Fat Tone pickups

[01redcobra]

Just wondering if anyone knew anything about Fat Tone pickups? Saw an ad in Guitar Player and I never heard of them before.

[spud1950]

Made in Korea by Samsung Music.

http://www.fattonepickups.com/index.html

[01redcobra]

In reading the ad, it sounds like they are using good materials and parts and just have the winding done in Korea. I inquired about them and they said the parts are all US made, then sent to Korea to assemble and wind.
Or are these the same as the Korean pickups that were discussed in another thread a while ago?!
I heard that they had a display at NAMM. Anyone?

[jason lollar]

I dont have anything against these guys (not just fat tone) importing pickups but the advertising is making exceptional claims across the board.
I looked at fat tone at the namm show and the first pickup I looked at had the coil wires loose at the edge of the coil sticking out where they would obviouly get broken, what I would consider a really bad job- well beyond the point it would get regected in my shop.
There is a pickup for everyone at all levels of pricing but you really do get what you pay for period.
Anyone that has ever used korean pickup parts or any similar part knows how difficult it is to get any kind of consistancy- there never is any consistancy for any length of time.
I dont care if people sell cheap pickups but to advertise that you get botique quality at a fraction of the price is ridiculous. If any botique maker lets stuff like that pass they shouldnt be making pickups or calling themselves a botique shop. You can just look at the photos and see how crappy the pickups are made- again not talking about fat tone, I am talking about the other guys right now.The wires running to the eyelet flying in the air- thats bunk.check it out and look at thier "vintage cloth lead wire" its no such thing and its frayed where it meets tyhe eyelet! Go look on ebay. How about the "plain enamel formvar" which there is no such thing and then you see a photo of poly nylon?? This in not an example of fat tones advertising this is one of the other guys.
People think they are getting a good deal but if you examine it your actually getting screwed. You can buy these pickups complete ready to install wholesale for $2 to $5 each and thats in small quantity then they charge $20 to $60 each and you get no advice or responses from the dealer- how far do they go to help you out?- I have heard not very far. Maybe I would be proved wrong about that but thats what I have heard from people making purchases from them- again this is not particularly about Fat tone, I know no one that has purchased from them, I am talking about these companies in genral importing korean pickups and calling them botique quality..
You make a pure profit of $18 to $55 of every pickup sold, thats an insane markup!
No manufacturing costs its all profit with the exception of the initial purchase of the parts.
Thats how it looks from my analysis.
I dont think they have hurt us in any way yet but I do object to the advertising claims when its plainly obvious that the quality is not anywhere near what we make or should be making.
Now if you need a cheap pickup for some junker guitar and you dont want to lay out $80 for a pickup then look into fat tone- I am sure if you got a regect that they would have to replace it- I dont think they are out to screw anyone, it is a legitimate business and they are trying to get a decent cheap pickup but as far as it being botique quality I dont see it.

this is off fat tones website

"Fat Tone Pickups are designed and engineered in the USA and are constructed with only the highest quality, era correct materials and winding techniques. We use fiberboard and poly carbonate bobbins, Heavy Formvar and Enamel 42 coated wire, Sand Casted Ceramic and Alnico Magnets and Vintage Cloth and Braided Shield Cloth Wire. Pickups are wound in Seoul, Korea by Samsung Music, a small shop pickup maker with 20 + years experience in making pickups for some of the largest USA OEM manufacturers in the world."
i do not see anywhere that says the materials are made in the USA and then sent to korea to be wound do you???

[Spence]

They'll sell by the thousands. The people that buy them will rave about them.
It's always the way. Isn't there a manufacturing town in Japan called Usa?
Anyone remember the Saipan Scam?

http://glo.bmwe.org/public/journal/1999/09sep/b04.htm

It hasn't gone away either.

If you want to be safe perhaps you should buy British !

[mick]

reminds me of the Brutus ( remember them Spence..hahaha ) shirt I received as a gift way back when , it was plastered with " British made is Best , Buy British..." it was made in hong kong..but I suppose back then it was a British colony or something..

Mick

[Possum]

....

Well if you can't beat 'em you can join 'em kinda like Bill Lawrence and his "Keystone" pickups. And doesn't Kent Armstrong have all his stuff made overseas as well? If all you want to do is just make money thats probably the way to go, buy dirt cheap and mark it up ten times. Theere'll still be enough people around who would rather have a craftsman made product and will pay more for it though, so I"m not worried...

[J S Moore]

That's pretty much the reality in retail. The cost of the product is the smallest part.

[David Schwab]

There's also the whole thing about perceived value. Pricing your products too low results in people thinking it's junk, too high and it's elitist junk... lol

[Possum]

...

yeah in the jewelry art world if a piece didn't sell you RAISED the price and then it would sell, it actually works.....

[Fat Tone Tommy]

Fat Tone Pickups

Hello everyone. As the owner of Fat Tone Pickups, I would always like to address any concerns or issues that anyone might have. There seems to be a little confusion about what we do along with what some others do and I would like to try to clear the air a little.

I started this because as a product manager for as mid priced guitar company, I saw a hole in the pickup market that only a few people are trying to fill and I thought I could do it better. I spent a lot of time in Korea. I met a guy there who's family has been winding OEM over there for some 24 years, as well as he spent two years here in the states learning how it is done over here. I saw an opportunity.

Our pickups are not a generic Korean product that we buy cheap and mark up. They are desiged and engineered here in the USA as stated. The engineer involved is Ilitch Electronics. Ilitch was at Seymour Duncan as an engineer for five years as well as the designer / founder of the SSC System which he sold to Suhr Guitars. I am not a winder, but as a high end gear junkie with almost 20 years in the Musical Instrument industry, i know what I like to hear and a lot of people locally count on me to get a good tone. With a great engineer and a good ear, I can do a lot.

We have taken some materials and sent them tyo Korea to be duplicated and up to this point, we have been buying some materials here and sending them there for production because they can't duplicate them correctly. I totally agree with Jason Lollar about the consistency of Korean or imported components and materials. I ran into this alot as product manager for St. Blues Guitars and I am still running into it now. Fortunately, my winder shares the same ideas about doing it right and That gives me a little more control. He understands more than if I just went to another manufacturer there. He is a little more Americanized. Consistency is critical.

I had the pleasure of meeting Jason Lollar at the NAMM Show and it was very unfortunate that he had to see the pickup with the shoddy outer coil wire. That had already been redesigned and corrected, but unfortunately for me, some of the newer, updated models didn't arrive in time for the show.

As I told Jason, we are not trying to compete with him, Lindy, Seymour or the others, but just trying to make the best product out there for the money and help to raise the bar for quality and tone within this "Mid Priced" market. I think we have done a great job so far and will continue to strive for the highest quality possible.

I am admittedly one of those who boasted "Boutique quality" in advertising and if that offends Mr Lollar or anyone else in the business, than I am happy to remove it and change it. Friendliness among brands is what keeps this industry ever changing and all of us striving to make better product.

If anyone has any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me anytime.

[jason lollar]

Tommy- I know better than to dis someones business so my apologies for opening my mouth. Normally I dont post anything and I dont read internet very often either because its easier to keep my mouth shut that way.
If I was a really nice guy I would have pointed out that bad coil so you could take it out of your display but I expect alot out of people once they get into something at a professional level- (including keeping their mouth shut).When the public starts saying things then it tends to be percieved as reality, whe I saw someone claiming that the parts were usa origin being exported to korea- it alarmed and made me open my mouth.

Really what I object to is how deep the bs runs in advertising and this thread just got in the way.

Say whatever you feel your business is about in your ads. Whos to say what botique means, my definition is different than someone elses because there are no specifications as to what that is.
I have no valid reason to be offended- it just shows we have all created something bigger than the individual when everyone wants to be "botique".

[EtLa]

How about the "plain enamel formvar" which there is no such thing and then you see a photo of poly nylon?? This in not an example of fat tones advertising this is one of the other guys.

There's a guy who just ask me if I can make him a strat pickup with plain enamel Formvar

[madialex]

There's a guy who just ask me if I can make him a strat pickup with plain enamel Formvar

I know exactly who used that in their ad copy, Good Fun Sunshine pickups better known as GFS

[Possum]

Plain enamel wire and Korea....

Hi: saw your post and Jason's today. I do have a question for you. I'm sure you are aware that there is only ONE company in the US making plain enamel anymore, a really sad state of affairs for pickup makers. The wire from REA isn't that great and I've heard there have been some bad batches, and also that Gibson isn't using their wire anymore and is dyeing poly wire black to fool everyone into thinking their pickups are still enamel.

What is your opinion of Korean plain enamel and are they still making it over there? I had access about four years ago to some and it was fine in 42 gauge but the 43 gauge was almost useless, shorting out under almost no tension. Have they improve much, are you using their wire and if they are up to snuff is there any opportunity to sell their wire over here? I'll post this on the forum as well, I'm sure others will want to know. I do know one company that tried to make PE here and that Eliktrisola also tried and both failed at it. I've also heard that Essex has the capability to make it again but is uninterested in doing so.....