I was searching yesterday on google and DHgate came up as a suggestion. I’ve seen it before offering ludicrous prices for obvious counterfeit guitars. It’s worth saying, even if they’re amazing, I wouldn’t buy one as the whole concept is just wrong.
I was wondering though if anyone had an how bad they are? I’m presuming they’re utterly dreadful guitars that have fret issues, poor quality finishes etc, but I’m also aware that PRS are making very well finished guitars in Indonesia and China, Fender and Epiphone the same so are they as bad as I think?
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There are a few factories churning out guitars at various price points.
Some are cheap and nasty and barely playable, some are better than the original.
I know this is not what you want to hear and quite probably belongs in the P&E section, but I thought it had to be said.
I admit to owning a few cheap Chinese-made things too, like everyone else.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
I did mean that you can't really refer to "Chinese fakes" as if the term covers every instance of a fake guitar coming out of China because there are many sources/factories producing them. Some are undoubtedly cheap and nasty. Some are not.
Completely agree with that.
Putting aside the politics, there are some interesting parallels. Back in the '60s/'70s, "Made in Japan" had the same connotations of cheap copy as "Made in China" does now. There were similar legal challenges from incumbents about IP theft (etc) - though more easily enforceable against Japanese manufacturers then than Chinese manufacturers now.
That copying phase was part of the Japanese industry's learning curve. Arguably, the subsequent innovation and challenge from Japanese designers and manufacturers led to a huge improvement in product innovation and manufacturing capabilities worldwide.
Be interesting to see how Made in China is regarded in 10-20 years time ...
Formerly TheGuitarWeasel ... Oil City Pickups ... Oil City Blog 7 String.org profile and message
Quality control may not be up to Japanese, American or European standards but, at the price point, the manufacturers can afford to offer direct replacement for any dealer returns.
but this thing that I saying is more complicated is that I believe the brits, the Europeans, the Americans are doing everything they can to tighten up on these issues like patents, IP etc. But it’s not easy when you don’t have a lot of leverage. And it’s not easy when China may have bailed out many economies when they’re struggling.
so I think there is a very two-faced approach. Many people want the good things that China can provide - high quality and low cost (if properly monitored) etc, access to international funds and a huge domestic market. But people want to also be able to cry wolf when they don’t like something in particular.
sorry for the long email.
to bring back to topic, I’ve just bought a Gorgeous Eastman. It is Everything that is good about Chinese product - beautiful guitar, beautifully made by very skilled craftsmen (from what I can read on the subject).
It was ridiculously light though so probably made of ply but it sounded great in his metallica cover band. Think it cost him £180 and he just threw in a set of emgs he had in his parts drawe .
With that turning out so well he got les paul which was a nightmare the bridge was on the wrong position and the frets were a total mess.
Complete lottery
http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/57632/
High quality? My experience, limited to consumer goods, is the exact opposite and is the reason I now avoid Chinese made if I can (v difficult in many areas). Chinese metal rusts in a year, screws are soft and fail. It’s all sizzle and no steak.
You probably won't be able to advertise it on eBay if the headstock bears the name of an established guitar maker.
Some sellers get around this by covering the maker's name on the headstock.