If japanese fender guitars are not real fender guitars... then I guess I don't ever want a "real" fender...

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In Reference to Blues Legend RL Burnside:
After a heart attack in 2001, Burnside's doctor advised him to stop drinking; Burnside did, but he reported that change left him unable to play.

I'm sorry Stratofiedmind, I'm not being ignorant and you really should reconsider posting before using tones like that.

As for Fender, they really are small potatoes when it comes to the world of instrument manufacture. Behringer are way bigger. They not only own the factory they built in mainland China, but the township they built that goes alongside it. The same with Wilkinson's various Chinese ventures. Completely owned and run by western corporations.

If there is ignorance at play here, I say it's on the part of those touting the term.

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No no and no

thats why I used the word MOST anyways Behringer is a multinational conglomerate of several company's. that is a whole different scenario.

but I will also Agree to Agree to Disagree

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No its a German company owned by Music Group of which Uli Berhinger is chair. A business owner with very good set of practices regarding his employees well being.

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No no and no

from wikipedia

"Behringer is a multi-national group of companies, with direct marketing presence in 10 countries or territories"

how is that not a multinational conglomerate ?

edit:

Beheringer is a multi national corporation

A multi national corporation (MNC) or enterprise (MNE),[1] is a corporation or an enterprise that manages production or delivers services in more than one country

Music group is a conglomerate

A conglomerate is a combination of two or more corporations engaged in entirely different businesses that fall under one corporate structure

also "Music Group is a holding company based in Manila, Philippines.[2] It is chaired by Uli Behringer, founder of Behringer". not a German company anymore but a German is chairman. so it is now an eastern operated and owned company.

since Beheringer is part of music group, the whole organization is a multinational conglomerate. still a whole different animal than what i am talking about. also this is not an american based company so it does not fall under what i said about American company's contracting foreign factory's to make their product.

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You'd argue that Uli Behringer doesn't own the controlling share of Music Group?

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No no and no

I never said anything about what he does or doesn't own.
I have no knowledge of the exact Music Group corporate structure. but I am certain he controls a large percent of the parent company "Music Group" since he is the chairman and all. that includes Behringer because it is now owned and controlled by Music Group a Philippine based company. music group and Behringer are no longer based in Germany so it is no longer a German company. the controlling members nationality does not determine that. Behringer products aren't even made in Germany now so what does it matter?

and as I stated before Behringer does not apply to what I was talking about anyways.

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Let's not forget that Gibson owns it's Factory in Qingdao China and does have some Gibson employees that are American working in the place!

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The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.

Thomas Jefferson

maybe. but they make Epiphone guitars not gibson. epiphone is a subsidiary of gibson

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CV
So in effect, we must have such good company exec's that they can actually talk the working Joe into going and joining the oppressed masses in a communist country and work for a bowl of rice a day.

Why aren't those people in government?

What ever any company makes overseas, it doesn't matter. Epiphone pre-dates Gibson by 20 odd years though. The point is that we live in a borderless world. The kind of closed boundary countries allured to in this thread are very few and far between these days.

As for oppression of the masses how does this grab you.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/photo-of-84-year-old-woman-hit-by-pepper-spray-at-occupy-seattle-protest-goes-viral/2011/11/16/gIQAAK7lRN_story.html?tid=pm_national_pop

All I asked anyone to do was open their eyes.

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No no and no

SSP..Priced @ $110, regardless of where it was made I would not expect much in terms of quality.
But that brings back to the fore the driving motive behind the amount of chinese made products.....CHEAP.....Consumers demand low priced goods, a quick nauseating walk thru any WallMart will clearly illustrate that fact.
Sadly the mindset is that buying that item for $200.00 versus $600.00 is a bargain, regardless of the reality that the lower priced item will have a lifespan a 1/4 or a 1/3rd less of the better item,
The expense of having to replace the lower priced item as well as time and travel lost never enters the equation.....

A sort of comic relief for me was @ Home Depot, I was talking with someone whom I thought was a homeowner but was actually a Contractor picking out a new Ryobi saws-all all the while complaining how they didn't last and he had to buy a new one almost every week.....
Fact is those inexpensive tools are designed for the homeowner who does an occasional repair, not for commercial applications....

The same goes for guitars, if you want an instrument that will be Pro quality, there is a certain price point for that level, there is no way around it....

However a look into the company Eastman might be worth it for those who believe that everything from China is substandard. Not So...Fretboard Journal did a review in its Winter 2009 issue # 16....

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"C'est parti mon Kiki "

Hi Nik!
This has been a strange post any hoot!

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The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.

Thomas Jefferson

I don't understand when you say your cheap guitars "wear out quickly." How in the world does a guitar wear out? I've got lots of guitars, going back to the late 60s and early 70s (and right up to the Chinese made Tele Plus I just bought) and not a single one has ever worn out.

I think if you take good care of a total piece of junk, it should still last forever. But maybe you're using your guitars to dig holes in the ground? I mean, cheap is cheap, but if you're only paying $110 for a guitar, you're still getting what you pay for.

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Dennis in CR
Rockin' since 1963

Here are my thoughts on the new Modern Player Series Tele Plus:

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=63614

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Dennis in CR
Rockin' since 1963

The picture below is showing two of my guitars. The one is a $800.00 Epiphone Custom Plus that was made in a small factory in Saein Korea bought 7 years ago, these were hunted for from this manufacture then. That is a Flame Maple caped mahogany body not veneer, also something only done for two years on the Custom Plus from Saein, it has a Maple set neck and rosewood board instead of the Mahogany and rosewood board.
A high quality guitar indeed, and yes that is also a 1300.00 Telecaster next to it!

You can get some high grade guits that are not U.S. made!

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The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.

Thomas Jefferson