Commercial Quality Control

Well, I can cite the too-tight nut slots on my 2018 Gibson LP Classic, along with the fact that they now seem to be using pots with 18 spline shafts but fitting their standard knobs designed for 24-spline shafts, so they don't fit properly.

My mate Max had such a poor new Ibanez with so many faults (e.g. overly-rolled fretboard/fret edges where the E strings were on the angled part of the fret making it unplayable and big neck pocket gaps) that he sent it back and then complained loudly to a mate of his who's the Ibanez UK sales manager. This tied in with the sale's chaps thoughts of general poor quality control from the factory, so Max got invited to the UK headquarters for a weekend to review three other guitars pulled at random from stock and he rejected all of them. That was a few months ago so hopefully (as there was a manager over from Japan there) their quality should be improving. He did get given a £2k guitar for doing it (which luckily had only minor set-up issues that Max would have corrected anyway regardless).

As an American, I hate to see what has happened to the storied musical instrument companies. They have become literally perverse. Leo Fender's company should not be confused with FMIC. The Gibson of Orville Gibson, Les Paul and Lloyd Loar should not be confused with Gibson Brands, Inc.

I have always thought that Leo Fender's genius was in making a pretty good guitar or bass easy to manufacture and cool to look at. Fenders were tough, easy to set up, cool, comfortable and affordable for the working musician. I like the idea that these are quintessentially American.

FMIC, by contrast, takes essentially the same product and creates a range from the super expensive (but still cheap to make) to building it's own cheap and crappy knockoffs. Made from "custom shops" of dubious location and distinction somewhere in the USA to the sweatiest of sweatshops in Asia and God-knows-where-else.

And Gibson Brands? Watch for Gibson cologne, and Gibson essential oils.

These are shadows of what were truly inventive places that catered to musicians and people who wanted to be musicians.

I just hate the idea that the new American ideal seems to be to come up with a product that is just interesting and innovative enough so that it becomes a "brand" that you can sell off to the highest bidder. Look at PRS working to become a jr. FMIC. I working in a university, and even here you can hear more about the importance of "branding" than "education" or "research."

This has made me virtually anti-brand of all kinds. I am sure there are some brands that still connote quality, but it feels to me like it is just a giant con game to get you to stop believing what your hands, eyes and ears tell you.

By FMIC do you mean made in China? Cause the one that I started this thread with is a Made in America professional series - which is why I was so taken aback by the error. On an Indonesian Squire or something I wouldn't be surprised, but this is up there with the flag ship models.

This same store I went into to buy a Les Paul - I played almost all of them and the Epiphone variants and they were all worse to play than my crappy 30 year old Korean Washburn. Plus there was issues with the binding and various other small bits of fit and finish that I wasn't happy with. It was really disappointing after wanting one for so long. I ended up buying a Hagstom for about 2/3 of the price as it had been on the floor a while and it's just lovely. The difference in the overall craftsmanship was night and day. I also played a Yamaha Revstar and was really impressed with its playability and finish, it almost came down to a coin toss, but I went with the Hag as it seemed to have more personality or 'X' factor for me. I'd pick up a second hand Revstar in an instant if the right one came along though.

Here's one that was posted on Reddit a little while ago Jaguar American Pro - check out the control plate fitment. No excuse for that IMO, just lack of care during assembly. And actually looking at this the high 'E' looks pretty precarious as well... might be the angle.

https://i.redd.it/vtj1vzgm82201.jpg

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Originally Posted by Sonic Mountain

By FMIC do you mean made in China?

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Fender Musical Instrument Corporation

I think the west is suffering from a lack of pride in their work by employees. Bosses make it quite clear people can be replaced, in return, workers do just enough to ensure they don't get sacked and nothing more. In the east people are proud of their job and the company they work for , or are determined to work their way up from the shop floor. As Adam will testify the western view of the dirt floored dimly lit factory in China is about 30yrs out of date. Most factories have better premises and machinery than American brands and better staff retension ( therefore higher skilled)

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Originally Posted by dave.king1

Fender Musical Instrument Corporation

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Oh right. Still learning all the abbreviations.....

hmmmmmmm
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Originally Posted by Dedman

I think the west is suffering from a lack of pride in their work by employees. Bosses make it quite clear people can be replaced, in return, workers do just enough to ensure they don't get sacked and nothing more. In the east people are proud of their job and the company they work for , or are determined to work their way up from the shop floor. As Adam will testify the western view of the dirt floored dimly lit factory in China is about 30yrs out of date. Most factories have better premises and machinery than American brands and better staff retension ( therefore higher skilled)

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I agree but think it's world wide. Though I will admit that the best hardware quality I have found has consistently been Korean

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk

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Originally Posted by Dedman

hmmmmmmm
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Got to be photoshop or a p155 take surely