Direct from China

[Dan Edmonds]

Has anyone had any experience buying guitars direct from the manufacturer in China, Korea, or Indonesia?

[ChinaTwanger]

Hello Dan,

Welcome to the TDPRI!

I have extensive experience in China as you may be able to tell from my username. Until the beginning of this year I lived in China for about eight years. I've had dealings with lots of different commodities including musical instruments. I've built and owned factories there for quite a while.
What do you want to know?

[photoweborama]

I loved China when I was there in 2005... but that has nothing to do with your question....

[SimpleOne]

Originally Posted by ChinaTwanger

Hello Dan, I have extensive experience in China.What do you want to know?

Guessing that there are a few folks here that wish to speak to you

Have you had occasion to hear anything about the factory that manufactures the Squier Classic Vibe telecaster and is it possible to get a similarly equipped guitar from said factory?

Or rephrased; is this factory also churning out other well made teles at a significant savings? And are there offerings to be had as rebranded guitars? Impossible to answer probably, but we can dream!

And welcome to the forum...figured that since China is such a small country...

Willing to chance that you become a welcome addition to this forum...

[garytelecastor]

Welcome to TDPRI.

[TheOx]

Originally Posted by Dan Edmonds

Has anyone had any experience buying guitars direct from the manufacturer in China, Korea, or Indonesia?

I'm looking forward to the replies to this, coincidentally I'm off to southern China tomorrow (Guangzhou to precise) and was wondering about the exact same thing....

[Nick JD]

You'd want to be selling quite a few of them - otherwise the savings from going factory-direct in China would be about $50.

I'd be more inclined to try to avoid the retail mark-up on MiA Fenders!

[ChinaTwanger]

I haven't had occasion to see the factory making Squires but I've seen several others. I can tell you that in order for Fender (or anyone for that matter) to get consistent quality produced there you would have to spend a lot of time on the ground in the factory or very near it. No one knows this better than the Chinese. My impression of most guitar manufacturing there is that they are very good at production but lack the love for the instrument like one might find here at TDPRI. That would tend to happen in the production of any instrument in mass quantities anywhere but it seems that its more pronounced there. Very few, if any, people in management there can even play one, let alone have a real connection with an instrument. It might as well be furniture.
The golden rule in dealing with factories in China is this (and this comes from eight years of living there and running woodworking factories): Never believe anything but what you see of your own product being produced when it is being produced. Believe no samples, brochures, catalogs, pictures, factory tours, or Internet.
It was a very expensive education but it finally took. There are a lot of folks who are still learning this lesson the hard and expensive way just like I did. Thank God I was making furniture and not Pharmaceuticals.

There's a million dollars of advice for free on the TDPRI.

Lance

[SimpleOne]

Originally Posted by ChinaTwanger

I haven't had occasion to see the factory making Squires but I've seen several others. I can tell you that in order for Fender (or anyone for that matter) to get consistent quality produced there you would have to spend a lot of time on the ground in the factory.
There's a million dollars of advice for free on the TDPRI.

Lance

Ah...interesting stuff...thanks for the edifying insight! DougW

[Gary in Boston]

China Twanger's comments about production there are true. I know some folks in the drum biz and they had the very same experience. They too learned the hard $$$$$ way

And who pray tell makes the money when this happens? If my few experiences with Eden are any indication I wil say that China, while certinly an option is not THE ANSWER but perhaps a detour. Many folks talk about buying a "value engineered" guitar from China and its the best guitar they've ever owned. That might be and certinly coulde happen.

I would stay away from the guitar products coming out of there or buy with caution and be surprized if it goes well.

Gary

[Dan Edmonds]

Originally Posted by ChinaTwanger

Hello Dan,

Welcome to the TDPRI!

I have extensive experience in China as you may be able to tell from my username. Until the beginning of this year I lived in China for about eight years. I've had dealings with lots of different commodities including musical instruments. I've built and owned factories there for quite a while.
What do you want to know?

Thanks, China Twanger..and others
My interest is in buying a good cheap copy direct from manufacturer (for my personal use) if possible, but when I look on the internet I have absolutely no idea of whom to trust and product quality. So I was wondering if anyone had experience with a manufacturer that could be trusted to take ones money and supply a decent instrument. I see some adds constructed in poorly worded English and can't help but think some of these Chinese manufacturers could make a bundle if they had someone who knew their product and could vouch for it.

As a secondary interest I was wondering if it is possible to make money helping to promote a Chinese instrument on this side of the Pacific. We already have the Squiers , Jay Tursers, and Samick Tele's for around $200 being sold here stateside. I've seen Rondo advertise their SX for $109. Is there a market for another similar ax? or do these aforementioned brands have every market sewed up?

By the way, sounds like you have had a fascinating business life. DH