kind of an abstract question here. somewhat obvious also somewhat elusive to me. Why is it that expensive guitars seem to have such perfect squareness to the entire setup and more tendency to sound in tune in 1st or open position than cheaper ones? I picked up a cheapo guitar the other day that was made for youngsters....forget the brand...it was like a mini les paul bolt-on with an angled pocket and a nice wraparound bridge. Rather perfect design for a cheap guitar...nothing visibly out of wack at all I was reminded of my beginner days before investing in a good guitar, of when no matter how much you would tune a gutiar it would just never sound good in open position. (this was also the case with an awesome Ibanez JS 6000 of mine!) However, with Gibsons for example, even at their lowest end ...melody makers / etc ...they seem to have a reliable tendency to have the nice "squareness" or perfectness / professional feel to their set up that doesn't make me afraid of first position chords. The earvana and Buzz Feiten systems are really appealing to me as far as building goes since intonation is a primary concern of mine. But every Les Paul i have owned has not had compensated tuning and some how has that greatness about it that just sounds in tune all the time. even sounds ok when a little bit out!! Could quality pickups properly balanced also have something to do with this or is what i perceive to be more exacting luthery / measuring closer ...a reality? Same goes for fine acoustics / martins / gibsons / etc. Curious if some of the most badass Warmoth-ers can share secrets.
what makes expensive guitars seem set up so well?
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Cagey
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A proper setup is very important. Cheap guitars rarely get them, usually because the people who buy cheap guitars don't know any better, don't know how to do it or can't/won't spend the money to have it done. As long as an instrument is dimensionally correct, it should be tunable. Doesn't mean it'll sound good, but "good" is a subjective term anyway. One person's perfect tone is another's fingernails on a chalkboard.
I think a huge part is the setup like Cagey said. Other things that contribute is that the cheaper guitars use low quality-unproperly dried wood so sometimes the stability isnt there plus some of the hardware that cheaper guitars use now can be made of cheap metals and/or mounted at the wrong angle-place. Ive seen on some chinese guitars that the frets were not even spaced properly. There is a lack of quality control at some of the lower end guitar factories also. So all of those things could be reasons for it not sounding good and or being out of tune in the open positions
To answer your question....... it is the same thing that makes a $10 Long Island Iced Tea taste better than a $4 Long Island!!!!!
Seriously, there are many many factors. Such as not being built in a sweatshop by 9 year old little girls for starters. Quality control, the fact that most 'expensive' guitars are set up by guitarists or at the least someone who is actually trained to do the job well. Sorry to feel this way, but I think if they are built in the USA by employees that are paid in cash as opposed to rice rations, you get a better setup. Who knows, maybe your USA guitar factory workers are interested in doing what they do as compared to it just being a job. I don't think those Chinese or Vietnamese little girls really don't care if they are pressing frets or sewing Levis.
Seriously, there are many many factors. Such as not being built in a sweatshop by 9 year old little girls for starters. Quality control, the fact that most 'expensive' guitars are set up by guitarists or at the least someone who is actually trained to do the job well. Sorry to feel this way, but I think if they are built in the USA by employees that are paid in cash as opposed to rice rations, you get a better setup. Who knows, maybe your USA guitar factory workers are interested in doing what they do as compared to it just being a job. I don't think those Chinese or Vietnamese little girls really don't care if they are pressing frets or sewing Levis.
right thanks guys. diggin these responses as i contemplate this. There is definitely something to be said for attention to detail in every little step ...that give a guitar the overall perceived stately appearance of an expensive guitar where everything seems that much more calculated and squared up.
a good setup guy can make almost any guitar feel ok, or maybe i should say teck as it as there are things beyond setup that may need to be done, fret beveling/leveling/dressing and fingerboard rolling and such, beyond that it comes down to whether or not the ergonomics match the player, then there is perception, the look and sound of the guitar has a bit to do with that as well as the brand.
I don't see what's so redneck about the concern of the outsourcing of everything American to foreign countries.
It's a legitamite issue that workers in our country are forced to compete with people halfway around the world who will not complain about doing the same work for next to slave wages.
How long before we're all ignoring each other?
We've started another slippery slope with this thing; used to be you had to watch what you say on here.
Now nobody cares and the best we can do is ignore people we wish were sorry for how they feel.
To try and comment on the actual topic, I would say that it has a lot to do with quality control and the general setup that certain factory guitars will receive before they ship out.
That's why I'm letting Dan Erlewine do whatever has to be done on my tele whenever it arrives. :icon_thumright:
It's a legitamite issue that workers in our country are forced to compete with people halfway around the world who will not complain about doing the same work for next to slave wages.
How long before we're all ignoring each other?
We've started another slippery slope with this thing; used to be you had to watch what you say on here.
Now nobody cares and the best we can do is ignore people we wish were sorry for how they feel.
To try and comment on the actual topic, I would say that it has a lot to do with quality control and the general setup that certain factory guitars will receive before they ship out.
That's why I'm letting Dan Erlewine do whatever has to be done on my tele whenever it arrives. :icon_thumright:
jay4321 said:
To answer your question, yes. Yes I do.
All I wanted to do yesterday when I got up was think of ways to get Jay4321 to ignore me..... Sweet it worked. I can't remember the last time I felt it necessary to actually insult a member of an internet board personally, as Jay did me. I find it offensive that you called me a redneck.
Superlizard
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I don't see any "politics" in BigBeard's post... more "economical statements" than anything.
AgreedSuperlizard said:
But in reply to this post, well ive been playing my warmoth since it was assembled no set up part from inotation and action, and seems great, and my fender i have plays great aswell, and it was an american fender not mexico,
So id agree there must be more things adjusted in expensive guitars then cheapo ones, partly to try help justify the cost.
Anybody remember the 'Wayne's World' Squier Strats? Biggest POS guitar that I had seen that had the word 'Fender' on it. I learned a ton from setting up more than one of those for my friends when I was just starting out. I don't think I would know how to set up a japscrap guitar if it wasn't for the Waynes' World guitars. I wonder now if 17 years after they were first introduced if they are worth anything?
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