Which bass guitar company has the best QC?

[pringlw]

Add another one to the EBMM fan club! I currently have 4 with more to come down the road. Everyone I have ever played or owned has been great. I also want to add that the customer service is top notch too as well as the extra ordinary things that Sterling Ball has done for many of the people who have been in less than fortunate situations. He started the Casie Lee Ball foundation which has donated I have no idea how much money to children's kidney research as well as other things too. I love that company and the people who run it and will always be a supporter!

Yep. Plus, Sterling can PLAY!

 

[BigBigGuy44]

This made me laugh.

Why? From what I read in a lot of threads, they are much better than any MIA Fender and are built in the same shop as Fodera.

How about Epiphone? All of the ones I've looked at were very consistent and well made, especially for the price.

 

[GM60466]

Ken Smith hands down has to be right there as the best or one of the best.

 

[chadhargis]

Interesting analogy. The Sherman tank was particularly known to be under armoured for its period in action. One model was nicknamed the Ronson because it caught fire if it got hit. It was famous because a lot of it was mass produced.

I'll give you a baseball bat and let you take as much time as you want to destroy a Sherman tank.

 

[bassbenj]

This^^^.

The level of quality control is inversely proportional to the sheer numbers of instruments produced.

Small builders, excellent QC
Mass-production factories, not-so-good QC.

Not so true. And my experience with Alembic was FAR worse than any Fender! I could not believe the QC given the price point. We are talking defects like nobody bothered to play it before it went out the door! Defective electronics, ridge down back of neck, and chrome nuts and screws with gold hardware. They seem to be using the Wishbass business model (except for price) these days.

G&L, in my experience, has excellent QC on the BASS itself but clearly NOT on the electronics. I think this is the reason so many L2x00 owners just leave it in passive mode. I had to literally redesign the electronics to get it to stop picking up radio stations and to start working the way Leo intended!

Carvin seems to have really great QC, but for some odd reason poor resale plus many of their models are not popular.

 

[Trailight]

Spector

+ infinity. +1

 

[JimiLL]

Spector, Warwick, Westone

 

[Buslady7803]

The handful of used W I seen, some playe, they all seemed in excellent condition despite the age ...mine was used, 7 yr old when I got it all original, never an issue....if something can hold up years after being in service then QC done it's job

 

[Gyver]

I wish the ones hanging on the wall at GC reflected that.

Agreed. My MM Sterling is almost perfect but every one I have played at the local GC is not set up well, which seems strange.

 

[GBassNorth]

Over the last few years the QC gap seems to be closing on a lot of basses I've tried and bought. In the high dollar low run category I'd say Alembic is the benchmark. In the mainstay average price category I'd say Musicman is the benchmark and in the low dollar high run category I'd say Squier is up there. Interesting thing is - 5 years ago I wouldn't have even thought about buying a Fender or Squier mail order - no QC and too much variation in sound and feel from bass to bass. Not as much of an issue for the newer Fenders. Still not Musicman quality but getting very close.
Just bought a Squier Mustang mail order and it came in perfect in every regard. Not a bad fret or a finish smudge or a pot crackle, loose screw or anything. In fact when I pulled it out of the box and plugged it in every string was in tune, the intonation was spot on and the action was good and low. I didn't even need to do a set up - go figure.

 

[Joe Nerve]

Another for EBMM. I always get the feeling from them that they're more interested in giving musicians what they want and making them happy by giving them awesome instruments, than in selling as many guitars as they possible can.

And another for Warwick.

 

[georgestrings]

EBMM, Spector, and Ibanez all have pretty good QC for being as mass produced as they are...


- georgestrings

 

[pica]

I don't think you can say any one company has THE BEST QC. There are many companies that have great QC.

 

[MNAirHead]

Status

 

[genericusername]

+1 on ESP LTD for the cheaper and middle-of-the-range stuff. Obviously the cheap stuff isn't wonderful, but they're solid and don't have any problems (IME) that can't be fixed with a setup and good strings.

 

[ookiedukes]

I don't think you can say any one company has THE BEST QC. There are many companies that have great QC.

Even the best boutique companies sometimes put out a not so great product. (dead spots, ect.)
Instruments of any kind are very personal.
What works for me, may not work for you.
Quality as far as looks, does not always go hand in hand with sound.( relic's can teach us that)
I have had great looking basses that sounded bad, and bad looking basses that sounded great.
I believe all the major Manufacturers do the best they could do to put out a good product. Otherwise they would be out of business.
It's up to you to find the cream of the crop.

 

[redcloud]

I would have thought Carvin would have been mentioned more.

 

[12stringbassist]

Another vote for Warwick from me.
No other maker I own basses from has that kind of QC.

I would also imagine Ritter and Alembic are pretty faultless.

 

[Batmensch]

I got 2 bad 1's already, next

And I got two that were near perfect.
Next.

 

[GBassNorth]

And I got two that were near perfect.
Next.

I have 4 Squiers, no issues. Two of them are my go to basses for Jazz (Affinity 5) and Precision (Mustang) work. They've sidelined my Fender American Deluxe 5 Jazz and my 1968 Precision. My Bronco and my Jaguar short scales are in the hot rod line up right now. Who knows, when done they may sideline some of my other basses (my Pedulla P/J and my Fender single coil precision maybe).