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So who makes a decent 350-500-watt head...

Mustang Surly

Mustang Surly

Jul 10, 2013
1,954
3,611
#1
...that sells for less than $1K and is not made in China? Or am I dreaming?

Checked out and liked the Orange Terror. Really like the size, weight and sound and the fact that the pre-amp is tube-based. Their matching 4X10 cab is MIA but though the head meets my desired price point it is, alas, MIC. All the other heads I've looked at are also MIC.

Suffice it to say that my objection to buying MIC stuff has less to do with worries about product quality than it does economics/geo-politics. So, since politics is not an appropriate subject for discussion here, please let's not get into the weeds as to my reasoning about that.

Any recommendations?
 
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#7
Nobody. Even the ones made here are all Chinese components inside. Might be some who etch their own PCB's but that's about it. And I say that without disrespect, either. They're still fine amps. But Chinese manufacture doesn't mean "crap" automatically, or these companies putting them together in America wouldn't use their parts.
 
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#8
"Mesa Subway D-800 (and variants)"
Those look/sound interesting.

"Nobody. Even the ones made here are all Chinese components inside. Might be some who etch their own PCB's but that's about it."
Pretty much what I was afraid of. Some of those mentioned above don't indicate where they are made either printed on the head itself or on the website. Seems like they would make a point of stating "Made in the USA" if that were the case.
 
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#9
Mustang Surly said:
"Mesa Subway D-800 (and variants)"
Those look/sound interesting.

"Nobody. Even the ones made here are all Chinese components inside. Might be some who etch their own PCB's but that's about it."
Pretty much what I was afraid of. Some of those mentioned above don't indicate where they are made either printed on the head itself or on the website. Seems like they would make a point of stating "Made in the USA" if that were the case.
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I don't see why you're afraid of it, though. They're all solid amps that deliver fine performance for the most part. Some might break on you occasionally, but that's nothing new. Even the best handmade boutique amps with all American parts would break or have design flaws, too. It's it's a political thing for you, I can't help that. I'm just a brutha trying to make his way through a cruel cold world he didn't invent.
 
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#16
If you're buying a device with any electronic parts in it, any device, phone, TV, computer, bass amp, whatever, you are buying Made In China no matter where those components are eventually assembled. And that's been the case for well over thirty years. Its not like we ever made LEDs here! My 1990 SWR has Chinese parts in it, as did my 1985 GK 400RB.

It is unfortunate, it is the result of deliberate decisions, and I suspect we are going to pay a very large price someday for literally giving away our ability to manufacture those parts.

Cheap is cheap until it isn't.

As to a useful answer to these OPs question, there are plenty of great amps ASSEMBLED in the US that will be of good service for many years. I run GK myself these days.
 
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#17
Where the components are made isn't that important with a good design, good QC, & good R&D.
Any manufacturer worth their salt is going to keep track of any components that are failing & change them for something better.

I'll second Aguilar & Quilter!
Not sure why G-K is up there, all the G-K amps I ever owned had Made in China printed on the back.

(Yeah, I get it, NOW they're made in the U.S., but i still will never buy another G-K product)
 
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#18
JimmyM said:
Nobody. Even the ones made here are all Chinese components inside. Might be some who etch their own PCB's but that's about it. And I say that without disrespect, either. They're still fine amps. But Chinese manufacture doesn't mean "crap" automatically, or these companies putting them together in America wouldn't use their parts.
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I think this needs some clarification Jimmy.

I can speak specifically to our products, but the same can be said of some products by Fender, Ampeg, GK, Quilter, etc.

Certainly some components come from China, generally passives like resistors and some caps, but the majority of parts (by cost) come from elsewhere including the US.

For example our sheet metal comes from the US, switches from Germany, power modules from Thailand and Malaysia, semiconductors from Taiwan, Malaysia and Japan, tubes from the only 3 countries that still make tubes (including some from China), transformers from the US with some made in Italy, Taiwan and China, pots from the US and Taiwan, speakers from the US, Italy, UK and a few from China, wood and fasteners from the US and Europe, etc.

Virtually ALL of the fabrication and assembly is done here for n the US, including PCB stuffing and wave soldering.

The value of Chinese parts/labor contribution is really insignificant in the scheme of things.
 
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#20
Mustang Surly said:
Suffice it to say that my objection to buying MIC stuff has less to do with worries about product quality than it does economics/geo-politics. So, since politics is not an appropriate subject for discussion here, please let's not get into the weeds as to my reasoning about that.
Click to expand...
Better stop using your computer, phone, tablet, tv and/or whatever you are using to type and read this site. :cautious:
 
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