What is the Value of "Made In USA" for SD Pickups? (Part II)

[AudioWonderland]

Re: What is the Value of "Made In USA" for SD Pickups? (Part II)

Isn't that the Duncan Performer line? (And aren't they kinda the same thing, just for retail aftermarket sales?)

I'm pretty confident they are. I can't imagine they would design 2 different import lines. Either way the concept is the same. If the "where and who" didn't matter to people those pickups would be flying off the shelves. Around here at least that ain't happening

 

[Pierre]

Re: What is the Value of "Made In USA" for SD Pickups? (Part II)

I would buy a lot more pickups if they weren't US made! Or rather, if they got cheaper; Duncans are MUCH more expensive in the EU.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: What is the Value of "Made In USA" for SD Pickups? (Part II)

Isn't that the Duncan Performer line? (And aren't they kinda the same thing, just for retail aftermarket sales?)

As per a post from Evan a few years back, Duncan Designed and Duncan Performer are the same pickup. Duncan Designed is OEM Exclusive and Duncan performer is the retail version. IIRC any other differences were marginal at best....

...
Question though... Where is the performer line made?

IIRC Korea, but I could be having a brainfart....

 

[Laughing Kookaburra]

Re: What is the Value of "Made In USA" for SD Pickups? (Part II)

I'll be as clear and to the point as possible...

The very second that SD pickups start being made overseas I will never buy another SD pickup.

It's that simple to me.

+1 big time.

 

[Laughing Kookaburra]

Re: What is the Value of "Made In USA" for SD Pickups? (Part II)

So how many of the US only crowd own an Ibanez, a MIM/MIJ Fender, a Godin, a Yamaha, a Marshall, a Vox, an ESP, a Traynor, GFS pickups, Schaller or Gotoh hardware, etc? Why?

I do own an English made Marshall, a Canadian made Trinity 18 (18 watt Marshall clone), and I've owned a MIJ Strat in the past. I actually don't mind buying from other democracies.

I realize that it is difficult, if not impossible, to avoid items made in countries that are not democracies, but I can do that with guitar gear. That's the rub with SD outsourcing. I doubt if it will be in Sydney, Hanover, or Tokyo.

 

[claytonc]

Re: What is the Value of "Made In USA" for SD Pickups? (Part II)

I'll be as clear and to the point as possible...

The very second that SD pickups start being made overseas I will never buy another SD pickup.

It's that simple to me.

+1
It is that simple to me.

 

[KoreanGuitarMan]

Re: What is the Value of "Made In USA" for SD Pickups? (Part II)

My opinion? If you must, expand the Duncan Designed line. Introduce a premium import line. That seems to have worked pretty well for guitar manufacturers in recent years. Re-branding the import stuff might not be a bad idea.

Just don't move any of the regular Seymour Duncan line to overseas production.

 

[Fly_with_v]

Re: What is the Value of "Made In USA" for SD Pickups? (Part II)

First SD MIA pickups are the best available. Period.

Please do not discontiune the US made pickups even if you need to raise the price. I would rather pay a few more dollars to get the guarenteed quality we all know and love.

A premium import line would be nice and expand your market. But I can say right now, without question, that most people that buy a new guitar and want the best would still replace the premium Duncans with MIA Duncans even if the difference was slight or undistigishable to the average user. We are always looking for that easy way to make ourselves sound and play better. I can live with a Ibanez pickup, but why would I?

Maybe in 20 years it will not matter, but right now USA Seymour Duncan's, Dimarzio's, EMG's, Gibson's, etc are the symbol of performance when it comes to pickups.

 

[TeleLubber]

Re: What is the Value of "Made In USA" for SD Pickups? (Part II)

I can understand the fear & loathing expressed by many of us on this forum in reaction to such a question as, "What is the value of 'Made in USA for SD Pickups?" I have read every post, and took the time to read the post from 2006.. here is an exerpt..

Evan presented an 80-page white paper, the topic of which was the value of “Made in USA” to you, our core customers. Fifty of the 80 pages was a printout of a thread posted on this forum last month. I’m sure many of you remember it. Many of you posted in it. Supported by your comments, Evan made the argument that “Made in USA” is important to many of you – even if we could save money for you and us by making our pickups offshore. He argued that we should keep our pickups “Made in USA.”

Cathy Carter Duncan - CEO Seymour Duncan Pickups

Definition of val·ue[ vállyoo ]

1. monetary worth: an amount expressed in money or another medium of exchange that is thought to be a fair exchange for something
2. full recovered worth: the adequate or satisfactory return on or recompense for something
3. worth or importance: the worth, importance, or usefulness of something to somebody

From my perspective, the value of having SD pups "Made in USA" is that it's important to me that I can consistently get the same great pickups I've known and used since purchased my first Seymour Duncan in 1986.. much the same as it's important to me that I get my tubes stamped with a "Winged C" because I know they're made at the Svetlana factory in St. Petersburg, Russia.

When making a purchasing decision, I take great comfort in knowing these pickups are from the Santa Barbara factory. I take great comfort in knowing that Seymour, and the others that have been at the factory for many years, are there locally to oversee things and ensure their quality. The patriot in me also takes great comfort in knowing there are Californians that have jobs.

I realize it's getting tougher economically to keep companies from moving production overseas.. but should that ever happen (God forbid) with the Seymour Duncan Company, the value I place on SD pups will most certainly diminish, and be viewed with a skeptical eye/ear. I've tried, and discarded Duncan Designed pups I've tried, if that's any indication.

 

[BloodRose]

Re: What is the Value of "Made In USA" for SD Pickups? (Part II)

HOLY Smoke! Its been 5 years already??
My feelings remain the same. Most of my pickup habit money goes to Seymour Duncan. I have utmost respect for the Man, the way the co does biz and the people there. So the way you do Business is still in the USA, and I appreciate and respect that. Keep the Jobs here and dont sell out..

 

[fretburner]

Re: What is the Value of "Made In USA" for SD Pickups? (Part II)

Why is it that businesses are expected to expand and expand as much as possible? If you have a good thing going on a smaller scale, stick with it, I think. How much money does one really need to make?

If you have a good thing going, why restrict access to it to only a few?

 

[Filipe Marquez]

Re: What is the Value of "Made In USA" for SD Pickups? (Part II)

that's the biggest load of bull**** I've read in this thread so far !

It is! Probably if you make it in china, they will care even more, cause there will probably be some enslaving his work.

It is sad what money does to people, but, we have to move on.

(PS: If you move it overseas it will be only fair to lower the price.)

 

[Filipe Marquez]

Re: What is the Value of "Made In USA" for SD Pickups? (Part II)

Why is it that businesses are expected to expand and expand as much as possible? If you have a good thing going on a smaller scale, stick with it, I think. How much money does one really need to make?

Some people are greedy. I think that if Seymour Duncan employees and owner's are getting poorer, they could do this. But the myth of the company WILL change. It will fall along with the myth that the U.S. is the promised land of our world, where companies are good and benevolent. And that does make a HUGE difference, at least to me.

 

[dr. ad]

Re: What is the Value of "Made In USA" for SD Pickups? (Part II)

You know, this may have just been a question to determine what font size to use for MADE IN THE USA on the packaging! ;-)

heh, probably
or maybe some new baseplate stamping, or bobbin screen-print


there's certainly no harm in the relevant parts being labelled "made in USA" or "made in america". if i don't like whatever's screen-printed on a bobbin, it's easy enough to get off.

i'm no executive, but unless the labeling costs became a serious issue i'd maintain or update the US-made association with the SD brand. all technical stuff aside, the company has invested in it's customer confidence to great effect and you can't buy that sh1t back if you lose it. the whole don't change a winning team and/or fix what ain't broke thing.

you could certainly invest in re-branding the duncan designed/performers though, just in case any non-US operators and materials make liabilities of themselves
:deal:

 

[JohnnyGuitarCA]

Re: What is the Value of "Made In USA" for SD Pickups? (Part II)

My opinion? If you must, expand the Duncan Designed line. Introduce a premium import line. That seems to have worked pretty well for guitar manufacturers in recent years. Re-branding the import stuff might not be a bad idea.

Just don't move any of the regular Seymour Duncan line to overseas production.

YES YES YES

 

[Jessie's ghost]

Re: What is the Value of "Made In USA" for SD Pickups? (Part II)

If you have a good thing going, why restrict access to it to only a few?

How restricted is access, right now, to Seymour Duncan products? It's one of the most ubiquitous pickup lines on the planet, both OEM and aftermarket.

It's certainly restricted, in general, to those who can pay for it. Should SD do away with that restriction and give their products away? How much more access are you envisioning?

For many companies, getting bigger (ie, "growing the business") often means taking on investors. People who aren't going to be doing the work or even showing up at the office, but who might still expect to be able to tell you how to do things. At the very least, they are going to expect return on investment. They put money in; they get more money back. Often they don't care how that happens, as long as it happens. Sometimes bad things can come from this. (I've seen painful examples in other industries.) Sometimes this kind of business arrangement works out well, and sometimes it doesn't. I think there's a fancy business name for what they call this, but I studied EE in university so I wouldn't know.

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: What is the Value of "Made In USA" for SD Pickups? (Part II)

I dont have the time to read through all the other posts so I hope im not just echoing lots of what else has been said but my 2cents is.

I highly value made in the USA. Its not that other countries cant/dont make great products. Its that made in the USA stands for (usually) quality and integrity. If i have a choice and not just in pickups but it almost anything I will buy USA. Granted these days theres less and less thats made in the US but to me it still stands for pride and tradition. Sure it is partially fueled by patriotism but taking care of your own isnt a bad thing.

I think most people when they see "Made in the USA" think it stands for quality and being a cut above. Not going to get into the whole argument over whether its true or not or if something else isnt just as good but that is the perception people have when they see that label.

Something thats even more telling is hanging out in guitar stores in Beijing and Shanghai. Even here they prefer the made in the usa label and they gravitate twords it as a symbol of quality.

 

[Johtosotku]

Re: What is the Value of "Made In USA" for SD Pickups? (Part II)

A european factory for the european market with better logistics and direct sales instead of national distributors could be very nice.

I wouldn't buy an SD that's not made in a first world country.

 

[AudioWonderland]

Re: What is the Value of "Made In USA" for SD Pickups? (Part II)

Isn't it about time to close this thread? I think the point has been made.

 

[JeffB]

Re: What is the Value of "Made In USA" for SD Pickups? (Part II)

I saw this thread when I was on vacay but didn;t post because using the wifes blackberry is a PITA.

Bottom line for me- I love Duncan pickups, but I'm primarily a user of another brand these days. You can be sure though that were I decide to try some more Duncans in the future, I would not buy any that were made elsewhere, barring perhaps england/europe. 30 years ago, the pup scene was a very different thing and chouces were limited but there are far too many great pup manufacturers out there these days, and I'd prefer to support someone here in the states.