steantval Posted January 28, 2016 Share Posted January 28, 2016 I was working in the Colchester area today and popped into a large guitar store there. This store has a seriously vast stock of guitars, I found my way into the Bass section and spotted their range of MarkBass gear. I was really surprised at their low pricing, I paid nearly £1000 for my 2 x 10 combo a few years ago, their new price was below £700 !!!!! Have MarkBass reduced their overall pricing or has this particular store got them wrong? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ambient Posted January 28, 2016 Share Posted January 28, 2016 I think they're now built in China, they used to be built in Italy. Maybe that accounts for the new prices ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbayne Posted January 28, 2016 Share Posted January 28, 2016 Indonesian made now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BottomE Posted January 28, 2016 Share Posted January 28, 2016 Yep - my LMII (made in Italy) is built like a tank. Not the same build quality any more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete.young Posted January 28, 2016 Share Posted January 28, 2016 [quote name='BottomE' timestamp='1454011612' post='2965470'] Yep - my LMII (made in Italy) is built like a tank. Not the same build quality any more. [/quote] It's all relative. I have an LMII and I couldn't believe how flimsy it was compared to the Burman that I also owned at the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karlfer Posted January 28, 2016 Share Posted January 28, 2016 Markbass really pissed a lot of people off at the time. They didn't even tell DEALERS they had switched to Indonesia (2 years ago). Some dealers found out when they noticed "made in Indonesia" on the back. Markbass did not initially pass the savings on to the customer (ie reduce the prices). A few months down the line, they did reduce prices for the Indonesian stuff. Now folk who spent £1100 on a (for example) Jeff Berlin combo, are trying to sell them against the background of a new, £700, 3 year warranty piece. Little Mark 111's were pushing £700, the Indonesian ones are selling sub £400, new, 3 year warranty. Hence a glut of £250/£300 used Italian LM 111's. Markbass have caused a lot of depreciation issues for owners of Italian gear. They are not the 1st to have done this, but, IMO, they were the sneakiest the way they went about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truckstop Posted January 28, 2016 Share Posted January 28, 2016 Yellow bellied! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wonky2 Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 Iv recently bought a mini mark bass rig... Lil mark 4 head and 2x10 traveller..... Made in indonesia..... Got to say, its fantstic. I know the first lot of indo cabs shifted to lesser quality ply wood, but that was resolved. The gear i have could have been made anywhere, it sounds great, its warrantied and ive had no issues I paid £390 for the little mark 3 head which is just great value for money..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassbiscuits Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 I paid £560 for my first LM3 about seven years ago and I must say I love it. Managed to pick up another secondhand LM2 on this forum last year for £220 in near mint condition, which I guess is due to the price that the new far eastern ones are selling for new. I haven't tried the newer stuff tho. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlpherMako4 Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 From a different perspective. An American bike company called Santa Cruz, used to have a lot of returns on badly made parts and welds on frames etc. But when they moved manufacturing to the far east the build quality went up through the roof, and the problems that they suffered before were extinguished. Profits went up and customers were happier. They had a far superior product. Is it not gonna be the same in the music world? I'm just thinking out loud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanAxe Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 It wouldn't be the first time that a new manufacturing facility has upped its game over time. Mexican Fenders and the Gretsch Electromatic range spring to mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No. 8 Wire Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 [quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1454164152' post='2967113'] It wouldn't be the first time that a new manufacturing facility has upped its game over time. Mexican Fenders and the Gretsch Electromatic range spring to mind. [/quote] I took a look at some youtube vids of the Mexican fender factory. There is a massive difference there over the last 15 years. They've gone from using wooden jigs and had tools to mostly cnc and other automated processes. It looked on a par with the heart in the US factory. It must have made a massive difference in quality, I wonder exactly when that change occurred? I also remember what people said about the Japanese and Korean instruments when I was a kid. People recognise the quality of those instruments now. It only takes a few duff products or poor initial production to trash a reputation though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanAxe Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 [quote name='No. 8 Wire' timestamp='1454164684' post='2967124'] I took a look at some youtube vids of the Mexican fender factory. There is a massive difference there over the last 15 years. They've gone from using wooden jigs and had tools to mostly cnc and other automated processes. It looked on a par with the heart in the US factory. It must have made a massive difference in quality, I wonder exactly when that change occurred? I also remember what people said about the Japanese and Korean instruments when I was a kid. People recognise the quality of those instruments now. It only takes a few duff products or poor initial production to trash a reputation though. [/quote] About 5 years ago people often bought Gretsch Electromatics with the intention of modding them up to Pro Line specs. Current Electromatics are widely regarded as great guitars in their own right. New prices have crept up, but they are doubtless worth it. Oh for a crystal ball! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlpherMako4 Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 I'm sure that somebody told me that the American fenders are now actually made in Mexico in a factory very close to the mim one??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlpherMako4 Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 I'm fortunate enough to know that my bass was made locally by hand, and I was in touch with the luthier constantly. But, I also have a mim jazz bass which is wonderful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassTractor Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 [quote name='AlpherMako5' timestamp='1454162212' post='2967081'] Is it not gonna be the same in the music world? I'm just thinking out loud. [/quote] Thinking out loud here too, I'd think it would depend on exactly which far east factory where talking about, and exactly what contracts and what follow-up you have. In my world for example (sea kayaks), we can trust the Japanese to build stellar quality at a high price, and to be totally dependable. When dealing with China, we're probably in for many control/follow-up visits there each year, and still risk they vanish and/or copy the moulds and/or move production to a place we can't find... really too much to detail here. Dunno about MarkBass and Indonesia, but there has been a lot of talk on BC about the MarkBass changes these last years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhysP Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 [quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1454164152' post='2967113'] It wouldn't be the first time that a new manufacturing facility has upped its game over time. Mexican Fenders and the Gretsch Electromatic range spring to mind. [/quote] Not to mention the Japanese made Gretsch guitars - far better than the US Gretsch guitars ever were. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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