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The Real Thing -or- Not So Real

#21
This all comes down to smarminess on the owner's part. So many people place more value on brand and origin than they do on the actual quality of the individual unit. I really wish it would stop. I own 2 import basses that are better than any MIA Fender I've ever picked up, comparable to all the sadowskys I've played & still my personal choice.
 
#22
girlonbass said:
What!? Can't believe they kicked you off.:scowl:
My Corvette's machine heads say West Germany. That would be the real thing! :)

Terri
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Yep. They won't let anyone badmouth their wonderful Products without repercussion. All the German Warwicks are Sweet. I had three, 1 Corvette 5 string and two Streamer 5'rs. They are built like tanks and Growl like a junkyard dog.

Another Bass I think is the Real Deal would be the Sandbergs. I played one but never owned one. I should Clarify that I buy basses and then resell them mostly on Ebay. I've owned 100's of basses. I play them all for a week or 2 some much longer. I think My Jaguar & Ric are Keepers.
 
#23
German Warwicks - the real thing. Chinese Warwicks - NOT the real thing.

US Fenders - the real thing. Import Fenders - NOT the real thing.

Canadian Dingwalls, US Laklands, NY Sadowskys - the real thing.
Chinese Dingwalls, Indonesian Laklands, Japanese Sadowskys - NOT the real thing.
 
#24
Pilgrim said:
Simple answer: if you don't have extra money laying around that you don't have anything better to do with, don't get involved in collecting instruments as investments.

Problem solved.
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Agreed. Some of the smartest Collectors say to Buy what you like because you want to collect it. If it turns out to be a good investment, Great but that should be secondary.
 
#26
awilkie84 said:
This all comes down to smarminess on the owner's part. So many people place more value on brand and origin than they do on the actual quality of the individual unit. I really wish it would stop. I own 2 import basses that are better than any MIA Fender I've ever picked up, comparable to all the sadowskys I've played & still my personal choice.
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It's not smarminess. It's fact based. Musical instrument production is sent overseas for ONE reason ONLY - cost savings. Cheap labor, cheap parts. That's why import copies are almost always inexpensive. Do you think Fender has the Chinese build Squiers because China is filled with ancient, talented artisans that build instruments out of magic wood? Do you think Samick moved its production out of Korea and to China because the Chinese are better luthiers? Well, if you believe that - cover your eyes, because here comes the truth - corporations move production to China because the Chinese are willing to operate woodworking machinery at a fraction of the cost than the Koreans will.

I'm glad you like your cheap imports. Maybe some day I'll find a cheap import that can hold it's own against a US made twin. It's been years and it hasn't happened, though, so I'm not holding my breath.
 
#27
When I was coming up in the 80s, Japanese guitars were considered inferior to USA made guitars. It was an "in your head" concept because clearly by then they had gotten their Quality together!
I'm definitely in the cult of leo- anything that he had hands-on experience with building from 1951 through 1964 and then with music man and then with G&L...fantastic stuff!!!
 
#28
Seems my go to bass is some kind of Korean not quite real bass , and the vintage and real basses I own sit at home .

However my not quite real Dano Longhorn sounds great and is a joy to play , even if others think of it as inferior for some weird reason .


3976.jpg


So the 51 re-issue is Japanese , the Ray is made by Ernie Ball in San Luis Obispo and not a real Leo Fender Music Man , the Dano is a Korean re-issue , the Ric had the pick guard re-placed . Is this one or two real basses ?
 
#31
smcd said:
It's not smarminess. It's fact based. Musical instrument production is sent overseas for ONE reason ONLY - cost savings. Cheap labor, cheap parts. That's why import copies are almost always inexpensive. Do you think Fender has the Chinese build Squiers because China is filled with ancient, talented artisans that build instruments out of magic wood? Do you think Samick moved its production out of Korea and to China because the Chinese are better luthiers? Well, if you believe that - cover your eyes, because here comes the truth - corporations move production to China because the Chinese are willing to operate woodworking machinery at a fraction of the cost than the Koreans will.

I'm glad you like your cheap imports. Maybe some day I'll find a cheap import that can hold it's own against a US made twin. It's been years and it hasn't happened, though, so I'm not holding my breath.
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So what about USA factory leftovers assembled in a different country...? Is my bass real or just a figment of my imagination?
 
#33
oddgrowth said:
Yes, this^ and a factory installed original brass just-a-nut = real deal.
The "quick" control cavity cover was another innovation no one else had at the time.
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Sup Todd!

And your teal(?) Wick is super sexy. You got to try out this Carvin sometime. All the feel of the "A" neck with just a bit more beef from front to back, makes it extremely comfortable. Plus it's chambered for extra weight savings.
 
#39
The real thing is what sounds good and feels good. To me.

I always find this funny: people buy a bass and talk about the pedigree of the bass. They show pics. But very rarely will someone actually put up a recording of their bass.

That tells you all you need to know. Most people listen with their eyes and their wallets. And unfortunately, most musicians do also.

John
 

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