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Where are the British brands?

#81
MD-BassPlayer said:
The UK has a high cost of living, build a guitar there, pay expensive shipping costs to send it to the US, pay import fees, then compete with Fender and it's really a losing proposition that only leaves the boutique market as a viable sales model in the US.
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Yep. Even when the pound was stronger against the basket, an American guitar (take your pick) was less in numerical terms than it was in the UK. So even after you make allowances for average US sales tax and EU duty, we're looking at a 30-50% premium. That's a lot of shipping cost!
 
#82
satjhmo said:
Not Marshall? (Or do you mean specifically for bass?)

I associated Marshall with the 1960s and 1970s, but the 80s-prolific Steve Lukather used to say he could never beat Marshall gear, even with all the effects he had to use in live gigs (as the recordings were invariably covered in "grease", as he called it).
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Marshals were very popular in the U.S. but they were as British as warm beer.
 
#83
ficelles said:
In the 60s Burns basses (and guitars) were very popular, and of course in the British Invasion era Hofner basses which are neither American nor British but German. Also a lot of interesting Italian instruments from that period.

These days I'd say you could really only point to Wal and Manson, who are both low-volume (but very high quality) makers. And Sei but also not a volume maker.

Amps is our thing. And pro audio (Allen & Heath). Is Marshall owned by Uli Behringer yet? We also make cheese.
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#84
A couple of sequential serial numbered Burns made Hayman 5050's that I use.
 

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#90
I realise that this is an older thread but…are there ANY UK-based pickup makers that can produce a decent split-coil humbucking Jazz-style pickup? I looked at quite a few UK brands and as far as I can see they’re all happily living in single coil land like both-pickups-on-full is the only sound you’ll ever need and the last 50 years never happened. Being in the UK I’ve challenged myself to build a UK parts only bass (as much as possible at least) and would have thought that at least one of the UK’s boutique pickup makers would offer a split coil? Any suggestions greatly appreciated… :)
 
#93
InvisibleMan said:
ANY UK-based pickup makers that can produce a decent split-coil humbucking Jazz-style pickup?
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Pick one and ask, they nearly all do custom work alongside the standard models.

I fancied a Duncan custom shop Stinger but they don't sell to Europeans. Had been well impressed by a Bloodstone 51 staggered single coil so just emailed them asking if it was possible. Dave replied in short order asking about specs, alnico 5 slugs/ split or stacked coils/ wound to 29.9k DCR/ single coil footprint.

4 days later the pickup arrived :)

Another one to talk to is Herrick in Wales.

Martin builds a large range of multi coils, one of my 51's sports his quad coil alnico/neodymium (single coil footprint).
He does 4 or 8 coil soapbars so could knock together a split jazz without breaking sweat.
 

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