Jim Sliff
From:
Lawndale California, USA
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Posted 16 Apr 2006 7:41 am |
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The Chinese guitars aren't meant to be compared to the American ones - they are strictly price-point units meant for the lower-end consumer market.
Translation - they're beginner instruments, not pro-quality, and priced accordingly.
Some of them are not too bad, actually. Usually the hardware and electronics are inferior in comparison, but the "wood" stuff can be OK and you can make a pretty decent guitar with some upgrading |
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Eric West
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 16 Apr 2006 10:36 am
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Yeah well..
I bought a Butterscotch Blonde CIC Affinity. I went down to GC, tuned an American a MIM and the Chinese Tele. The kid handed me each plugged in without looking, and I chose the CIC hands down. Sound, feel, action, and everything. I had 1300 bucks to spend, and I just couldn't buy something that didn't feel, look, or sound good. (Sorry Uncle Sam).
Took it home, put an input cup, 4 ply guard, and a set of schallers. No scratches in the pots or the switch. Plays like a dream. I touched the neck adjustment slightly as it was probably like my ASAT set up for 010s, and took a couple feathers off the sides of a acouple frets with a jewelers file and a magnifying glass. Less than I'd felt on the MIM.
I've taken it to gigs and had other guitar players play it, and they just can't dismiss it as a "low end" guitar, much as they'd like to. The pickups too are funny. They seem much better than the overwound ones on the MIAs and MIMs. Maybe they used closer to "original specs" instead of later muddier, "hotter" stuff.
Maybe the fact that uf they turn out crap, the craftsmen and women will look at another half a lifetime in a Red Chinese Prison makes for better motivation. I dunno. The guy or gal that made mine sure had a lot more quality in mind than I've seen in the "Western" counterparts.
It's always been about "The" guitar. I've played with guys that would go down a rack of Fenders in a store, and pick the one that sounded, felt, and played the best. Seldom was it Made in America. (Buster's favorite was a MIJ Bullet. He had a Paisley Burton Big Dave gave him for basically free, and he wouldn't even play it.)
Actually, after buying and retouching a total of 6 guitars over the last year, the best one I've found is the ASAT MIK Premium Tribute Tele. I can about guarantee that in total darkness I'd find my two favorite guitars to be the ones I picked, bought, slightly modded and set up.
None of them cost more than 5 rocks, and none of them were made in the US. Appearantly the electronics, PUs, and hardware are all US made and shipped to Korea for assembly on my ASAT Premium Blueburst.
Sorry. My politics make Barry Goldwater look like a left wing pansy, but a guitar that feels good and plays good is above them.
Keep 'em coming Huang.
EJL
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