Only American is good enough

usedtobe

I get why people would think that. Going back to the source, kinda thing.. But good, even great, guitars can be, and are made, all over the world!

Danny1969

I have a Japanese Ibanez from 84 which is the best pound for pound guitar I have ever played. My Japanese Tokai Strat is superb as well. 
The best guitars I have played in recent times in regard to being perfectly set up and the standard of fit and finish are Duesenbergs .... we don't quite know where they are made but we know it's not the USA

The best guitars were invented in the USA though and yeah they do have the highest resale value 

crunchman

It's mostly about the name on the headstock.

Skoda are basically VWs but there is still a desire to have the VW.  However well made a Lexus is, most people would still prefer a Merc.   If I came out with a new watch that never lost or gained time, and had a battery that lasts forever, I would still struggle to sell it to the Rolex/Breitling brigade.

Guitars are the same.  People want Fender/Gibson/Martin.

fretmeister

I've got

4 USA
1 Germany
1 Japanese

And I have no idea where my Epi was made. Could be anywhere.

The German one is both my favourite and seems to be built the best.

guitars4you

crunchman said:

It's mostly about the name on the headstock.

Skoda are basically VWs but there is still a desire to have the VW.  However well made a Lexus is, most people would still prefer a Merc.   If I came out with a new watch that never lost or gained time, and had a battery that lasts forever, I would still struggle to sell it to the Rolex/Breitling brigade.

Guitars are the same.  People want Fender/Gibson/Martin.

true - Need and want are 2 distinctively different animals - One is generally based on desire the other is often based on limited funds available

We NEED a car so for many it is a fund based Ford/Vauxhall/Citreon etc - But many still DESIRE a nice German auto

Sassafras

Ironically, some of the best guns in the World are made in Austria and Israel.

SteveRobinson

fretmeister said:

The German one is both my favourite and seems to be built the best.

Is it a Höfner?

fretmeister

SteveRobinson said:

fretmeister said:

The German one is both my favourite and seems to be built the best.

Is it a Höfner?

No.

Marleaux.

DulcetJones

I've never subscribed to that, out of my current line up of 10 guitars only one is US made and it  shares top billing equally with 3 of my non US guitars.  My Canadian made Godin electric nylon string solid body is it's biggest rival for the simple reason I only use it for a few songs  with my band at the moment.

WezV

Most of my stuff is built in the UK, and that's excluding the stuff I build myself

freakboy1610

Duesenberg are made in....................................................................oh forget it!

bobliefeld

Generally the best guitars in a shop are gonna be USA made.  Gibson, PRS, Fender.  Maybe there's some Japanese guitars too if it's a fancy shop.  There's guitars from all over the world that are "better" but USA guitars are the usually the best you can easily get your hands on.


But if live in the UK and you're ordering custom from a luthier in the USA , unless it's something no one else does like a EGC or whatever, you're probably mental.

slacker

I think that there are two lines of thinking here. One is the offshore cheap version of an American guitar, Squier, Epi etc. The other is an alternative to the Big 2. 

Someone mentioned acoustic players being less narrow minded and it also works with bass. If I buy a bass it's the best bass for the money and does what I want it to do. I've had English and German basses but currently using an American bass and a Czech EUB.

Guitar wise it's all American simply because the brand didnt make offshore versions or I was happy to pay for an American one. 

Fender have started to make expensive Mex and Japan guitars, so if the quality is the same as an American or near to it that's ok. However I think that it's an excuse to put the price of the real ones up. PRS have done it. Gibson do it by providing American guitars with less appointments to fill in the sub £1000 range. 

SteveRobinson

fretmeister said:

Marleaux.

Wow. I'd never heard of Marleaux but taking a look, they make really nice basses. For the price they ought to be good.

fretmeister

SteveRobinson said:

fretmeister said:

Marleaux.

Wow. I'd never heard of Marleaux but taking a look, they make really nice basses. For the price they ought to be good.

I've got a Consat Custom 5 string.

It's a wonderful instrument - it's the one I'll be buried with. I've had it for about 6 years and it's always the first one I get out of the rack.

https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/1452141_10152018760723726_1948591525_n.jpg?oh=98b035e72e02b974ee5ffb635229a992&oe=59CE2AA2

slacker

Was that in the bass gallery a while ago? If it was it  is one of the best basses I have played. 

fretmeister

slacker said:

Was that in the bass gallery a while ago? If it was it  is one of the best basses I have played. 

Don't tink so

I've had it for about 6 years and I got it from the original owner.

There is another with a very similar top that is on the Marleaux website. Maybe that one

ronnyb

The Americans are excellent marketeers and advertise their brands, albeit with a lot of bullshit. making them more desirable. Looking back to some of the advertising campaigns for USA strats, giving us 'Fender...born in the USA' . 'The American standard...a handmade original'. 'It spawned 20 imitations and an entire industry' Gibson with their 'Only a Gibson is good enough' It's the same with clothing, Levis must be the biggest brand in denim, I've had numerous pairs of Levis jeans but i'm not sure whether they're any better quality than a £8 pair from Asda. Their cars are always given exotic names, 'Mustang' 'Bel Air' 'Camaro' 'Thunderbird' whilst the best the Brits could rustle up was, 'Minor' 'Maxi' 'Allegro' etc.     

Neil

USA is where all the greatest electric guitars were born, all my heroes played them, so they have a historical resonance for me. 

GuitarZero

I have guitars from USA, Canada, Korea, China, Indonesia and Mexico.  I would say only good enough is good enough.  Where it's made is not much of a factor.