I don't subscribe to the concept of tone wood so as long as it's durable, not too heavy and either has a nice grain or is a solid colour I'm happy. But maybe the MIMs need better pickups, but that could simply be brand segmentation by design.
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Made in the USA
- Thread starter bulldean
- Start date
I don't subscribe to the concept of tone wood so as long as it's durable, not too heavy and either has a nice grain or is a solid colour I'm happy. But maybe the MIMs need better pickups, but that could simply be brand segmentation by design.
Whether a particular piece's wood grade impacts its appearance, tone, or weight is not easy to generalize about. I can just tell you that this is what I am told is Fender's process. The wood blanks deemed higher grade go to Corona to be made into bodies and necks; the slightly lower grade ones are shipped to Ensenada. Maybe it's partly a cost-saving measure, but I don't know that for sure.
I'm guessing ugly wood goes to Mexico for solid colours and that pretty wood is premium wood. At least that will be part of it. But you don't want to have to phone up to recall some pretty wood for more sunburst basses even if 75% of the pretty wood is painted over as I doubt the markup outweighs that cost
It's true that I get more pleasure out of buying a USA-made product. I like supporting domestic manufacturing. However, I would be lying if I claimed that I only buy USA-made products as such a stance is virtually impossible to maintain in today's marketplace.
Nope, global economy! Everyone and everything is connected, or getting there, and it's great to share.
I can't comment on the factories you've seen but this scenario is nothing like the factory we use. Not even close. We're not trying to compete in the $500 bass market so I can't comment on low-end factories but the one we use is clean, well organised and treat their employees well. You get what you pay for.
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I feel like there's a lot of truth to this... even with big box vs mom/pop. I used to always try to support mom n pop over the big guys but then I talked to a friend. He had worked for a mom/pop and then left to work at a different mom/pop where he had been for about 5 years at that point. We had gone out for a drink and I brought up that I had just grabbed a great used bass at gc though it killed me to shop there instead of local.
He laughed and said I guarantee theyre treated better than workers at a lot of small shops are. He went on to explain that he hadn't had a lunch break in 5 years and that he had to come in sick because the owner refused to ever cover a shift himself. Then he talked about how much he got paid and that it was base + commission but that he had recently found out that the owner wasnt being legit with numbers as far as the commissions so he was looking to leave. Went on to say that the place he was at before was ripping him off so he quit on the spot. Said he had done some math and found out they were taking any overtime he had and pushing it to the following week so it was paid as normal hours instead of 1.5x
After the conversation I thought about how many pizza places I had worked at and yea... it seems like at least the corporate machine has enough of a chain of accountability to prevent a chunk of those situations while the usual mom/pop or franchisee doesnt.
No, not really. The basses I buy are all USA companies except seven (7), Hoshino (Ibanez) and Takamine which are both Japanese Companies, Chowny which is an English Company, Tune and Samick which are both Korean companies, Stagg which is a Belgium company and Warwick which is a German company. I can't control if the USA companies, Japanese companies, English companies, Korean companies, Belgium companies or German companies I buy from have some or all of their product made somewhere other than the country they are based in.
This thread prompted me do a country of manufacture tally of the basses that I own:
MIA 10
MIJ 2
MICZ 3
MIK 31
MIINDO 3
MIC 19
MII 1
country of company
USA Company 14
Japanese Company 2
English Company 1
German Company 1
Korean Company 2
Belgium Company 1
So the majority of my basses are of Korean manufacture at 44.9% with only 14.5% made in the USA while the majority of my basses are from USA companies at 46.7%
Plus the majority of what I buy are used with only 14 bought new, which is 20.3 %.
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The main thing for me is that the products come from a free society. Places like PRC that have a totalitarian rule, that's just not a place with whom I want to do business. That said, I prefer to buy things made in the USA. It's like I'm putting some of that money right back into my own pocket.
Going by country alone when deciding whether a product has been ethically produced means very little. The only thing that’s even remotely useful is if you have specific, reliable information about the company whose products you buy.
I don't feel guilty about that at all. Other countries design and manufacture perfectly good (and great) basses, along with perfectly good other things.
What I do feel guilty about is buying used. I have a Spector Rebop and a Spector Euro 1977 LE, both made in the Czech Republic. I bought them used (the LE just a few months ago) and they are so well made and fantastic that now I wish the money had gone directly to Spector.
The thing is these are pricey new. Hell, they're pretty pricey used in mint condition, and for someone not playing full time/for a living it's hard to justify the retail prices (even though these are worth every penny). But now that I've bought two and have been impressed by the quality, my next purchase in the near future will definitely be a brand new Spector, likely a P/J Euro.
Sadly, it will never be a new Made in U.S. Spector because there is no way in hell for me to justify spending $4,000 to $6,000 on a bass.
But I guess I feel less guilty knowing many who sell used instruments usually use the money toward new instruments
What I do feel guilty about is buying used. I have a Spector Rebop and a Spector Euro 1977 LE, both made in the Czech Republic. I bought them used (the LE just a few months ago) and they are so well made and fantastic that now I wish the money had gone directly to Spector.
The thing is these are pricey new. Hell, they're pretty pricey used in mint condition, and for someone not playing full time/for a living it's hard to justify the retail prices (even though these are worth every penny). But now that I've bought two and have been impressed by the quality, my next purchase in the near future will definitely be a brand new Spector, likely a P/J Euro.
Sadly, it will never be a new Made in U.S. Spector because there is no way in hell for me to justify spending $4,000 to $6,000 on a bass.
But I guess I feel less guilty knowing many who sell used instruments usually use the money toward new instruments
No guilt from me if I buy from another country. My first couple of basses were Ibanez, they were both incredible instruments, and I never felt guilty when playing them. I did feel a whole lot of joy when playing them.
I do echo sentiments about having pride in your country. I am proud that both of my basses were at least assembled in California, not only the country I live in, but the state in which I was born, raised, and continue to live.
My first amp rig was GK, made in Stockton, only about 30 minutes from where I grew up. I am debating getting a Mesa rig next, as they are about 30 minutes from where I live now, even though I already love my current amps and speakers.
I do echo sentiments about having pride in your country. I am proud that both of my basses were at least assembled in California, not only the country I live in, but the state in which I was born, raised, and continue to live.
My first amp rig was GK, made in Stockton, only about 30 minutes from where I grew up. I am debating getting a Mesa rig next, as they are about 30 minutes from where I live now, even though I already love my current amps and speakers.
You know what, it says USA on all of my headstocks. excluding my high end japanese yamahas etc. Just saying.
Guess I missed this thread the first time around.
My VAST preference is to buy USA. I will go outside, if I can NOT get what I prefer from on shore manufacturing. Upright basses are one good MI example.
That said, I fully support the concept of a global free market economy. In principle. For this poor little planet we inhabit. Geo tribal friction, which we seem unable to get a grip on so far, serves only temporary minority interests.
Furthermore, the lessons for the dynamics behind creating strong on shore economic platforms are there in the history books for anyone who cares to study the topic. Now, repeated 5 times since the Civil War. So, I also have a pretty short fuse for continued ignorance on that part of things.
We are all one on this planet. We are also capable of doing FAR better in our own part of the planet.
Hope that’s not too political. If it is, then lord help us.
My VAST preference is to buy USA. I will go outside, if I can NOT get what I prefer from on shore manufacturing. Upright basses are one good MI example.
That said, I fully support the concept of a global free market economy. In principle. For this poor little planet we inhabit. Geo tribal friction, which we seem unable to get a grip on so far, serves only temporary minority interests.
Furthermore, the lessons for the dynamics behind creating strong on shore economic platforms are there in the history books for anyone who cares to study the topic. Now, repeated 5 times since the Civil War. So, I also have a pretty short fuse for continued ignorance on that part of things.
We are all one on this planet. We are also capable of doing FAR better in our own part of the planet.
Hope that’s not too political. If it is, then lord help us.
All of my basses are US made except for my British Baldwin and Japanese Kawai and Fender Jazz Bass Special.
Even my amp setup is USA. I guess I have never given it any thought. I just buy what I like.
Since this is still dragging on, let me point out a corollary.
A question to the "US-only!" proponents: do you find it equally important that people who live in other countries should avoid buying US-made products, along with shunning everybody else?
A question to the "US-only!" proponents: do you find it equally important that people who live in other countries should avoid buying US-made products, along with shunning everybody else?
