What is the Value of "Made In USA" for SD Pickups?

[Evan Skopp]

We’re getting ready to head off to our annual Business Planning retreat next month. We'll assess where we are at the moment and where we want to be in terms of short, medium, and long-term plans for the company.

One of the things we plan on discussing is the value of “Made in America” on our Seymour Duncan, Basslines, Custom Shop, Antiquity and Benedetto pickup brands.

FYI, all Seymour Duncan pickups are “Made in USA” except the Mustaine LiveWires which is “Wound and assembled in USA, circuit board made in China.” All Custom Shop, Basslines, Antiquity and Benedetto pickups are “Made in USA.” All Seymour Duncan stompboxes and D-TAR pre-amps are made in China. All Duncan Designed and Duncan Performer pickups are made in Korea.

I’m going to print out this thread and let the managers read your remarks before we head off to Business Planning. Please let us know your comments. In particular, think about the following: What does “Made in America” mean to you in general and with regard to the Seymour Duncan family of products?

Thank you in advance for your comments.

 

[Davey]

Re: What is the Value of "Made In USA" for SD Pickups?

in general or in corelation to SD?


i'll just generalise;

for the most part it's
attention to detail, quality materials, good quality control

 

[Evan Skopp]

Re: What is the Value of "Made In USA" for SD Pickups?

Again, What does “Made in America” mean to you in general and with regard to the Seymour Duncan family of products?

 

[leadlix]

Re: What is the Value of "Made In USA" for SD Pickups?

personally it means alot to me.
ofcourse i understand it's cheaper for you and in turn would keep cost down for us. on the other hand the more i understand about machine wound pickup's the more i jaust want to use hand wound pickup's so it may not matter as much to me.

 

[TwelveGauge-GT]

Re: What is the Value of "Made In USA" for SD Pickups?

Um, I don't really know. It makes them sound better, almost fatter (not tonally, obviously). Like if there were pickups in a shop: One for 70 pounds (made in korea) and one for 75 (Made In USA) and they were exactly the same tonally and visually, I would probably still get the USA made one, even though it's more money, I don't really know why.
It might have something to do that the two big guitar manufacturers, fender and gibson, both come from the USA.
...although watkins do come from the UK, hehe.

 

[RW James]

Re: What is the Value of "Made In USA" for SD Pickups?

Here is an example:

My guitars are all made in Asia. That's okay by me because I saved money, and I was able to play through all the ones in the store to find one that was any good. I'm happy with the results... especially since I put American made SD's in them.

I would not be able to play through all the Asian SD's to find one that was good. It wouldn't be worth it to me to play the odds.

I guess it's mainly a matter of quality control.

 

[Davey]

Re: What is the Value of "Made In USA" for SD Pickups?

Again, What does “Made in America” mean to you in general and with regard to the Seymour Duncan family of products?

sorry.. should start reading properly.


when comparing the korean and usa ones, i would most definately go for the usa made one, because of the above stated reasons.
there's more attention to detail and quality control, so that the product you get is within a set threshold and doesnt stray out of it.

 

[JeffB]

Re: What is the Value of "Made In USA" for SD Pickups?

To me..and ALOT of folks I suespect...MIA implies a certain quality level..for many too there ar epolitical motivators for buying MIA products.

When it comes to big purchases from big companies (like a car), MIA is big factor for me...for those I like to send the big money back to US companies (yes I know many MIA cars use outsourced parts or labor in some cases, but the the big money still goes back to a big American company)

For small purchases and from small manufacturers...such as a pickup...as long as the Sound/Tone quality is there...It matters little to me. My Gotoh V2 sounds just like a SuperD...I mean EXACTLY like a SuperD...and I was able to buy them for say $10 cheaper...whether it was made in Korea, or Japan or whatever, I'd buy that over the DiMarzio SuperD.

BUT THE KEY IS CONSISTENCY IN SOUND/TONE..if thats NOT there..I'll pay more for a MIA product that will ensure I get what I want.

Hope that is kind of what you were getting at, evan. And I'll just say right now..I hope we (the forum) can keep this discussion NON political and constructive (i.e. people should pst thier thoughts on the question you asked, not go tangential on other's comments).

That said, If my comments were not what you were looking for Evan or if others go off on a tangent re: them, please delete them (or I'll do so myself).

Thanks for asking

 

[daemon barbeque]

Re: What is the Value of "Made In USA" for SD Pickups?

it s´does not make any difference for me.The only thing i can think of is that the personal costs are higher and therefore not many people are working for that particular product.this makes it more unique since there have to be better work ,better QC and more "spirit".But for the SD ,since it is mainly a PU company ,it does not make a great sense.But the custom shop option shines ,if you do it in America.
BVut look at Ibanez and ESP ,they are not made in U.S.A even the high-end products ,and still are really expensive and popular.

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: What is the Value of "Made In USA" for SD Pickups?

As a Canadian, I try to buy products made in my country whenever possible. Therefore, the Made in the USA thing doesn't carry as much weight with me as it would with a US citizen.

I do, however, take issue with high end or specialty consumer products (which SD products are) being manufactured in China. This is mostly due to quality issues (both perceived and real), and also ethical/moral issues (due to the country's oppressive, totalitarian regime). If you're going to take a big chunk of my paycheck for something like an SFX-03 or a Mama Bear, that Made In China sticker is not going to sit well with me.

I like to use American Apparel as an example of a company that's doing things the right way: vertically integrated manufacturing on US soil, exceptional quality, and fair prices.

 

[Curly]

Re: What is the Value of "Made In USA" for SD Pickups?

What does “Made in America” mean to you in general and with regard to the Seymour Duncan family of products?

Evan,
To me, it means most importantly that you value quality above profit, and that you value your employees as a real asset.

 

[Tom M]

Re: What is the Value of "Made In USA" for SD Pickups?

It makes a big difference to me. When given the option and the knowledge, I buy American. It's one of those things that just makes me 'feel' better. In my limited experience, American-made equals higher quality, higher attention to detail, better fit and finish (with the exception of American cars).

You get what you pay for. Pay workers $2/hr, you'll get a $2/hr product. Pay them $20/hr, and you might not get a product ten times better, but it'll be better still.

 

[ES350]

Re: What is the Value of "Made In USA" for SD Pickups?

I try not to buy Asian products (admittedly difficult these days), and I prefer to give my money to American workers whenever possible.

 

[Guitarist]

Re: What is the Value of "Made In USA" for SD Pickups?

"Made in USA" can mean a lot to the misinformed and ignorant...

I don't know how ignorant I am, but I do like knowing that I, as a consumer, am getting the best quality control/attention to detail/materials that are available, and for some reason, being told that a product is made in America seems to help me believe that that is exactly what I am getting.

...but that's most likely very ignorant to the truth. Though, it sure makes for great marketing! :irate:

 

[JacksonMIA]

Re: What is the Value of "Made In USA" for SD Pickups?

It is paramount. On a product that I know is of at least equal quality, I will always chose the MIA product, even at a much (relatively) higher cost. That's a little harder to do with pickups, as tone plays such a big part.

Honestly, I begin to wonder about the loyalty of a company that would evin consider turning its back on the workers of the country that built it. I don't think you're to that point, and I know there's a lot of marketing considerations that are necessary, even if just "at the drawingboard." But I can't believe this would even be a possibility. Doing so would cause me to start looking elsewhere first.

I will buy from other countries if given no other, equivalent option, but I WILL NOT buy from China unless absolutely forced to. That would mean the end of my relationship with SD.


EDIT: Or what Curly said.

 

[ErikH]

Re: What is the Value of "Made In USA" for SD Pickups?

To me, Made In America means made with pride and that the money I'm spending on that product is going towards support of that company, no matter what the relation is, direct or indirect. When I buy things, I look at where it's made. Naturally I lean towards the stuff that's Made in America, or Made in USA (remember, Canada is part of America - North America).

I know that the Seymour Duncans I buy and would buy are Made in USA but it would be neat to see it stamped in the baseplate and inner jewel sleeves. Heck, I'd like to see "Made by MJ" on the Custom Shop pickups she does, not just on the jewel case sleeve. Same with those that Seymour makes.

Thanks for asking, Evan.

 

[theodie]

Re: What is the Value of "Made In USA" for SD Pickups?

It is paramount. On a product that I know is of at least equal quality, I will always chose the MIA product, even at a much (relatively) higher cost. That's a little harder to do with pickups, as tone plays such a big part.

Honestly, I begin to wonder about the loyalty of a company that would evin consider turning its back on the workers of the country that built it. I don't think you're to that point, and I know there's a lot of marketing considerations that are necessary, even if just "at the drawingboard." But I can't believe this would even be a possibility. Doing so would cause me to start looking elsewhere first.

I will buy from other countries if given no other, equivalent option, but I WILL NOT buy from China unless absolutely forced to. That would mean the end of my relationship with SD.


EDIT: Or what Curly said.

+1.

If Duncan were to ship their operations to another country (Mexico, China, etc) I would probally discontinue the use of them for a made in the USA product.

 

[esandes]

Re: What is the Value of "Made In USA" for SD Pickups?

made in the USA means alot to me. i think that stuff made in china is garbage. everything i've bought that was made in a 3rd world country failed me. i mean everything. i appreciate products that are made in the USA or in 1st world european countries. to me it means high quality.

i'd rather pay more for a product made in the US. for example, vox outsourced their amp manufacturing overseas and some have told me that the quality and image of the products have deteriorated.

keep it all "made in the USA"!

 

[gripweed]

Re: What is the Value of "Made In USA" for SD Pickups?

If "Made in America" is nothing more than a marketing slogan, I could care less. If "Made in America" is said with pride, i.e. we care about our products and aren't just out to make a buck, I'm all for it. I feel that SD pickups are made with pride and that the company does have a social conscience (i.e. it wants to employ workers here in the U.S. even though it costs more to do so). My brothers here who attended the User Group Day could *feel* that sense of pride from the people that worked at Duncan. If you mess with that, you mess with what makes the company successful.

 

[Mr Wolf]

Re: What is the Value of "Made In USA" for SD Pickups?

I don't care too much about where it is made. What i want is a brand which can deliver quality pickups consistently. This is more important to me than finding a guitar from a company which may not be too consistent. In a shop you can play many guitars til you find something that feels and sounds good. In the case of pickups there is alot more hassle in having one installed and then finding a defect, and having to take it back. Having to go back and replace the pickup or get a refund is time consuming (more so than compared with a guitar, or pedal) so it has to be correct first time around. If that happened to me i would be tempted to try another brand (why risk replacing it with another defective pickup of a brand that had just let you down?). Fortunately the pair of SDs which i have bought have been perfect for me and if quality can still be kept at the current standard then i don't care if they are USA made or made on the moon!

Jeff