Ever make your own guitar?

[David Schwab]

..I think the BFG might be one of their better ones.

I think it certainly got someone a raise when Henry realized they could make money off a guitar they didn't have to finish. Pull it off the CNC and slap some stain on it, some rusty parts, and call it a day!

Detail work?

Gibson is now the Microsoft of the guitar world. To quote Steve Jobs (about MS), "they have no taste"!

[Steve Conner]

Well then, if Gibson is the Microsoft of guitars, who is the Apple of guitars? Sleek, beautiful, costs a fortune and has less features than the competition, could it be PRS?

[Durrant Pickups]

I say either prs or framus

[David Schwab]

Well then, if Gibson is the Microsoft of guitars, who is the Apple of guitars? Sleek, beautiful, costs a fortune and has less features than the competition, could it be PRS?

If their pickups weren't so sucky I'd say yes. Or Parker.

[Leo_Gnardo]

Well then, if Gibson is the Microsoft of guitars, who is the Apple of guitars? Sleek, beautiful, costs a fortune and has less features than the competition, could it be PRS?

I'm partial to Suhr. Never ever seen a dodgy one. Get one in your hands and it makes you want to play.

[David Schwab]

I'm partial to Suhr. Never ever seen a dodgy one. Get one in your hands and it makes you want to play.

Yes he makes some very nice guitars and pickups too.

[Chuck H]

Suhr is also responsible for some innovations. And the amps also get a lot of kudos. But alas, another company using China for a lot of it's product line.

[Leo_Gnardo]

Suhr is also responsible for some innovations. And the amps also get a lot of kudos. But alas, another company using China for a lot of it's product line.

Wasn't aware of the China connection. Suhr Guitar recently moved into a 37,000 sq ft facility and hit the 300 guitars per month mark. Jim Kelley's back to work making amps there too , if my info's correct. Don't know what happened to John Suhr's Badger amp line.

Any link to read about the Suhr China connection Chuck? Ordinarily I'd take you at your word. (You know you do have my respect.) This, I want to read about. I'm in a trust-but-verify mood.

Not too surprised to find ANY US manufacturer - of anything - saving money by having parts / subassemblies made in China. Didn't Kramer do like this back in the 80's? After leaving off the aluminum neck guitars IIRC they went to assembling made-in-Korea parts and bolting the neck on with a big shiny "Made in USA" screw plate.

[Chuck H]

Well it's not like there's a web page dedicated to covering Suhrs Chinese products or bashing Suhr for doing it. I happen to know because I was inside the Chinese MFG/amp/guitar connection for a short time. But you can look around and find several references. Many of their products expressly indicate "made in China" while others don't. All the stuff you might expect, like gig bags and amp covers, etc. is made in China. But that sort of thing always is now. Suhr recently introduced a guitar aiming for a lower price point for players that want a Suhr guitar that is made in China. And even though much of the assembly occurs in the USA, I have reason to believe that most of the speaker cabinets, circuit boards and perhaps even stuffed chassis arrive at their factory as "parts" from China. I say this because the Chinese factories aren't secretive about who they do work for. Especially when they want your business. I do think that amp transformers and their entire pickup line is made in the USA. Even the pickups that go into their Chinese guitars.

[Leo_Gnardo]

Suhr recently introduced a guitar aiming for a lower price point for players that want a Suhr guitar that is made in China.

Wasn't aware of this. Hope they don't sidestep the import path and short circuit John's profit. He's a hard workin' and very smart guy who IMHO deserves success.

- - - -

@ 1980 one of my gittar-makin' friends proposed to Veillette-Citron that they make a "budget" line. The V-C partnership fell apart same time as my friend presented his one-off samples to them for production. I wound up buying the strat-like one, and that became the main test axe in my repair workshop. FWIW both Joe Veillette and Harvey Citron are still making high quality instruments. They're also hard working an innovative guys who have my respect.

[Chuck H]

I wasn't bashing. More like a look at my feet with a sigh. The game is what it is. You play by the rules or you don't play. I've always wanted a Badger to tinker with on my bench. Very good amps and well voiced. Players love them.

[Leo_Gnardo]

I wasn't bashing. More like a look at my feet with a sigh. The game is what it is. You play by the rules or you don't play. I've always wanted a Badger to tinker with on my bench. Very good amps and well voiced. Players love them.

Didn't take it as bashing Chuck, not at all. And, business being what it is, (considering the near perfect LP copies that arrive now - cheap too - from China with Made in USA stamped on the headstock, serial # and all, as well as other instruments) that Suhr's Chinese "assistants" don't undermine HIS business in a similar way. To sum it up I think we're very much on the same page.

Never got to see a Badger in person. Maybe a furry one at the zoo.

[David Schwab]

But alas, another company using China for a lot of it's product line.

Unfortunately the cost of things in this country makes it hard to make an affordable product. So I can see why manufacturers go that route.

And that's the "free market" for you.

[Chuck H]

Not to make this a political thread (because I never tire of seeing these hand crafted guitars!!!), but there is some hope that the Chinese manufacturing machine won't eat the world after all. The environmental conditions there are so bad that the people are bordering on revolution and many organizations are starting to gel. Now if we can keep the American corporations from financing the fight against reform we might be alright!?! But that's their bread and butter and they don't want change.

Sorry for the skew, but it's sort of a big deal to me.

[rhgwynn]

I've built a couple basses ... some of my favorites include these











all the best,

R

Robin??

Those are some pretty sweet basses.