#16
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They are simply taking a commercial view of what their greatest market - the crazy consumerist demands of "the west" and making what they can sell. To build a guitar (whilst those who can have my deepest respect) isn't the greatest technology in the world. To build ten thousand of "good" standard is challenging and they can do that well. China has undergone an industrial revolution in a very short time, and learned from Japan's post war achievements and mistakes (following the west and paying themselves to much). Are there people in China that could build superior instruments? Well, remember the old saying that if you are seeking that one in a million - in China there are 1,357,000, of them! China is the 2nd largest (after Russia) and most powerful and populous nation on the planet. It represents about 18.5% of the world population. (USA - 4.3%) China should not be underestimated in any aspect.
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Silly Moustache, Just an old Limey acoustic guitarist, Dobrolist, mandolier and singer. I'm here to try to help and advise and I offer one to one lessons/meetings/mentoring via Zoom! |
#17
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[/QUOTE] China is the 2nd largest (after Russia) and most powerful and populous nation on the planet. It represents about 18.5% of the world population. (USA - 4.3%)
China should not be underestimated in any aspect.[/QUOTE] Actually, China is the 4th after Russia, Canada and US. |
#18
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The most expensive Eastman flat top can be bought new for around $1,000 street, so the $2K Martin/Gibson/Guild comparison is not really fair. I have two top-of-the-line Eastman flat tops that I would not trade for any $1,000 Martin/Gibson/Guild. In fact, I'd reverse the arguement to say that Martin/Gibson/Guild may be 5 years away from producing a $1,000 guitar that can compete with Eastman.
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"Alas for those that never sing, But die with all their music in them!" --- Oliver Wendell Holmes Hear my original music at: https://www.reverbnation.com/judsonhair |
#19
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I steadfastly refuse to buy any guitar from Antarctica or Lithuania. If that make me a penguinaphobe, so be it.
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#20
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Soul, whatever that means, has nothing to do with it. Chinese guitars, like American, Irish, British, etc, are built with specific price points and markets in mind. Obviously, with their labor costs, manufacturers in China, Indonesia, and other Eastern countries, can more readily produce superior products in the lower price categories. And some are sufficiently good that they might satisfy a player who would otherwise be in the market for one of the well-known and more expensive American guitars. But that's not the market to which their instruments are directed. You surely know that Yamaha produces some exceptional and exceptionally expensive guitars. The quality of those instruments is no less than any comparably priced U.S. guitars. Is the "soul" and history of Japanese guitar building fundamentally different from Chinese?
Sent from my D6708 using Tapatalk
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Collings CJ Goodall RCJ Martin 00-18 Tim O'Brien Jonathan Vacanti archtop Aaron Garcia Ruiz classical |
#21
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From Steve DeRosa:
of those - IMO Eastman is at least five years away from being able to compete effectively, on a heads-up basis, with the major American makers... Well somehow my E20 OM was made 5 years before it's time. Tom
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E10 00 Eastman 00-18 Martin 000-15 SM Martin E20 OM-SB Eastman |
#22
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The build quality of my E5SS equals any mass produced guitar from anywhere.
Carry on. |
#23
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Can we have a rule that we can only have a dozen of these kinds of threads about Asia guitars vs. US. etc. etc. a year?
It's the same old song: "I'll never buy guitars made in China" "My (insert Eastman, Blueridge,etc.) is as good as a Martin or Taylor" "The workers in China are in sweat shops" "It's a global economy, I'll buy from whomever I want to" "Make America Great again!" "You're a Zenophobe!" "blah, blah blah" |
#24
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I played my brother's 2015 made in China Guild F-130 the other day. It's an OM type, constructed of solid sitka and solid mahogany and I was very, very impressed. Its tone, playability and build-quality are superb.
It cost him just shy of £600, and there aren't too many all solid wood guitars available at that price. I'd be proud to own one - it's a lovely instrument.
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1932 National Tricone Style 2 2002 Martin 000-28ec 2014 Martin 00-15m 1998 Takamine PT-508 1983 Ibanez V320 2011 Martin LX1 |
#25
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I respect everyone's opinion about this, but to say that Eastman is "behind" any U.S. Builder is just plain incorrect. My E10 OO is as good a build as my Larrivee L03. My E 20 D is very close and sounds a lot better than many other dreads I have played.Bias is hard to overcome and it weighs heavily into legitimate evaluation.
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Nothing bothers me unless I let it. Martin D18 Gibson J45 Gibson J15 Fender Copperburst Telecaster Squier CV 50 Stratocaster Squier CV 50 Telecaster |
#26
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#27
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I love my Chinese built Yamaha AC3M. Suits me fine.
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Yamaha AC3M Acoustic Guitar Gretch G5220 Electromatic Squier Classic Vibe 50s Telecaster Squier Vintage Modified Telecaster Special Yamaha BB414 Bass |
#28
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I have one as well and it is very well made.
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#29
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China is now blended with US lifestyle or in general with World's lifestyle.
From 3rd world south Asian countries to Europe to Africa to Aussie to NA, Chinese goods are part of daily life. Just make a list of your things in the house. Besides the house itself, most things are from China. I get it, there's still that nagging feeling that everyone has in their mind that China takes our jobs so every now and then people think they need to complain. However, it's time to accept the fact and nothing will change it, nor us nor new government nor new country. Chinese economy is huge and they make effort to put their goods in the world individually and as a nation unlike us in the US where individuals have to compete and fail. As for history, what history? The guitar is only few hundred years old and the latest shape is around a hundred years. Chinese music was there 5000 years ago, that's 10x before USA was even a country.
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Acoustic-Electric: Yamaha FGX800C, Jim Dandy. Seagull S6. Electric: Schecter C1+, Aria Pro II Fullerton. Last edited by Mystery123; 03-25-2017 at 09:30 AM. |
#30
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Yeah, it's funny to talk about China not having the proper cultural history that's long enough to build string instruments, particularly for folks in the US.
The Chinese fretted string instrument I think some are referring to is the pipa. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pipa If you scroll down partway on that Wikipedia entry look at the poetry that describes the performance aspects associated with the pipa from the Tang Dynasty (contemporary time frame back in Europe: "The Dark Ages"). Doesn't look to far away from some of the effects that still seek to bring out of the acoustic guitar now does it? The pipa doesn't have a timbre like a guitar. Lute is one comparison. A banjo with even less sustain would be another. However the tradition is still to play it with considerable emotional and onomatopoeic effects. I've been spending time this month translating Tang dynasty Chinese poetry and finding music to put with it, so these thoughts are with me. Just because my ancestors were coming up with Beowulf when Du Fu was writing sophisticated poems about nature and empire doesn't determine my ability to write today, and similarly CF Martin's guitar making skills have not come down me despite my mother's side having come to the US from Germany. The cool thing (to me) is that we live in a world connected in such ways that we can pick and choose things from many cultures. The commercial arrangements about where things are made is another issue, perhaps with different rules, but as a cultural matter, I'm all for it.
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----------------------------------- Creator of The Parlando Project Guitars: 20th Century Seagull S6-12, S6 Folk, Seagull M6; '00 Guild JF30-12, '01 Martin 00-15, '16 Martin 000-17, '07 Parkwood PW510, Epiphone Biscuit resonator, Merlin Dulcimer, and various electric guitars, basses.... |