Tradition Guitars--Samick??

battleminnow

battleminnow

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So I know that Samick makes guitars for everyone, and are a really good value. I went to a local shop who has always carried Samick and found that they were now carrying Tradition guitars. Does anyone know if these are indeed one of Samick's many rebadged guitars? If so, is there really much difference from one of Samick's nicer models, such as the Ultramatics, to a Tradition look-a-like?

Pete
 
I searched around and checked out Tradition guitars and here are my findings, based on what I saw and my prior knowledge of Korean-made guitars (especially Samick):

Tradition guitars are made in Korea.

There are two guitar manufacturers in Korea... Samick and Cort. Samick is the largest by far, but also Cort uses their Korean and Indonesian facilities to make guitars for other companies.

Some of the Tradition guitars look suspiciously close to Samick guitars that were manufactured under their own name (Samick) up until the past two years, when the Greg Bennett line was introduced and took over the majority of sales (probably 90%) of the guitars Samick sells with their name on the headstock. The headstock on Tradition guitars looks like a slightly modified version of the previous Samick line of guitars. The Millennium MTP-350 made by Tradition is a dead-ringer for a Samick SPG650FFS (Samick's previous PRS clone before the Ultramatic), including the same vine-inlay on the neck and an identical body. Several of the other Tradition guitar models look like slightly altered versions of Samick's previous line of guitars before they jumped into the Greg Bennett line of guitars. Samick still sells their old style guitars in Asia (accounting for the other 10%), but they are not available in the U.S. anymore.

What the Tradition guitars do not have, however, is the upgrades that the Greg Bennett line of guitars feature... Grover tuners, Wilkinson Tremolo's, upgraded electronics w/Duncan-designed pickups. Hence, the Tradition guitars are $50 to $125 cheaper (depending on the model) than a "comparable-looking" Greg Bennett guitar.

These are not hands-on "facts", since I haven't physically seen or played Tradition guitars. But I am VERY familiar with Samick guitars (both old and new) and the pictures and descriptions of Tradition guitars I've seen as I hunted around the web strongly suggests that they are re-tooled versions of some of Samick's previous line of guitars.

Given a choice, I'd opt for the newer and better Greg Bennett guitars. I have an Ultramatic UM4 and it's a phenomenal guitar for the money.... a PRS "killer" for sure! ;)
 
Hey battleminnow...

Did you end up buying one of those Tradition guitars?

Just wondering. :)
 
Nope,

I am still looking around. This will be my first electric purchase. I have been playing acoustic rhythm for about 6 years, but I am planning to learn a little lead.

What else do you suggest in the $3-400 range? I have been looking at Dean ans Samick, as well as others. I have played some Schecter and they were ok, but as a "beginner" when it comes to electric, I know what to look for in a well built guitar, just not what I like yet because of the lack of experience.

Pete
 
well, there are tons of things to consider. The guitar's feel, sound quality, durability, resale value. also how it looks. :)

I also spent many years playing exclusively acoustic before I jumped into electric. It's a different style for sure. The strings are all loosey goosey and they're usually a bitch to keep in tune.

I've played electric Deans and they're okay. Some people are very happy with schecter's and, while I'm no music snob, I wouldn't steer anyone towards their axes.

Do you want to buy an off brand to stand apart from the fenderino's and Gibsonian's?

If so, Samick's are a popular choice. I had a cool Fernandes when I started electric because I wanted to stand out from other slingers.

and above all else, at that price, make sure you have solid tuners and go for looks!

miles
 
I've never played one, but what about an Epiphone Dot archtop? The list price is out of your range, but I saw it in a catalog for $369. If you're moving from accoustic, you might really like the sound of an archtop.
 
Similar experience here. I was an acoustic player for years and my first "real" electric was an American Standard Strat. Then last year I got an Epi Dot. I had most of the electronics replaced by Gibson stuff, and I really love the guitar now.

Fab
 
i must say that ive been delighted with my ESP LTD Ec300
very cheap,,,and fantastic sounding soapbar pickups,,,,
great to play,,and looks wonderful:cool:
 
onlyfingers said:
I've never played one, but what about an Epiphone Dot archtop? The list price is out of your range, but I saw it in a catalog for $369. If you're moving from accoustic, you might really like the sound of an archtop.
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The low end Epiphones are crap. In this price range I like the Ibinez Artcore much better.
I have tried a few Washburn electric guitars. They run hot and cold. For a few bucks more you cold get one of these and do a whole lot better than Epiphone.
 
I own a Garnet(think that is the color) Micheal Angelo sig guitar. Made in Korea with two Tradition Humbuckers. It is a sweet lil' thing.:D
 

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A friend of mine owns one of those Traditions......its a nice guitar and in my opinion....well worth the money.
 
I scored mine at the little music shop here for a couple hundred. There are sigs on the back of the guit in Magic marker...:eek:...but upon close inspection, the sig on the back of the headstock is that of Micheal Angelo 2002...could be a fake...but the handwriting matches his sig on the front...bar the last name...which on the guitar is of course signed out in full readable lettering. The sig on the back has more of a shorthand sig....from looking at it, it looks authentic...but who knows and it doesn't matter anyway....:D Of course, my first thought when I looked at the back of the guitar...(which by the way, the finish is in perfect condition..no dings or nothing)....I thought...*why would anyone do that to a guitar with such a perfect finish.?!* One sig on the back of the body has worn off, but two are still there and the one on the headstock was signed over part of the serial number...what a dipshit:D...I can make out all but one number/letter? I should take a pic of the sig anyway...
 
I just purchased my first Tradition G-12 Deluxe NEW for $215 and it plays and feels better than many Strats... even American ones!

It also came with Grover Tuners. :D

I plan on buying several of these babies! I'm having my GK-3 kit installed in this one for my Roland VG-99!

V.T. :cool:
 
USA Company - Tradition Guitars

Tradition guitars are not a part of any other company. I must admit that when I bought my B-100 bass about 6 years ago I thought is was an Ibanez "knock off" at a price too low to be true! After about 6 months of playing my B-100 I stopped into "Hand Picked Guitars" in Springfield, MO where I bought it just to say how much I loved it and I was sure glad I got that great price for a bass with a mild defect! The store owner asks, "What Defect??" I told him about the crack in the body next to one of the volume knobs and that was why I got such a great price ... wasn't it?? ($225 with a gig bag)! He tells me that I paid full price for a bass that should be defect free. He immediately called the Tradition Rep who immediately shipped a BRAND NEW bass and exchanged it for mine!! The new one plays every bit a good as the first one.

5 and 1/2 years later I've logged about 1000 hours on this bass, my son plays it as well. I play at church, in a straight ahead Jazz group and a classic rock band with this bass and if I ever get a new bass it will be another one of these B-100's or the same model with active electronics! I have looked at about every other brand out there over the past few years and I still love my $225 B-100.

I can't speak for their 6 sting guitars however, their bass models are triple worth the money.

Kevin Williams
Tonasket, WA (Originally from near Springfield, MO)
 
I'm late to the game, but Traditions weren't built by Samick or Cort. They were originally built in China (late 90s). In the early 2000s they partnered with a Korean company called Reera (sp?). Reera had factories in Korea and Indonesia. Most of the "basic" solid body models (strats, les pauls, teles and bases) were made in Indonesia. The Korean factories were where the semi, semi-hollow, and other (less "basic") models were made, until Reera shut its doors in 2006.

Between 2006 and 2009 Tradition used a few different manufacturers in Korea, like Unsung. In 2009 they partnered with World Music (another Korean company). Similar to Reera, WM had factories in Korea and Indonesia. Both facilities were used to produce guitars.

The instruments with serial numbers beginning with "W" were made in Korea by Wold Music, and are considered by many to be the best guitars Tradition ever made.

Prior to 2009, Tradition used self designed, but foreign manufactured pickups. Tradition's founder spent years as a Seymour Duncan rep and modelled the Silver Medallion/Gold Medallion/Millennium pickups (all the same pickup by different names) after the Seymour Duncan JB. (Super hot.) After 2009, Tradition's pickups were made by G&B. The PAF style pickups are particularly good.
 
adam.carrigan said:
I'm late to the game, but Traditions weren't built by Samick or Cort. They were originally built in China (late 90s). In the early 2000s they partnered with a Korean company called Reera (sp?). Reera had factories in Korea and Indonesia. Most of the "basic" solid body models (strats, les pauls, teles and bases) were made in Indonesia. The Korean factories were where the semi, semi-hollow, and other (less "basic") models were made, until Reera shut its doors in 2006.

Between 2006 and 2009 Tradition used a few different manufacturers in Korea, like Unsung. In 2009 they partnered with World Music (another Korean company). Similar to Reera, WM had factories in Korea and Indonesia. Both facilities were used to produce guitars.

The instruments with serial numbers beginning with "W" were made in Korea by Wold Music, and are considered by many to be the best guitars Tradition ever made.

Prior to 2009, Tradition used self designed, but foreign manufactured pickups. Tradition's founder spent years as a Seymour Duncan rep and modelled the Silver Medallion/Gold Medallion/Millennium pickups (all the same pickup by different names) after the Seymour Duncan JB. (Super hot.) After 2009, Tradition's pickups were made by G&B. The PAF style pickups are particularly good.
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I have an 2004, LP model I bought new in 2005. Very reasonable price and yes the Medallion pickups are fantastic. Just played it 2 hours last night.IMG_9119.jpeg
 
battleminnow said:
Nope,

I am still looking around. This will be my first electric purchase. I have been playing acoustic rhythm for about 6 years, but I am planning to learn a little lead.

What else do you suggest in the $3-400 range? I have been looking at Dean ans Samick, as well as others. I have played some Schecter and they were ok, but as a "beginner" when it comes to electric, I know what to look for in a well built guitar, just not what I like yet because of the lack of experience.

Pete
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Look into Ibanez. They have some good guitars at really good prices.
 
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