Spent some time in a shop today, got a few MIKorea surprises

[Dave Locher]

Like many on this forum, I'm middle aged and have been playing since 1983 or so. And like many, I have no fond memories of the import guitars from the 1980s.
Today I had an hour to spare in a small shop and I spent it grabbing a dozen or so guitars off the wall for a quick unplugged test spin. Some used, most new, none more than around $1400 and most under $800.
Learned that I really prefer hollowbody and semis over solids. No big surprise, I have owned quite a few over the years. Great for punk and rock imo.
The real surprise is that I had to look for the "Made in ..." stickers to figure out which ones were USA (a Music Man), Mexico (a Fender), or Korea (couple Gretches, an Agile, a couple others). Some of the Korean guitars have that solid, "quality" feel that I usually only expect from American or better Japanese guitars. The hardware was a bit hinky on some of them, but boy the necks, bodies, and finishes felt nice. The worst I tried was a Vintage-brand Les Paul copy, the best were one of the 4 Gretches I picked up (double cut full hollow?), but if you pointed a gun at me and said "get on stage and play!" I could live with any of them and could truly enjoy about half of them.
Next step is plug some in. I suspect that may be the Achilles heel on the sub-$800 models? No plan to buy any new guitars, I just cruise this shop for used deals. Their used prices are erratic, which means sometimes below market value.
Last thought: man, a brand-new Chinese Bigsby is STIFF!

 

[Blille]

Re: Spent some time in a shop today, got a few MIKorea surprises

IMHO today anybody can make a good guitar anywhere. It's all about the specs.

YMMV etc

 

[Dave Locher]

Re: Spent some time in a shop today, got a few MIKorea surprises

IMHO today anybody can make a good guitar anywhere. It's all about the specs.

YMMV etc

I agree!

 

[BriGuy1968]

Re: Spent some time in a shop today, got a few MIKorea surprises

I believe that it’s foolish anymore to disregard a guitar based on where it was manufactured. You can miss out on some real diamonds in the rough if you do that. Even the cheapest of guitars can be VERY solid in terms of build… I feel like where the pennies get pinched is in the hardware, which is easy enough to swap out.

 

[Diego]

Re: Spent some time in a shop today, got a few MIKorea surprises

Korea stepped it up MASSIVELY over the last years.

In the 90s, Korea was today's Indonesia, and even worse actually.
The WMI factory in Korea keeps pumping out kickass instruments. By far the best I've tried from Korea are newer Schecters. Those things are crazy good.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Spent some time in a shop today, got a few MIKorea surprises

Times passes, quality rises, prices drop. That's how it rolls everywhere with everything.

For $500 a kid can get a helluva playable guitar and flexible little amp.

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: Spent some time in a shop today, got a few MIKorea surprises

Dadgum kids
They have everything now

 

[Dave Locher]

Re: Spent some time in a shop today, got a few MIKorea surprises

Times passes, quality rises, prices drop. That's how it rolls everywhere with everything.

For $500 a kid can get a helluva playable guitar and flexible little amp.

Oh man, the absolute cheapest setup you can buy these days is so much better than the first few guitars and amps I played ON STAGE back in the day! Exponentially better.

 

[Lovegun]

Re: Spent some time in a shop today, got a few MIKorea surprises

Don't know for sure, but I think the fareast guitars are pretty much machine made these days. Though not the highend stuff. Put the wood in the machine and it carves the body to exact specs. Frets are leveled By machine. Is there any luthiership involved in the process? The differences come from materials used.

 

[Adieu]

Re: Spent some time in a shop today, got a few MIKorea surprises

IMHO today anybody can make a good guitar anywhere. It's all about the specs.

YMMV etc

Can, maybe.... WOULD they, though?

I've always found the IndoChina stuff uninspiring. And specs, what specs, pickups aside much of the rest is nominally the same across the market... and with more seymours and emgs on newer models stock, a lot of the spec lists are downright identical. Yet the actual guitars aren't.

 

[Adieu]

Re: Spent some time in a shop today, got a few MIKorea surprises

Times passes, quality rises, prices drop. That's how it rolls everywhere with everything.

For $500 a kid can get a helluva playable guitar and flexible little amp.

Still can't compete with the used market...

300 bucks on craigslist and get a Japanese Charvel or Jackson and a Peavey Vypyr = much better bedroom rig.
Or 500 bucks on a japanese squier or 70's les paul copy and some lil tube amp for more oldskool tones

 

[Mark Cearlock]

Re: Spent some time in a shop today, got a few MIKorea surprises

Still can't compete with the used market...

300 bucks on craigslist and get a Japanese Charvel or Jackson and a Peavey Vypyr = much better bedroom rig.
Or 500 bucks on a japanese squier or 70's les paul copy and some lil tube amp for more oldskool tones

I def have to agree with this, as I just got a very good shape Peavey xxx super 40 combo for $175...(early birthday/xmas gift from the wife)
Also, just traded a Hughes and Kettner tubemeister 18 head for a Older Fender HRD 112, AND a matching 112 cab...I loves me some craigslist!

 

[Gtrjunior]

Re: Spent some time in a shop today, got a few MIKorea surprises

Don't know for sure, but I think the fareast guitars are pretty much machine made these days. Though not the highend stuff. Put the wood in the machine and it carves the body to exact specs. Frets are leveled By machine. Is there any luthiership involved in the process? The differences come from materials used.

With the exception of small one or two man operations I think this is how all manufacturers are going it nowadays.

This is Scott Splawn’s shop. A 4 man operation and he uses CNC.

https://youtu.be/rQZQSJoR9WE

 

[evan47]

Re: Spent some time in a shop today, got a few MIKorea surprises

I had an indonesian built washburm parralaxe a short while ago, its only shortcomings were its pots, they developed a crackle almost from day one.
It was the easiest playing guitar I have owned, in fact it was so ergonomic it didnt even feel like you had it in your hands.

 

[NegativeEase]

Re: Spent some time in a shop today, got a few MIKorea surprises

Korean made guitars can be really great. Gretschs, Guilds etc are superlative examples.

 

[Lovegun]

Re: Spent some time in a shop today, got a few MIKorea surprises

With the exception of small one or two man operations I think this is how all manufacturers are going it nowadays.

This is Scott Splawn’s shop. A 4 man operation and he uses CNC.

https://youtu.be/rQZQSJoR9WE

This why I think nowadays debating where the guitar was made like China vs Indonesia is a bit pointless. It's more what materials are used and how consistent are the people putting it all together.

 

[Gtrjunior]

Re: Spent some time in a shop today, got a few MIKorea surprises

This why I think nowadays debating where the guitar was made like China vs Indonesia is a bit pointless. It's more what materials are used and how consistent are the people putting it all together.

Agreed...the stuff coming out of Asia now....nothing wrong with it.

 

[Blille]

Spent some time in a shop today, got a few MIKorea surprises

Can, maybe.... WOULD they, though?

I've always found the IndoChina stuff uninspiring. And specs, what specs, pickups aside much of the rest is nominally the same across the market... and with more seymours and emgs on newer models stock, a lot of the spec lists are downright identical. Yet the actual guitars aren't.

Not all, they won’t. And that was part of my point. They can do it but guitar brands seem to reserve the best specs to the US, then JP, then KR then etc.

I think strat / teles are a good example of what you say since they are produced everywhere. But apart from the pickups, the electronics and hardware starts getting worse as well. The necks and bodies are almost identical in shape. But the finish might be worse, the bodies will be made of “worse” Woods or of 5 parts instead of two or the body might be thinner. That is not because in Indonesia they can’t put a body together with two parts of alder instead of 5 of Agathis or whatever those things are but rather because they were told to do that and use crappy hardware and electronics. And obviously QC is a good place to cut corners too.

This said, I think my made in Indonesia Squier Deluxe is awesome and much better than most of the stuff I had in the 90s

 

[Mark Cearlock]

Re: Spent some time in a shop today, got a few MIKorea surprises

I have a korean Squire double fat tele deluxe, all mahog set neck, and It flat plays and sounds awesome.. Supposedly it preceded the fmt hh fender tele ..It had ducan designed hb 103's in it, and they sounded pretty darn good, but a used custom/59 set and new electronics made it pretty darn amazing!

 

[Mincer]

Re: Spent some time in a shop today, got a few MIKorea surprises

Don't know for sure, but I think the fareast guitars are pretty much machine made these days. Though not the highend stuff. Put the wood in the machine and it carves the body to exact specs. Frets are leveled By machine. Is there any luthiership involved in the process? The differences come from materials used.

I was surprised how little human hands touched guitars in the Gibson factory in Memphis. Those nice carved tops? Machine. Fret jobs? Machine. They are painted and the binding is scraped by hand...and that was about it.