Many graphics = Master built

[Predator1]

I was told today that if the graphic you want does not appear on the quote form it is MB. I guess I will never own my CS Charvel. I can afford it but I refuse to be Ass Raped by FMIC. I am going to go out on a limb here. I live not far from the FMIC Corona Facility. I know for a fact that they are a large employer of Temp labor. Who exactly is building these guitars. You would be suprised. Well maybe not if you live in So. Cal.

[neilli]

I'm now at a point where I'll buy cheaper or used Jacksons / Charvels and get them painted / modified into what I want.

Get one of the natural musiczoo guitars over to a painter and for 2 grand or so you have a strathead Charvel in whatever solid colour you want, quickly, and with the store having checked it for QC.

Send it to Lee and you can get a same guy who'd do the graphic at FMIC....

[guitarzan2]

I was told today that if the graphic you want does not appear on the quote form it is MB. I guess I will never own my CS Charvel. I can afford it but I refuse to be Ass Raped by FMIC. I am going to go out on a limb here. I live not far from the FMIC Corona Facility. I know for a fact that they are a large employer of Temp labor. Who exactly is building these guitars. You would be suprised. Well maybe not if you live in So. Cal.

Same with Fender. Which would you rather have? A $1000 USA Fender made in the USA by Mexicans or a $250 Mexican Fender made in Mexico by Mexicans? For the money, I'll pay for Japanese or Korean labor. It's the best bang for the buck. Paying ridiculous prices for "Made in USA" on the headstock when it's made by low paid temporary Mexicans workers just seems dumb. If I'm going to buy USA, it's going to be from a place like US Masters or GMW that has actual SKILLED American workers.

[thetruthguy]

Wood. $200.
Construction Labor Costs. $500.
Paint and setup. $750.
Quality control. $300.
Extras and shit. $1000.
Shipping. $35.
Having a master builder who used to just be Frank the custom shop guy build your guitar, and being ass raped by FMIC. Priceless.

[Predator1]

I will add that I have had an ESP quoted with specs very close to the Charvel and the price was about the same give or take a couple of bucks. I spoke with Wildwest guitars a couple of days ago and he told me that one guy came in and bought all of his plain jane stratheads last week. 3 yellow and 2 sea foam green. Look for an Ebay sale shortly?

[neilli]

Maybe not that shortly - if the store couldn't sell those after 6 months or more, I can't see him selling for a profit on ebay any time soon....

[danastas]

I don't know about this idea that you can beat the Fender USA shop because they use Mexican labor.

I think the Fender MIMs are great, but they are nowhere near in quality to my recent USA Daphne Blue. It is top notch, great guitar. I also bought a $600 Korean a few months ago, swamp ash, birdseye neck, and it was the crappiest guitar I had ever laid my hands on. Wretched. i returned it right away.

[Strat God]

All MIM's actually have necks that are made in the Corona facility and shipped down to Mexico where they are assembled onto mexicaster bodies.

[surfreak]

Most original Fender ees. in the '50s and '60s were Mexican, with (obviously) no prior expertise or formal training in assembling guitars, yet they made arguably the best and now most valuable bolt-on solidbody guitars.

Among them, Abigail Ybarra, one of the longest employed at Fender, a lovely lady in her '70s who still works at Fender, winding some of the best Custom Shop pickups ever made, and people pay a premium to buy her pickups.

Sorry guys, but as a former employer of a very mixed workforce, including Mexican, Latin American, Asian and American staff, I just don't buy the whole "made in the USA by skilled American craftsmen" myth.

Skills, expertise and dedication are universal qualities, and especially with regards to these type of guitars, it doesn't take too much to make a good piece.
Bolt-on guitars like Fenders and Charvels are not works of art: they were designed from the ground up by a mechanical genius who knew nothing about traditional luthierie, to be utilitarian, affordable and modular.
Great musicians made them works of art, because of the music they wrote and played on them, not the other way around.

So I don't have a problem in having these guitars built by a Mexican or Korean guy learning the trade, and trying to make the most in a country that actually gives him the opportunity to have a shot at the American dream.

[Robert Burns]

Iwas told by some "in the know" guys with years of experience in Fender MIM.. that the higher end Korean strats are wonderful.
They showed me a swamp ash absolutely beautiful Korean, with
the modern trem, and USA pickups for $800.00 In their opinion, it
was on par with any $2500.00 Strat in workmanship, and attention to
detail. Look at some of the Japanese Jacksons? Perfect.

[danastas]

I can only go by what I purchased. I bought a Fender korean retailing regularly at $900 for $650. Someone was bloing them out. I could have gotten a lemon. who knows?

There's actually a year old thread on this board on Fender Lite Ash Strats. A lot of people in that thread had similar experiences with the koreans.

[Dolan]

Most original Fender ees. in the '50s and '60s were Mexican, with (obviously) no prior expertise or formal training in assembling guitars, yet they made arguably the best and now most valuable bolt-on solidbody guitars.

Among them, Abigail Ybarra, one of the longest employed at Fender, a lovely lady in her '70s who still works at Fender, winding some of the best Custom Shop pickups ever made, and people pay a premium to buy her pickups.

Sorry guys, but as a former employer of a very mixed workforce, including Mexican, Latin American, Asian and American staff, I just don't buy the whole "made in the USA by skilled American craftsmen" myth.

Skills, expertise and dedication are universal qualities, and especially with regards to these type of guitars, it doesn't take too much to make a good piece.
Bolt-on guitars like Fenders and Charvels are not works of art: they were designed from the ground up by a mechanical genius who knew nothing about traditional luthierie, to be utilitarian, affordable and modular.
Great musicians made them works of art, because of the music they wrote and played on them, not the other way around.

So I don't have a problem in having these guitars built by a Mexican or Korean guy learning the trade, and trying to make the most in a country that actually gives him the opportunity to have a shot at the American dream.

You go boy!! Glad to hear someone else who feels the same way. If it werent for "Mexicans" yes legal Mexicans, my business would tank big time. Oh and by the way, most of my Mexicans make more than the gringos. Why? Because they work and work hard. Another one who doesnt buy this Made In USA is always better and there are no skilled workers south of the border crap.

[sully]

Another one who doesnt buy this Made In USA is always better and there are no skilled workers south of the border crap.

add another to that list.

[Twisteramps]

When Fender first started doing the Mexistrats, a friend of mine who worked at a music store explained it this way:

Would you rather have mexicans in california build your guitar or mexicans in mexico do it?

[Predator1]

Do you guy's think that these new prices mean that the CS will actually spend more time building your guitar and checking it for issues? In addition will they pull the dogs or just send them out? Has anybody actually figured out what percent increase this equates to combined with the NAMM price guide. In my previous post I was simply questioning where the price increase for labor is going. Most of the Temp labor where I work is forced to work 2 or 3 jobs to make ends meet here in So. Cal. This leads to employees that are otfen fatigued and tired. When building guitars, where measurements and tolerences are critical I am not sure I would want employees that may have trouble focusing building guitars.