I dealt with Dominic26 and only got slightly burnt.

[Danger Mouse]

The owner of a pretty successful guitar shop in Devon told me once that when he visited Fender in the 70s there were loads of boxes around with Chinese characters on them. Could be that he was giving me a price on my CBS Strat at the time... He'd say anything to drive the price down.

I got to know the old owner of Machinehead in Hitchin, UK pretty well when I was living over there. He was a nice enough guy and was very accommodating when my brother and myself just went in to kick tyres and chew the fat, but when it came to making a sale he was absolutely full of shit. I guess that was why he was pretty successful too (it was a pretty well-known guitar shop in it's time).

[foal30]

They used to advertise in UK Bassist Magazine...

[Molly]

I would avoid the B-52 TBH, I can’t imagine it to be a particularly high quality amp

Fun fact: Friedman, Tone King, 65 Amps etc are all made at B52's facility.

Here's a factory tour video. I was really expecting to see something slick and modern.

[Mini Forklift]

Here's a factory tour video. I was really expecting to see something slick and modern.

Thanks for that Brian, will watch that later today

[jeremyb]

The Friedman FRFR amp was just a rebranded b52

[codedog]

This whole "out of the same factory" thing made me wonder... how does fit into the concept that Squier, MIM, and MIA, are partially separated by the differing levels of QA/QC consistency? If that's the case then, in my limited understanding of industrial production processes or whatever it's called, sounds like it could be a bit of a challenge to maintain that kind of separation in the same factory.

Love how this thread has mutated away from Dominic26.

[DongHua]

Love how this thread has mutated away from Dominic26.

Only took us 10yrs, good team work.

[Molly]

This whole "out of the same factory" thing made me wonder... how does fit into the concept that Squier, MIM, and MIA, are partially separated by the differing levels of QA/QC consistency? If that's the case then, in my limited understanding of industrial production processes or whatever it's called, sounds like it could be a bit of a challenge to maintain that kind of separation in the same factory.

Love how this thread has mutated away from Dominic26.

Watched a guy on TV visiting a Chinese clothing factory. They made stuff for designer labels and for Asda (think WalMart). The production manager said there was just one standard. I'm guessing it's more work to produce things of differing quality than it is to just have a standard and work to it.

[DongHua]

This whole "out of the same factory" thing made me wonder... how does fit into the concept that Squier, MIM, and MIA, are partially separated by the differing levels of QA/QC consistency? If that's the case then, in my limited understanding of industrial production processes or whatever it's called, sounds like it could be a bit of a challenge to maintain that kind of separation in the same factory.

Love how this thread has mutated away from Dominic26.

Watched a guy on TV visiting a Chinese clothing factory. They made stuff for designer labels and for Asda (think WalMart). The production manager said there was just one standard. I'm guessing it's more work to produce things of differing quality than it is to just have a standard and work to it.

Speaking of clothing OME, raw material selection comes first then manufacturing standard.

Speaking of guitar related stuff, especially the modern digital equipments, people will loose faith in humanity once they get to know who does what for who, right from R&D to final assembly. Shit gets too deep and we shall not go there.

[Molly]

Speaking of guitar related stuff, especially the modern digital equipments, people will loose faith in humanity once they get to know who does what for who, right from R&D to final assembly. Shit gets too deep and we shall not go there.

Marketing departments are where specifications are turned into magic.

Car ads on TV here really are an insult to a chap's intelligence. The 'sell the sizzle not the sausage' / sell the lifestyle BS really has been taken to extremes. I'd just rather they told me about the car rather than how it'll make other people see me or change how I'll see myself.

As for guitar gear, we're really our own worst enemy.

[KNNZ]

sad but true. even though shouldn't be the case. snob-ery is very much alive today! i mean a kiwi would buy kiwi made stuff (or not) but chinese may not even buy chinese Guitars or guitar gears lol i mean if you are made in China does not mean you are bad quality right lol

[Molly]

I was made in Australia.