Made in USA, China

[Vidar Lund]

Look, another genuinely fake Gretsch White Falcon from Trade Tang, obviously made the town of USA, China. They say it themselves, "The items are MADE IN CHINA", yet on the back of the headstock it says MADE IN USA. Funny that PayPal wants to be a part of it.

http://www.tradetang.com/for-sale/China ... 50923.html

There seems to be no end to it.

[Norm]

They don't care.

Copyrights and tradmarks mean nothing to the PRC

The only thing that matters is Money.

I remember I wanted an inexpensive pocketwatch that had arabic numbers on a plain white face. I saw one I liked and ordered it and got one that was "skeletonized' meaning you could see the gears and cogs and it had roman numerals.

When I protested that they had not sent me the watch I saw in the photo they told me it was just an "error in lighting by the photographer" and offered me full credit for anything in their merchandise.

At one time Chinese Junk was an odd looking boat/

[RonBloor]

Certainly those Knock off guitars are what you called a Chinese boat, but there are a few good companies that do make decent instruments in China. As you said copyrites & trademarks mean nothing to them, which is really hurting industry.... especially manufacturing... in this country. The dollar means everything to them, but that could also be said about most/all successful companies in the US & Canada. That's the way our system works, which is why so many laws were put on the books to protect the little upstart guys and the consumers.. Unfortunately those laws are meaningless in China so they are taking advantage of US.. I know this is getting somewhat political and has nothing to do with Chet, so I will stop my rant... Nice looking Knockoff!!! Probably plays/sounds/feels like... a Chinese boat..

[Joeb]

What's the big deal or difference between a guitar made for Fender,Gretsch that's being made or over there the Far east for American use these days? Not that much really. I bought a couple of china guitars and have to say they are 90% as good as American guitars. I just got an Agile Rickenbacker 330 copy clone in Red and it plays just as well as the high price American Rickenbacker guitar. The finish is perfect . Mine is Red Burst in color like George Harrison used in the movie A Hard Days Night. It has pretty much the same jangly sound as the original Rickenbacker with a nice slightly wider neck too boot than the original Rickenbacker. Yes I played on both guitars. I couldn't see spending $1200 more on the orginal. Every time they post a Agile RK-500 guitar for sale on E Bay it gets pulled off that fast by the Rickenbacker police. That's because they are that close to the original ones in every detail almost . The only thing that's missing it that extra tone blend control. No big deal there. I got mine on Ebay in a private deal outside of Ebay after they pulled it off. The other guitar I bought a few years back is a Gretsch White Falcon clone. It's made by Jay Turser. It's called the Colonel. They don't make them anymore I got this one for $225 no case. It plays perfect as well. It looks like the real Gretsch White Falcon except it's a tad smaller in scale. The sound on it is nice and has a ton of volume from the pickups. The neck is slightly smaller like a fender telecaster neck and is not really that great for finger style playing. I also have a nice Washburn Oscar Smidth Oe-40 jumbo electric hollow body guitar. It looks just like the old Gibson natural finish Chuck Beery used back in the day. I got that one for $200 on Musicans Friend when the where blowing them out. You can still find them on E Bay every so often. This guitar is worth every penny I spent' gretat jazz guitar that one.So as an owner of about a total of five or more guitars that come from Japan either made for Fender or Gretsch that I own like my Gretsch 6122-1959 Nashville classic or my Gretsch 5120< made in Korea> or My Gretsch 6119 and Gretsch Tenn. Rose and my Gretsch 6122-1962 double cut all these guitars are made in Japan and play perfect in every way if not better in some ways then the American models I've played on in my 45 years a picking. I must say things have really changed when it comes to making guitars over seas in the Far East. That's just my opinion Take care. Joeb

[GaryL]

It's not really about where items are made. It's about following the laws with regards to copyrights, patents and country of origin marking. Delvechio's were made in Brazil and some were pretty good. Japan tried to name city USA so they could mark things made in USA and that did not work. The US put a stop to that. I'm sure the items sold by Musician's Friend have accurate country of origin marking - they would get in big trouble if it didn't. The only way honest manufactures across the globe get a fair shake is if the laws are followed. I think ebay is doing the right thing not faciliating breaking the law.
GaryL

[Vidar Lund]

Quoting Joeb: "... they are that close to the original ones in every detail almost." That´s not the point. There are countless guitars practically identical to the original Martin D-models and the Fender Tele- and Stratocasters and Gibson Les Pauls, but these don´t pretend to be real Martins, Fenders or Gibsons as the Chinese copies obviously do. They could easily have been given an another original name, but the point is to trick people into buying what they would like to believe is the original instrument. It even says made in USA on some of them. There´s no other name than fraud to be put on such a thing.

[Norm]

...add to that, I think it's safe to say that someone who actually paid money for a knock-off is going to claim his purchase indeed is 'almost the same as the original.' I don't mind so long as it makes them happy. To that point it's none of my business but I think others should make their judgements on personal experience before they pay the Chinese and expect to get the same thing they see in a gretsh or gibson catalog. We went through all this in the sixties and seventies with the Japanese imports. At least they were decent enough not to copy the name. To do that is fraud.

[srgntschultz]

I think that everyone should buy their guitars from the USA if and when possible. There are a lot of great guitars made in the USA. When i go to the guitar stores i see companies make guitars in the USA and then make them overseas. And of course the prices from overseas are cheaper. But then gretsch makes all their guitars in japan and charges the same price you can buy a guitar made here in the USA and players buy them! Dosent make sense to me? And the quality of our guitars are better anyway. And Chet didnt approve of the gretsch guitars in japan,he was already gone,so hopefully Gibson and all the others here in the states keep above water for the USA workers and keep up the great quality guitars. Made in the USA still means something!

[Vidar Lund]

Sargent, Gretsch Custom Shop will build you a US-made guitar if you´re willing to pay handsomely. The George Harrison Duo Jet costs US$ 20.000, so I guess you have to dig deep in your pocket for that one!

http://www.gretschguitars.com/features/customshop

[Eddie Estes]

Gibson has priced it's guitars out of the reach of most younger players.
That and the fact their customer service is atrocious!

Labor costs are too high here to compete with Japan and China. Fact of life.

Nothing is going to change that and it is worse now due to the dollar being worth less and if we
keep going the way it is worthless.