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Guitar Center dumping Mesa or new models?
- Thread starter Britbonic
- Start date
They certainly do. If made in the usa means anything at all then assembling their boards here is very significant.
So is this thread about ampeg or mesa?
good for them for not dealing with gc anymore. I dont care what anyone says, i hate that place. I realize it means sales and all but sometimes tough decisions need to be made.
So is this thread about ampeg or mesa?
good for them for not dealing with gc anymore. I dont care what anyone says, i hate that place. I realize it means sales and all but sometimes tough decisions need to be made.
Sounds like someone's a little sore
Hey, if we buy into the whole "American-made" thing, that means that the guys populating the boards are paid here, which is better for our economy or some such.
I'm a big fan of their guitar amps (haven't played too many of their bass amps aside from the Walkabout and the M6) but what blows me away is that they can do incredibly full-featured American-made amplifiers and cabinets covering a huge range of sounds and styles throughout a very wide product range at very fair prices.
The SVT is a killer amp, don't get me wrong (a lot of money goes into those transformers and that power section) but something tells me that a four-channel Roadster with multiple modes on each channel, two power modes, rectifier switching, etc. is a bit more complex to put together. Impressive considering the price point is similar.
Complexity of build doesn't enter into my buying decisions. All I care about is it being relatively simple to operate and giving me the sound I need. Complex or simple is something the techs have to deal with, not me.
I admire your integrity and applaud your efforts and though I own no Mesa gear now I will definitely check it out for future amp needs.
Until recently I worked as an independent sales rep for several ski and snowboard companies. My largest line was a household name in sporting goods with one of the oldest names in snowsports. Despite this fact, the company only sold to small chains and Mom and Pops, no box stores. They also held the line on MAP pricing and there were actually consequences for dealers who broke MAP policy and protected their dealers by not oversaturating their territory, and offered higher margins and better terms consistently than the brands that filled the box stores.
The sad thing was that even though the small retailers gave a lot of lip service to the great service we gave them, they still used most of their open to buy $$ on the same brands that filled the boxes. Then they would complain when one of those brands showed up on Costco or doubleshipped them or required unrealistic increases in minimum buys each year or forced them to pick up unwanted accessory lines, etc.......but they wouldn't drop them because "We HAVE to carry brand X! The customers ask for it."
Yeah the customers asked for it because it was heavily advertised and had the most famous pros riding it but a good salesman could quickly point out that the European made boards and skis we sold were far superior to the Chinese junk with the hot brand name on it for a lot of reasons. The retailers didn't care enough to have to sell hard and took the lazy route and ordered more of what was already popular, not what was best for their customers or their own margins.
Most of these Mom and Pops are out of business now because you can't compete against the big guys with the same product mix. The smart ones are holding on by the skin of their teeth by offering exceptional service and unique product selection.
I wish you luck in finding more small dealers who share your passion for quality and service. There was a golden age in the development of ski gear similar to what I perceive the early amp industry was like. It was a partnership of enthusiasts; the gear manufacturers who were in it because they loved it and wanted to improve it, the stores supported the companies that were innovators and made the best product, and the customers were willing to pay a fair price for the best gear and service.
These days the majority of consumers don't place a premium on service or even quality anymore and are used to shopping in big boxes and will put up with bad service, warranty headaches, special offer pricing voodoo and bait and switch tactics just because they think they are saving a little money.
I wish you and Mesa Boogie well and please know that there still are customers out there that respect quality and service and integrity and actively seek out the brands and retailers who provide it. We know which brands have sold out to overproduction and overseas labor and have suffered in quality.
Yeah, probably also because they haven't moved production to Vietnam, China, etc... besides the fact that all their amps and cabs are US made, not just a couple of astronomically priced, sparcely produced models...
- georgestrings
Yeah, it was pretty weak sauce - but the only argument he could possibly make, I suppose...
- georgestrings
I'm just saying it's impressive at the price point; whether or not it works for you is another thing.
Personally, for me, the versatility and bombproof construction you get in a Mark or Recto is totally worth it
Right, because there's such a huge difference between parts from China assembled in the US and parts from China assembled in China.
Talk about weak sauce!
Actually, there is, especially since it allows them to directly control part selection, QC, and pay a few more American workers while they're at it
Okokok....ampeg is good stuff too.
Let's stay on topic
Ummmm....oh yeah. Guitar Center dumps Mesa, because Mesa refuses to manufacture over seas to bring prices down,so guitar center can give some people better deals some of the time......no wait.....nevermimd
According to Ampeg, the difference is about $600....oh, and you get a cool "Heritage" badge, too.....
Apparantly, there is, since Mesa will warranty their stuff for 5 years, regardless of ownership, while Ampeg wouldn't consider doing such a thing... Also, Mesa doesn't seem to have as many defective units as the PF-500 and SVT7Pro... Besides, do you have any idea how many Chinese parts Mesa is using, or are you just guessing???
I understand you feel the need to defend Ampeg no matter what, but you're really fighting a losing battle on this one, Jimmy...
- georgestrings
Actually, there is, especially since it allows them to directly control part selection, QC, and pay a few more American workers while they're at it
Yup...
- georgestrings
I'll add:
Mesa has it's own custom shop that provides a slew of gorgeous, optional finishes on virtually all their products.....all beautifully made by craftsmen here.
Mesa provides 5 full years of transferrable warranty service here, and you can easily speak to them.
I'm not dissing any other company, but if paying a living wage to US workers matters to a consumer, Mesa has a lot in its' favor (as do a number of other companies).
Mesa has it's own custom shop that provides a slew of gorgeous, optional finishes on virtually all their products.....all beautifully made by craftsmen here.
Mesa provides 5 full years of transferrable warranty service here, and you can easily speak to them.
I'm not dissing any other company, but if paying a living wage to US workers matters to a consumer, Mesa has a lot in its' favor (as do a number of other companies).
So, have you actually looked inside of a Mesa amp and SEEN Chinese parts? My amp is 100% made in USA. Even the transformers, PCB and capacitors. Of course my amps is a slightly older model.
There are still domestic PCB manufacturers. It's not rocket science to make a PCB, it's just dirty work in ecological terms, which makes it difficult to burn PCBs for the same reasons it's difficult to shoot nitro finishes.
AFAIK most of the components in the new Prodigy/Strategy are domestically sourced. Mesa care to chime in on that?
prolly not realy part of the OP but i read somewhere in a computer mag that the chinese have a bit of a monopoly on what are known as rare earth elements that are needed for the computer(electronics) industry so i guess some bits of electronic stuff was dug out of the ground in china at one time. much like your diamond tip drills prolly started life in south africa.
