Ever wonder why guitars cost so much?

[leftykingv2]

she would just right a song about you

I could live with that even if it wasn't flattering.

[leftykingv2]

Someone told me on one of these boards, and I have no idea if its true or not, that in Japan, jobs are taken WAY more seriously than they are here. They aren't easy to come by and if you lose your job there is virtually NO welfare system in place. You are completely on your own. The folks that do have a job are METICULOUS in performing whatever task they are completing because of this. They take extreme pride in producing a product, or completing a task better than the guy next to them. Pretty much every product that is 100% Japanese is made to these same standards and errors basically are not accepted at all.

We as Americans ...I feel anyways... have been conditioned to "if it's made in America, it must be the best". I know I grew up with that mentality. But, now that I have 43+ years of experience behind me I freely admit that it is not always the case. I see it every day at work and admittedly am guilty of it myself at times. I know that I could have done a better job on something, but I find an excuse to ...not do shoddy work...but work that is good enough to get by. From what I was told the Japanese do not have that mentality at all when it comes to their job. They expect PERFECTION from themselves. I believe it's partially pride and partially fear of not being employed because they are QUICK to let people go. We Americans benefit from it if we get the opportunity to buy 100% Japanese built products because their quality is unsurpassed these days.

This is very true. If an employee does a bad job and makes the company look bad these people feel shame and disgrace. It's part of there heritage/culture. It's ingrained in them from the time they're born. They wake up in the morning and strive for perfection in only the task at hand. It's there only concern. It's like the movie "Gung Ho" with Michael Keaton. These people take their jobs very seriously and treat them as if it's their life and not just a job. I worked in a Japanese restaurant for 5 years when I was in college doing prep cooking. The owner was a fucking millionaire and he NEVER took a day off in the five years I was there and neither did his wife. People I would talk to about it would say 'How do you know he's got money like that?" Well I know because he always had the newest and nicest cars and everyday his wife would come in dressed to the 10+ wearing at least a quarter million dollars in jewelry. Not the same jewelry everyday either. This woman had at least a 7 karat diamond ring on here finger and tons of other shit. He was very old school. His family was poor and he worked all his life to get where he was at. One time he asked me to take a ride with him so I said sure. I got in his car and he took me to Jared jewelers and I watched him drop $150K on his wife for her upcoming birthday without even batting an eye. I asked him why he brought me with him? I thought he was trying to show off but then he said "I didn't want to walk out of the store with all of this by myself."

[VitaminG]

Someone told me on one of these boards, and I have no idea if its true or not, that in Japan, jobs are taken WAY more seriously than they are here. They aren't easy to come by and if you lose your job there is virtually NO welfare system in place. You are completely on your own. The folks that do have a job are METICULOUS in performing whatever task they are completing because of this. They take extreme pride in producing a product, or completing a task better than the guy next to them. Pretty much every product that is 100% Japanese is made to these same standards and errors basically are not accepted at all.

We as Americans ...I feel anyways... have been conditioned to "if it's made in America, it must be the best". I know I grew up with that mentality. But, now that I have 43+ years of experience behind me I freely admit that it is not always the case. I see it every day at work and admittedly am guilty of it myself at times. I know that I could have done a better job on something, but I find an excuse to ...not do shoddy work...but work that is good enough to get by. From what I was told the Japanese do not have that mentality at all when it comes to their job. They expect PERFECTION from themselves. I believe it's partially pride and partially fear of not being employed because they are QUICK to let people go. We Americans benefit from it if we get the opportunity to buy 100% Japanese built products because their quality is unsurpassed these days.

they have unemployment benefits in Japan. It's a user pays system, so it is insurance funded either by the employer or the individual. How quickly the benefit kicks in depends on whether they quit or were let go.

As Brandenburg says, Japanese companies command a loyal workforce by actually caring about & looking after their employees. It seems to me a popular notion propagated in the West that the only reason they might produce a better product or take their jobs more seriously than us is because they fear exile, destitution or death for doing a bad job. How else could they be outdoing us? So let's take away benefits from our people so that they find the necessary motivation to be competitive with this soulless Japanese workforce

[toejam]

she would just right a song about you

What would be wrong with the song that she would have to right it?

[PowerTube]

What would be wrong with the song that she would have to right it?

No, she would be Wong and need to set Tings Wight, because two Wongs don't make a Wight. I Tink.

[toejam]

Sum Ting is Wong. Howe Long is a Chinaman.

[Hellraiser6502]

TRUE QUALITY does not have to cost a mint.....Fender/Charvel/Jackson these days (or whatever they're called) are an example of corporate mis-management in the extreme.

What I mean is that they've 'grown' to the point where they HAVE to charge what they charge...it's stupidity that a bolt-on Fender or Charvel should cost THOUSANDS....and take 2+ years to build. Then you have to hope & pray they built it right....

Just two examples of SUPREME QUALITY products and a proper business approach are Tom Anderson and GMP Guitars.

5-6 month wait time and you get: CUSTOMER SERVICE (!), A guitar second-to-none, a guitar with proper quality control and attention to detail, a guitar REASONABLY priced...anda guitar that is built with dedication and passion.

Those of you, so inclined, SAVE me the dissertation on big business and corporate reality, means nothing to the end-user.

[bombtek]

they have unemployment benefits in Japan. It's a user pays system, so it is insurance funded either by the employer or the individual. How quickly the benefit kicks in depends on whether they quit or were let go.

As Brandenburg says, Japanese companies command a loyal workforce by actually caring about & looking after their employees. It seems to me a popular notion propagated in the West that the only reason they might produce a better product or take their jobs more seriously than us is because they fear exile, destitution or death for doing a bad job. How else could they be outdoing us? So let's take away benefits from our people so that they find the necessary motivation to be competitive with this soulless Japanese workforce

Hey like I said I was told that on a forum and had no idea if it was true But I do stand by what I said in that the work coming out of Japan is at the very least equal to what the U.S. is producing nowadays.

[Brandenburg]

What would be wrong with the song that she would have to right it?

touche.. i blame that typo on anything but me.. LOL

[xenophobe]

Right on.

And I've said it before, but I'll say it again: that's why I'll never order a custom shop guitar. Likely the guitar would be a winner, but there's always that chance that it would be a turd.

Guitars have to be judged as complete, finished instruments on a one-by-one basis.

That's exactly why I buy custom guitars... the chances of not getting a turd and getting something truly amazing is far greater. Usually, when extra time and care are given, your chances of getting "that one" are much greater. I've gone through all kinds of imports and standard production guitars... and I've owned and still do some fantastic guitars... but the ones that are the best always seem to be CS guitars of one kind or another. And it's not just a placebo thing. I've sold some incredible guitars that just didn't do it for me and I'm more likely to find a Jackson CS that has something extra about it. I know it's not just me... plenty of others will attest to this.

Someone told me on one of these boards, and I have no idea if its true or not, that in Japan, jobs are taken WAY more seriously than they are here. They aren't easy to come by and if you lose your job there is virtually NO welfare system in place. You are completely on your own. The folks that do have a job are METICULOUS in performing whatever task they are completing because of this. They take extreme pride in producing a product, or completing a task better than the guy next to them. Pretty much every product that is 100% Japanese is made to these same standards and errors basically are not accepted at all.

Well, you're right about the Japanese taking their work seriously and having great pride. And you also have to remember, as much as that is true, the Japanese guitar culture is that hardcore too. There is no American guitar culture anything like what's going on in Japan... just like they take their anime seriously, they take their guitars seriously too.

And.... that's because we taught them that after WWII. They took it to a whole new level.

[pianoguyy]

Bite your tongue.
Just because big names aren't making anything special doesn't mean there is no guitar pride.
Local makers are making some great stuff.

[lepard]

They don't have to pay for Obamacare in South Korea. I'll stick with what has been proven to me time and time again for over 10+ years, World Musical Instruments(World Guitar) Korea builds consistently very high quality guitars for a reasonable price. I don't get hung up with the name on the front of the headstock. I'm more interested in who is building it and quality control.

[leftykingv2]

They don't have to pay for Obamacare in South Korea. I'll stick with what has been proven to me time and time again for over 10+ years, World Musical Instruments(World Guitar) Korea builds consistently very high quality guitars for a reasonable price. I don't get hung up with the name on the front of the headstock. I'm more interested in who is building it and quality control.

+1 Korea has stepped up their game quite a bit in the past 12 or so years. I remember back in the 80's to mid 90's nobody wanted a Korean guitar but times have changed.

[lepard]

+1 Korea has stepped up their game quite a bit in the past 12 or so years. I remember back in the 80's to mid 90's nobody wanted a Korean guitar but times have changed.

Exactly. I remember when Japanese guitars sucked. Then Japan got good and Korea built the junk. The only import guitars that I thought were ever built to USA Jackson quality were some Japanese Charvel/Jackson guitars from 87-91 and some BC Rich and DBZ models built by World Guitars Korea. UnSung Korea(Dean Korea "US" serial numbers) can build some high quality stuff but is less consistent than World Guitars. Special mention to Japan FugiGen Ibanez models, really good too, just not quite USA Jackson quality.

[BLOOD SPLATTER]

Regardless of where they're made guitars "cost so much" because folks are willing to pay the asking price(s) ....if we all refused to buy new & only bought used the prices would come down markedly!!