also, woolecox, you may notice that those "fake", "junk" guitars are listed on this website.... DEFINITELY NOT fender...

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Favorite bands:

Melvins
The Jesus Lizard
Cows
Big Business
R***man
Minutemen
Flight
Minor Threat
Big Black
Shellac
Karp
Scratch Acid
Wipers
Pixies

OK I'll take the bait. Reasons why I am NOT envious:

1. If you look at my signature you'll see that I use some obviously made in America gear (various Gibson, Rickenbacker, Mesa-Boogie). I also have MIA Fenders. I'm well covered in the MIA scene. Yes owning and playing expensive MIA gear can make you feel good and inspired to play, but realize you're using your eyes and not your ears.

2. I have a MIM Baja tele that blew every other MIM and MIA Tele away in the shop. Guitars are made of wood and every piece of is different. Therefore guitars should be judged individually and not based blindly on country of origin. I've got a MIJ Gretsch that is as good or better than the vintage Brooklyn made ones since I won't have to worry about the binding rotting or the neck joint glue disentegrating. I've played plenty of MIA Fenders that were dogs. There is good and bad ones in every model. Remember no two of the same guitars are exactly alike.

3. Most importantly. Long ago I admit I was a MIA snob like you once. I had to have only MIA guitars and amps. I was only playing at home like you probably are right now (if that is not your current situation, do you mock your bandmates' gear?). Once I got in a band and playing out, I started to realize how silly it is to obsess over where gear is made. The only important thing is that the gear works and sounds good! I was amazed at how many pros use gear from England, Canada, Japan, China, Germany, Italy, Korea, etc, etc. My whole attitude changed for the better. Concentrate more on making good music rather than obsessing over where gear is made. That's how the pros do it.

Also, do you think the audience even cares where your guitar is made???

p.s. Why not go one step further? "it's not a Fender unless it's a pre-CBS Fender manufactured while Leo still had ownership of the company"

_________________
Obligatory gear list: Fender, Rickenbacker, Gibson, Gretsch, Vox, Martin, and more Fender.

Oh woolecox, I think you should know that your Deluxe Reverb RI was only assembled in the US.
*cabinet is made in Mexico.
*electronics (resistors, capacitors, etc) come from all over the world, especially Asian countries.
*speaker is a Jensen reissue made in Italy.
*Tubes - Fender GrooveTubes relabelled tubes originally from China and/or Russia.

You better get rid of that mongrel amp

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Obligatory gear list: Fender, Rickenbacker, Gibson, Gretsch, Vox, Martin, and more Fender.

Woolecox am I correct that your dogmatic made in America"logic" spreads beyond the realm of guitars? What's your opinion of Buicks and other G.M.cars that are made in Germany,Australia,Japan and other countries. Ford and Chrysler also sell cars made in other countries and put their brand names on them.I defy you to find a Fender or any other brand guitar or just about any other commodity that if not U.S. made doesn't contain parts and components sourced outside the U.S. Horror of horrors a large number of the Fender Corona Plant employees are either Mexican born or of Mexican heritage.If you want a totaly U.S. made Fender why don't you go out and buy all the U.S. components you can find and go to the Fender Custom Shop and tell them that you want a guitar made by only U.S. born workers and maybe even only WASP workers-good luck with that. Your views can't be viewed as patriotic in even the wildest stretch of the imagination but are vile,racist and xenophobic views that are way out of line and very offensive to me and I dare say others too.Racism in any form is dangerous,totally unacceptable and indefenseable.I have relatives of many races and have been brought up to be tolerant and to embrace other cultures and creeds-obviously you haven't-pity.

_________________
'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

Thanks Guitarslinger, That kind of goes along with what I wanted to Say, and that is I think all the MIA guys should realize where CORONA CALIFORNIA is, and how many Mexican -American workers must be employed there.

Ah what a great few days of trolling! Caught some big fat suckers!!!

Here's the deal mates: I am an AMERCIAN CITIZEN. Born, bread, raised in America. I am a US Military Veteran. I will support my country, and my country's economy to the utmost of my ability. If that makes me a racist, then I'm a racist. If that makes me a lunatic, then I'm a lunatic. And guess what? I don't give a crap if you like it or not. There is a whole lot more like me still here.

Yes, I am smart enough to know that it is darn hard if not impossible, to get anything totally made in the USA anymore. What do you think happened to our economy? Greedy corrupt corporations and politician outsourced all of our jobs to sweat shops in China, Mexico, India, etc. It wont be long before there is nothing left.

Shame on Fender and all the other corporations in America for exporting jobs to evil and corrupt countries.

I will buy American, build it myself, or do without. You support any country's economy you wish. In fact, you can take your dumb arse back to wherever you came from for all WE care.

And yes, American instruments are superior to the imports in materials and workmanship. If you ever own one you will understand.

Lonely at the top? Here's some other folks playing American made instruments: Eric Clapton, Eric Johnson, Buddy Guy, Jeff Beck, Stevie Ray Vaughan, John Mayer, Jimi Hendrix, Mark Knophler, Yngwie Malmsteen, Dave Murray, Billy Corgan, Jim Root, Robert Cray, Jimmie Vaughan, Ritchie Blackmore, Kenny Wayne Shepard, Hank Williams Jr., Waylon Jennings, and millions more....

Bunch of racist lunatics!!!

I support America. If that offends you, then you offend me.

Woolecox you've only been on the Forum for a short while and your poisonous discriminatory rants have turned most of the Forum members off from you.All of Jimmie Vaughn's and Buddy Guy's Strats are made in Mexico so that part of your argument is flawed.The U.S. was inhabitated by first nations people (American Indians) before the Europeans came and claimed their land as their own so unless you have native Indian status you too are descended from immigrants from another country so when others leave you'd be obliged to leave also unless there's a timeline on how long you or your family have to be in the country to be considered Americans.People with your dogmatic and flawed bigoted ideals are whose to blame for the racial unrest in the U.S. and in other countries as well. You say that you were in the military I consider that very ironic because one of the military's main duties is to put down uprisings in other countries caused by fanatic zealots of your ilk and protect the citizens from opressive dictators and autocrats.If you resent non Americans so much it must have been difficult to be put in a position where you may have been sent to help them and protect them from zealous despots.Fender also ensures that the workers in their foreign factories have good working conditions the plight of the Cort workers confirms this as Fender was the only U.S. company that sat with the workers to hear their situation.A lot of big name musicians besides the ones I named use non U.S. made instruments and there are thousands of statements by them and pictures of them to confirm this.BTW a little anthropological fact for you...the first homosapiens were black.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

wooley,
What if the dumb arse IS from the same country that you pride in?


For what it's worth, MIA could be just as good if not better.
There was a time when MIA really meant something. Unfortunately,
it means far too little too few. Whether the economy is bad and jobs scarce like it is now or boomin' like it was back then matters little because of a peculiar demand: "We want more for less"
I can name off thousands of items once made here that were so well made yet costs were affordable. Compettition not only drives the prices down but also the quality, choice of materials and craftsmanship.

Real American craftsmen were immigrants. German, Italian, Swiss, English, French to name but a few. The Chinese are workers - they copy more than they originate but they are true workers. Latinos are also
a hard working lot. Many Americans have become a members of the sloth population who neither labor under the sun or at the drawing board or in the classroom. They are spoiled, they want something for nothing and if they don't get it they scream like the $@!&# in the harbor.
IMHO, part of America's problem are American Attitude.
Everyone's paycheck should be reduced to compettitive levels with such nations as China, India, Mexico etc. American enviromental policies should reflect those of those nations as well.
Trouble is, Americans don't want to compete without making hard sacrifices.
Instead they rob each other as the buy the products from foreign lands
IMHO, it's a game of psycological/economical Russian Roulette.

guess what jackass? fender is an AMERICAN company....that means that no matter where it was MADE, if you buy their product youre supporting an american company. also, any country outside of this s***hole is not "evil and corrupt", youre just a xenophobic bigot.

"you can take your dumb arse back to wherever you came from for all WE care."... such ignorance... guess what, im AMERICAN, i was BORN IN AMERICA, and i think your a complete imbecile who needs to be bludgeoned mercilessly with these supposed "junk" instruments. maybe once you see how sturdy they are against your incredibly thick, incredibly dense head youll change your mind about them.

_________________
Favorite bands:

Melvins
The Jesus Lizard
Cows
Big Business
R***man
Minutemen
Flight
Minor Threat
Big Black
Shellac
Karp
Scratch Acid
Wipers
Pixies

Wow. What a weird thread. I wanted to buy an American made Strat and I did. If I bought a Marshall my first choice what be one made in England. does that mean Im racist? You guys are a getting a little carried away.

I don't look down my nose at things made in other countries lots of the Mexican strata seem great. Just not quite as nice as my American Standard. when I play better and have some extra cash I want to buy a custom shop guitar. That doesn't mean I'm going to start growing a Hitler mustache.

I was at GC today looking at the Fender selection. i noticed the edges of the pick guards seemed sharp and unfinished. the frets sprout was pretty bad and the finishes weren't quite as nice as the MIAs. The color on the sunburst just seemed duller and you wouldn't notice it probably if you didn't look at the two next to each other.

the Mexican guitars seemed a little rough around the edges but still a quality workable piece that would be fine and I wouldn't mind having one but I really do like the American Fenders better and I wouldn't give up my favorite MIA standard for anything. does that make me a crazy white supremacist? I never knew that about myself

the quickest way to win an argument these days is to call the other guy a racist.

BTW Ive never seen someone promote violence against another member on this board like the post above. Disappointing.......

I call 'em as I see 'em that guy was spouting obvious racial bigotry especially telling people to go back to the countries they originated from if that's not racist then I'm Malcolm X. This guy wants to buy commodities made exclusively in the U.S. by "real" Americans that's just a bit of over the top bigotry disguised as patriotism.His disdain for anything and anyone non American can only be construed as racism and for someone not to see the obvious xenophobia they're being very obtuse. As his ancestors were most likely immigrants somewhere down the line he too could qualify as an alien-maybe a few generations removed but still an alien-and therefore obligated to go back to his roots also.

_________________
'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

If this was the first thread that I looked at visiting this community I might think twice about coming back, I know, I'm guilty too, I have written some not so kind words on threads related to the economy, politics and stuff not related to music or musical instruments, but, when I found that I could delete my own posts I would do that, because I wouldn't want some one who wasn't having a bad day to think the Forum had anything to do with what I wrote. Brad is a good Bro, every one can edit, please chill.

Love,

Rollie (aka

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you can save the world with your guitar one love song at a time it's just better, more fun, easier with a fender solid body electric guitar or electric bass guitar.

I don't know if telling someone to go back to their country of origin is racist. I think it's more nationalism. ie, my country is better than your country. School Pride teaches "My school is better than your school"
same thing.

Blind national patriotism can be as bad as racism if not worse. Because it stereotypically targets anybody who disagrees.

If this were a USMC forum and somebody shouted "I love Osama!" there will be those ready to blast the offendant. Others may ignore it, others try to rationalize then a fringe group might join the offendant saying "We love Osama, too!" fellow
jarheads going at it against the fringe with their acrid vitriol. A jarhead is shot and killed and the murder suspect hauled to the brig.

The offendant comes back in a couple of days to find all the mayhem and says...
NO! I MEANT OBAMA, NOT OSAMA!

Don't know if it matters, but I can see four guys on that list who are not American.

As Twinhit said "blind national patriotism can be as bad as racism" that's the point I'm trying to make.In this widely cosmopolitan world the understanding and embracing of other countries,cultures and creeds is essential.Every country on this earth depends to some degree on trade with other countries.Outsourcing labour is another fact of life in this day and age and is not only beneficial to the home country of the manufacturer but to the country they build the factory.This world would be a sad place and almost all countries would be in dire financial shape if they were narrow minded and myopic enough to only deal exclusively inside own borders.If the posters I called racist bigots are not I apologize profusely but if it swims like a duck,walks like a duck and quacks like a duck....and if you are just overzealous pro national patriots there can be no swaying you but the way the world is now will never change with regards international trade and offshore factories,you're going to have to grin and bear it and your patriotic rants won't change a thing.

_________________
'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.