Made in US vs overseas

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pure.fusion

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Morning guys,

Need some info that been a long time coming... and this would be the perfect place to ask.

*Always* throughout my life there has been this glow of "Made in US" or "Made in Japan" label on guitars, with the price tag to match.

It's just crazy how much they charge for a Gibson here in Australia, you'd really have to like the name to buy one since there's better bang for your buck with with other brands (Hard core Gibson fans may strongly disagree!)

Anyway, cut to now, where I'm looking for a new fixed bridge guitar. I've been to half a dozen stores and played two or three contenders at each and the winner at the moment is a PRS single cut - from Korea.

The shop guy even said in a sheeepish kind of way "now, you know this is a Korean model, right?" . I told him I guessed, since the price tag was AUD$1000 and not AUD$2500.

So, what is the difference between the US an the Korean? I imagine it differs between companies, like Gibson may get things outsourced differently to PRS.

Would the wood be the same? Are they choosing nice bits if wood in the US and shipping them? Is there any big down side that would prevent you from buying one?

I just can't get these answers on the internet, I've searched.

... why does it bother me to consider a Korean PRS? Just 'cause it's *not as good* as a US made?

Cheers,
FM
 
Generally speaking, the country of manufacture may have the biggest impact on price point (other than the expense of some of the exotic lumber that some makers use), but it probably has the least impact on quality, all other thing being equal.

But at least with Fender guitars, labor costs are only part of the cost difference between the MIA and MIM Fenders, and the Squiers.

With PRS, I dunno. But there has to be something to account for such a big difference in price aside from where they're made.

I'm sure that Muttley of Light can give a more educated response.

(Where is Light lately, anyway? :confused:)
 
Light picked up his toys and left over the VP thing.

As far as the price thing goes. It is ENTIRELY down to what the market will stand. The real cost savings are down to labour costs and distribution networks. The Asian markets have both sewn up these days.

There used be a difference in timber and fitting quality. Not so much any more..
 
Light left because of VP?

Damn.

Anyhow, I don't have any reservations about Korean (or other indochina-area) manufactured guitars. It's all down to specification and QC by the company that sticks their name on the headstock as far as I'm concerned.

I see that there are many very good, reasonably priced acoustic guitars coming from over there and that's got to be putting a dent in the American-made market.
 
so thats why light hasn't answered my PM's... =(

anywho, my parker p42pro that i just got is made in indonesia of all places, and honestly, the quality on the thing is pretty amazing....and it's like, a quarter of the price of a real fly lol...one day i'll get me one though.....
 
muttley600 said:
Light picked up his toys and left over the VP thing.
Click to expand...

lol. what a puss.

to the OP: dude, who gives a shit where a guitar is made or who made it. if it plays good, sounds good, looks good, and you can afford it, buy it.
 
ez_willis said:
lol. what a puss.

to the OP: dude, who gives a shit where a guitar is made or who made it. if it plays good, sounds good, looks good, and you can afford it, buy it.
Click to expand...

Yeah, well that how I usually think. But as I said there is a 20 year history of sunshine blown up the a$s of the mystical US and Jap made guitars and I've never asked or known the reason why - thus this post.

Obviously the conditioning has it's had an effect over the years 'cause the Korean PRS feels fine (actually it feel great) but the uneasyy feeling of buying a "crap" guitar looms. It affects us all in society where when we buy an item (car, house, woman) we are judged on what we buy. This PRS is no different for me.

FM
 
If you like it, buy it.

I agree that Gibsons are way overpriced here. I have a couple, and particularly the last one I got, a 2008 LP standard (from the last run of standard standards, now they are a bit different), and geez, it's not made with much love. I paid half price and still could have bought 2 better made instruments for the same money. Thing is, it's the best sounding guitar I own hands down. Not sure if it's the grade of wood or what, I don't think the pickups or hardware is anything special and it's certainly not the care taken in the factory. I bought it because it sounds good, if anything I'm embarrassed by the name and pricetag. I kinda wish it sounded worse so I could bag out Gibson!

Keep in mind we're in Australia, I think the very best guitars end up in larger markets. I know some shops purposely put up their prices so they can "slash" 30% off to give the customer the impression they are getting a sweet deal.

At the end of the day, if it sounds good, and you like it, get it. When I started playing guitar, everyone was bagging out "Japanese crap" guitars. I started on a Jap fender strat and was teased about it. Now, once the racism has abated somewhat and people realise they are great instruments, everyone wants one. Fuck them all; get your Korean guitar and rock their faces off.

For the record I really miss VP; I found him very entertaining.
 
Don't expect South Korea to come pull your chestnuts out of the fire....

Just sayin'.

Hell yeah you should always buy American no matter where you are.

And look for the union label too.

:D
 
slowmotion said:
If you like it, buy it.

I agree that Gibsons are way overpriced here. I have a couple, and particularly the last one I got, a 2008 LP standard (from the last run of standard standards, now they are a bit different), and geez, it's not made with much love. I paid half price and still could have bought 2 better made instruments for the same money. Thing is, it's the best sounding guitar I own hands down. Not sure if it's the grade of wood or what, I don't think the pickups or hardware is anything special and it's certainly not the care taken in the factory. I bought it because it sounds good, if anything I'm embarrassed by the name and pricetag. I kinda wish it sounded worse so I could bag out Gibson!

Keep in mind we're in Australia, I think the very best guitars end up in larger markets. I know some shops purposely put up their prices so they can "slash" 30% off to give the customer the impression they are getting a sweet deal.

At the end of the day, if it sounds good, and you like it, get it. When I started playing guitar, everyone was bagging out "Japanese crap" guitars. I started on a Jap fender strat and was teased about it. Now, once the racism has abated somewhat and people realise they are great instruments, everyone wants one. Fuck them all; get your Korean guitar and rock their faces off.

For the record I really miss VP; I found him very entertaining.
Click to expand...

Cheers, cobber. Or should I call you highlander?

Yeah, I looked at a few Matons. Built in Box hill, Vic. I figured I'll be getting more for my money since it's not imported - but what does that mean? I'll be playing it knowing that it's a better cut of wood? Knowing that the machine heads weren't made in Korea?

I'm trying to rationalise the cost of the "expensive" stuff vs the possible lower quality Korean (or elsewhere) stuff. You know, do the machine heads they put on Squires, Epiphones and Korean PRSs not work properly?

If play guitar ->
have sustain? ->
Feel nice? ->
plug it in, sound nice? ->
Looks good to you? ->
Is in the right price range for you? ->
Then Buy guitar
End if.

FM
 
I don't care where my guitar was built as long as it was built in Corona California. Other than that, no issues.
 
Gibsons have stood the test of time. I have played my '71 SG since 1973 (manufactured at a point when their quality control was at a low) and if anything it has gotten more sweet sounding, and looking, over the years.

Owning a Gibson is like owning a luxury car. Are there car models out there that ride just as nice, just as safe, have leather, etc. that cost less? Sure, but its a Gibson.

That being said, I also have a Made in Japan Squier Tele that I bought in 1985and I'll put it up against any American made Tele. It sounds great, plays great, and has worn well.

I also bought a Korean made Epiphone Les Paul ( tired of my SG getting kicked over on stage) to play gigs with and it too is well made and sounds great. (Fender is making some great guitars in Korea)

I think, sound is in your head and in your hands. Wood is wood.

Play em, hear em, and pick a good one, regardless of country of origin.
 
I have a few Korean guitars, the ones that were built to be good guitars are, and quite a few of the cheapo xmas specials are still around.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Gibsons you see in Oz are less than stellar--I live in West Virginia, which is the US equivalent of Afghanistan. The dealer I did repairs for got very few Gibsons that weren't flawed or just plain bad guitars. Of course, some of them sold anyway since a lot of people were just buying the name.

Having played a few of the Korean PRS's , I found them to be well made for the money--if I didn't already have a Korean Hamer Sunburst, I'd probably consider one.
 
Played two MIM Jazzmasters yesterday and both had issues with high frets. Very frustrating. I don't know if they had been shipped okay and the chnage happened in transit, but that's a $1000 guitar that wont play right. Never had a problem with a MIA Fender, and we've four of them here.
 
I'll put my Japanese Strat up against an American standard Strat any day.I've found the MIM ones a step or two below the MIAs though.
 
I own a few quite different guitars and I have to say I like the PRS a lot. It's a Tremonti SE and goes for about EUR 600 here in Germany. PRS has a very good reputation here and the SE series guitars are quite good and not as expensive as their top series.

When I tested the guitar I instantly liked the sound and feel of it and thought: "Damn, PRS... that's gonna cost me." Then it was only 600,- (didn't see the "SE" at first) and I thought: "I don't know how they did this but I don't care. I'll buy it." It is a really good guitar. My other guitars are a '78 USA Fender Strat and an Ibanez S540 FM that cost me dearly about 15 years ago. In addition to that, there is a Cort M800 semi hollow. I can't tell you which guitar I like most because they're all quite different but I can say that the PRS is definitely the guitar with the best cost/performance ratio I have seen in a while. My opinion: If you like it, don't let people get into your head with silly remarks like "you realize, it's a korean model...". Trust your ears and hands. If both tell you it's the best choice, then it probably is.

Cheers
Tim
 
pure.fusion, have you considered a Maton Mastersound? They aren't overpriced and are fairly well constructed, and you'll be keeping your dollars in the country :)
 
I care, because, in my limited experience, I have found that guitars that are built "offshore" [read: in China, Indonesia or Korea] often have hidden shortcuts taken -- plywood instead of solid wood, crappy electronics, gloppy finishes -- that, at this point in my life, I'm unwilling with which up to put.

When I buy a Corona-made Fender bass (currently, an AV '57 P), I know that it's made of solid alder or ash, depending on the finish, and that someone is watching to make sure the details are right. Same thing with my Gibsons. I'm not a snob, and I'm not rich, but it costs so little, relatively speaking, to get the real deal, complete with resale value, that buying on the cheap seems like false economy.

I'm too old to be seduced by bling: I want something my grandchildren will treasure, not some shiny toy that they'll look at and say, "Why did the old man waste our inheritance on THIS crap?!?"
 
Some people prefer guitars made elsewhere, so it's really personal preference. I've been looking at G&L guitars and the Tribute line is their made overseas brand. I tried playing one and I could tell the difference right away. It sounded very similar, but the details were lacking. Neck finish wasn't as nice, frets weren't cut as well, things like that. Generally, you can look on the web site and see if they will be made of a different wood. I know that the guitar I'm looking at is mahogany for the US version, but swamp ash for the overseas version. So you might just play the Korea version and the US version back to back and see if you can even tell. If the difference matters to you, get the one you like better.
 
lpdeluxe said:
I care, because, in my limited experience, I have found that guitars that are built "offshore" [read: in China, Indonesia or Korea] often have hidden shortcuts taken -- plywood instead of solid wood, crappy electronics, gloppy finishes -- that, at this point in my life, I'm unwilling with which up to put.
Click to expand...

I think that's a good way to put it, "hidden shortcuts." In my experiences, it's usually the electronics that are the roughest parts of non-US guitars, but that doesn't mean that U.S. made guitars can't have mediocre electronics (this whole Gibson faded thing).
I own a pair of Korean guitars that I like very much, but the electronics had to go. Dime-sized pots, cheap caps, and really "ehh" pickups.
 
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