10 Issues Inexpensive Import Guitars
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- Опубликовано: 21 июл 2024
- I wanted to make a video talking about some issues viewers have brought up about Import guitars over the last few years. these are my thoughts, I'm interested to hear yours.
Check out my counter argument to this video
• 10 Issues With U.S. Ma...
Interview with Robert Godin of Godin guitars
• A conversation with Ro...
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In my country handmade american guitars are import guitars. I think i like import guitars.
I would say a majority of us Americans don't think about that. Personally I'm finding that Indonesia made guitars are my favorite. But I still feel that stigma about my USA SG.
Great thought provoking video!
Gregory Black yeah. I personally love US made guitars, mostly the custom shop stuff that truly shows and backs the “USA prestige” reputation. I think the US and Japan make the best guitars out there currently. Korea and Indonesia are definitely up there as well.
I have a USA Gibson les paul and a indo ibanez rg8 and if I were to say who did better on quality control I say indo kills it. I only buy indo squiers or any imported guitar for that matter but I do love my gibson it could have left the facility a little better.
Why settle for American when you can have Japanese
I only buy used guitars from local music stores or pawn shops or person to person. I just don’t see a reason to buy new guitars when there are so many great guitars used I see it as a form of recycling.
I agree 100%! I bought my 2017 fender professional strat in 2018 for $800. I just picked up my Fender professional telecaster on Saturday, 8-1-20 for $900. IT'S 4 MONTHS OLD! Both are 3color burst, so they're like brothers. Also this year I've bought: peavey USA evh Wolfgang $500, D'angelico premier DC $300, Charvel San Dumas (MIM) Pro MOD 2 blue burst $300, Epiphone '56 reissue goldtop with p90s $300. So many guitars, so little time!
Because there are some limited edition ones I want.
@@russellzauner I my experience there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. I just purchased a squire bullet tele and its shaping up to be my favorite rig. Candy apple metallic and 180$. I was able to get 20$ off cause it had a small chip in the finish. Typical guitar center rash. Lol.
@@SourStrawberrys Also nothing wrong with that either. It's the golden age of musical instruments. So many awesome choices for every budget and interest.
I'm a lefty, the used market is limited, so I have some new ones.
I have replaced my expensive Music Man guitars with their Sterling models because I can't justify the damage that occurs at gigs - regardless of how careful I am. I upgrade my $250-$500 dollar guitars with all new electronics, pups and tuners and they are all pretty much equal to the US made ones. Necks is where the real differences are as far as I am concerned, but I can live with the import necks.
Man for me, the neck is everything. That's what my hand touches and that's what I'm paying for.
Yes to necks, on Gibson vs Epiphone, that's where I feel it, that and the finish (varnish).
For bashing out tunes at gigs, I agree use the one that looks the same, and feels close enough, my heads got other things to think about, and piece of mind in not having to worry about something that costs more than my car is only a good thing. Playing at home, I appreciate the subtle differences.
Key for me is whatever you play, enjoy it; I enjoy both.
From Leo: That i a good point. After hurting my #1 guitar years ago, I switched to a Squire with upgraded electronics. No more worries about hurting something nice playing outdoors.
And theft, losing guitars to thieves at gigs is a big problem.
@@rocknrollmouseuk Peace of mind! (But I'll GIVE you a PIECE of my mind!)
"A thousand brands and no choices" - the story of every left handed player walking into a guitar store.
Don't you hate it? On the plus side, I've found that it curbs my gear acquisition syndrome. I've seen a lot of right handed models at pawn shops that I'm sure I would have taken home if I could play them. It's also like a scavenger hunt and brings me excitement when I finally do find a good used lefty. So far I've gotten 4 pretty awesome lefty guitars from pawn shops in the 2 years since I started seriously playing again.
@@asdf9890 i don't play guitar i play bass and i fell in love with the epiphone viola ( made in china ) . i asked the clerk at the store if he could order a lefty but epi doesn't make lefties ! luckily their luthier was able to modify it for me . my first bass is the hofner ignition , also made in china , both great bang for your buck ! at least hofner makes lefties . i don't know what it is but there's something about violin basses that have a massive bottom end moer than my jazz or precision basses ( fender squiers , classic vibe series , outsourced by fender and made by cort gutars of south korea ).every bit as good if not better than mexican fenders and half the price !
We get black
PREACH
@@asdf9890 That being said as a lefty everytime I see a cool left handed guitar I just have to have it because I'll never find it again probably so I end up buying and selling quite a lot. Fortunately I almost never buy new and wait for good bargains but still, I have like 15 guitars at the moment lol that's more than pretty much any of my righty friends.
Phil, for me, this is the best video you’ve ever made. I’ve seen ‘em all and I’ll see them all. Thanks for bein’ you,
I am so grateful to have found channels like yours on RUclips I overdose on politics all week long and I am absolutely out of my mind by the Weeknd and when I dial you up I smile for the first time and really feel happy thank you so much
I stumbled on a USA Godin Radiator for cheap recently and snagged it. I’m blown away by the details and craftsmanship. Hearing that they age the wood so long helps explain it. They just have a different philosophy than some of the high volume brands. I think Godin is one of the most underrated brands in the US market.
"hi, I'm Phil, and I just release great videos."
great video. i didn't expect a discussion of labor conditions on a gear channel but i'm glad you went there. very thoughtful takes on a prickly subject. it serves as a reminder that the stuff we buy doesn't magically come into existence, that there are always people on the other end of the process. thanks for all the content.
Always a pleasure! It's always good to learn new things and yes, you stirred up my mind. Thanks
I only have 1 American made guitar I bought it in the 80s at a pawn shop with a summers wages now I'd have to stop eating or paying the rent to get an American guitar
Eating and having a place to live are overrated.
Jacob Bockover, sorry to hear you are that poor.
thank you so much for the video. You are correct on all points. Also looking forward to the 2020-build-off videos.
I'm not sure all guitars need to last several generations. They get damaged at gigs and stolen on the road. It is wonderful to have a fine instrument, but an upgraded Squier or Epiphone is perfect for any venue with a party going.
And don't forget that even a cheap Squire will last generations if taken care of. They seldom go bad from overuse, mostly from crappy care by owner.
This is the BEST video you have ever made. I have watched all of them and I have listened to all of your podcasts. What I love about you, Phil is that you have the same philosophy I do when it comes to my passion. I personally have lately been buying parts from makers in the us and Canada and assembling them to make to make guitars that are just right for me. I’ve got a couple cheap import guitars and Basses, no big deal, but I put my passion into supporting small makers close to home for surprisingly short money. I’m fairly handy but your sharpen my axe videos really helped me get to the place I am today. Thanks man and I’ll be watching and listening!
Every guitarist should watch this. Superb. Thanks, Phil - I don’t see any of the other RUclipsrs talking about these points!
Love your videos Phil! Always so fun to watch and interesting! Keep up the work!
I love that you understand supply chain economics, Phillip! You get it, where many don't. Another great vid and thanks for that!
I love your stuff dude I’m excited to see what you do in that guitar build off competition
Awesome video. One of your best. Good job Phil.
All valid points. Thanks for making these videos - it’s a great mini series of pros and cons.
Thought provoking. Makes me realize I already have a fabulous arsenal/collection of guitars and I just need to stop, ha.
Years ago, I had some reps come in from a Chinese company to help us rework parts they shipped to the US. The first thing they did was to tell my employees to "hurry up" and "work faster". Did not go over good with me or my employees.
The Chinese are holding 1 million Uighur Muslims in concentration camps. They are also harvesting organs.
J. S. This is how they virtue signal. Those are the only virtues the communists let them have.
@@fawkesandhound repressive working conditions are not by any means exclusive to communism.
@@fawkesandhound - The Chinese are no longer communist. The are a quasi-market economy with a repressive facist-oligarchy command/control. That is decorated with some communist window dressing.
Brilliantly thought out commentary. Great job.
Thanks for another great vid, P!! Love what you do, keep it up!!
Love watching your videos, you are totally unbiased, if I ever get around to building my own guitars, I'll definitely want you to give an unbiased review and your real thoughts.
And here's Phil, loaded with great advice yet again. You keep doing you Phil. I wouldn't own half the guitars I do own without your advice, good man.
This was such an awesome video as always thank you Phil and we should know our gear!
Another great video thanks for putting these together.
Phil, thank you. From an expat living life in the world outside 🇺🇸, it's great to hear this discussion being presented domestically. Great job.
I hope that the conversation will encourage others to research the companies they want to buy from with strong emphasis on the sustainability, human rights and eco hazards each company has a deciding say in. Brands Low balling contractors means all breaches of social responsibility are undermined, I don't care what their marketing team says. Ive lived and travelled all over Asia and it's always the same with Western businesses. The amount of conscious ignorance to it all is just staggering. Ones man definition of shwred in these countries, means something or someone gets shat upon. I'm so glad that we don't have to wait so long for this discussion to go domestic, cuz we'd be here a long time if we waited for those who benefit most from irresponsible social and eco duty of care of another country they do business in, to stand up and own it.
It's your best video ever. I'll drop some dosh in patreon cup and wish you the best through all this. Nothing is ever going to be the same again, particularly mass production industries. Let's hope we come out the other side a bit kinder, a bit more patient and understanding of each other, and a compassionate attitude of gratitude for just how lucky most of us. ✌️#notjustaboutguitars #corruption #greedaddicts
Thanks Phil, You always hit the mark on these videos you have been doing!
Good one Phil..plus, love the intro.
Some interesting points...thanks Phil. Definitely food for thought.
Phil, great video. Now I am going to have to settle down for a while and think about what I think about this....
This is really a great channel. Go Phil!
Good afternoon from NY! Excellent commentary Phil, thank you for this vid. :-)
Really great video. The question of how long an import lasts is an issue I've heard professional musicians talk about. I had one guy tell me his imports have fallen apart while his well made U.S. guitars are still going strong.
I think you just helped me decide to go with Godin. Or that beautiful Fender Am Pro II TELE I've been eyeing.
This is one of those videos that feels more like a rant than one that informs & it gets my blood pressure up as well as frustrates me & I am sure it does others who are just beginning their journey of not only trying to learn to play a guitar, understand how one actually works & why and how to trouble shoot issues, repair or improve one. At age 56 I was given a first act 4 string bass from a friend who heard me say i have always wanted to learn how to play one & I have, but it has always been a after thought stuck way deep in memory. In Nov.2019 is when I was handed this gear, I did the "right thing" took it straight to my local and only music store & asked dozens of questions & left it with them for a week to be "set up" for 35 I was suppose to get new strings & a pro set up. The day I picked ut up I was suppose to get a "run down: or intro to how it works and how to play it. Turned out the "luthier" was a guy who plays in a local band and is friends with the owner. Long story short, no new strings, no understanding of anything and watched him play a few scales. From that day, I have wondered why at this time in history there seems to be a lot of "talk" about the 10 issues with the industry, but NO ACTION, no REAL DESIRE to clean it up, to fix it or even to truly educate us and I have a hunch it is because of the MONEY. I love Phil, but even in this video there is a lot of hints, accusations, theories, almost finger pointing and blame, but played very carefully as to not cross the very thick line that no one sees but knows is there. Phil is a very smart business man & knows if he calls out, names names or steps on toes, there goes his support, sponsors, channel, supply lines and livelyhood. I understand the complexity of it all, but unless WE the community decide to not be a part of or contribute to the frauds, abuses and greed of this industry, this whole video is nothing more than a time filler and waster, which in my opinion seems to be what everyone really loves to do more than anything. It has amazed me to learn how much every owner/player of any gear has plenty to say about how much crap you can buy and it seems that it is all crap, some crap costs more than other crap. I made a trade for a Dean MAB1 RETAILS for almost 2 grand, I thought I hit gold everyone I show it to says its crap. It basically cost me 100.00 to aquire that crap and I live it
Fender Japan innovating heavily in the last year or so. Their new modern series are truly great examples of innovation and exquisite craftsmanship of fender guitars
7:40 don't assume that the regulations actually do anything of any significance. I'm not advocating sweatshops with one door and no fire extinguishers, but US regulations are often arbitrary and capricious and an ever moving target. Just when you think you have your factory all updated to the latest standard a new standard is published. Businesses can sink massive amounts of money into projects just to get the rug pulled out from under them at the last minute. Overlapping city, county, state and federal regulations require an army of lawyers to navigate and even then some building commissioner could decide what you thought was right was really wrong and send you back to the drawing board.
Nicely done Phil.
About the last point, I bought brand new an Ibanez SR300 IPT made in Indonesia back in 2014, the bass was unbelievably light. But from the first day I had problem with cracking pots. Later in the year I had problems with the bridge saddles having been wore out, bridge going flat after playing for some minutes and I hadn't even touched that part of the bass. The bridge had also been already oxidized, it was rough to touch and broke two E strings due to the roughness of the saddle base. 3 years after, the Agathis wood the body was made of, due to possibly being too soft, the strap locks fell off and the wood inside was completely stripped, all of that without me experimenting with it. The bass was sold for a Harley Benton B450 which was far better quality.
Last month I bought a 1984 Japanese Ibanez Roadstar II RB960, the freaking thing is built like a tank, I have no other word to describe it. Nothing moves, nothing rattles. The bass is solid as all hell. For the price these are sold, I'd very much suggest buying used Japan or USA, 80s-00s instruments rather than new. Not to say that "all new instruments suck", far from that actually. As I said, the 144€ Harley Benton was amazing. I can't suggest anything like "avoid this or that", I'm in no way qualified to do that. I just wanted to share a personal experience that was kinda annoying for me.
Thank you for the amazing videos Phil, very helpful and informative as always!
Few years ago, a big Italian company that makes canned tomatos found out that import the tomatos from Cina was much cheaper. They were than canning them in Italy, and sending to their customers. At that point their supplier suggested that they could directly import the canned product custom labeled with their brand and so they did. Few yeas later they said: whay you have to take care of the logistics in Italy. Give us the shipping list and we will send the product to your customers directly. A year later a Chinese company contacted all their customers to propose them "the same product but at lower price". I cannot blame too much the customers or the Chinese company (even if I hope there was something aginst it in their cotract), but I think the shame is all for the management fo the Italian one that for, the crave of earning more money, got completerlly ruined by itself.
I can't help but feel this is a metaphor for the west in general and our addiction to cheap things. We're shipping our industries, trades and crafts to China, and when they're gone that knowledge will be lost.
Love your insight, Phil!
In the 90’s I worked at a retail store that sold peavey guitars, I remember trying to do a basic setup on a strat style guitar, I think a raptor. The ‘wood’ between the pickup route and the Pickup route cracked, actually it crumbled. The guitar was made of particle board..
I have one of these! It’s junk and I thought someone had did a terrible respray job but it’s factory!! 😂
Good, well balanced video. Thanks.
I recently bought a Harley Benton telecaster-style guitar for $84. I guess it will be ok if it doesn't last for 3 generations :)
I disagree with your point #5 about innovation. You are absolutely right that the guitar world is mostly interested in 5 guitar styles, with very minor frills. Guitar companies that have innovated have not been successful because guitar players are not interested in innovation. Steinberger, Parker, Klein, Godin, Rainsong, Electra, Dan Armstrong ... the list of innovative guitar and parts manufacturers that have not been successful is long. I don't think the cheap imports have any effect on whether companies innovate. PRS would be the one exception, but their success was based on blending the best features of the 2 most popular guitars (LP and Strat). Despite their outward appearance, guitar players are remarkably conservative. Bass players, a completely different story ...
Absolutely my experience as well, having worked on distribution side with one brand you mentioned above (Parker-pre JAM/US Music phase). The only people even more reactionary than guitar players are supposedly saxophone players...
Roy Smith I used to have a Travis Bean guitar in the 1980s with a solid aluminum neck, Koa body, and weighed a ton. It was the most innovative thing I've ever seen at the time. I've always kicked myself for selling it, but now just like old fashioned Strats, Teles, Les Paul's, and 335 types(Ibanez).
So... Several of my guitars are VERY innovative. That innovation happened in the 1950's and was done by Leo Fender and Ted McCarthy. They are called the Strat, Tele, Les Paul, and ES-335. THE four most innovative guitars ever built.
gavin aston You're absolutely right. The Fenders are all innovative design concepts, same with early Gibsons
At a shop I worked at, we would get new schecter guitars in and would have tons of like models come in with different parts even in the same batch. Different machine heads, different saddles and even binding styles. We would get 3 of the same guitar in on the same day and one would have locking tuners. Pretty weird stuff! Same with fender amps.. some would have different designs of the same model footswitch. Some would not come with a cover.
I think 2 & 3 are the main issue with imports (particularly into UK where I am). If we insist on proper h & s, working practices and human rights then they will either just bypass them or use even cheaper components. So either the price stays the same but the quality goes down, or the quality stays the same and the price goes up (taking the second item OUT of the "cheap" range so you might as well buy the real thing).
Very interesting Phil - I've been thinking about these issues lately as well.
Have you ever come across Gordon Smith guitars which are manufactured here in England? Don't think I've heard you mention them...
Best LP Special Double Cut, clone or otherwise, that I've ever played was a 70s Gordon Smith.
Agreed, I rate my Gordon Smith (UK made non-import) guitar higher than my American made (import) guitars.
Your last point was a damned good one, and something I'd not really considered.
Import guitars are not necessarily a bad thing, in and of themselves, but they're often made to hit a lower price point, and sometimes you do get what you pay for.
@@russellzauner Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that modern import guitars can't be of high quality (as this channel, among others, has covered at length) just that you can't buy a guitar (import or not) that's not intended to be a top grade instrument and expect it to be one.
My first guitar, in 1969, was an import acoustic 12-string, but Phil is talking about electric guitars. I have a Squier Strat that I bought in 1986 and have played since. I'm not a gigging professional musician - it doesn't get tossed into a case that gets tossed into a van or onto a bus, so it still looks good, still plays great, still has original pickups and sounds great. I appreciate the time and effort that goes into a high-end instrument, but I can't afford a high-end instrument, and my experience with low-end instruments is that imports can be - not that they qualify automatically - of equivalent or better quality than mid-range instruments that might be made here. Much (I'd argue too much) of the cost of a high-end instrument is due to the cost of materials for aesthetic components that have nothing to do with the quality of the notes it produces.
I think it comes down to whether the feel and relative quality of an instrument inspires you. I’m sure there’s a mojo from a Gibson ES that my Epiphone doesn’t have, but the Epi still inspires me to play. By brother loaned me a Vintage Fender, but although I played it non-stop for a year, lately my imports have been inspiring me more.
Great vid again my dude. Most things can’t last forever because it’s not good business anymore. Sad but true.
I recently bought a couple of newly made inexpensive import guitars that play well and sound great but I have to adjust the action after changes in temperature and humidity. The wood just isn't stable. My older US made and imports are rock solid. I tell my friends who are looking for an affordable guitar to check out CL or pawnshops for used guitars that are over 10 years old. I've found that at that point the wood is going to do what its going to do. Thanks for your video, Phillip. Very informative.
This was awesome Phil. I learned a lot. Thank you!
I like the intro with clips of the show!
Apple products are also a good example. Definitely not low price...but we have all heard how bad employees are trested in overseas factories.
Another great video!
Hey phillip anyway you can do a video on the made in Japan aerodyne strat and I bass. Love to see that video thanks!
Hey men, what do you think about vintage guitars(brand). Any chance you'll do a review? Thanks and awesome vids as always
Good work, my man. Lots of good points. I’ll add another point (I haven’t watched the counter argument so I apologize if it’s covered there). One issue I’ve noticed about import guitars is that they’re looked at (by some, not all) as inferior or not as good as American made guitars. While this may be true for some guitars, it doesn’t apply to all of them. Just my 2 cents.
I have an LTD deluxe ec1000 and it's phenomenal, ordered through a retailer. It didn't really need to be set up but a pickup did need to be replaced (Duncan 59)in the neck 10 months in. Under warranty and all so it was replaced 👍 great guitar
Good video!
Great video. I'm not sure what you mean when you question if import guitars will last. The only thing I think of are the electronics going bad.
? Hey Phil, what are some ways with an amp (tube or solid state) and pedals that you can make single coils or p90s sound more like humbuckers under overdrive and gain? Not a fan of single coil distortion by itself unless it's with a fuzz. I'm thinking setting your tone knob to 8 and clean boosting your amp gain with an overdrive pedal and maybe an EQ pedal in front of that too. Any ideas? Thanks.
Hi Phil, to be honest with you, there were shortcuts on many guitars, is not only the case of the so called imports...That wood essence change is basically not a cheaper alternative, there are to many era's and levels of the factory made guitars...I found my 3 best guitars in 3 Korean made ones, but they were inspected very close and i learned a lot of luthiery, i know what i am talking about, i love what Hanser done with the ex Bc Rich and what the custom shop especially from that factory was actually created, perfectly cutted necks with laser guided machines, my 7 string Stealth is having a brand new Original Floyd(i damaged the 1000 and mounted something close) and yeah, there were a few customs and lines production that were over the USA handmade models(denser mahogany and maple used in their production) especially when is about the fret leveling and the neck crafting, the 24th fret body cutway, machines are machines...Indeed, we all love real ebony fretboards,the dalbergia rosewood, or Indonesian mahogany with big leaf...Nice show and all the best!
I've got a couple import guitars that I've bought used, and one I bought new (squire bullet telecaster). The ones I bought used were already set up really great by the previous owner... Less work for me! I also have 3 USA made guitars.... And there's a world of difference between the 2 kind of guitars. But I still love the import guitars, too. I think the trick with import guitars is ''don't buy one without playing it''. I never buy any guitar online import or domestic.
So how DO you play a Chinese guitar before you buy? For the ticket to China you can get a real Les Paul or Stratocaster! Playing one that's already here isn't the point.
@@gavinaston5716 I was talking about buying a used guitar
@@caseylee12 I apologize. I misread your comment and I agree completely.
@@gavinaston5716 my favorite guitar is actually my Squire bullet tele, ''crafted in China''... Nothing wrong with a good old Squier!
Thought provoking video. I notice that my 1968 Yamaha acoustic has actually aged well and gotten better over the years. But my 2007 Squire Affinity Strat is just not as well made as my Korean Ibanez semi hollow body guitar, which was built in 1999. And my new epiphone Les paul seems really well made, but I'm wondering if it will be better or worse in a couple years. Lots of stuff to think about.
Agree hold heartily. Thanks
I currently own 14 electric guitars and they are evenly divided between 7 US made guitars and 7 imports. Not intentionally, it is just the way it worked out. Admittedly, my US guitars get the most use, but my import guitars are really good as well. I tend to look at import guitars as "husks" meaning if I like the body and neck, I will upgrade the pickups and hardware to bring them up to speed.
This has been working well for me and it's a good way to add guitars I want to have but won't be part of my "main" rig. For example, I am really not a strat or tele player on my main band, but I think it's important for any guitarist to have them in their arsenal. That is the kind of scenario where an upgraded import fits the bill just fine. It adds variety to your collection without breaking the bank.
"Specifications may change without notice" is a super common disclaimer on all sorts of products. Guitar makers don't innovate because guitar players are obsessed with "vintage" stuff.
Well.... never considered longevity of an instrument. Great vid!
When are you gonna do the review on the teal princeton you just got from reverb? I'm interested in buying one, I have been wanting a 68 with a 12" speaker for a while and can't find anything but a black face.
Have you tried the Leo Jaymz guitars? I ordered a single cut from Amazon and I love the guitar. Their guitars are under $300. Great for the price point.
We had Blood Diamonds and now we have Blood Guitars.
I seee the rosewood daphne blue strat in the background and have to ask how the frets were from the factory on it. Im in the market for that very strat and would just like to know your opinion on it
Thanks, Phillip. At my age I always go clean; no sawtooth allowed. It sounds like a hacksaw on my acoustic nerve.
Liked and subscribed. I have a Sterling by MM. JP 100 3TS. How can you find when and where it was made. Been to sterlings site. Didn’t help. Great content and strait to the point.
I don’t know if you plan on going back to reviewing pickups, but if so check out supro vista tones. They seem like really interesting pickups
#1 is a really good point. I had a Korean made Epiphone Les Paul Standard Quilt Top (Mars Music exclusive) that I got brand new in 1999. I LOVED that guitar and I still miss it to this day, however, by 2009 it suffered complete fret death. I mean literally every fret was scooped out and dead. I purchased a new 2009 ESP LTD M-1000 Deluxe to take its place and today in 2020 the second fret has ever so slight wear, so build quality and materials did get better as time went on. It can be said that if you bought a Korean guitar in the 90s you probably have 7-10 years of frets on it (most Korean made guitars were made by one or two companies then) and Korean made guitars made in the 2000s will last much longer. I'm still banging on that M-1000 Deluxe and its rock solid and doesn't seem to want to break down anytime soon. I thought it would be worth mentioning that I have a Japanese made 1990 Jackson Soloist Professional Pro (Bright Yellow!) that is 30 years old that I purchased in 2012 and it seriously has NO fret wear at ALL! I'm the second owner, which means before I played the hell out of it, someone else played the hell out of it. it is almost chronologically impossible for me to have been the first owner of that guitar and it has ZERO fret wear. It was made back during a time when guitars were made in Japan to cut cost and this was before they were being made largely with C&C machines overseas from a U.S. perspective. If a guitar with amazing quality could be made way the hell back in 1990, it can surely be done today. One of these days were going to be talking about the glory days of Indonesian made guitars, I have one of those too! An Ibanez UV70P purchased new in 2013. So far so good on everything with this one as well! This is probably one of the best times to buy imported guitars ever. Yes, there are also downsides but there's way too many upsides now compared to the 1990s! From one guitar nerd to another! Keep shreddin!
Fret wear is whether they are made of stainless steel or not, not what year they were made. Stainless steel frets last a lot longer and may never wear out depending on how they are played and for how long.
Most of my guitars I own, I built myself. Currently I am working on a new guitar. The body is alder with a Paduak cap. I'd say thickness it's about 60% Alder and 40% Paduak. The neck is roasted Maple. Double cut away with very sharp horns. Great video, as always.
I think you responded to the wrong video.
Private sector can produce in 2 of 3 ways: quicker, cheaper and higher quality.
Great video, Phillip. 🤘
2:09 like Peavey in the US?
EDIT: Oh I see you talked about Peavey around 7:50 - afaik Peavey guitars/basses were 90% made in Asia and hardly any were US custom made. They were focusing on electronics (amps) and he lied to his employees in the undercover boss story and later blamed regulations for it. He could've been honest from the start but wasn't.
ayeapprove I used to play an American made Peavey kind of like a Strat but with a nicer body. They are around still on eBay and not too much money either.
What is that matte black offset guitar next to the prs? Loved the shape!
Was reading these comments to find out too. Awesome shape
Last year I bought a Squier 70's Classic strat and immediately sent it back to Sweetwater. I was APPALLED at the poor quality in the finish. I asked my sales guy Patrick, what is the one guitar brand you never see sent back, he said PRS, hands down. I'm now the proud owner of a 35th Anniversary Custom 24 SE with abalone inlays. I. Am. In. LOVE!! So beautiful in every way.
Regarding #2: Remember that Japan was once a country where cheap imports were made, while today they are one of the countries making high end guitars.
The newer Indonesian guitars I've played are consistently my favorite instruments. Above my limited reference sample of MIM and MIA. I'm more than willing to bet they outperform older MIJ.
Yes that's so true. I have a 1968 Yamaha acoustic that's one of the best guitars I've owned. I remember when Japanese guitars were considered bad. They weren't bad at all. It's just a form of racism, and typical with us who live in the western world.
what does it mean for it to last? i.e. what parts of it would diminish? Are we talking about headstock, neck and body or electronics/components? Because the electronics/components can be easily replaced or upgraded.
I want a versatile shred guitar, middle of the road price, preferably w/out a floating trem, what would you (everyone) recommend ? Most bang for the buck!
Clear and non-biased/judgmental.
I have bought several Korean import LPs and ES335s at All in One guitar in Ca. They set up the guitar and ask you how you want your action before they ship. They have beautiful LPs.
Regardless of where a product is made, if you like it, and you buy it, you just helped someone feed their family.
Anyone have any experience with the Jackson Dinky, the cheap $400 model? I know they’re made in China. I was wondering if they were worth the risk?
You make some good points. I buy older import guitars (at least 20 years old) and upgrade just about everything, with a lot of time on the neck. Imports can be a good buy just need to find the right brand and manufacturing site.
When you talk about the prices between US made guitars and it's import equivalent, one brand immediately came to mind: Music Man. As soon as their import versions gone up in value ( some brand new Sterlings models are now around US$ 1200) their US line has crossed the US$ 3000 and dragged the used market with it. When I bought my long gone JP13, I paid 1700 for it, used, but in absolutely MINT condition, nowadays it's almost impossible to find one like that for under 2300.
One thing he mentions that I wish he would focus on in another video is how manufacturing has changed over the years. Are the gotohs on new guitars different from the gotohs on my MIJ strat from the 90s? Is it even the same company? How has the wood supply changed over the years? Is rosewood now the same as rosewood then?
You said a well made guitar can last for generations and not miss a beat. All the guitars I played in my life missed a beat pretty much from the first day I played them.
What's that black guitar hanging in the background?