Members steve_man Posted October 12, 2008 Members Share Posted October 12, 2008 I went to try out some amps today and asked to play a Strat and was handed a Highway 1 Strat... Action was nothing special and the bridge was setup very badly... nevermind, stuff you can adjust yourself.... but it sounded seriously dull It sounded like it was made of plywood or something What is it with all the bad guitars coming out of the US I've played several bad US Strats, Gibson are known for QC issues too and have one that developed a bad nut myself... I've played more Korean guitars that play and come as standard with a better setup than US guitars Japanese guitars is where it's at now US guitars are has beens :poke: silly...you should have asked for one of THESE...Then, instead of this thread, we'd have another NGD thread! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members stratocaster202 Posted October 12, 2008 Members Share Posted October 12, 2008 Try an Eric Johnson and get back to us. Tried one, didn't like it (it was at a tradeshow though) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members csm Posted October 12, 2008 Members Share Posted October 12, 2008 U.K. brands like Rickenbacker. Typing error, surely? Just because a certain well-known British band helped popularise Rics in the 60s doesn't make Rickenbacker any less of a US brand than G-----, F----- or even G------ and M-----. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GarysBlues Posted October 12, 2008 Members Share Posted October 12, 2008 For the record, I have a Fender SRV strat, and it kicks some serious (_._) My #1 Strat. I didn't know you played one. Tell ya, if Fender ever decided to put a thin Nitro finish on them? What a Strat they'd have? But ya mine is very light and resonant and seriously ROCKS. And with a little fret leveling the Dunlop frets play like BUTTER. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GarysBlues Posted October 12, 2008 Members Share Posted October 12, 2008 Typing error, surely?Just because a certain well-known British band helped popularise Rics in the 60s doesn't make Rickenbacker any less of a US brand than G-----, F----- or even G------ and M-----. Fu_ k_ _ g Right! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Zacman0126 Posted October 12, 2008 Members Share Posted October 12, 2008 My god, talk about lack of tolerance here, someone feels as what you would see it as simply misguided and you flame the {censored} out of him. I am truly ashamed of most of the people that responded in this thread with nothing but words of sarcastic insult. Kudos to the people who had the right mindset to simply say "Not all guitars are justified by the quality of one". Just gotta open the guy's mind to the possibilty of trying something else like a Tele, like I saw one poster do, as opposed to ripping him a new one. I mean come on, i know you guys can do better than this, what happened to helping a guy out by setting him straight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ashasha Posted October 12, 2008 Members Share Posted October 12, 2008 We don't have to do anything of the sort. If the guy wants to bash all american guitars and doesn't like Fender that's fine; doesn't bother me one bit. I guess that as americans we tend to get defensive, but I didn't build the damn guitar and if it sounded and played like crap than it probably sounded and played like crap to him.I will say that I wasn't real big on Fenders for years and years and to be honest if you don't get a good one they aren't anything special. His experience of getting a turd in the UK is also something that seems to be pretty common too. I've read numerous threads here about someone playing a US made guitar over there and it just being a trainwreck. I don't know if they are exporting crap on purpose or if the dealers are buying crappy ones at a discount, but its more common than you would think.The setup and crap is all on the dealer, but if it sounds like a turd, plays like a turd, well I wouldn't smell it and would wash my hands because it probably was one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GuitarHitman Posted October 12, 2008 Author Members Share Posted October 12, 2008 My god, talk about lack of tolerance here, someone feels as what you would see it as simply misguided and you flame the {censored} out of him. I am truly ashamed of most of the people that responded in this thread with nothing but words of sarcastic insult. Kudos to the people who had the right mindset to simply say "Not all guitars are justified by the quality of one". Just gotta open the guy's mind to the possibilty of trying something else like a Tele, like I saw one poster do, as opposed to ripping him a new one. I mean come on, i know you guys can do better than this, what happened to helping a guy out by setting him straight.Thank you!I'm not saying all American guitars are bad.... but I have played more American guitars than any other that have disappointed me. I've played several US Fender Strats and all but one have had something wrong with them. I also have a Gibson with nut problems and have heard of many others that have experienced the same as well as bad switches on Gibsons. That's no secret amongst you all that Gibson has poor QC. Is it not???I was speaking to a guy on Friday too that owned a PRS. He wasn't that happy with it. He couldn't get it entirely in tune. It went through several guys for setups but it never played entirely in tune. He did have a very nice Les Paul Special that I almost bought.I've played some amazing US guitars, but my experience is more bad than good.{censored}ing shoot me you bunch of losers then if you can't accept someone telling you your country puts out some poor quality guitars.Excuse me for not being able to afford any really expensive brands to come out of the US that are pretty rare in the UK anyway :rolleyes: Why should I if I can can get something better or of equal quality for less Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GuitarHitman Posted October 12, 2008 Author Members Share Posted October 12, 2008 I will say that I wasn't real big on Fenders for years and years and to be honest if you don't get a good one they aren't anything special. His experience of getting a turd in the UK is also something that seems to be pretty common too. I've read numerous threads here about someone playing a US made guitar over there and it just being a trainwreck. I don't know if they are exporting crap on purpose or if the dealers are buying crappy ones at a discount, but its more common than you would think.The setup and crap is all on the dealer, but if it sounds like a turd, plays like a turd, well I wouldn't smell it and would wash my hands because it probably was one. Thank you too for accepting that not every guitar comes out of the US is the absolute business. Deal with it. Methods of QC are lax and guitars are just being pushed through to get them out without being checked over properly. It's business and it's the truth. The quicker they get them out, the more they can get out. Is it really my fault I've played more Korean guitars that have been in my hands in a state of higher quality than US guitars? Is it my fault I've never played a Japanese guitar that has let me down? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members stratocaster202 Posted October 12, 2008 Members Share Posted October 12, 2008 Hitman, are there any brands that get to fender/gibson level over here? Because if there are I really want to try them, as most brands just seem to copy Fender/Gibson designs, like Vintage rather than making their own guitars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GuitarHitman Posted October 12, 2008 Author Members Share Posted October 12, 2008 Hitman, are there any brands that get to fender/gibson level over here? Because if there are I really want to try them, as most brands just seem to copy Fender/Gibson designs, like Vintage rather than making their own guitars.The majority of guitars are copied off of Gibson and Fender designs, whichever way you go.Chandler is a UK manufacturer that are highly rated. I don't know what designs they're putting out at the moment though. Also, a number of you in this thread seem to miss the part about me saying I've tried SEVERAL US Strats that have been a disappointment Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members savethegibbons Posted October 12, 2008 Members Share Posted October 12, 2008 I think the problem may not at all be related to the country of origin, and more of a problem with complacency in manufacturing. A manufacturer with the level of fame and popularity of Gibson and Fender can ride it out on name alone, and still sell a ton of guitars, so they might not feel quite as pressured to always deliver consistently. That being said, they are absolute classic guitars for good reason, and if you get a good one, you really do get a good one . I wants me a USA tele! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members csm Posted October 12, 2008 Members Share Posted October 12, 2008 It's part of guitar folklore over here in the UK that certain major US guitar dealership chains (y'all know who they are) get first crack at everything that comes off the Gibson (and to a lesser extent, Fender) production line(s) and that what we are offered here are guitars which said big US dealers have already rejected. My attorneys advise me to state that I have absolutely no idea whether or not this is actually true, or simply one of many urban myths which cloud the skies above Planet Guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Wyltica Posted October 12, 2008 Members Share Posted October 12, 2008 The difficult thing with Gibson & Fender is that there are so many different models to choose from. And not every model is as good, I was once trying out bunches of Fender/Gibson guitars, and there were so many models my mind went koko. Yes most guitars today may borrow designs of other brands like Gibson & Fender, but that doesn't mean the guitar can't be as good. A buddy of mine said that all of the other brands who copy the designs of Gibson are bad guitars, nothing is as good as Gibson's originality and so on and the best guitar players play Gibson, he also said that Hagstr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BlackHatHunter Posted October 12, 2008 Members Share Posted October 12, 2008 Japanese guitars is where it's at now US guitars are has beens :poke: I'm not saying all American guitars are bad....Yes, actually, you pretty much did... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members metalhead666666 Posted October 12, 2008 Members Share Posted October 12, 2008 My dad has an usa strat it is a great guitar it plays great no problems great sounding too. It was used when my dad got it though. I'm the only one that plays it:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GuitarHitman Posted October 12, 2008 Author Members Share Posted October 12, 2008 Yes, actually, you pretty much did... Because the whole World takes everything so literally Everyone makes their good and bad stuff. US, in my experience, is putting out more bad than good when it comes to their guitars. Everyone freaks because I play a high number of poor quality US guitars and then tell everyone I have And then freaks even more because I found some of the best guitars I've played to be coming out of Japan. Oh noes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BlackHatHunter Posted October 12, 2008 Members Share Posted October 12, 2008 Because the whole World takes everything so literally Look man, I have nothing against you, but if you say something, and then say you didn't, when you're confronted with the situation, blaming it on others because they take things too literally doesn't quite cut it, now does it? We didn't make those statements - you did. Own up to them - don't blame others for them. Everyone makes their good and bad stuff. US, in my experience, is putting out more bad than good when it comes to their guitars. Maybe your experience sample is not nearly wide enough to make wide-sweeping statements? Just asking... Everyone freaks because I play a high number of poor quality US guitars and then tell everyone I have And then freaks even more because I found some of the best guitars I've played to be coming out of Japan. Oh noes That's not why people "freaked" - if they freaked at all. They resented your taking some isolated situations, and using those to make broad statements. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Cold Gin Posted October 12, 2008 Members Share Posted October 12, 2008 I know that Highway 1's are hyped like hell here but I have never liked them..they just feel cheap to me..like toys. I think it's the combination of that cheap finish and {censored} woods or something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Cold Gin Posted October 12, 2008 Members Share Posted October 12, 2008 And the American standards and the previous American series are pretty much hit and miss IME and I have played lots of them. If you wan't a really great production line Fender strat the AmDlx series is the way to go. I have yet to play one of these that wasn't awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GAS Man Posted October 12, 2008 Members Share Posted October 12, 2008 As someone who's bought at least 3 MIJ Fenders, I think they are over-rated internet hoopla. Not bad, just overrated. Craftsmanship may be decent, but for the most part, the woods have been lesser quality (tonally) and so were the electronics. Actually, I just remembered a fourth one we bought for my stepson, a very inexpensive MIJ strat that blew away all of my own MIJ Fender purchases. So I've had a 25% success rate for the MIJs challenging the MIAs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Cold Gin Posted October 12, 2008 Members Share Posted October 12, 2008 ^^ Are you talking about MIJ or CIJ and those made for domestic market or export?? I own a MIJ '62 (made for domestic market) reissue and I can tell you that neither the woods nor the electronics on this one is in any way inferior to MIA strats. Sounds like you had one of these cheaper export production CIJ's with basswood bodies and cheaper electronics... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ArKay Posted October 12, 2008 Members Share Posted October 12, 2008 As someone who's bought at least 3 MIJ Fenders, I think they are over-rated internet hoopla. Not bad, just overrated. Craftsmanship may be decent, but for the most part, the woods have been lesser quality (tonally) and so were the electronics.Actually, I just remembered a fourth one we bought for my stepson, a very inexpensive MIJ strat that blew away all of my own MIJ Fender purchases. So I've had a 25% success rate for the MIJs challenging the MIAs The MIJ Fenders are budget models, go check what they cost over there. US Fenders are available in Japan as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BlackHatHunter Posted October 12, 2008 Members Share Posted October 12, 2008 For the record, I have owned many fine Japanese guitars and certainly do not dispute that there are excellent guitars being made in many other countries than the US, including Japan and SK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DavidMgT Posted October 12, 2008 Members Share Posted October 12, 2008 I will say that I have yet to play a Japanese guitar that I like as much as my American guitars (I own 4 G&Ls and a Gibson Les Paul). I am not, however, about to say that ALL Japanese guitars are as lifeless and toy-like as the ones I have owned and played. That would be making a broad generalization - much like the OP did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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