Made in the USA

[-Asdfgh-]

Do you ever feel any pangs of guilt when you buy a bass (or amp) that was not made in the United States?

I don't live in the USA, so no.

 

[Ross W. Lovell]

Do you ever feel any pangs of guilt when you buy a bass (or amp) that was not made in the United States?

Nope.

My money, my decision.

I don't ever go lowest price, occasionally have gone pretty high.

I believe in people making a living not a killing, and support accordingly.

 

[GretschWretch]

Growing up, a USA Fender was the gold standard we all drooled after. While I have nothing against non-USA basses, and will play whatever works(I own a MIJ), there is still a small part of me that prefers/covets a USA made Fender bass.

Growing up, USA Fenders were the only Fenders around.

 

[GretschWretch]

That probably accounts for a lot of it. British brands in the '50s and '60s were pretty rough compared to Fender. A red Hank Marvin Strat was the gold standard for guitars in Britain in 1962. So much, in fact, that some brands like Watkins simply made Red Strat-shaped guitars as substitutes. With all the will in the world Watkins weren't building guitars to the same standards as Fender.

Fender's trajectory is probably similar to the rise of rock 'n' roll during the same era, here in the UK. Plus, with the post war trade embargo in place, there would be something desirable about the unobtainable status of real Fender instruments. A Fenton Weil guitar was a poor substitute. Fender was the real thing.

What I find interesting is that Fender basses didn't pack the same punch in Europe in the '60s. Watch old live Beat Club clips from the '60s (when it was a live TV show broadcast from dance halls around Germany) and you see all sorts of Gibson basses alongside other brands; and Fender are just one of the pack. Fender's hegemony in bass land didn't really happen until the early '70s in the UK.

The trade embargo hurt both Fender and Gibson but -- through some sort of arrangement with Selmer of Paris -- not Epiphone. That is why you saw many more British beat bands with Epiphone Rivolis than EB-2s. Once the embargo lifted, all that changed.

 

[Smooth_bass88]

Do you ever feel any pangs of guilt when you buy a bass (or amp) that was not made in the United States?

absolutely not, never, ever, not even once.

 

[Knavery]

U.S. companies don't care about U.S. employees, so why should you care about buying American? I used to think that it made a difference--it doesn't. And less so now with a global economy. If you think about it, there are a lot of countries involved with the parts that go into a final product--the U.S. included. So, I wouldn't get too bent out of shape over it. It could be argued that certain companies (basses for example) have higher quality American instruments than their lines made in Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, or anywhere else. However, that's 100% relative to each person.

 

[Scottgun]

Yep. A little bit of guilt with just about everything I buy. I'd be happy to pay more for US stuff, but when you are talking hundreds of percent more for similar quality, I'd rather feel a little guilty than feeling like a big sucker.

 

[Goat of Ball St]

Having worked in USA manufacturing I feel absolutely zero loyalty to buying American made. They never paid me enough to justify buying American.

 

[Runnerman]

I understand your point of view and am not arguing against your logic. I will however add that it's not quite as simple as it might seem from the outside. China like in any country has a huge range of quality and cost options available from dirty and dangerous sweatshops to clean and safe factories where workers are treated as good or better than some North American factories. We work with the latter which costs more but means we get a better built bass by people who care about their employees. Add our own labor at this end and you end up with a bass which as you experienced is "expensive" for an import (still inexpensive for a boutique manufacturer though) but feels and performs at a level that you would expect from a North American made bass.

I've done business development in many parts of the world. The new China factories may look lovely...the only reason is because they had to make them presentable for western sensibilities. The labor force is typically from the countryside, living in dorms and making just enough to survive as they buy/play/live within the factory environment making a pittance....while the communist management staff make all the money and buy real estate in free countries to hide it. Unfair labor practices? I did see the second shift come in at one polished plant right as school was getting out and made up primarily by children. Needless to say I was ushered away by my tour guides when I brought this up to my translator. And what about the injured, those that lost their eyes, hands, feet, etc on the job. They are simply let go with no unemployment/welfare benefits to spend the rest of their lives on the side of some road begging for scraps. And let's talk about Shanghai....the beautiful façade of every street is only steps from the back alleys where whole families sit around a small gas burner on the sidewalk cooking whatever meat or vegetable their pittance of a wage allows. As you say, it's not all this way but the contrast between China and other developed countries is stark when it comes to basic labor practices. I'm a bit embarrassed to own an Apple product knowing that their electronics supplier has employees jumping out of windows to escape their lives.

 

[FirewalZ]

Growing up, USA Fenders were the only Fenders around.

For me this was the 80's into the 90's and lots of players were switching to pointy headstocks. However, ironically at the time the MIJ Fenders were every bit as good if not better than the USA ones. My 1986 MIJ jazz bass is a fantastic instrument.

 

[sawzalot]

I play USA-made instruments mainly because I feel sort of odd playing uniquely American music on an Indonesian-made instrument. It's weird because I don't feel that way about much else in my life. And I seem to have no trouble using non-USA-made pedals and other equipment. So I am conscious that my position is contradictory.

 

[five7]

Doesn't matter but sure enjoy my bongo and sterling into my mesa and bergantino.

 

[Liam Wald]

No not at all. In fact I have found instruments made in Japan to be as good or better in quality. (same goes for cars).

 

[fretno]

We live in a global community , manufacturers must source parts & supplies from around the globe in order to function . I don't mind where it comes from but lets say a company has bad employee and environmental practices , It will be all of us that eventually feel that pain of poor air , poor health and poor Earth . We can try to avoid so&so but everything is related and within x amount of degrees of separation. I do see signs of hope though and maybe it can be fixed before it's too late for the future generations .

 

[stuntbass77]

Harley owners are the WORST at this way of thinking ! They won’t even part their bike next to a British bike. You know they go home and pop some toast in their Chinese toaster, take a shower and dry themselves with their made in India towel, brush their teeth with toothpaste made in Mexico and still drive around in their car with a giant bumper stick that says “Buy American”. Don’t get me started on the Chevy they drive that will get them at best 100,000 miles. My foreign made Japanese cars have all lasted over 200,000 and one just shy of 300,000, and my Toyota’s all built in the USA after 1996. I’m all about America but the product has to be up to par. I come from a military family and believe me they have served their country and I tried but have a disability and was rejected because of it ( I’m not apologizing for my opinion on this ).

 

[walking Bass]

Growing up, USA Fenders were the only Fenders around.

When I switched from guitar to bass in '64, the only basses were Fender with muffles and the Gibson EB-0 and EB-2. I could handle the weight and the EB-2 was so much prettier with a tone I liked better. Nothing else on the market.

 

[Fathand]

I buy basses built on planet earth. If I happen to like them, that is.

 

[Indiana Mike]

Global economy, no way around it . Made in the USA is more likely made In the USA with globally sourced components.

Being a citizen I like to buy made the USA when I can, but I buy foreign stuff all the time, bass gear included.

We all do whether we all realize it or not.

I remember a guy blasting a buddy about driving a Toyota, a made in the USA Toyota. The guy was driving a made in Mexico Chevy truck. When we pointed that out we thought he was gonna have a nervous breakdown.

 

[Charlzm]

I have:
Dingwall Afterburner (Canada)
Dingwall Combustion (China)
Fender Geddy Lee Jazz Bass (Japan)
Warwick Katana (Germany)
Kiesel Icon 5 (United States)
Rickenbacker 4003 (United States)
Warmoth parts bass (United States)

I don't really care where an instrument was made as long as the quality is good, the price is right and it appeals to me.

 

[4001]

No.. three of my eight basses were made outside of the U.S.