Somewhere on TB, I saw a post which said, roughly:
"I have it on good authority that Fender will be closing down their Mexican plant" and "to that effect Squier is gearing up to replace the MIM line"
So, if the above paraphrased statement was true, here is my prediction for Squier quality in the next 5 years:
I think the quality is gonna nosedive.
There have been plenty of documented cases of Chinese manufacturers putting in %110 effort for a client in the first year or two of a manufacturing venture; longer even, if the payoff is big enough. The goal, as it is in most business, is to redirect investment to yourself, to outperform the competition, to become reliad upon.
And then, once the American/foreign company is sufficiently invested, the Chinese manufacturer will begin to systematically water down component and labor quality. Cut corners. Raise margins. Reduce costs. And Fender won't care, because Squier will now shoulder the entire market which cannot afford MIA pricepoints, but wants the Fender look. They will continue to sue those that knock them off, and will reap the profits as a result.
Or maybe I'm totally wrong, and Squier will do what other Chinese manufacturers are doing, which is to buck the trend and produce 1st world products, as their current CV series proves.
Who knows. Glad I got a good MIM fender. Maybe they'll have the reputation of MIJ's someday.
"I have it on good authority that Fender will be closing down their Mexican plant" and "to that effect Squier is gearing up to replace the MIM line"
So, if the above paraphrased statement was true, here is my prediction for Squier quality in the next 5 years:
I think the quality is gonna nosedive.
There have been plenty of documented cases of Chinese manufacturers putting in %110 effort for a client in the first year or two of a manufacturing venture; longer even, if the payoff is big enough. The goal, as it is in most business, is to redirect investment to yourself, to outperform the competition, to become reliad upon.
And then, once the American/foreign company is sufficiently invested, the Chinese manufacturer will begin to systematically water down component and labor quality. Cut corners. Raise margins. Reduce costs. And Fender won't care, because Squier will now shoulder the entire market which cannot afford MIA pricepoints, but wants the Fender look. They will continue to sue those that knock them off, and will reap the profits as a result.
Or maybe I'm totally wrong, and Squier will do what other Chinese manufacturers are doing, which is to buck the trend and produce 1st world products, as their current CV series proves.
Who knows. Glad I got a good MIM fender. Maybe they'll have the reputation of MIJ's someday.
