Foreign (Asian) vs American made guitars

[Twilo123]

I've had crappy and good on both sides. For me this Korean shop make great guitars http://www.guitarhospital.co.kr/kweb/guitar/0032.asp
I've also gotten some pretty crappy ones direct from China.

Like anything research, test when possible, and hopefully u get something good no matter where it's from.
There's a lot of good European luthiers also...

[rosborn]

Originally Posted by Gasworker

Nice try Rosborn. These types of threads are used by a few to add their insults and insecurities. They normally get closed and or deleted. Too bad.

Sad. I was just trying to strike up a good natured conversation.

[rosborn]

Originally Posted by peterbright

Mexico is in North America.

I never even brought up Mexico so it really isn't relevant to the discussion I started.

[rosborn]

Originally Posted by 00-28

Asian made guitars are very nice guitars. Labor cost and time spent on each guitar factors heavily in their price discrepancy. As an example, it takes two to three weeks for a Martin guitar to go through the lacquering process. The cheaper counterpart would already be in a Guitar Center by then. Labor costs are much higher in Europe, Canada and the US. So if you want Lowden, Martin, Larrivee, Gibson or Taylor for the same price as a guitar built by Cort, they would have to be made overseas with less attention to detail. That is just the bottom line. .......Mike

I have read that Alvarez guitars go through a 20/21 day lacquering process as well.

[rosborn]

Originally Posted by Irondale

See what's going to happen is that you are going to be gassing for that Martin for a long time unless you just forget about this whole Asian vs. Martin thing. And you'll take a long and expensive journey getting there.

Say you sell that Alvarez... you'll probably lose half what you paid for it, buy a bunch of guitars, sell a bunch and will have easily spent as much as you would have buying a used D28.

Honestly, I'm not GAS-ing all that hard for a Martin. Someday... I doubt I'll lose half of what I paid for the Alvarez because I didn't pay all that much it in the first place.

I am really not worried about owning an Asian guitar. Really, this thread was just to have a discussion.

[rosborn]

Originally Posted by Malty

Although most of my guitars were assembled in North America (USA and Mexico), I do have some dandy instruments handmade in South America and Asia.

I do admit to prefering some Chinese products...such as my iPhones.

That was what really got the question going for me in the first place. People here will own cell phones made in China but some wouldn't be caught dead owning a guitar made in China.

[rosborn]

Originally Posted by Rmz76

My BG140 (made in China in 2006) is coming up on 10 years old. I'm the second owner. It sounds much better than the current production models so I assume it has "opened up". It's vintage style tuners hold tune at least as well as my Martin D-28 and OOO-15 did. It has a "lightly built" feel and just sounds fantastic. The only thing wrong with it is really the inlay work. It looks nice and is holding up but I know it's not real mother of pearl and I don't like that. I'd rather it be less ornamented than have what amounts to fake inlays.

I've walked into a five star Gibson dealer twice was money in the bank ready to buy a Gibson round shoulder (once a J-45 Standard, once a J-35) and both times took my BG140 in and just couldn't bring myself to buy the Gibson because to my ears and hands the Blueridge speaks to me. I'm not saying it's a better guitar but is it just as good? It does what I want it to and the only Gibson I can find to be envious of would set me back $6k so I'm content.

I do have respect for American built guitars and get why people buy them but I'm happy with what I have. Staying within my means I feel like I got an high quality instrument that does what I want it to.

Outside a few Japanese builders I think we're probably a decade or more out from Asian built acoustics having the respect of American made acoustics that may never be the case. In general I think there are builders in Asia producing higher quality acoustics than what we're seeing out of even the privately owned factories from Mexico. The Taylor 200 series and Martin X series are very inconsistent. I know some will disagree and that's fine. I can only speak from my experience. I've never met a guitar from a Mexican factory I liked.

Thank you. Very nice testimony to your experience.

[J-55]

This one is gonna turn nasty ain't it?
Like stated by others USA made guitars will hold value better than an import. If that's what you're after then buy a USA made guitar.
Also stated that offshore produced instruments , like usa made if built correctly can be great players. I have owned chinese guitars and used em to jam with and leave in the trunk and not really give a hoot about that have earned more compliments than my american made babies.
I currently don't own any chinese made but my son has a chinese fender and I'll be honest, it's a piece of trash. It goes out of tune once the capo goes on,the neck is like a nascar track. But it is a beginner instrument.
I own several vintage japan made acoustics and they seem to have stood the test of time and are great players. As a matter of fact I took Gibsons off my live rig and used them instead.
As I was once told, don't go by the hype but by the piece itself. If you keep an open mind you may be surprised.
But if investment and holding value is what you're after the classic USA made will hold out.

[HHP]

Originally Posted by rosborn

That was what really got the question going for me in the first place. People here will own cell phones made in China but some wouldn't be caught dead owning a guitar made in China.

I think you are overstating the situation. I imagine most everyone here owns or has owned a guitar from Japan, Korea, China, etc. Having owned them, they just feel the domestic brands give them something they weren't getting. At a higher price, to be sure, but some just value the qualities available and are willing to pay to have it.

[Brucebubs]

Asia makes excellent guitars for the money but America makes excellent guitars.

[sbeirnes]

Something I have noticed about Americans that slants their opinion is that most people have never even seen, let alone played, a high end foreign guitar.

I have played top of the line Taks that are every bit the equal to a nice D28. The thing is, they cost about the same as a nice D28.

Many Americans will not pay that for a foreign guitar, where the rest of the world can be a little more open minded.

The point I am trying to make is that many companies, all over the world, make top of the line instruments that are easily the equal to anything made in the US. You just have to make apples to apples comparisons.

It is not fair to compare a $800 Alverez to a $2500 Martin any more than it is to compare a $800 Martin to a $2500 Martin.

[tdq]

Chinese, US, Australian, Italian - they are all made by people who need to make a living. So I like to choose a guitar that I like and can afford.

[RevRuss]

Originally Posted by HHP

I think you are overstating the situation. I imagine most everyone here owns or has owned a guitar from Japan, Korea, China, etc. Having owned them, they just feel the domestic brands give them something they weren't getting. At a higher price, to be sure, but some just value the qualities available and are willing to pay to have it.

+1

I love all my current guitars......but my Martins are my favorites....there is just a little something extra there in the Martin's.

Russ

[rosborn]

I give up. I'm out. People are either not reading the entire thread and answering or have failed to read my original post.

If you think this thread is amusing or ridiculous no has forced you to respond.

For the record, I am not purchasing a new guitar. I do not think less of Asian made guitars and, in fact, own one. And, I am not comparing an $800 Alvarez to a $2500 Martin.

I'm sorry for wasting your time.

[T Wescott]

Ummm the north American union ist a reality yet.
Mexico is CENTRAL America.
.