This was the case when I bought my Strat earlier this year. My friend and I went to a store and tried out several Strats. It seemed odd to me that we were encountering one after another that just didn't sound right. We finally found one that had the tone close enough to what I was looking for. We were curious so we asked the guy behind the counter how they deal with new guitars on display. He said "we take 'em out of the box, tune 'em, and hang 'em up". I was kinda shocked. When I got my guitar home I needed to tighten the neck bolts and set the bridge screws and trem springs just to get it in the neighborhood of being OK. I later set the saddles up a bit to get them level and the strings even across the arc of the neck. Mind you I really don't know how to set up a guitar but these things seem like they should have been done on any guitar from the factory. It was very well intonated tho... go figure.

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...I for one, sure would appreciate the return of intelligent conversation, spirit of assistance and the simple yet effective ignoring of those who can't seem to hang with that...
Best regards,
rob

One think is for sure... Fender is not going that well... Recently they open a fraction of their actions to public, so anyone could buy them. They did this with the purpose of cover a huge debt they have or something like that... So the possibility of Chinese Fenders in the future is a fact... at least they have considered... I really don't find a problem with a chinese products... they're made under the guides of the company so I don't think they'll be a bad purchase...

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Guitars are set up before they leave their respective factory(ies) ....However these guitars are shipped....from overseas ( water .. ) then to a ground distribution center.. ( steel containers transport )
Through their travels they are in a cardboard box and hopefully... that is preferably in a hardshell case...But....the lower lines are in a gig bag in a cardboard box which means that over the shipping journey, thru various atmospheric changes, temperature, humidity, sometimes severe and rapid.. The consequences are that wood contracts expands at different rates than plastic or metal ( which is so minimal as to be irrelevant.) But this is exactly what happens to a guitar neck when shipped, the wood reacts while the metal (frets) does not.
So what was a playable instrument when it left its factory is now in need of tweaking and set up.

Not to mention that each one's (player) set up is going to be different, so guitars are set up with a standard general set-up.

A shop should.....That is the key word " SHOP " unfortunately many supposedly guitar/music stores look on the instruments as products to move out the door, which means get it displayed and sold...Hands on attention means lost revenues since labor costs are involved.

It is as much the consumers fault as some of these shops...IF you buy your equipment from a place that does not regard the instrument as such and it's needs to be viewed as a product that needs tweaking than go elsewhere if upon demanding to have the instrument correctly set-up falls on deaf ears....
I buy equipment at a couple small local music store, but also at a GC and Sam Ash which happen to be good ones, where the staff know their equipment and care about the instruments as well as the potential customers.

Bottom line is this....If you want Wal-Mart prices but are expecting Custom Shop care than you are way off reality......

A $200 guitar will reflect a certain level of setup but fine-tuning should be extra, because the guitar was at a lower price point and in house costs apply......
It is called Commerce......

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"C'est parti mon Kiki "

When I purchased a replacement P-bass neck from Mighty Mite I was surprised at how perfect it was. Made in Korea, frets level and smooth all around, better than many American made necks that I have held, headstock and neck heel are perfect and just needed to be attached yet the American guitar maker/tech chose to add an additional 25 dollars for fret leveling and adjusting when he clearly didn't touch this neck in any way other than to drill the holes.
This similarly happened to me with another MIM P-bass guitar by one of the most well known guitar service companies in America based right here in Chicago. Charging me 85 dollars for not touching my guitar, I pointed this out to them, the owner told me that I should find another guitar tech which I did and the beginning of this post described him.
I'm sure this is a universal behavior which all societies have their own unique way of presenting.
As far as offshore manufacturing goes, government regulation, government taxes, government favoritism towards unions are what drives companies over there. The companies don't mind labor costs one bit. Paying the salaries of giant parasites such as union bosses and government bureaucrats is what murdered American manufacturing and not one thing more.
I should count my blessings though, so, I'm glad workers from all over the world take enough pride in the work that they do and get us products that can be played for less money, because, the amount of money skimmed by those parasites is a bit less, because, payola from those countries to the parasites is less.
If you're feeling mislead or like you're being stabbed in the back, you are. Remember, it takes a particularly heinous and greedy type of person to work for a union as a boss or a government regulatory bureaucracy and they all have 2 distinctly different faces as well. My head spins whenever they talk about human rights and equality but they couldn't care less about either as long as they can line their pockets with American taxpayer money. The story changes with the excuse-du-jour but the behavior/motivation of societal parasites is always the same.
It isn't Fender, it's the aforementioned abominations who will find a way to corrupt and abuse everything they can force their way upon, all in the name of greed.
Play the guitar you have in your hands because that is what they are made for. Parasites don't play guitar, they want to charge you for playing guitar. As Martian would say, IMHO YMMV.

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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.

Really... How do you figure the PO ( Public Offering ) Are you actually a shareholder on the Board...Are you sitting in front of a screen at an IB, privy to inside information...
You do not know the reasons behind Fender's PO.
A company in trouble is definitely not the case, unless you aren't paying attention to global Sales and Demand.....

There are many reasons as to why a corporation would offer shares, not all of them are related to leverage, before speculating, one might want to pick up a Barron's or WSJ or even spend some time in the Investment Banking Industry......A little research is good...But not the whole story....

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"C'est parti mon Kiki "

Sounds about right to me.

(1) why would you have the same place repair your guitar if you know they overcharge....

(2) The Pontification about Unions being the root of all evil is nonsensical. Not saying there aren't corrupt people in Unions but Manure flies in all directions when it hits the fan.
Unions did a lot of good for this country in the past and they still do but like any regulatory body they need to be managed correctly to ensure they don't overstep their bounds, but so does everyone else....
I deal with Union People all the time and I have not had any problems with the majority.
Just painting a broad stroke border to border doesn't conclude with an intelligent debate..

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"C'est parti mon Kiki "

I did generalize and for that I apologize to you 53, you are a thoughtful member and I shouldn't voice my concerns about corruption on this Forum. I separated your post because I didn't revisit the same place. The MIM issue was one company and the neck issue was the new service tech I found, with great recommendation from other guitarists, after the first companies owner refused to address my concerns and told me to find another.
Unions had their time and were needed then, things are different now and unions like all parasites won't detach from the host. All union members aren't horrible, but, government unions and unions that are in collusion with government have outlived their usefulness. I did it again, sorry.

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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.

This is far to big of an issue to solve on a guitar forum.

Those of us who have a problem with Fender selling Chinese made guitars should probably go find a guitar company that doesn't use Chinese manufacturers or parts. That's called voting with your wallet (I hope you have a lot of cash in that wallet btw...)

Those of us who don't care or can live with it won't have anyone to argue with.

I can write letters to Doritos corp and tell them how they should be making healthy snacks, or I can go eat a celery stick.

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My respects to you also SBLV...As I have read many of your posts and many are quite compassionate, it's just that when we get into political debates here it often gets out of hand and ceases to be a Forum where diverging viewpoints collide....
I do agree up to a point as far as Unions are concerned, not to illustrate a political standpoint but if Romney gets in the White House, we had better hope that Unions return because this country will be viewed as a Private Equity Firm's acquisition ( or if you prefer an LBO which is what PEF's are..can you say Kolber Kravis and Roberts... )

I also have had the unpleasant experience of a couple of shops that were incompetent ( I'm being Nice ) so I can relate but I would actually write to the BBB or their local chamber of commerce and file a grievance.....If you want to get a business's attention, getting in touch with the Chamber of Commerce that oversee's that business makes them pay attention..

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"C'est parti mon Kiki "

For me it is quite simple...I buy what I want and what I can afford. if it is an MIA ora MIC Fender it is my business and my right. The I only buy American is not a bad thing by anymeans but, in this day of global economies it is impossible to buy an item with a soul source of manufacture in one place. If you don't like a MIC Fender...don't buy it ...it is that simple!
ABS

I agree. I really just look at the quality and shape of whatever is in my hands at the time, and whether I can afford it. It could be made anywhere in the world. If it fits the bill of what I want, I'm down with it.

I'm really loving my new Samick. Played it last night, and it fits me like a glove. It's a definite keeper. The neck is just too perfect for me to ever want to let it go.

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I have no issues with fender selling MIC guitars as long as the also keep making them here.I won't buy one of the MIC ones but thats just me.

I find it ironic that we import everything from China, yet we've had an embargo with Cuba all of these years. I suppose there isn't any resource or profit we can get from them. They are both so-called Communist countries. What's worse is the Middle East. Talk about human rights violations. A dog has more rights than women do in some of those places, especially Saudi Arabia, whom we're buddy buddy with because of oil. In a way, it would be hypocritical to boycott Chinese over human rights and then drive a vehicle with fuel from the Middle East. You'd have to ride a bicycle, then. Which would be a pain in the $@! to do if you're an active musician. Even public transportation runs on fuel.

Even products that aren't even made in China could have Chinese-made components in them, like electronics. For example: Carvin claims their amps are made in the USA, but where do the electronic components, circuits, etc. come from? Maybe China, maybe somewhere else.

I remember 20 something years ago, South Korea was making cheap guitars and stuff like China is now. It was considered the same quality. Before that, it was Japan. I imagine as technology moves along, their quality control will improve and the cheap labor will be passed on to some other country. It seems to be a cycle. One day there will probably be a Fender Chad or New Guinea and people will be hollering about that.

Thank you 53, I too hope that this next presidential term has one that brings everyone in our nation together rather than driving us as a people apart. Thanks again for the Chamber of Commerce suggestion, I hadn't thought of that, I'd like to be the fly on the wall when they read the letter of inquiry from the Chamber, lol.
Cheers Bro

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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.