Factory conditions

PonchoGreg

I remember being very impressed by the PRS Indonesian factory video. You can tell there's real care and skilled work (and it shows in the final product, all the SEs I tried from either Korea or Indonesia were really well put together).

The cynic in me can't help thinking that the videos are obviously made to show the factories in a good light... But I doubt they revert to a Victorian nightmare when the cameras shut off.

I just think we underestimate just how much can be saved through the lower wages in these countries. But it's all relative. My company has an office in India - all the staff are highly qualified, work in an office that wouldn't look out of place in Shoreditch, and are well paid by Indian standards. But it's still a fraction of what employing that workforce here would cost.

WezV

PonchoGreg said:

The cynic in me can't help thinking that the videos are obviously made to show the factories in a good light... But I doubt they revert to a Victorian nightmare when the cameras shut off.

The same will be true of factory vids anywhere in the world, its always going to be a good day.

here is an older one that seems a bit less staged

DrJazzTap

I thought cort had a pretty poor reputation from a few years ago.
I am a PRS fanboy and I know Paul said in one of his videos that when the pandemic first hit he made sure his staff got paid. He said something like he really objects to people with money, not looking after staff if they can do it. I can't imagine that he would tolerate or would be comfortable with his name being associated with a factory with a poor reputation.

thefez

smogmonster said:

Apparently Cort shut down their Korean factory when their workers complained over working conditions (toxic fumes?), and switched production to somewhere like Vietnam or Indonesia. I think I read that here so maybe someone can confirm and add further details?

Having lived and worked in Korea for more than a decade I find this completely believable. Health and safety isn't really a thing in Korea more than the most basic stuff. A lot of Korean manufacturing is moving to Vietnam because they can pay them less and treat the workers even worse than in Korean factories. 

skullfunkerry

PonchoGreg said:

I remember being very impressed by the PRS Indonesian factory video. You can tell there's real care and skilled work (and it shows in the final product, all the SEs I tried from either Korea or Indonesia were really well put together).

The cynic in me can't help thinking that the videos are obviously made to show the factories in a good light... But I doubt they revert to a Victorian nightmare when the cameras shut off.

I just think we underestimate just how much can be saved through the lower wages in these countries. But it's all relative. My company has an office in India - all the staff are highly qualified, work in an office that wouldn't look out of place in Shoreditch, and are well paid by Indian standards. But it's still a fraction of what employing that workforce here would cost.

There's that Daily Mail view isn't there, like a frothing at the mouth rant about DON'T BUY [INSERT BRAND NAME HERE], THEY ONLY PAY THEIR STAFF A DOLLAR A DAY! - which totally neglects to mention that a dollar a day is three times as much as they could get working anywhere else 

Jetfire

smogmonster said:

Apparently Cort shut down their Korean factory when their workers complained over working conditions (toxic fumes?), and switched production to somewhere like Vietnam or Indonesia. I think I read that here so maybe someone can confirm and add further details?

I do like irony in your user and you highlighting the toxic fumes fact 

ThePrettyDamned

Thanks all. I think the same Indonesia factory builds Chapman, solar, prs se and others (maybe even harley benton, which look extremely similar but cheaper because of limited options and less marketing?).

Quite reassuring. It was cort I read about - looks like they use the Indonesian factory too now. 

hollywoodrox

I had a wonderful 2016 epiphone Les Paul custom pro made in qingdo, I remember that factory video . I’m not sure what the output is like now,I had seen one thread mentioning QC issues , hope Gibson don’t drag epiphone down 

p90fool

hollywoodrox said:

I hope Gibson don’t drag epiphone down 

Gibson have owned Epiphone since 1957.

impmann

I've personally visited the World Guitars factory in Korea and audited their processes. I believe the owners of WG set up or at least helped to set up the Indonesian plant - if so it will be run well. 

FWIW, from what I saw in Korea they do have H&S practices albeit they can be a little more 'cavalier' than in the UK - and in fact some factory conditions are far better... for example: if you work over a certain number of hours the factory have to provide you with a cooked meal and that nutritional content of this is strictly monitored. 

RaymondLin

DrJazzTap said:

I thought cort had a pretty poor reputation from a few years ago.
I am a PRS fanboy and I know Paul said in one of his videos that when the pandemic first hit he made sure his staff got paid. He said something like he really objects to people with money, not looking after staff if they can do it. I can't imagine that he would tolerate or would be comfortable with his name being associated with a factory with a poor reputation.

He did, essentially he did his own furlough scheme within PRS staff when the factory shutdown.