Hey guys,

Can any of you tell me which of the current smaller Fender amps are actually made in the USA?

It doesn't seem to have any mention of this on the Fender site and I'm not sure how I can find out which amp is made where?

I currently use a Super Champ XD which I have to say is a fantastic amp, but it sure does p*!s me off that they have this thing made in China. Personally I'd rather pay more for it and have it USA made!

For me, the words 'Made in China' really do take the edge off something that in every other respect might be a perfectly good item. No disrespect meant to to the Chinese, but Fender is an American company, and I feel that if I buy something made by Fender, it should be made in America!

Anyone else fed up with the fact that pretty much everything seems to be made in China these days?

Anyway, I am looking for something similar in size and power to the XD but made in the USA, if there is such an amp out there?

Sorry for the rant guys, and any advice is much appreciated,

Russ

I don't know much about the super champ xd, but if you want a top of the line USA made amp check out Swart amps. I am saving slowly for one myself as they are pricey but you definitely get what you pay for. They are made in my old hometown and I have had a chance to meet the company owner and builder and play through a few of them. Tonal bliss.

http://swartamps.com/

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Blues with a feeling.

GUILD GUITARS: MADE TO BE PLAYED!

TubeScreamer,

I know what you are saying, however if you look from the "biz" side there is a lot of money from that amp purchase that went to Fender receivables no matter where it is made. "Made In China" stigma comes from the mountain of other cheap worthless junk that comes from there. We as "people" are to blame for wanting everything in large quantities of cheap stuff.

Fender products and Fender sponsored stuff on the other hand seems very decent at any price level. I own SuperChamp XD and i am very happy for the quality at the price point.

I know exactly what you mean, and please don't for a minute think that I am calling the SuperChamp XD down in any way. I think it sounds fantastic, is of excellent quality and is extremely versatile etc.

I know, I know, what more could I want? It's just that, to some degree, I just can't help seeing a big 'Made in China' tag hanging from it when I look at it!

May sound silly to some people, but as I said in the original post, for me, it really takes the edge of what is essentialy a perfectly good piece of equipment!

Russ

man i feel your pain, or rather use to.
i look at the product first then worry about where its made.
ive played and own plenty of gear thats not made in the USA.
ive played some garbage as well that was made in other places as
well as the USA.
i played a epiphone DOT last night for about an hour.
that thing played and sounded crazy. flipped it over and
"made in china". couldnt believe it.
a lot of companies are having things made in china yes, but the better
companies are holding the chinese's feet to the fire for quality control.
so if you see something you like play it and see if its what you want, THEN look see where its made. if you like it, screw where its made.
yes the chinese have some garbage on the market but they have some nicer stuff as well.

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63supro
"The good thing is in a club situation, most of the patrons are trashed and really can't tell the difference."

RUss, it doesn't sound silly at all. More people need to be thinking this way and buying only US made products whenever possible. Instead they complain about the US not producing anything and jobs going overseas as they get into their foreign car and buy goods without any concern of where it was made. I understand exactly where you are coming from. I try to buy USA made goods only if at all possible.

_________________
Blues with a feeling.

GUILD GUITARS: MADE TO BE PLAYED!

Hey.
I believe the Fender Blues Jr. is made in the US!
Great sounding amp. 15Watts of pure tube-mayhem.

It was made in the US, now it's made in Mexico and has benefited for it.

Where do you think all the components for pretty much every amp on the planet are made?

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No no and no

Oh, okay. My misstake. I saw a used one on a Norwegian website a couple of days ago, and it said it was made in the US.
I guess it was an older amp, then.

Yeah the earlier ones were made in the US. I think they shifted to mexico sometime between 99-03 (seem to have 2001 stuck in my mind, but don't know where I got that from).

A lot of people prefer those Mexican ones claiming they have a brighter sound. I had a 97 USA one.

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No no and no

I have no qualms about the quality of many foreign-made products, especially within the realm of musical instruments. Country of origin is probably the last thing on the list when I'm about to purchase a new item.

My MIM Telecaster is just as good a guitar as my MIA Stratocaster; if I had to replace my Strat, I would seriously consider a MIM model.
I played an Epiphone Wildkat recently, and I was very impressed by the overall quality--the build, the tone, the looks, the feel...I don't know it's country of origin, but it wasn't made in the US...it's now on my GAS list.

I'm not a political person (in fact, I'm studiously apolitical), so please take this next sentence with a grain of salt: I wish that other countries (US included) would stay away from doing business with China until they improve their human rights policies and their environmental policies. I'm not a tree-hugging human rights activist, but their policies and abuses are atrocious, especially in freedom-of-religion and freedom-of-speech contexts. Their product safety record (lead-based paint, etc) is extremely poor as well.

I'll admit I buy some products from China, but given the choice, I would buy from most other countries first...having said that, I have had my eye/ear on a Vox AC15 for quite a while (I believe it's made in China); the upgraded model (made elsewhere) is out of my reach, financially...so I guess I'm kind of being a hypocrite.

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Good Vibes To Y'all!



Screamin' Armadillos
Texas Roadhouse Music
Guitar/Slide Guitar/Harp/Vocals

i can agree with this 100%.

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63supro
"The good thing is in a club situation, most of the patrons are trashed and really can't tell the difference."

Check out the Mesa / Boogie Amps. USA made amps.

check out carvin amps as well. killer bang for the buck.

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63supro
"The good thing is in a club situation, most of the patrons are trashed and really can't tell the difference."

Carvin amps are very cool. My bandmate has a 90s x100b (the carpet version) that sounds awesome. 100 watt all tube California made halfstack that he got for $250. It really is a great amp. I would say the tone is somewhere between Fender and Marshall. Sounds awesome with his old Strat!

I really recommend anyone on here to check these out. You can get them used on craigslist for really cheap. Especially if you live in southern California.

I've been to one of their stores in Hollywood a few times and they have some great new products too. Personally I don't like their guitars much but I love their amps and pa equipment etc.