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NBD: Dan Lakin JO

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#261
RedHotFuzz said:
Just last week a friend of mine returned from a manufacturer-seeking trip to China. He was amazed that they had all the latest and greatest equipment yet would not spare the expense to buy 50-cent safety glasses for their employees! I believe in the capitalist system where you pay whatever local wage workers are willing to accept, but I can't abide the complete disregard for employee safety/well-being. When your employees eyes/appendages aren't worth enough to you to provide the most basic of safety equipment, that's a real moral issue.
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I was flabbergasted by my trip, certainly by China as a whole, but the "dry" business part- Seeing the Contract Mfr....
NOTHING quite like it over here. Entire cities with entire populace rising to go to work at their plants, and this is pretty much what they do- Uniforms, drills, etc.
If we (North Americans, etc) think our standard 40-hour regimen is something- Holy Cow!
And yes, they have the latest and best high-tech CNC, computer-modeling, water-cutting metals devices, etc. Amazing.

In the end, all politics and other hyperbole aside- I'll take a G&L or Sadowsky, or Japanese-built any day.
That's me.
 
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#262
Classic69 said:
I was flabbergasted by my trip, certainly by China as a whole, but the "dry" business part- Seeing the Contract Mfr....
NOTHING quite like it over here. Entire cities with entire populace rising to go to work at their plants, and this is pretty much what they do- Uniforms, drills, etc.
If we (North Americans, etc) think our standard 40-hour regimen is something- Holy Cow!
And yes, they have the latest and best high-tech CNC, computer-modeling, water-cutting metals devices, etc. Amazing.

In the end, all politics and other hyperbole aside- I'll take a G&L or Sadowsky, or Japanese-built any day.
That's me.
Click to expand...

It was the same way here until labor unions.
 
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#264
Classic69 said:
I was flabbergasted by my trip, certainly by China as a whole, but the "dry" business part- Seeing the Contract Mfr....
NOTHING quite like it over here. Entire cities with entire populace rising to go to work at their plants, and this is pretty much what they do- Uniforms, drills, etc.
If we (North Americans, etc) think our standard 40-hour regimen is something- Holy Cow!
And yes, they have the latest and best high-tech CNC, computer-modeling, water-cutting metals devices, etc. Amazing.

In the end, all politics and other hyperbole aside- I'll take a G&L or Sadowsky, or Japanese-built any day.
That's me.
Click to expand...

Well, Korea is *not* China, agreed? Folks in Korea have basic rights and protections - so while labor IS cheaper there, I don't have "human-right heartburn" about items made there. I have gripes, but that is not one of them.
 
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#265
Stranger Danger said:
It was the same way here until labor unions.
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Plastic safety glasses aside...:roflmao:

I don't believe, that , even Before Labor Unions, it was quite like it is in China!

There are some BIG mfg. facilities here and elsewhere, but China takes it to a new level.
When I say Mfg. Cities; not plants, that's what I'm talkin' 'bout!

20070612-burtynsky-mw13-010-910.jpg
 
#269
SanDiegoHarry said:
Well, Korea is *not* China, agreed? Folks in Korea have basic rights and protections - so while labor IS cheaper there, I don't have "human-right heartburn" about items made there. I have gripes, but that is not one of them.
Click to expand...

Well, Korea is *not* China, agreed? Folks in Korea have basic rights and protections - so while labor IS cheaper there, I don't have "human-right heartburn" about items made there. I have gripes, but that is not one of them.


Uhh, yeah Korea is not China. Good pointo_O

Folks in China have basic rights and protections too-Unfair and unrealistic to compare their World to ours.
I have no "human rights heartburn", don't even ever consider that aspect whatsoever-

I prefer basses made in the US or Europe, or Japan, for a plethora of reasons.
My choice!
 
#270
Classic69 said:
Well, Korea is *not* China, agreed? Folks in Korea have basic rights and protections - so while labor IS cheaper there, I don't have "human-right heartburn" about items made there. I have gripes, but that is not one of them.


Uhh, yeah Korea is not China. Good pointo_O

Folks in China have basic rights and protections too-Unfair and unrealistic to compare their World to ours.
I have no "human rights heartburn", don't even ever consider that aspect whatsoever-

I prefer basses made in the US or Europe, or Japan, for a plethora of reasons.
My choice!
Click to expand...

While I struggle to agree with this notion that it's "Unfair to compare", I do agree with your preference - I try not to buy in countries like China and others that have lax environmental/labor laws.
Additionally, I don't care for American or European companies to "off shore" their work; If I want to buy a Korean bass, let's give the thing a Korean name. Same with any other country. Of course, how Ibanez, a Japanese company with a Spanish name makes most of their basses in China/Indonesia - THAT makes the head swim!
 
#272
SanDiegoHarry said:
While I struggle to agree with this notion that it's "Unfair to compare", I do agree with your preference - I try not to buy in countries like China and others that have lax environmental/labor laws.
Additionally, I don't care for American or European companies to "off shore" their work; If I want to buy a Korean bass, let's give the thing a Korean name. Same with any other country. Of course, how Ibanez, a Japanese company with a Spanish name makes most of their basses in China/Indonesia - THAT makes the head swim!
Click to expand...

While I struggle to agree with this notion that it's "Unfair to compare", I do agree with your preference - I try not to buy in countries like China and others that have lax environmental/labor laws.
Additionally, I don't care for American or European companies to "off shore" their work; If I want to buy a Korean bass, let's give the thing a Korean name. Same with any other country. Of course, how Ibanez, a Japanese company with a Spanish name makes most of their basses in China/Indonesia - THAT makes the head swim!


Ibanez is a BIG operation, IME and preference, only their Prestige Japan luthier built basses interest me; I own an ATK 1200, great bass.
The Indonesian Ibanez basses get some luv, but the one's I've played; for me...meh.
 
#273
Venomouscontrol said:
Sweatshops which are a result of globalization.
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Here in Los Angeles,they once busted a "sweatshop", an apartment building where (20) ladies from Thailand worked 7 days a week, 18 hours a day sewing.
When at Immigration, being told they would have to be deported; their reaction was:

"What? You mean we don't have our jobs anymore??"

Not being funny, but it is a matter of perspective. Believe me- China IS a different culture and a different world. I don't condone anything, but the 3rd World operates on a different set of standards than the West.

I worked with a fellow from Cambodia, e.g. and he told me they worked doing whatever for however long-or starved.
We forget when we get P.O'd about not getting a raise, or promotion etc. It's all different.

There may be sweatshops, they may be unfair. It's a cruel world, that I've come to understand I can't change. Much.
A person can Not buy Nikes, or smart-phones, or many many other things, if they so choose.

I'm not a humanitarian or politician; just a lowly MI guy and performance-level bassist.

I like US/Japan/Western basses because IMO/IME they are a better instrument.
 
#275
Musicman20 said:
The one thing that makes you think is that you can buy a decent MIA Fender P bass for similar money (in the UK) as a Lakland, and the Fender will have CS pups, and the great hardcases. Whether you like hardcases or not, I think every bass over a certain value SHOULD ship with them. Simple as. No gig bags please, unless they are something like a Mono M80.
Click to expand...
In the US, you can get a Skyline P or J for $225-$250 cheaper than the corresponding American Standard Fender, leaving plenty of cash for a case and other goodies.
 
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#276
GregC said:
Wait, what do Chinese sweatshops have to do with Korean-made Lakin basses? Oh, never mind...:rollno:
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It actually had to do with the overall comparisons of US-made and Import basses and what that all entails. ANd was part of an on-going interesting (I think) and Civil (I hope!) dialogue.
Is that OK with You?
 
#279
Classic69 said:
It actually had to do with the overall comparisons of US-made and Import basses and what that all entails. ANd was part of an on-going interesting (I think) and Civil (I hope!) dialogue.
Is that OK with You?
Click to expand...
When people take an anecdote or two on China and spin that directly into "I won't buy any Asian-made basses except for Japanese ones", I find that pretty silly. But everyone's free to generalize to their heart's content, as this thread has demonstrated over and over again.
 
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#280
GregC said:
When people take an anecdote or two on China and spin that directly into "I won't buy any Asian-made basses except for Japanese ones", I find that pretty silly. But everyone's free to generalize to their heart's content, as this thread has demonstrated over and over again.
Click to expand...

Thank you for that valuable contribution!
 
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