Which gear company or brand still has the quality they were once known for?

[DavidMcKay]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1444945011' post='2887654']


IBTL.
[/quote]

What does IBTL mean?

[SingleMalt]

[quote name='DavidMcKay' timestamp='1445068692' post='2888506']


What does IBTL mean?
[/quote]

In before the lock.

[leschirons]

LW mentioned Ibanez. Have to agree despite not being a fan of their basses. Have had some quite serious Ibanez guitars in the past and they've really maintained their quality over the years. Like most other mass manufacturers though, they try to cover all price points from exotic custom shop to starter kit which is sometimes a mistake when you attempt to produce a bass or guitar with a £120 retail price tag but Ibanez seemed to have not even compromised too much in that area and the instruments at the bottom end still do what it says on the box.

[Billy Apple]

[quote name='cetera' timestamp='1444688851' post='2885168']
I'll bite...... as per the previous post - Spector. From the very start (& even when owned by Kramer for a few years) they have always had one constant guiding their product. Stuart Spector himself.
He's always ensured that anything with his name on it is of a high standard at ALL price points. The man is a legend..... and a master of customer service too!
[/quote]

+1. Complete Spector convert here. Outstanding company. This is the kind of thing Stuart Spector gets up to..

[url="https://youtu.be/ewRDmoaT3fA"]http://youtu.be/ewRDmoaT3fA[/url]

Edited October 17, 2015 by Billy Apple

[discreet]

[quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1445072112' post='2888546']
Complete Spector convert here. Outstanding company.
[/quote]

+1 here too, though I don't currently have one. On the list, though. Incredible quality and customer service.

[Rich]

Another wholehearted endorsement of Yamaha basses from me. I've had my RBX765A for 13 or 14 years (it's now fretless courtesy of Mr Shuker) and it's as good today as when I walked out of the shop with it. And from what I've seen, their current crop are gorgeous too -- I'd love a TRB5PII but they are bonkers expensive. Their budget basses remain unbeatable VFM.

[Lo-E]

On the lower end of the price scale, ibanez has always impressed me with how much bass you can buy for the money. Their mid and high end has always been fantastic.

While I have never been all that impressed by Yamaha's budget instruments personally, I think their mid and high end stuff has been consistently great since the early 70s.

Both Ernie Ball/Musicman and G&L have kept their quality up for as long as I can remember.

In the fancier category, Fodera, Wal, Zon and Sadowsky are all pretty consistent after decades of building.

There's always the possibility of getting an occasional dud from any company. I've even played disappointing Foderas and Sadowskys but, for the most part, these brands have really kept it together.

[40hz]

Another Spector vote here. Stuart genuinely cares about making a phenomenal instrument first and foremost and you can see his basses are an immense source of pride to him. Across all the ranges. My euro 4 se5 was the most sublime bass by far when I went to bass direct to try out some new basses. It positively oozed quality. Like Stuart says, he makes basses to stand the test of time and be handed down to the younger generations!

Edited October 17, 2015 by 40hz

[LayDownThaFunk]

[quote name='colgraff' timestamp='1444578563' post='2884249']
Yamaha basses have been solidly good for as long as I have been playing. Having said that, pretty much everything made by them from instruments to motorbikes and everything in between are spot on.
[/quote]
Huge +1.

[rodney72a]

EBMM. Very high and consistent quality over the last 30 years.

[Lo-E]

[quote name='rodney72a' timestamp='1445130913' post='2889038']
EBMM. Very high and consistent quality over the last 30 years.
[/quote]
There was a recent discussion about EBMM quality on Talk-bass and the general consensus was that they've only continued to get better over the years and I tend to agree.