Music Stores... swamped with Asian imports

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 10 Mar 2008 9:54 am

Hey Greg, since you have both an Agile and a Ravenwest, even though they are totally different from each other, how would you compare them in terms of quality?

And don't you have a Rigel mandolin now?

Greg Cutshaw · Post by **Greg Cutshaw** » 10 Mar 2008 10:40 am

Sigh, now I must start admitting that I too, own too many instruments even though I just ebay'd 4 of them.

I still have the Rigel. It is a lot different than the Gibson in that it has the higher, thicker frets. They have about equivalent workmanship.

The Ravenwest nylon string guitar is just as stunning as the Agile. But like you said they are both totally different instruments. At the top of the Agile line, but still under $450 you get hand filed frets and a guitar that has been carefully set up. While not every guitar might receive a great set up, mine did, as evidenced in the exacting measurements I took and the absence of any buzzing frets.

I don't know anything about the quality of wood in these asian instruments and long term that might be their downfall. On the other hand I don't know anything about the quality of wood in my Fender SSH tele, Nashville Tele or my Peavey guitars either!

Greg

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 10 Mar 2008 3:24 pm

That spalted maple is PURTY!!

Barry Scott · Post by **Barry Scott** » 10 Mar 2008 6:16 pm

God...if I could only have back some of the guitars I have owned thru the years!!!! But as far as imports go, I will only add that in my passion for Gretsch guitars( and having owned more than a few), I can say without a doubt that being made i Japan is the best thing that ever happened to them! That is, for the upper end models. They have even gotten hip to increasing the fret size which is something needed for years and years.As far as Fender goes...I would love to find one of the Japan made Buck Owens model teles.

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 11 Mar 2008 2:23 am

Barry Scott wrote:God...if I could only have back some of the guitars I have owned thru the years!!!!

well, I guess sadly we could all say that ..like many here,
Several 50's/60's Strats, 60's Tele's, a few Les Pauls, 335's , Gretsch ..

IF I sold all of those Guitars at todays $$$ I could have purchased 5000 Asian Guitars new !

Heres a photo of me with the great Mickey Baker back around 1980 or so, he still has that 335 that he bought new I think in the late 60's ! I sold the original BLACK 57 Strat to some guy touring with Edgar Winter at time. I bought that Strat from the original owner who custom ordered it from Fender.It came with the Sales receipt from some store in Stamford Ct.!

I brought it to a dealer once in White Plains NY to show him and he first said it was not original, until I showed him the receipt, then his eyes popped out . I guess it was pretty rare !

Thats only ONE I wish I had back, but it really didn't play well.

David Mason · Post by **David Mason** » 11 Mar 2008 3:44 am

I've gone almost totally over to building my own out of Warmoth, Bill Lawrence, Allparts, USA Custom, Gotoh, whatever parts I want. And that's the rub - you can't buy a new or used Stratocaster and put the wiring and pickups on it that you want to make it work best, without worrying about the all-hailed "resale value." Plus I know the fretwork will be perfect.

A '59 Les Paul wasn't versatile enough for Jimmy Page, so he put on a coil-tapping push/pull pot. Stock Fender Telecasters weren't good enough for Danny Gatton or Brent Mason, so they fixed them. Though, there are a few people in this world who now wish they hadn't routed out that 1960 Strat for a Floyd Rose.... It amazes me to see brand new $5000 Gibsons with crapola sheetmetal Kluson tuners on them because "that's the way they used to make them." Now they even make bushings so that if you upgraded your Fender or Gibson to good tuners like Schallers or Grovers because they work better, you can "restore" it back with original crapola Klusons so that it'll be more "valuable".

It's not just that a new import guitar might be almost as good, it's that an Ibanez with good tuners, powerful pickups and versatile switching is a better guitar for playing modern rock music. I'm not a fan of Floyd Rose whammys or overwound pickups personally, but I sure can't see Steve Vai or Joe Satriani playing a Strat, nor will his fans, nor will any session or studio guitarist who might be called on to play in that style. Times move on. I'm happy to leave the collectables market to the antiques dealers & Japanese (happy to leave my 1960 ES-335 in a vault too

), and happier still to play great modern guitars.

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 11 Mar 2008 6:38 am

Stephen Gambrell wrote:That spalted maple is PURTY!!

Steve, (and anybody else) the price on the Ravenwest tele us $325.00 plus shipping. I am nit involved in sales and cannot get you a better deal, but if anybody wants one I can and will personally pick one out for you and make sure it's properly set up.

Cecil Almond · Post by **Cecil Almond** » 14 Mar 2008 7:16 am

I still like the old usa stuff, but I'd love to have an Ibanez george benson. I have quite a few old ones, and some nice newer fenders and gibsons, but the stores in my part of the world have to sell imports. Most people buying cannot understand the difference, and do not understand the difference between a good import and a bad import. Gibson & fender had problems in the late '70s and early '80s but I like their USA 2000's instruments. Still like the older martin accoustics, but the same is true for martin as for gibson and fender, higher dollar new is good, cheap stuff may need work to get it playable. I like choices, and we have a lot.