“The country a guitar is made in does not matter much”

PeteR

PeteR

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“The country a guitar is made in does not matter much”: Paul Reed Smith thinks people should stop obsessing about guitars being made in America​

“It’s always been about the skill level of the guitar makers.”

guitar.com

“The country a guitar is made in does not matter much”: Paul Reed Smith thinks people should stop obsessing about guitars being made in America

Paul Reed Smith – head honcho at PRS – has given fuel to the side of the debate that believes no, it doesn’t matter where a guitar is made.
guitar.com guitar.com
 
It sure depends on 'who' builds the guitars....
a team of employees with some decades of experiences, or some guys who works in the business for a few months.....
And it always depends on how well a guitar is allowed to be built - and how much profit the company want to make from it
 
(y) And it needs to be repeated over and over again. I will say this however.

There seems to be far less put downs and objections to import lines than was the case a decade ago. The I always buy "Murican" crews have either given up or they now own import models of their own but seldom admit it. It should be noted that Asians were building string instruments long before we heisted the US from our Native American brethren.

Let's take Epiphone as an example. The Stathopuolos Family were making stringed instruments in Turkey before immigrating to the US in the late 1800s. The Japanese and Chinese have been building stringed instruments for centuries. Once someone has the design and specs for a guitar or bass teaching folks to build them just isn't that hard. Leo Fender proved that back in the 1950s.

For the most part every imported instrument is now built by companies with significant experience doing so. American companies like PRS, Fender, Gibson, and others wouldn't associate their name and reputation with junk. David Grissom himself has said the SE version of his Core model PRS is so close to his own that in playing one he could barely tell any difference.

My G&L Tribute versions of Leo's designs sound and play the same as far more costly US builds. There are a few differences but as with most imports vs US built versions it's mostly cosmetic or a few unique features that are reserved for US models if only to still create a stronger market for them. Squier CV models can very easily be upgraded to MIM or even US level versions.

Yesterday I was comparing my Epi LP Special to the Gibson version. The only thing that looks different is the headstock and I won't pay $1300 more for that and the Gibson name on it. I seriously doubt that if I performed or recorded with it anyone would say oh boy I can tell it apart from a Gibson just by how much different it sounds. Pfttttt.

But what we might start asking ourselves is if our fearful leader starts slapping even higher tariffs on Asian produced products what impact will that have on their prices? Have US companies already begun increasing the prices of their import lines in advance of this? I know G&L has boosted the prices of it's Tribute Series significantly.
 
I am going to get a Tele next year. It will probably be a CV 50’s. I just did a setup on one for a forum member, and I was impressed with it over all after polishing the frets and setting it up.

It had the sound and playability that I am wanting, has the look of the AVII 51 with bigger frets, which is a plus for me.

And, at one fifth of the price. I wouldn’t use it enough to justify spending $2500.00 on a Tele.
 
where it's made...meh
how well it's made...bingo.
who made it...? see above.

funny thing...
Mexico, which has a substantially longer history of guitar making than the states, is also part of North America.

So when one steadfastly insists that "American Made is better," when they are really advocating US made, is merely doubling down on their own ignorance. Mexican made instruments are, in fact, really 'well', and American, made.

And, truth is fender was, at first embarassed, and then very angry when the guitars that they had sought out for manufacturing in Japan as their "budget line"...
turned out to be better made instruments than what was coming out of California.
 
PeteR said:
the prices will go up, probably even more than the tariffs....
the 'poor' musician who can't afford an US made guitar will pay for the decision made by some rich guys
Click to expand...
Yeah well we tried to keep the "rich guys" from doing that but failed because for whatever reason too many of us have either lost their minds or their memories. Not sure which. But that's as far as I'm going down that path.
 
3bolt79 said:
I am going to get a Tele next year. It will probably be a CV 50’s. I just did a setup on one for a forum member, and I was impressed with it over all after polishing the frets and setting it up.

It had the sound and playability that I am wanting, has the look of the AVII 51 with bigger frets, which is a plus for me.

And, at one fifth of the price. I wouldn’t use it enough to justify spending $2500.00 on a Tele.
Click to expand...
They are an excellent value as are the G&L Tribute ASAT Classic models.
 
rolandson said:
where it's made...meh
how well it's made...bingo.
who made it...? see above.

funny thing...
Mexico, which has a substantially longer history of guitar making than the states, is also part of North America.

So when one steadfastly insists that "American Made is better," when they are really advocating US made, is merely doubling down on their own ignorance. Mexican made instruments are, in fact, really 'well', and American, made.

And, truth is fender was, at first embarassed, and then very angry when the guitars that they had sought out for manufacturing in Japan as their "budget line"...
turned out to be better made instruments than what was coming out of California.
Click to expand...

1732353517710.png
 
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