what makes essex so cheap?

[LAPetrarca]

The fact is that the average Chinese worker is often overworked, underpaid, and subject to living in a very degraded environment.

Sounds alot like what's happening in the US lately!

 

[RBrownBass]

Poor fretwork (lots of labor involved in quality fretwork)

Poor routing jobs, neck pockets, etc

so what makes a late 60s-early 90s MIA Fender so expensive?

 

[ggoat!!!]

so what makes a late 60s-early 90s MIA Fender so expensive?

LMAO LMAO LMAO LMAO LMAO now THAT was a GREAT point!

 

[claytitan]

You don't seriously think not buying SX basses is going to make a lick of difference in how Chinese workers are treated, do you? It's funny...people are more than happy to buy whatever little goods and trinkets made by 10c an hour workers in China when they go to a flea market, but God forbid that anyone buys a guitar or bass made in China because that would be wrong! Tell you what...go through your house and throw out everything made in China (I'm betting your house will be half empty at that point), start a factory in China and pay the workers $500 a week, and then you can talk to me about the morality of buying SX basses.

Jimmy,

I love that line. I knew you were a smart guy when it comes to bass. Now I am starting to think you are a all around smart guy.

 

[Jimmy Bones]

I wish I made $500 a week.

 

[Im a sock]

I've been seriously considering buying an SX 5 string and turning it into a project bass. It's like being a kid in a candy store with a Fender clone and a billion vendors that make replacement parts for Fender clones

On that note, check out this article about the Foxconn factory in China. It's not music related, but its another one of those factories that churns out everything electronic. You wouldn't know it, but everyone here probably has 2 or 3 dozen (at least) pieces of Foxconn hardware in anything electronic in their home.

http://www.businessinsider.com/life-inside-a-chinese-gadget-factory-2009-7

I can't really imagine factory working conditions are much different in other industries too. Not trying to start a flame war, just adding to the convo

 

[alangoldstein]

its made in china , probably by very poor income class citizens, or just alot of machines till final assembly.

i had a sx 5 fretless j it had the worst low b tho. =(

i would say the 4 strings are great. but i dont think id get a 5 from them with low b anymore... maybe e a d g c ? yeh.

it looked great tho just like a fender except the tuners were cheap.

enjoy!