Page 1 of 4 1234 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 61

Thread: Who parent company makes the best import brand

  1. #1
    Member WickedCoach's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Posts
    36
    Likes (Given)
    0
    Likes (Received)
    3

    Default Who parent company makes the best import brand

    Gibson has epiphone. Fender has their Mexican line. ESP has ltd. PRS has their SE line. Music man has Sterling. Ibanez has everything not made in Japan. Jackson, Schecter, Dean, Hamer all make USA models but also sell imports. Now obviously within all the import lines, there are high and low end, but as an overall blanket statement, who does everyone feel makes the most consistent quality of imports?

  2. #2
    Mojo's Minions JeffB's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Location
    CT
    Posts
    12,707
    Likes (Given)
    170
    Likes (Received)
    72

    Default Re: Who parent company makes the best import brand

    Schecter, Fender mim/squier, and PRS SE. Just dont see as much wonk. Dean used to be pretty good, but Ive seen some real garbage in recent years in the import lineup.
    I'm an internet person. All we do is waste time evaluating things that have next-to-zero real world significance.

    Remember, it's just a plank of wood. YOU have to find the music in it - The Telecaster Handbook

  3. #3
    Mojo's Minions Andrew Lamprecht's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Michigan
    Age
    20
    Posts
    8,546
    Likes (Given)
    49
    Likes (Received)
    129

    Default Re: Who parent company makes the best import brand

    Those Czech Deans are really nice... Ibanez is pretty consistent and good.... The Squier Classic Vibe series is really great..............
    Henry David Thoreau - "Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them."

  4. #4
    Ultimate Tone Slacker saladin's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Ypsilanti
    Posts
    1,859
    Likes (Given)
    0
    Likes (Received)
    3

    Default Re: Who parent company makes the best import brand

    Squier is really on the game right now with a lot of cool offerings!
    Trainspotter

    "...the real key is a good warm delay and lots of lysergic acid diethylamid"

  5. #5
    John Mayer's Mankini ImmortalSix's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    The Commonwealth of Virginia
    Posts
    20,904
    Likes (Given)
    61
    Likes (Received)
    531

    Default Re: Who parent company makes the best import brand

    PRS.

    Like I was just telling AJ, PRS does have a $1000 American quality line. It's just that they cost $500 and are made in Korea
    my vinyl record collection | updated 22 April 2013

  6. #6
    Mojo's Minions uOpt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Boston, MA, USA
    Posts
    12,257
    Likes (Given)
    2
    Likes (Received)
    168

    Default Re: Who parent company makes the best import brand

    Fender's Mexican reissue models (not the standards) are nice, much nicer than most imports. Of course their Japanese imports are good, too.

    To me all those Korean-made things feel way too similar to each other. If you'd force me to use one I'd go with the Schecter. No way I ever touch an imported Hamer again.
    Last edited by uOpt; 07-03-2012 at 01:27 PM. Reason: nice typo

  7. #7
    Mojo's Minions King IzzO)))'s Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    p00p™
    Age
    36
    Posts
    5,440
    Likes (Given)
    348
    Likes (Received)
    300

    Default Re: Who parent company makes the best import brand

    The older Korean made LTD's were really, really good. Even the low end models. Then they shipped production elsewhere, twice, and those guitars are more reflective of their pricing.

    The higher end LTD's are still MIK and are still pretty good, but the value isn't the same as it used to be.

    I've noticed the same thing as uOpt, a lot of the MIK stuff is very similar across brands, I'm pretty sure they're made in the same factories, Samick/Schecter/Cort etc.

  8. #8
    Mojo's Minions ItsaBass's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    U.S.A.
    Posts
    6,983
    Likes (Given)
    281
    Likes (Received)
    441

    Default Re: Who parent company makes the best import brand

    G&L, with their Tribute line.
    Quote Originally Posted by LesStrat View Post
    Yogi Berra was correct.
    Quote Originally Posted by JOLLY View Post
    I do a few chord things, some crappy lead stuff, and then some rhythm stuff.

  9. #9
    Mojo's Minions ItsaBass's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    U.S.A.
    Posts
    6,983
    Likes (Given)
    281
    Likes (Received)
    441

    Default Re: Who parent company makes the best import brand

    Quote Originally Posted by uOpt View Post
    No way I ever touch an important Hamer again.
    sig'd
    Quote Originally Posted by LesStrat View Post
    Yogi Berra was correct.
    Quote Originally Posted by JOLLY View Post
    I do a few chord things, some crappy lead stuff, and then some rhythm stuff.

  10. #10
    makes burgers ratherdashing's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    wizards
    Posts
    21,977
    Likes (Given)
    794
    Likes (Received)
    718

    Default Re: Who parent company makes the best import brand

    G&L Tribute series holds its own against anything Fender USA makes.

    PRS SE line is excellent too, as others have said.

    I'm a huge fan of the MIJ Fender product, especially the 80's made stuff. I have yet to play a MIJ Fender that I didn't consider to be an excellent guitar.

    Also on the Fender side of things, the Squier Classic Vibe series is really excellent for the money.

    I've also noticed a big increase in quality from Epiphone in the past few years. I think their Chinese plant is fully capable of making a great guitar now. I actually have an Epi NGD coming soon ...

    Here's the thing: import quality CAN be just as good as domestic. It's all about what the brand owner wants. If they want a great guitar, and are willing to pay for it, the overseas manufacturer will build them a great guitar. If they want cheap crap, they'll get cheap crap.

  11. #11
    Member Deathmonkey's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Posts
    40
    Likes (Given)
    0
    Likes (Received)
    0

    Default Re: Who parent company makes the best import brand

    I've been really impressed with the Schecters over $800 or so, especially the Loomis sig and the ATX line. I think their cheaper guitars suffer from substandard woods, so they can be a bit of a crapshoot to find one not made of some old Malaysian dude's door. But I have a Garza sig and an ATX 8 that are very well made, and sound quite good.

  12. #12
    Mojo's Minions TheLivingDead's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Chesapeake, Va
    Age
    26
    Posts
    15,426
    Likes (Given)
    3980
    Likes (Received)
    1004

    Default Re: Who parent company makes the best import brand

    Hamer's old Koreans were pretty damn nice.

  13. #13
    Ultimate Tone Slacker SrDeMaFp's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Last house on the left
    Posts
    1,631
    Likes (Given)
    209
    Likes (Received)
    36

    Default Re: Who parent company makes the best import brand

    LTD, without a doubt.
    -Mike-
    Quote Originally Posted by Lucid_Lunatic View Post
    I like it when they are on the rag. I get all up in it and get it all over me. Then, when I'm done, I like to go to the grocery store and hang around the meat isle and pretend I work there.

  14. #14
    Major General GAS aleclee's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Location
    5,868 ft above sea level
    Age
    46
    Posts
    4,350
    Likes (Given)
    17
    Likes (Received)
    47

    Default Re: Who parent company makes the best import brand

    I was a PRS fanboi for a long time but today I'd take a Sterling over a PRS SE.
    Quote Originally Posted by LesStrat View Post
    make sure that you own the gear, not vice versa.

  15. #15
    Ultimate Tone Slacker youngthrasher9's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Loma Rica, CA (middle of nowhere)
    Age
    16
    Posts
    2,283
    Likes (Given)
    378
    Likes (Received)
    113

    Default Re: Who parent company makes the best import brand

    I'm just going to say PRS.
    Quote Originally Posted by kevlar3000 View Post
    The smoker is great at adding a few decades, kinda like having Keith Richards breathe on yer guitar for a few hours...

  16. #16
    Cheesesteakologist phil_104's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Posts
    7,529
    Likes (Given)
    5
    Likes (Received)
    50

    Default Re: Who parent company makes the best import brand

    PRS and G&L.
    - Gibson CS ES339 - Gibson J-45 - Gibson Les Paul Trad - Gibson J-200 Standard - Fender Hwy1 Strat - PRS Custom22 Soapbar - Takamine E-series Acoustic - Fender Blues Deluxe - Fender Excelsior

  17. #17
    Ultimate Tone Member LonePhantom's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    354
    Likes (Given)
    0
    Likes (Received)
    23

    Default Re: Who parent company makes the best import brand

    Ibanez and the PRS SE line are definitely up there. When you get a good one it's definitely a good one.

  18. #18
    Fuzzy Guitars the guy who invented fire's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    North of Atlanta
    Posts
    21,302
    Likes (Given)
    2
    Likes (Received)
    199

    Default Re: Who parent company makes the best import brand

    PRS SE guitars are amazing as are Schecter and MIM Fender...most of the rest of it leaves me a little cold truth be told.

  19. #19
    Ultimate Tone Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Posts
    395
    Likes (Given)
    0
    Likes (Received)
    4

    Default Re: Who parent company makes the best import brand

    Quote Originally Posted by phil_104 View Post
    PRS and G&L.
    I'm gonna have to give a big +1 on that

  20. #20
    Tone Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    South Jersey
    Posts
    138
    Likes (Given)
    2
    Likes (Received)
    0

    Default Re: Who parent company makes the best import brand

    Quote Originally Posted by SrDeMaFp View Post
    LTD, without a doubt.
    +1

    A bunch of ibanez' mid level guitars are great as well.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •