RyanZ
New member
You are right that if it is good, nobody cares where is it made in. But if the guitar is made in a country that it is not supposed to be made in, you have to be concerned.
edwards guitars made in china
- Thread starter van_halen
- Start date
You are right that if it is good, nobody cares where is it made in. But if the guitar is made in a country that it is not supposed to be made in, you have to be concerned.
tried an edwards p90 goldtop in tokyo some weeks ago.
i couldnt find anything wrong with it, the workmanship and feel was good. first thing i noticed was that the guitar was really lightweight for a les paul (not sure if its chambered?) If i didnt read this thread i would still be thinking it was MIJ!
i couldnt find anything wrong with it, the workmanship and feel was good. first thing i noticed was that the guitar was really lightweight for a les paul (not sure if its chambered?) If i didnt read this thread i would still be thinking it was MIJ!
gsonique
New member
Mr Bukka, i think not all edwards are chambered. They just happen to have a different specie of mahogany(available abundantly in japan, or some parts of asia, not too sure) compared to their US counterparts.
dont see anything there about the chambering..
Ized
New member
just get an American Standard 2008 strat....cant go wrong with that!
there's a little bit more of the "ring" on the frets of an American Fender....something that the japanese have yet to do right. Which is one reason why Fender USA still keeps its exact fret composite formula secret.
Even the legitimate crafted in japan Fenders are lacking that extra zing. I have somebody to thank for for highlighting this to me
there's a little bit more of the "ring" on the frets of an American Fender....something that the japanese have yet to do right. Which is one reason why Fender USA still keeps its exact fret composite formula secret.
Even the legitimate crafted in japan Fenders are lacking that extra zing. I have somebody to thank for for highlighting this to me
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Hi Ized, could it be that what you are hearing is the ring of the coated steel block on US strats compared to the mostly zinc alloy blocks of Fender Japan than the fretwires? Or can it also be the coating thickness of the necks?
Ized
New member
nah....you wouldnt really understand unless i show it to you in person.
nvm what you dont know dosent hurt you...so just dont bother too much and enjoy your guitar..... if its set up well, it should play and sound good.
Whitestrat and Goose both know what im talking about though
nvm what you dont know dosent hurt you...so just dont bother too much and enjoy your guitar..... if its set up well, it should play and sound good.
Whitestrat and Goose both know what im talking about though
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I hope they reduce their retail price since now most people already know the fact
I bet Edwards could slash the price definitely, BUT, are you prepared to play a guitar with lesser quality for a lesser price? Guess NOT. Edwards MIJ even if it is MIC, doesnt really matter. I tried ESP Kiko model and an Edwards Kiko back to back, i'll tell ya..... You almost cant tell the difference. Almost. Now, the question is.... Do you buy a guitar bcoz of where it's made of, or do you get an AXE bcoz it personally feels and sounds like an AXE to you... disregardless of where it's really from.
And yeah, you could hand carry any brand of guitars directly from japan/US/anywhere in the world...(I bet the airline ticket is cheap too..lol)
just get an American Standard 2008 strat....cant go wrong with that!
there's a little bit more of the "ring" on the frets of an American Fender....something that the japanese have yet to do right. Which is one reason why Fender USA still keeps its exact fret composite formula secret.
Even the legitimate crafted in japan Fenders are lacking that extra zing. I have somebody to thank for for highlighting this to me
there was a time when the Japanese Fenders were better than the USA made strats. which is why Fender made sure all Japanese Fenders were not to be imported.
even now, with the CIJs that have come out (although the MIJ are whole lot better) Japanese Fenders are still not sold in the US. why? because the difference is actually very little, making the price difference overwhelmingly impractical. Why pay for 3X more when the price you pay more doesnt justify the added feature/quality?
its just the MADE in the USA redneck pride that makes these guitars expensive.
but when you talk about CHINA vs Japanese, thats a different story. Chinese made guitars have a LOT to prove and improve on. The Koreans have been trying to catch up but the still arent at par with the Japs.
its peace of mind. has there been any news of crap products coming out of Japan? while melanine laced MILK passes through Chinese Quality Control, the Japanese are making expensive but quality stuff (go to a local japanese store that sells chocolates or whatnots, and you will see).
but then again, if Edwards is keen on Quality Control, it is evident. Coz the new MIC guitars they are selling are still top notch.
but i agree that they should come out with full transparency, like Gibson with Epiphone opening up factories in China, insisting they keep the same standards. a bit defensive though. however, you still see the difference beween those MIC Epiphones and that of Korean made. Not saying all MIC EPis arent good but more often than not, 2/10, those MICs arent as good as the Korean ones ive played and seen.
so its really up to Edwards. this might backlash. they are not outright lying. but they should be transparent from the start. this withholding of info could leave a bad taste in the mouth for consumers who have payed $1K + only to find out they have an MIC on their hands. Yes they could be surprised and Edwards can always say, 'see? these were made in china but they as good as those MIJs out there'. But its not good consumers finding out this way.
Rather, they should publish unbiased reviews of their guitars. For example, allowing someone from Guitar Magazine to randomly pick out 2 identical guitars, unmarked, from a line of guitars, grouped between MIJs and MICs and then making a review. Double blind tests that would show if there is really a difference.
And let the consumers decide.
Whitestrat
New member
Actually, Phil, it DOES matter.
But not in the sense that one might think. I personally would prefer a guitar made by a person who has extensive knowledge of knowing how to make a guitar. And usually, as far as today is concerned, that group of people fall within certain territorial bouradies these days. This scenario would probably change in the future, but for now, I would be highly skeptical of a mass produced guitar made in Bangalore, for example, where they have very little experience in making great guitars. Many of these countries would probably have a very high level of carpentry expertise and a deep rooted culture in woodworking.
The really good guitars these days are usually found in certain countries: USA & Japan. Korea is catching up. Not even UK and parts of Europe have made it like the Japanese thus far, but there are also exceptions to the rule. When it comes to the niche markets, then one would have to look deeper into the individual builder per se.
But as a general guide for mass brands like Fender, Gibson, PRS, Ibanez etc etc, only USA and Japan are acceptable for me, unless I have no choice like my Korean made S7320. (which btw, isn't fantastic in quality)
Mind you, when I speak of quality guitars, I'm referring to the extreme end of the spectrum, where they even polish the bone nut to a shiny extent. Ibanez J Custom quality isn't even close to begin with, nor even the standard PRS offerings.:twisted:
Whitestrat
New member
Fender did not halt imports of MIJ Fenders because it threatened their MIA products. They stopped it because of the new Mexican plant in Ensenada.
The reason why they shifted their production initially to Japan was because they wanted a cost effective solution for a lower price range of guitars. Those guitars were initially made in the USA, and because they had to keep costs down, the quality of the guitars they were producing for that cost wasn't too hot. It's not just about parts cost, but a lot of other factors. They just couldn't make it cost effective. so they got the Japanese to do it. And once they eventually set up the Mexican plant, they stopped importation of the MIJs. They also stopped the production of the MIJs.
Yes, you heard right. They (FMIC) STOPPED MIJ production because they shut down their operations over there. The Japanese company there (it was a JV initially) bought over the rest of the shares and formed Fender Japan. They then made the Fender Japan series under licence, and are a separate entity from Fender USA.
To be honest, the MIJs aren't all bells and whistles as everyone puts it.
Put a well made MIA Strat up against a MIJ strat, and the MIJ pales in comparison. The MIJs do suffer from some horrible construction issues, that because of our humid weather, you wouldn't notice. Furthermore, they plaster the MIJ guitars with thick poly coats which feel awful.
I've owned more strats than I can count. MIJ, MIM, MIA and even Custom Shop. The MIJs have got NOTHING on the Custom Shops. They're also no where near a well made MIA strat. They do beat the crap out of the MIM pieces, but of late, the MIMs are getting much better, and can hold their own. The Roadworns and the Classic Players are the key lines to check out in MIM. The MIJs are nice, but they're hardly top notch.
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People can accept a low-end guitar that is MIC. But people cannot accept a medium to higher-end guitar that is MIC. The same correlation applies in its prices. This negative MIC stigma is so deep rooted, and it is not going to change in the near future.
The quality of Edwards guitars are pretty close or at times on-par with its Japanese made cousins...a fact which most users can attest. However, from a sales and marketing point of view, facts means nothing...only how the buyers perceive about the quality means everything. And being MIC is already a negative perception.
Therefore, it is understandable why ESP/Edwards has previously tried to "conceal" the MIC information. If they had launched Edwards guitars with an MIC tag from the very beginning, the brand would not have taken off because very few people would buy them, especially at this price point. However, now that the MIC "secret" is out, Edwards sales figures may not be so badly affected...because people already know Edwards makes good and decent guitars.
The quality of Edwards guitars are pretty close or at times on-par with its Japanese made cousins...a fact which most users can attest. However, from a sales and marketing point of view, facts means nothing...only how the buyers perceive about the quality means everything. And being MIC is already a negative perception.
Therefore, it is understandable why ESP/Edwards has previously tried to "conceal" the MIC information. If they had launched Edwards guitars with an MIC tag from the very beginning, the brand would not have taken off because very few people would buy them, especially at this price point. However, now that the MIC "secret" is out, Edwards sales figures may not be so badly affected...because people already know Edwards makes good and decent guitars.