tegs07 Posted January 29 Share Posted January 29 There are some exceptions but GDP and salaries are increasing in many East Asian countries. Simultaneously there are some demographic issues (eg China) where the workforce is aging. Labour is getting more expensive, particularly skilled labour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwmlondon Posted January 29 Share Posted January 29 3 hours ago, neepheid said: But I can get a South Korean made Reverend which does more (ie. has two pickups) and will be excellent quality for less than £900. The grand is quite the psychological threshold to cross, so manufacturers had better provide reasons why I should. This bass doesn't provide any reasons why I should when you stack it against cheaper instruments of excellent quality which are manufactured in places with theoretically higher labour costs. Hard no from me. Sorry, EBMM/SBMM fanbois, but their pricing has been ridiculous for a while now. I'm still prising my jaw off the floor at >£1000 SBMM Rays. What is this market segment they're aiming at? The affluent cheapskate? Does it even exist? I don't define myself as a fanboi. I do think that as long as you can get a Sterling Sub Stingray for under £400 you have a choice. I see Sterling 'Rays at under £700 which puts them roughly in the same ball-park as Sire, Ibanez or Yamaha. The MusicMan brand has a fair bit of kudos but it's not like Fender or Gibson who can trade off the name and sell some utter cr*p for top dollar so I'm not going to write off the buying public as idiots and MusicMan as con artists. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwmlondon Posted January 29 Share Posted January 29 3 minutes ago, tegs07 said: There are some exceptions but GDP and salaries are increasing in many East Asian countries. Simultaneously there are some demographic issues (eg China) where the workforce is aging. Labour is getting more expensive, particularly skilled labour. I wonder where the next bargain basement country of manufacture will be? Pakistan? Bangladesh? A newly independent Wales? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tegs07 Posted January 29 Share Posted January 29 (edited) Who knows. Maybe globalisation is reversing and people will need to get used to buying fewer (and in many cases better quality) things? Edit: How Harley Benton continues with such rock bottom prices is a mystery. I guess no licensing deals, little in the way of bricks and mortar for sale and distribution and some very slick workflows to allow volume sales at low margins. Even so. Edited January 29 by tegs07 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lw. Posted January 31 Share Posted January 31 I quite like it - like natural basses, prefer passive, looks quite smart. Never really played an MM bass but in the back of my mind always thought I needed one to complete the holy trinity. At c£100 a month for nine months it seems almost rude not to but I made a rule with myself a few years ago that I'd only buy basses from the brands country of origin (can probably blame Fender for that). One to consider... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twigman Posted January 31 Share Posted January 31 I have a EBMM USA Sterling 4HH and all these other basses with the name Sterling makes folk think my bass is a cheap version of itself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted January 31 Author Share Posted January 31 30 minutes ago, Lw. said: I quite like it - like natural basses, prefer passive, looks quite smart. Never really played an MM bass but in the back of my mind always thought I needed one to complete the holy trinity. At c£100 a month for nine months it seems almost rude not to but I made a rule with myself a few years ago that I'd only buy basses from the brands country of origin (can probably blame Fender for that). One to consider... How does that work when the electronics and stuff won't be from the same country? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted January 31 Share Posted January 31 34 minutes ago, Lw. said: I quite like it - like natural basses, prefer passive, looks quite smart. Never really played an MM bass but in the back of my mind always thought I needed one to complete the holy trinity. At c£100 a month for nine months it seems almost rude not to but I made a rule with myself a few years ago that I'd only buy basses from the brands country of origin (can probably blame Fender for that). One to consider... You do you, but a thought occurs - what have these brands done to earn this fierce loyalty? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lw. Posted January 31 Share Posted January 31 14 minutes ago, fretmeister said: How does that work when the electronics and stuff won't be from the same country? It does take some mental gymnastics, sure. Fortunately I'm not a trading block negotiating deals so it's not too big a problem, though generally I take it as wherever it says it was made, that's where it was made. If the electronics are originally made in china, the tree grew in India, the metal dug up in Africa but the label says it was Made in USA, then that's good enough for me. Don't ask me what nationality I'm classing my Limelight as! 9 minutes ago, neepheid said: You do you, but a thought occurs - what have these brands done to earn this fierce loyalty? My buying habits very clearly show I have no brand loyalty! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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