Official Luthiers Forum!

[QUOTE=GuitarGuru] That's part of the problem with China and other countries making poeple work the whole day for a bowl of rice. It's sad that hardly any guitars are U.S.A. made anymore. I think Gibson is the only one left. [/QUOTE]

Lets not forget.... oh, ah let me see,

Martin guitars,
Taylor guitars,
Collings guitars,
Larrivee has a large plant in California,
Takoma
Washburn
and are guilds still made in the US?
And I think there is still a fender plant in the US.

I'm sure there are others that I've missed as well.


Rod True38759.1280902778

_________________
My Facebook Guitar Page

"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

[QUOTE=Mattia Valente] Yeah, but don't look into all those famous 'old master' guitars and fiddles, then; the obession with clean interior work is a relatively recent phenomenon. If the sound's there, it's there. And if the outside looks good to boot, that's a winner for most buyers.[/QUOTE]

I'm with you Mattia. If a person is more interested in using a mirror to see the inside rather then how it plays and sounds, they are definitely not the folks for whom I want to build a guitar. I've played lots of nice older guitars that sure wouldn't pass muster here.

_________________
Don Atwood
Arlington, VA

[QUOTE=Don A] [QUOTE=Mattia Valente] Yeah, but don't look into all those famous 'old master' guitars and fiddles, then; the obession with clean interior work is a relatively recent phenomenon. If the sound's there, it's there. And if the outside looks good to boot, that's a winner for most buyers.[/QUOTE]

I'm with you Mattia. If a person is more interested in using a mirror to see the inside rather then how it plays and sounds, they are definitely not the folks for whom I want to build a guitar. I've played lots of nice older guitars that sure wouldn't pass muster here. [/QUOTE]

Very true, Mattia, I've got three pre-war Martins and a '63 Martin and the interiors of all of them wouldn't get out of any of the shops OLFers run. Glue squeeze out, rough braces, not sanded smooth, etc. But the sound..... especially the '63 00-18 with the straight braces.

They are, or should be, musical instruments first and foremost, that should be the basis for choosing one, if the sound and playability are the same for two guitars then you start looking at the finish and fitting. (That's my excuse ) Is it worth $1000 extra to the customer for mitred purflings?

Colin

_________________
I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

I know Washburn is in the U.S. because I've done work for them, but most their guitars are made overseas. I just spoke with Daisy Guitars yesterday, but they all have stickers on them saying made in Indonesia, China, Taiwan, or whatever. Three new guitars all had major problems and had to be shipped back to them. Unless it's says made in the U.S.A. on it, I'm afraid the Logo on the headstock isn't enough.

[QUOTE=GuitarGuru] I know Washburn is in the U.S. because I've done work for them, but most their guitars are made overseas. I just spoke with Daisy Guitars yesterday, but they all have stickers on them saying made in Indonesia, China, Taiwan, or whatever. Three new guitars all had major problems and had to be shipped back to them. Unless it's says made in the U.S.A. on it, I'm afraid the Logo on the headstock isn't enough.[/QUOTE]

Nope, that's true, but there are plenty of manufacturers with USA-made lines. And those are the ones that sell for the highest prices (Fender, Gibson spring to mind). Manufacturing ain't dead yet...