheap Hondo Strat copy. Looked great, but the thing was impossible to play. I was constantly frustrated trying to learn on the thing. These days the quality of "entry level" instruments are far superior. My Classic Vibe P. Bass is comparable to the American made 57 P Bass reissue I used to play.
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I do not consider the CV or VM Squiers to be entry level. Heck, they are not even the lowest models in Squier's range. I think its a welcome period of bass manufacturing that the low-mid range basses are the quality they are now. But you are right, even the lowest cost instruments from major brands are at a decent playable standard.

I am not sure what others feel, but my opinion of my own 2010 Squier is that while everything works, I am not as confident that stuff like the chrome on the bridge and tuners etc. are going to stand the test of time like the more expensive ones found on Fenders. I can already tell that my frets are tarnishing fast when compared to my EBMM SR4 which is 15 years old.

So I would hazard a guess that for the first 5+ years, a cheaper instrument is going to perform as well as an expensive one, but I can definitely see a need to replace some parts because of functional breakdown somewhere down the road. That might just be attributed to the general change towards programmed obsolescence over the decades.
 

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