"Made in _____" ???

[mdogs]

This old tired argument...If you don't want to pay the prices for instruments of overall BETTER quality, then don't. But, don't rationalize that these lower priced instruments are of the same (or better, ha ha) quality as the American made basses, because the hard and true facts are that they are NOT.

 

[BrotherEarl]

This old tired argument...If you don't want to pay the prices for instruments of overall BETTER quality, then don't. But, don't rationalize that these lower priced instruments are of the same (or better, ha ha) quality as the American made basses, because the hard and true facts are that they are NOT.

The notion that only American hands can construct a superior instrument is elitist.

 

[smcd]

The notion that only American hands can construct a superior instrument is elitist.

No one is saying that.


If a product is going to be made in the US, it will cost more. So if that is a preordained fact, US builders have to offer quality to justify the higher price in the consumer's mind. As such, high quality is, by necessity, prevalent in US-made basses. That's why US made = superior instrument in most people's mind.

And it's true. I can't think of a single USA bass manufacturer that isn't high quality. On the other hand, I can think of many overseas manufacturers that produce shabby or mediocre basses.

 

[BrotherEarl]

Let's try a little thought experiment here.

Let's say you take the operating budget for Fender USA for three years. You take that money over to Indonesia and you build a factory, you invest in the same quality of tools and hardware and training your employees and getting quality wood and hardware. And then you only produce the same number of instruments which were manufactured in the U.S.A.

What do you think the results would be? I'm not talking about price or PR or anything else. I'm talking about the instrument after three years of investment from Fender in an overseas company.

 

[GM60466]

Play what feels and sounds good to you.

 

[mdogs]

No one is saying that.


If a product is going to be made in the US, it will cost more. So if that is a preordained fact, US builders have to offer quality to justify the higher price in the consumer's mind. As such, high quality is, by necessity, prevalent in US-made basses. That's why US made = superior instrument in most people's mind.

And it's true. I can't think of a single USA bass manufacturer that isn't high quality. On the other hand, I can think of many overseas manufacturers that produce shabby or mediocre basses.

Well, I have to disagree with this! I am absolutely saying that "American hands can construct a superior instrument." There are plenty of exceptions in Europe, Canada and Japan. Can other countries do it, I suppose that they can. Do they do it, no. If you want to label me as an elitist, just make sure that the sign you give me that says it says it in big enough letters that EVERYONE can see it.

Saying that Squires are better than American built instruments is, for lack of a better word, insane. It is just not true. What is true is that some Squires are better than other Squires. Likewise, some American Fenders are better than other American Fenders. But don't give me this stuff about a $300 Squire being better than an American built Fender.

 

[Clef_de_fa]

I hate Fender for that ... at every price point a P bass always look the same, sound almost the same ( in a band setting you won't ever notice the difference ) and play the same.

Seriously ... it just tell me that the USA fender and all the high end Fender copy are over priced ... since a cheap 200$ bass look the same, play the same, sound the same ... where is the point in making more expensive thing for the same product ...

You can see a difference in how it plays, how it sounds and in the look too in a low cost Ibanez compared to a very expensive Ibanez. It isn,t the case with a Fender J or P ...

 

[bigsnaketex]

I build basses in my garage for myself and some of my musical partners.

Considering that my labor is "free" (except the pound of flesh my wifes takes out for my "hobby"). . . . . and to build a high quality bass I'll spend anywhere from $600-$800 on the pieces parts.

So how in the hell do they make a Squier bass out of real wood and real parts and sell it for $299??!

I have no idea except that their economies of scale are obviouly massive!

So more power to the folks that can build them and sell them for that.

I surely can't.

 

[SirMjac28]

Well in my experience I have yet to see a Squier on the same level as any Fender, even MIM. The biggest thing your paying for is equality, you have to pay American workers a fair wage, you can treat Asian workers a lot worse, research Cor-Tek. I wouldn't buy anything from cor-tek for the same reasons I won't buy an iPod, I believe in human rights.

Wow I wonder where your electronic device was made? America? I doubt it and by your posts we know Cor-Tek is bad and every other manufacturer is golden and treats their workers with respect and pays great wages if you have honestly researched every company of the products you buy then you are a good man.

 

[smcd]

I hate Fender for that ... at every price point a P bass always look the same, sound almost the same ( in a band setting you won't ever notice the difference ) and play the same.

Seriously ... it just tell me that the USA fender and all the high end Fender copy are over priced ... since a cheap 200$ bass look the same, play the same, sound the same ... where is the point in making more expensive thing for the same product ...

You can see a difference in how it plays, how it sounds and in the look too in a low cost Ibanez compared to a very expensive Ibanez. It isn,t the case with a Fender J or P ...

A $200 bass does not look, play or sound the same as even the lowest grade US made Fender. You may not be able to tell the difference, but countless thousands of others can. Including me.

 

[smcd]

Let's try a little thought experiment here.

Let's say you take the operating budget for Fender USA for three years. You take that money over to Indonesia and you build a factory, you invest in the same quality of tools and hardware and training your employees and getting quality wood and hardware. And then you only produce the same number of instruments which were manufactured in the U.S.A.

What do you think the results would be? I'm not talking about price or PR or anything else. I'm talking about the instrument after three years of investment from Fender in an overseas company.

Most companies look for a maximum of 3-years payback on investment. So I'd say that the results would be that the costs of putting up the factory and purchasing and installing the equipment would be paid for.

 

[electracoyote]

Some of the Korean guitars and basses I've played have been extraordinarily well-made. I'd put most Korean output I've seen above Chinese and Indonesian.

 

[smcd]

+1 on Korean quality. Absolutely superior to Indo and Chinese made instruments. Many Korean guitars I've seen recently have been as good as those made in Japan.

 

[R Baer]

Indonesian instrument makers need to feed their families.

So do American instrument makers!

 

[boynamedsuse]

It would be a gross generalization (i.e. LOTS of exceptions), but it seems to be widely held that going down the pecking order from US made, you would have Made in Japan, then Made in Mexico and at the same level Made in Indonesia, then below those Made in China (and Made in Korea).

In other words, other than made in the US or Japan, Indonesia generally (again, a very broad generalization) seems to be consistently as good quality as you can get.

Most of the Chinese and Indonesian stuff is made by the same two (huge) companies that used to manufacture in Korea: Samick and Cor-Tek.

And your point is?

Are Ford cars made in a new plant today the same quality as ones made in one of their old plants, in a different place, with different workers, during the 80s?

You put Korean manufacturers on the bottom of the list--essentially as an afterthought in parenthesis--yet they are the same manufacturers that you place higher on the list (Indonesian and Chinese). If anything, quality goes down as product production moves to countries that produce products more cheaply.

 

[bill reed]

Well in my experience I have yet to see a Squier on the same level as any Fender, even MIM. The biggest thing your paying for is equality, you have to pay American workers a fair wage, you can treat Asian workers a lot worse, research Cor-Tek. I wouldn't buy anything from cor-tek for the same reasons I won't buy an iPod, I believe in human rights.

The big problem in not buying anything for Cor-Tec is most of the time you don't know they have made the instrument. Cor-Tek company Cort only make 38% of the total output of instruments that come from Cor-Tec.
Many buy Yamaha, Fender, Gibson, but find out later they werre made by Cor-Tec. the Squire bass was made by Cor-Tek for Fender for over 4 years. Gresch was also made by Cot-Tek, often the only way to find out if its Cor-Tek is by opening the bass and checking the volume and tone pots.
I have a Epiphone Eb3 that has Cot-Tek pots so what else was made by Cor-Tek, now very hard to find out any information about Cot-Tek since the sacked all there workers

 

[troy mcclure]

Some Korean made were in my opinion way better than Mexican. I speaking of the Cort factory that was there that produced the Squier ProTone Line in 1996-1998.

 

[bill reed]

Some of the Korean guitars and basses I've played have been extraordinarily well-made. I'd put most Korean output I've seen above Chinese and Indonesian.

i agree that the quality now comming from Korea is really good, i think in the last 10 years they have improved so much. check out the Korea made Hofner or Gresch. you'll be suprised just how good they are.

 

[Ben Noblit]

+1 on Korean quality. Absolutely superior to Indo and Chinese made instruments. Many Korean guitars I've seen recently have been as good as those made in Japan.

I concur. I've also found that the quality of Taiwanese instruments is up there with Japan, as well.

 

[ulynch]

Arguing about religion again guys? How nice for you.