Opinions on buying from Chinese OEMs

[brodg68]

Very passionate subject for a lot of us. I absolutely do NOT condone buying knock offs/"replicas" all the way down to labels and badges.

Some upfront material:
- I am not looking for a fake martin, gibson, taylor......
- If it has a logo I'll be disappointed but not looking to flip the guitar and hoodwink anyone and likely not going to pay extra for a custom one. I'd spend extra on wood/tuner/saddle before that.
- I have been playing more classical and am where I think I want to be with steel strings
- I stumbled into a killer deal on beautiful Yiari from the early 70s which puts my beginner classical to shame. Seller nor I really knew what it was at the garage sale and I feel a little guilty.

So I need another guitar like a hole in the head but have been looking at offerings from Chinese OEMs. Similar specs to what I am looking for are about 1/3 the price of the name brands.
- I obviously can't play the guitar before buying.
- I will always wonder if it is a factory second
- I will always wonder if I should have just saved in the guitar fund longer and bought a name brand.
- Is the quality and value there to make it a worthwhile experiment
- I can bring myself to spend $300 but not $900 on myself vice my beloved bride. I cannot take her in the guitar store with me or she is liable to surprise me.
- I do wear out the usual used places, forums, stores, pawn shops...

Just curious of folks thoughts and experiences as some guitars seem rather nice relative to my skill level. I am dreadfully close to taking a chance for a couple of hundred dollars for a couch guitar.

take care brodg68

[Bob from Brooklyn]

The first thought that comes to my mind is "Why?"

[JayBee1404]

The first thought that comes to my mind is, “Why not?”.

[chippygreen]

Seems to me like the whole reason companies like Eastman exist is so you have most of the things you are looking for while still having GC or Eastman stand in the middle on the off chance something has gone wrong.

I've been looking at Bill Comins' GCS factory-made line (Korea not China) and even if I could get one direct from the factory at half the price, I wouldn't, because I'd want to know it has Bill's QA and that he will stand behind the product - i.e. I'm not getting one with subpar materials, a swapped out cheaper pickup, fake tuning machines, a plastic nut, crappy fret wire, scrap wood bracing, or any of the dozens of other cost cutting measures that you can't anticipate until you see it to believe it.

The incentives for Chinese companies when not subject to Western market QC are just all wrong - google "China food safety scandals" and you'll get a sense of what the local market is like, and what it is most likely like to be dealing with a Chinese factory yourself directly.

[brodg68]

Thanks all - it is something I mull and look at the various sales sites.

ChippyGreen - you hit the nail on the head with the QC. Plenty of youtube videos on chibsons etc. You also brought up the two most worrisome items of the fretwire and the bracing.

Seeing and playing is believing is one of the other points you hit.

All things to consider on a rainy saturday morning.

What I know for a fact is my playing would be better the more I practice vice compare specs on websites.

scottr

[Athens]

I've never bought a guitar that I haven't had a chance to play first. Unless I had an iron clad absolute guarantee for a hassle free return and FULL refund, I wouldn't even consider it.

But that's just me. Plenty of folk seem happy to buy unplayed and unseen.

[DukeX]

I wouldn't.

I'd put my $300 toward a used La Patrie Etude (or equivalent). I see two used at GC now, and they have a generous return policy. You could try both and return the unwanted one (or both).

[mercy]

There is a reason name brands have a name. When I was playing classical I stumbled into a great deal on a Hiride H series which I bought but the lower cost C sounded better. I made my decision based on the fact that the H was new and cost more. I havent forgotten the sound of the C but the H was just pretty. Save, try out, take out a loan if you find the one. Ive always regretted trying to be economical in my guitars. If I had my life to live over I wouldnt get a guitar that wasnt magic no matter the cost. Now though Im 73 and a super expensive guitar just cant do not working to pay it off.

[chippygreen]

Originally Posted by brodg68

Thanks all - it is something I mull and look at the various sales sites.

ChippyGreen - you hit the nail on the head with the QC. Plenty of youtube videos on chibsons etc. You also brought up the two most worrisome items of the fretwire and the bracing.

Seeing and playing is believing is one of the other points you hit.

All things to consider on a rainy saturday morning.

What I know for a fact is my playing would be better the more I practice vice compare specs on websites.

scottr

BTW - right there with you on the Yairis. They are a steal and hang right up there with the more expensive guitars in my collection

[Br1ck]

Save up and buy a used D 18. Play it for the rest of your life. Is $.50/day too much? The money you save will buy the wife a whole bunch of nice purchases.

[brodg68]

Originally Posted by Athens

I've never bought a guitar that I haven't had a chance to play first. Unless I had an iron clad absolute guarantee for a hassle free return and FULL refund, I wouldn't even consider it.

But that's just me. Plenty of folk seem happy to buy unplayed and unseen.

I agree on playing being a trigger. For a $120 Orangewood it wasn't an issue and I was very pleasantly surprised. I would not do it for a $1000 classical. Maybe I am finding the edge of where that price point is for me.

[brodg68]

Originally Posted by mercy

Ive always regretted trying to be economical in my guitars. If I had my life to live over I wouldnt get a guitar that wasnt magic no matter the cost. .

That is one of the most compelling positions I have seen on guitars in any forum.

[brodg68]

Originally Posted by DukeX

I wouldn't.

I'd put my $300 toward a used La Patrie Etude (or equivalent). I see two used at GC now, and they have a generous return policy. You could try both and return the unwanted one (or both).

There are some really nice classicals that pop up in the used section of the big boxes around here. A GC-12 is in one of the stores now and as you point out the $300 goes a long way towards a nice name brand guitar you can return. One of the contributing factors to recent GAS. Trading a used Kohno 15, pawn shop steal, for a used 000-18 was the last great GC adventure. Splendid guitar, just not going to trade it on a high end classical, and should just play the Yiari until my fingers fall off.

I appreciate all the views and think we all seem to feel the same about quality is king in the value equation.

[Conomor]

A few years ago, I bought an inexpensive resonator directly from Aersi in China. They make Republics so I figured I could just chop out the middle man and save myself a few quid. The guitar took three months to arrive and when it finally got here the neck was completely snapped. Aersi were unhelpful, tried to fob me off with a contribution towards a repair. I took it to Paypal and got a full refund but I still had to pay the return shipping costs. Fortunately, as Aersi had deliberately understated the value of the guitar, I didn't lose out on GST etc. It was a bad experience and I won't be repeating it.

[brodg68]

Thanks for the first hand experience. Yours is the exact type of feedback that gives me pause to experiment. I think going into this I knew risk would likely drive me into just not want to bother with it. I have yet to hear a positive experience and figure as one person pointed out this is why there are middlemen between the the OEM and the buyer.