We're all being suckered......

[teletail]

It depends on where you go I suppose.

Well, your post was about online forums so that's what I was commenting on. "Somebody purchasing a $100 guitar will try to justify to everybody else that their guitar is superior. Somebody purchasing a $100,000 guitar will try to justify to everybody else that their guitar is superior." I just added that my experience was the same everywhere.

 

[bobio]

Well, your post was about online forums so that's what I was commenting on. "Somebody purchasing a $100 guitar will try to justify to everybody else that their guitar is superior. Somebody purchasing a $100,000 guitar will try to justify to everybody else that their guitar is superior." I just added that my experience was the same everywhere.

I have never understood that mentality, it seems far too many people crave the validation of their choices by others
I guess I am lucky in that I couldn't care less if anyone else approves of my choices, never have

 

[teletail]

Agree!

Got on one of the Chinese manufacturing hubs and within 1-2 hours I had 25-30 responses and quotes prepared from various manufacturers and had the product 2 weeks later at 7% of the cheapest US quote). It is INSANE.

Yup, when you pay your employees 50 cents an hour, no health care, no benefits, no concern about work place safety or regulations, no environmental regulations, no concerns about copyright or patent infringements, you can really pump things out cheaply.

 

[dkmw]

Most of the world isn't American, we tend not to care either way.

You don’t say! This is shocking

 

[Repoman]

Yup, when you pay your employees 50 cents an hour, no health care, no benefits, no concern about work place safety or regulations, no environmental regulations, no concerns about copyright or patent infringements, you can really pump things out cheaply.

I agree somewhat but that is still an oversimplification of the situation and there is probably more to blame here than over there. Chinese workers do not get paid peanuts these days and they are also extremely hard workers, the development going on there is crazy, some is a Potemkin village, an awful lot of it is not.

 

[bottlenecker]

since the quality of inexpensive guitars has increased significantly over the past 20 years or so. The gap between them is a lot more narrow than it once was.

I think this is part of the story people tell when they're congratulating themselves on their brilliant cheap guitar purchases. That cheap guitars just suddenly got good. It's a popular idea on the internet.
I reject this notion entirely.

I've owned cheap guitars made from the 1930s through the 1990s. I've played plenty made after that. I've not played a squier I'd prefer to my $90 univox from the 60s, or my $125 ibanez ar50 from the 70s. My 80s japanese squier was in no way inferior to a new squier.

 

[Happy Enchilada]

I've had fantastic guitars made in Indonesia.

As far as what's going on, I think Fender gets away with selling MIA guitars that don't have the level of hand finishing and QA/QC that they really should at that price point. Ditto for Gibson-- for the prices they charge they should be embarrassed by the low levels of QC as compared to other manufacturers. To put it another way, the level of TLC that goes into "Custom Shop" models is probably the level of TLC that should go into all of their MIA offerings. Any MIA PRS gets that level of TLC, IMO.

^^^^I have not one single US electric. MIM Player Tele (with upgrades), partscaster, and Indonesian Hamer Special. Irony is I could get ONE US Fender for all 3 in a trade. For me, it's about the sound and feel of the instrument, not the country of origin. And Indonesia is turning out some of the finest electrics these days in terms of fit and finish (electronics not so much). And I have too much Scotch blood to pay an extra grand or two for "Made in 'Murica" on the headstock.

HOWEVER, I am playing more acoustic these days, and noticing the reverse is true there. I have a Chinese Teton dreadnaught I got for under $300 that's amazingly lightweight and sounds good and which I'm not a fraidy cat about taking places. Because of that, it lives on a stand in my office so I can grab it quick for working out parts. But the other day just out of sheer boredom I dug my US Guild D40 Traditional out - and the difference between the two was night and day. The Guild delivered so much more articulation and sensitivity to my ears that I'd never gig with the Teton instead. I'm still in fear of the Guild getting road rash, but then like the slogan says, it's "Made to be Played."

There's too much difference between woods, bracing, finish, and QC for the Asian acoustics to catch up IMHO. In fact, I may be GASsing for a D55 if I can save up enough milk money one of these days. I have an F55 that's a tone cannon and a work of art and a vintage J30 12 string that's also awesome. But that little Teton sure is handy.

 

[ReverendRevolver]

I really need these threads to stop popping up. It's getting hard to find affinity or bullet teles for $90 in pawn shops. Shhhh!

 

[bgmacaw]

I have never understood that mentality, it seems far too many people crave the validation of their choices by others

It's been human nature are since we stopped hunting and gathering.

 

[bgmacaw]

Yup, when you pay your employees 50 cents an hour, no health care, no benefits, no concern about work place safety or regulations, no environmental regulations, no concerns about copyright or patent infringements, you can really pump things out cheaply.

"Sent from my iPhone"?

 

[bobio]

It's been human nature are since we stopped hunting and gathering.

Maybe so, still don't understand it
Happy that I am not afflicted with it.

 

[GGardner]

You could compare a BMW X3 to a Subaru Forester and reach a similar conclusion. And paying $25 for a plate of pasta or $75 for a piece of steak makes no fiscal sense. But don't we all deserve a little cookie sometimes? My next guitar should be a used Squier that I mod to taste. My next car should be a used Honda or Toyota. And they might well be. But sometime I think, "Man, I've worked hard all my life (well, at least since my late 20s), played by the rules (again, that's late 20s and forward), and quietly sacrificed for my family (immediate and extended). I deserve a cookie." To borrow from Tevye in "Fiddler on the Roof," would it spoil some vast eternal plan if I irresponsibly overpaid for some gear?

 

[Wound_Up]

Edited*

Nevermind. Sorry about that.

 

[Willie Johnson]

I agree. I too own a 92 American standard strat. I also own two classic vibe Squier telecasters. Now I wouldn’t argue that the Squier’s are higher quality. But given the price difference. There is no way I will buy another American made fender. The Squier’s are just so damn good for the money. Hell you can buy a Squier and upgrade it anyway you wish for less money then an American Fender.

I have a Squier Standard Strat (circa 2015, agathis body, cherryburst) that I put the stock pickups from my '93 American Strat in, which had been sitting in a cardboard box for most of the last 25+ years. The tuners are a little cheesy and the trem block isn't full size (whatever that's worth), and it's as good a player as the Am Standard. I paid $135 for it "used" with the film still on the pickguard.

I ain't a rock star. These are--fine. As good as I need them to be.

 

[stephent2]

there's also the case of folks suckering themownselves,..

 

[Jazzcaster21]

Before I decided to get my American Pro II Tele, I played a few Classic Vibes and thought they played MUCH better than the MIM Teles that were in the store. I ended up paying more for the pro because I wanted an American made Fender, since I had never had one (my first Fender guitar was the not good mid 90s Japanese Strat Squier), liked the color choices (granted there were only two lefty options) and specs better than the Classic Vibe series.

BTW,
this is an interesting video about the state of Fender today where they bring up a few of the things that the OP mentions. It is four years old but, still pretty relevant to the topic.

 

[THX1123]

Strumming-Kruger? Dunning-Tuner?

I'll see myself out

I just got my confirmation biased and it sounds great!

 

[Jazzcaster21]

BTW, NYC jazz guitarist Nir Felder's main axe is his stock MIM Fender Strat that he paid $250 for.

 

[Jazzcaster21]

Just a question for all of you who buy cheap guitars and then spend money to upgrade them so they are better: By the time you spend all the money on the upgrades, depending on how far you go that is, how much have you really saved vs. getting a better guitar with better electronics, etc. to begin with??

 

[Toto'sDad]

I have an Squier affinity for 180.00 CDN new out of the box the set up was perfect, action and finish, I am used to getting low grade crap for left handed guitars reguardless of where the guitar is made , even the pickups, neck shape, fret ends, perfect , I did swap out the cheap pots for CTS lefthanded pots, the 3 way for a direct fender replacement and any cheap wiring with Gibson pull back wire , all of that becuase I am a snob had no effect on the playability of the guitar at all. I would buy another in a flash if they were all as well made as this one.

out of four of my american made guitars for the price 2 should have never left the factory doors quality was that bad
JMHO

Just so you know.