My Day at D. Lakin basses

[awilkie84]

Sure. You are right.
Of course, we also have laws protecting our labor and our environment. I would be interested to see what those laws are where any of these off-shored instruments are made.

Most south-asian countries have labour & environmental laws that would rival our own, China being the exception on some counts. The laws are all searchable on Google.

 

[The Bass Clef]

I personally think this thread should be closed....it has lost all direction and has just become way too personal on many levels.

I am out...

I agree. And unfortunately, that's the case with most of the threads on this forum now. W T H is wrong with the people on this site? There are just sooo many unhappy, negative people on here compared to any other forum I've ever been on. You can't even have a discussion about what kind of cord to use on stage without someone getting seriously offended because one guy likes Monster cables and the other guy prefers Guitar Center brand. Every. Single. Day. No, mulitiple times Every. Single. Day. Absolutely ridiculous.

Good for you Dan Lakin, and if you are reading this, just know that not everyone on here hates the fact that you are expanding our options. And many of us do respect you for what you've done in the past and what you are doing now.

 

[jim nolte]

I agree. And unfortunately, that's the case with most of the threads on this forum now. W T H is wrong with the people on this site? There are just sooo many unhappy, negative people on here compared to any other forum I've ever been on. You can't even have a discussion about what kind of cord to use on stage without someone getting seriously offended because one guy likes Monster cables and the other guy prefers Guitar Center brand. Every. Single. Day. No, mulitiple times Every. Single. Day. Absolutely ridiculous.

Good for you Dan Lakin, and if you are reading this, just know that not everyone on here hates the fact that you are expanding our options. And many of us do respect you for what you've done in the past and what you are doing now.

My other passion in life is photography. It's the same thing in the photo forums. Just go to DPreview and check out either the Nikon or Canon forums. Same sort of bickering over brands, models etc. People get too caught up in their favorite make or model and when that is criticized they take it way too personally and go into attack mode, it's like their whole life is attached to this inanimate object! Believe me, it's not just here. Jim

 

[Robus]

I haven't played the D. Lakin and won't be, as I prefer to spend my money to support American instrument-makers where that is an option. This is not about the quality of the basses. I haven't read many criticisms of the owner personally, despite what his defenders on this thread seem to claim. The criticisms have been about the price he is asking for an Asian copy of an American original, and about the practice of outsourcing American jobs to lower wage countries.

Some of you seem to be congratulating him for doing this. What do you do for a living? Notice that gigs are harder to come by, pay less? That money is going out of the music business? Ever thought it might have something to do with the erosion of purchasing power in our working middle class, that has been going on for thirty years? That outsourcing of high-paying manufacturing jobs might have something to do with this? That we consumers are partly to blame?

On the D. Lakin web site I read "Engineered and Designed in Chicago, USA" and "All USA made Hipshot Hardware."

Nowhere do I read: "Proudly made in Korea." Why not? Do I have to ask?

 

[JAUQO III-X]

Jobs are out sourced to none USA county's by those who run this country. If the USA wasn't so greedy things would be a lot different.

Common sense would tell any one that the cost of materials in the USA are so high for a reason and people need to stop being so negative about a foreign country taking money from the USA because they are not, believe me the USA is definitely getting it's cut. The USA will not have it any other way.

I could care less where a bass is made and by who because at the end of the day I have the choice to purchase it if I like it.

Do a blind fold test and tell me how many people would be able to tell if the bass was made in the USA,Korea,Japan,China, etc.

It just come down to a bunch of cry baby racists.

 

[steamthief]

Jobs are out sourced to none USA county's by those who run this country. If the USA wasn't so greedy things would be a lot different.

Common sense would tell any one that the cost of materials in the USA are so high for a reason and people need to stop being so negative about a foreign country taking money from the USA because they are not, believe me the USA is definitely getting it's cut. The USA will not have it any other way.

I could care less where a bass is made and by who because at the end of the day I have the choice to purchase it if I like it.

Do a blind fold test and tell me how many people would be able to tell if the bass was made in the USA,Korea,Japan,China, etc.

It just come down to a bunch of cry baby racists.

Questioning the value of an offshored P/J clone that is at the same price point as an American made model equates to racism? Last time I checked, the American work force was represented by people of all colors and national origins.

 

[JAUQO III-X]

Questioning the value of an offshored P/J clone that is at the same price point as an American made model equates to racism? Last time I checked, the American work force was represented by people of all colors and national origins.

Thank you for missing my point.

 

[guy n. cognito]

Thank you for missing my point.

Nope, I think he called you out perfectly.

 

[davec]

I will admit freely that If everyone I know who knows Dan Lakin, hopes nothing but the best for him, and that the quality of the man bleeds over to his basses.

Jauqo can pick up the phone and get a bass from just about any builder, he has that kind of pull. Sorry but he does.

I for one agree that there is a anti-emerging country bias. America = great, Europe is all good, Japan quality is great but it lacks prestige,
but the thought that a great bass can actually be made in Korea, or China or Vietnam..... no that is just not the way things work.
A CNC will hold the same tolerance, so long as it is programed properly and set up and maintained. The difference is the quality of materials and quality control.
Dan is making a nice bass, I know for a fact Ed Friendland thinks so too.

 

[guy n. cognito]

I will admit freely that If everyone I know who knows Dan Lakin, hopes nothing but the best for him, and that the quality of the man bleeds over to his basses.

Jauqo can pick up the phone and get a bass from just about any builder, he has that kind of pull. Sorry but he does.

I for one agree that there is a anti-emerging country bias. America = great, Europe is all good, Japan quality is great but it lacks prestige,
but the thought that a great bass can actually be made in Korea, or China or Vietnam..... no that is just not the way things work.
A CNC will hold the same tolerance, so long as it is programed properly and set up and maintained. The difference is the quality of materials and quality control.
Dan is making a nice bass, I know for a fact Ed Friendland thinks so too.

With all respect to Ed, you do understand that he doesn't just make those videos for goodwill, right?

 

[Musicman20]

I will admit freely that If everyone I know who knows Dan Lakin, hopes nothing but the best for him, and that the quality of the man bleeds over to his basses.

Jauqo can pick up the phone and get a bass from just about any builder, he has that kind of pull. Sorry but he does.

I for one agree that there is a anti-emerging country bias. America = great, Europe is all good, Japan quality is great but it lacks prestige,
but the thought that a great bass can actually be made in Korea, or China or Vietnam..... no that is just not the way things work.
A CNC will hold the same tolerance, so long as it is programed properly and set up and maintained. The difference is the quality of materials and quality control.
Dan is making a nice bass, I know for a fact Ed Friendland thinks so too.

When did this turn into a 'he's famous/plays as a career!'

 

[davec]

Just now .... by you.
My point was completely lost on you I guess.

 

[davec]

Guy: Yes, I understand that Ed does not simply do videos for goodwill. I also know he doesn't BUY every instrument he test...

 

[Morning Beer]

Any word on lefties?

 

[nostatic]

I for one agree that there is a anti-emerging country bias. America = great, Europe is all good, Japan quality is great but it lacks prestige,
but the thought that a great bass can actually be made in Korea, or China or Vietnam..... no that is just not the way things work.
A CNC will hold the same tolerance, so long as it is programed properly and set up and maintained. The difference is the quality of materials and quality control.

I'll stay out of the other aspects of the pissing match, but will counter at least part of this. Personally, I have no jingoistic tendencies, nor do I think that countries other than those outside of the US and EU are not capable of quality. There are craftsmen/women in every country around the world that, given the right training and materials, could turn out a spectacular instrument. And at this point, there are some very experienced luthiers in those countries since they've now been doing this for awhile. In general Asian countries have a history of taking US/EU products and figuring out how to do it more cheaply/efficiently, usually by lower labor costs, and sometimes with questionable QC - that can be traced back to a combination of a lack of experience along with building to a price point.

Every builder makes their bass to a price point. And businessmen have that as their primary metric. In a case like this, building is sent offshore to hit a certain margin. It may have equivalent quality to a US counterpart - and the lower build cost can increase value for the consumer. Win win - until you think about the fact that the instrument *could* have been built in the US by US labor. So that means a job opportunity was lost to overseas. The strict capitalists will argue that US legislation and labor unions are to blame, and we should get rid of that "anti-business" legislation so our labor costs can be more competitive. That is largely nonsense though. In most cases the US is just ahead of the industrial revolution curve relative to the Asian nations. China is beginning to learn the hard way about unbridled manufacturing with no environmental consideration.

I relate this to the US because that's where I live. Since I've been around for awhile, I've lived through the globalization of the past few decades and I've seen many things off-shored. To-date I have personally been largely unaffected because I'm in a creative/innovation industry and that is one area where the US still (for now) maintains a competitive advantage. But it has been devastating for large parts of the country. One can blame the people for not adapting quickly enough, but corporate greed and hubris is hard to fight.

I don't begrudge the Korean worker his paycheck. But my money doesn't have to fuel it. I'd rather it goes to as many of those in my country as possible, as a rising tide raises all boats. That isn't the least bit racist or xenophobic - it is "acting locally" and making small differences where I can. Thankfully I have the opportunity to make those choices - others are not so lucky.

 

[davec]

I'll stay out of the other aspects of the pissing match, but will counter at least part of this. Personally, I have no jingoistic tendencies, nor do I think that countries other than those outside of the US and EU are not capable of quality. There are craftsmen/women in every country around the world that, given the right training and materials, could turn out a spectacular instrument. And at this point, there are some very experienced luthiers in those countries since they've now been doing this for awhile. In general Asian countries have a history of taking US/EU products and figuring out how to do it more cheaply/efficiently, usually by lower labor costs, and sometimes with questionable QC - that can be traced back to a combination of a lack of experience along with building to a price point.

Every builder makes their bass to a price point. And businessmen have that as their primary metric. In a case like this, building is sent offshore to hit a certain margin. It may have equivalent quality to a US counterpart - and the lower build cost can increase value for the consumer. Win win - until you think about the fact that the instrument *could* have been built in the US by US labor. So that means a job opportunity was lost to overseas. The strict capitalists will argue that US legislation and labor unions are to blame, and we should get rid of that "anti-business" legislation so our labor costs can be more competitive. That is largely nonsense though. In most cases the US is just ahead of the industrial revolution curve relative to the Asian nations. China is beginning to learn the hard way about unbridled manufacturing with no environmental consideration.

I relate this to the US because that's where I live. Since I've been around for awhile, I've lived through the globalization of the past few decades and I've seen many things off-shored. To-date I have personally been largely unaffected because I'm in a creative/innovation industry and that is one area where the US still (for now) maintains a competitive advantage. But it has been devastating for large parts of the country. One can blame the people for not adapting quickly enough, but corporate greed and hubris is hard to fight.

I don't begrudge the Korean worker his paycheck. But my money doesn't have to fuel it. I'd rather it goes to as many of those in my country as possible, as a rising tide raises all boats. That isn't the least bit racist or xenophobic - it is "acting locally" and making small differences where I can. Thankfully I have the opportunity to make those choices - others are not so lucky.

Well said!
I'm in my mid-forties and grew up in the steel industry. So believe me, I have seen many jobs lost to overseas. I've also seen more and more foreign machinery used in American Mfg.
I ask this question, because I truly don't know.
Which is more American? My USA Fender Jazz special, with China made tuners and bridge, or a Korean made bass with USA hip shot hardware?

I see choices, and I with that's a good thing!

 

[Iridescentone]

Jobs are out sourced to none USA county's by those who run this country. If the USA wasn't so greedy things would be a lot different.

Common sense would tell any one that the cost of materials in the USA are so high for a reason and people need to stop being so negative about a foreign country taking money from the USA because they are not, believe me the USA is definitely getting it's cut. The USA will not have it any other way.

I could care less where a bass is made and by who because at the end of the day I have the choice to purchase it if I like it.

Do a blind fold test and tell me how many people would be able to tell if the bass was made in the USA,Korea,Japan,China, etc.

It just come down to a bunch of cry baby racists.

Nice. Your post could have been written by Jeremiah Wright himself.

Sounds like somebody needs some serious sensitivity training.

 

[smperry]

I'm closing this thread as it seems to be long gone. Apologies to the OP and anyone else that actually wanted to discuss these basses (and not attack other members).