My latest Tele was made in... gasp... China... and it's not a Squier - it's Fender's new FENDER from China.







It's a new Modern Player Series Telecaster Plus and the build and finish are beyond superb! If this thing didn't say China on the back of the headstock, you would never guess where it was made. That's why I said FALSE to this wonderful troll... oops, I mean poll and discussion.

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Dennis in CR
Rockin' since 1963

In the same fashion as a Corvette not built in Modena Italy isn't a true Ferrari.

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"Another day in paradise!"

IMHO: In 1958, if you purchased a Stratocaster with a 3SB finish, you were getting the best the company could offer, the top of line, with all the bells and whistles available at the time because there was only one. We also know that there was plenty of variation, lack of quality control and inconsistency in the product. Today, if you wanted the same guitar, to the highest standard of excellence made available by Fender, it would have to be Masterbuilt in the Custom Shop, owing to the wide array of instrument availability and quality in that model, and others. From the looks of that Tele posted above, I would suspect that he's got himself a great guitar there. It looks fabulous. So do many of the MIM and MIA production line guitars. They are likely equal to or better than anything Fender turned out 50 years ago. However, with respect to the original question, 'made in the USA' doesn't define the product any longer.

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"Another day in paradise!"

..........perhaps even.....an orc

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"Another day in paradise!"

The difference being that M&M and W are only licensed to build bodies and necks, not to build entire instruments..Look at it this way why not license a manufacturer to mill out necks and bodies to Fender specs, it's a win/win since there is no litigation involved....

As far as evrything from China being crap, that's like saying that everything Ford, GM and Chrysler..Ooops Fiat builds is crap....

Check out Eastman Instruments if you want to play an acoustic that rivals Taylor, Martin and the rest at at least a third to half of the walk out the door price....
I just checked them out with the Eastman rep at Wakefield Music...

There are crafstmen in China that would make you run back to Shop Class 101...
Yes there is a lot of garbage coming out of China, but that is mostly due to the insatiable Consumer who wants it cheap......
Quality has a price and even though it doesn't have to be exorbitant, there is still a price to pay...The choice is yours....

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"C'est parti mon Kiki "

Not so. Just employ spellcheck before sending. As noted above,the other companies you cite cannot manufacture Fender product. Warmoth is licensed to produce necks with a Fender headstock but cannot apply the logo decal. AXL is licensed to manufacture Fender guitars of a specific type for Fender instead of Fender building its own plant overseas. Not unlike GM building certain Cadillac models in Mexico. One might argue quite aggressively that if it is NOT made in the USA, it's not really a Cadillac, even though it might be built by or for GM/Cadillac Motor Car Division.

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"Another day in paradise!"

I haven't voted in this poll, but in my opinion if it's not made in the US it's not a fender. Technically it is if it's an agreed deal and fender is on the headstock, but think of the tradition.

I want my strats and teles to be made in the place where they came from not some factory in the far east or something.

Let me explain why i think the way i do: years back i bought a made in Japan Fender and it was great, played well and all the rest but no matter how much i liked it it still rankled me in the back of my mind that it wasn't the real deal because of where it was made. I still think the same today. So despite liking the guitar i couldn't get that out of my head.

It's like say Ferrari deciding to make their cars in, say the UK. No way is that a real Ferrari, it may say so on the badge but uh uh! it isn't! not IMO anyway.

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Luck won't do it and ignorance can't

George Van Eps.

'Things are seldom what they seem.Skim milk masquerades as cream. Highlows pass as patent leathers. Jackdaws strut in peacocks feathers.' 'Very true' 'So they do.'
..........W.S.Gilbert "H.M.S.Pinafore"

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"Another day in paradise!"

From an old Middle eastern Proverb.....

" The Dogs may Bark..But the caravan Moves On...."

And so it is with manufacturers and their goods.

If it is well made then it is at least worthy of consideration.....

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"C'est parti mon Kiki "

Here, here Well put my man, well put.

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"Another day in paradise!"

Tsk Tsk Tsk .....All of us have lives. This is where we escape from them.

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"Another day in paradise!"

Ahhh...But therein lies the problem.....We do have lives.......Many of us here are juggling a career, a family, the obligations which are part and parcel of being well entranched in our own respective corners of society.

Let's see.... Yesterday Saturday I had to be at a job-site outside of Boston some 70 miles from my home ( NE corner of CT ), as well as at 6 to 11pm I was expected at a Barn Party Jam session, 45 miles from my home ( in the same mode as Leon Helms Midnight Ramble ) down in Wyoming (RI). We went thru songs by Costello, Dylan, Santana, V. Morrison, G. Dead, some I knew...some I did not. So I traveled a very large 250 mile triangle for the day..
Today I may go off to work but, since it is Sunday and people really don't appreciate the noise of construction going on in the next door condo, I very well may stay home and prepare for the other 3 customers projects I have going on....Oh and I have to be in class tomorrow at 8.00am and meet with the Historic Renovations people in Providence on Tuesday....

Should I continue... ...With my schedule for this week...

I Resent When Someone Suggest To Someone Else To Get A Life...

This Forum is where we all Debate.....Discuss.....Argue.....Have a usually Civil Conversation and more often than not learn something valuable from others.....I'll be the 1st to admit that I have on occasion Opened Wide and inserted my Foot in my Mouth...( I'm passionate about subjects )
Sometimes here it is best just to lurk and not comment, other times one has to jump in,
but whichever one it is, this thread started as a bait, but has evolved for the most part into an intelligent discussion.

It would be pleasant if it stayed as such regardless of particular and personal biases....

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"C'est parti mon Kiki "

ZZdoc reply-eth: Ditto!!

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"Another day in paradise!"

No.. But seriously...I think this thread was started to be a Troll-Fest but it has gone to be a viable discussion, so we have to keep it this way, the more often we respond intelligently to such threads, the more likely the Trolls will find greener pastures elsewhere....

No need for Apologies, we just have to watch and recognize a hook and bait....

Since you're in Woonso... I'll probably run into you someday at either GC or Ray Mullins.
Speaking of Mullins...I have to get there this week...

Ciao...

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"C'est parti mon Kiki "

No prob-lemm mon!!

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"Another day in paradise!"