Quality of Chinese Imports

[chazzan]

Just wanted to post an update..............

went to the guitar store and played the guitar (nylon string flaminco, cost $1700) in question again. I found out it was made in a small factory in China(2009) with woods that came from America. This shop is a part of the Kenny Hill USA factory that makes 6.000+ dollar classicals.

The verdict: the guitar outperformed spanish classical guitars up to 2500 dollars. A handmade flaminco costing 5000 sounded a little better but not a huge amount and besides it is 35 years older.

The bottom line...... I was happy to buy it! Yes it would have been nice to buy American, but you can't buy an American Flaminco guitar under 5 or 6000 dollars. IMHO those nylon Taylors do not cut it. I would have then kept the Mark IV Guild.

I also think that that guitar was one of those that just sing right off the assembly line like Hideglue talked about when he was working at Guild.

Some guitars seem to play themselves, others don't. This last quote is another thread............................

 

[Rich]

I don't know if the GAD series is chinese or not, but I do know that it's imported. My good freind has owned a GAD50 for the last four years and it sings like a piano. He picked it up out of a pile of guitars and it just had that "something special" about it's sound quality.

 

[fronobulax]

I don't know if the GAD series is chinese or not, but I do know that it's imported. My good freind has owned a GAD50 for the last four years and it sings like a piano. He picked it up out of a pile of guitars and it just had that "something special" about it's sound quality.

The GAD series (Guild Acoustic Design) is made in China, to Guild's specifications. If you hang around long enough or read old threads you will see many opinions including the opinions that: they aren't Guilds; that they aren't as good as the vintage Guilds; that they aren't as good as the American (regardless of time or factory) Guilds; and that they provide good "bang for the buck".

This particular thread has veered all over the place because some people are talking about Chinese factory production, others are talking about Chinese "boutique" production, and others are comparing to any time and all levels of American production. Some folks want to "close their eyes" and evaluate the instrument by the sound and feel. Others want to praise or condemn it soley on the time and place of origin. In other words, business as usual :wink:

 

[killdeer43]

Xenophobia is alive and well, and guitars prove no exception.

We have two Epiphone Masterbilts in our family and they are great little fingerpicking guitars, great for open tunings, slides, etc.
My son-in-law's EF500R has rosewood back and sides and nice abalone accents, while my EF500M is plain Jane/mahogany back and sides. Both have beautiful spruce tops with a very nice satin finish. Nice, solid guitars, and they both SOUND great! Win, win!

I've posted before about my head-to-head A/B with a GAD30 where the Masterbilt won! Of course, both were made in China, so I tried not to be 'brand biased' and gave what I thought was a fair comparison. It's obvious that I kept the Masterbilt.

But, keeping it stateside, as a side veer, there are/will be comparisons of Guilds made in New Jersey, Rhode Island, Corona, Tacoma, and now New Hartford. Which are better/best? What a dilemma! :roll:

Can't they all be fun to own and play?

MHO,
Joe

 

[Rich]

Can't they all be fun to own and play?

MHO,
Joe

Yes they can. My Canadian built Gibson is a lot of fun. I stuck a pickup in it and use it for my beater gig guitar.

 

[6L6]

The Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans are all making some top quality instruments these days.

So are the Americans.

Buy American.

6

 

[Thunderface]

More specifically ... buy Guild!