Thursday Lunch Report 2-10-11

Hi Everyone,

I hope everyone is having a good day!
Cold but sunny in Dallas most of the ice is gone 60's this weekend.
Leftover Chilli today again but thats ok.

Here's what I have today:

#1 What would you like G&L do new? (Product wise or business wise.)


#2 I own a Fernandes I just love and have a old Tokai "lawsuit" I am restoring.
The Japanese guitars did wonders in quality in the 80's
With all the Larger American guitar compnies building guitars overseas.(That's not a good thing)
Has the Quality of the import guitars caught up with the Americian Companies?

Chet

I want G&L to stay in business and do whatever they have to do to stay afloat.

Japanese guitars: I own a bunch of them: I have a Fernandes Strat in gold, that I have on long term loan to a friend.
I own two Fender Jazz basses and two Fender Precisions that are of Japanese manufacture and they are very good instruments. I have not complaints with them.

The wood used and the quality is very high for the price points of these instruments, but I don't think that they are better than a US built Fender, G&L or a custom made guitar.

I also don't begin to think that the Japanese instruments are better than a Tom Anderson or other custom built instruments, They can't keep up electronically and I think the tuners and bridges show their limitations when compared to the top US made guitars.

Leftover chili sounds good actually. I've been eating leftover pizza all week, as Domino's screwed up our Super Bowl pizza order. They never really did get it right, but I wound up with two EXTRA, extra large pizzas. Free! (BURP!)

What should G&L do? Well, they should hire advertising monster Weiden+Kennedy to do advertising for them. A lot of the popular Super Bowl ads over the last several years have been done by this local Portland firm. We're really proud of those boys! (And frankly, a little afraid of those psychos, too!)

Hey, I could do the advertising, too. Seriously. And I work cheap! (Apparently for pizza!)

And, I think it's time for G&L to make a pointy guitar. Something wild and radical (though not TOO wild), and ergonomic, How about a guitar with a built-in preamp that includes a Sonic Pulverizer (the upgraded version of the Sonic Maximizer)?

And I think a limited run of an ash-body, 1-3/4" ebony fingerboard, three-pickup, PTB Comanche XII 12-sting is a sure winner. There just aren't any high-quality 12-string electrics out there in this price range. The Rickenbackers are wonderful guitars, but their fingerboards are too narrow. The Taylor T-5-12 has the best neck, but it doesn't come close to the sound I want.

For 12-strings, I have my two acoustic Takamine EF381SCs, and my two solidbody DanElectro Innuendos. People go CRAZY every time I pull one out! I really think G&L would have a modest hit on their hands with a Comanche XII.

As for the foreign makers, yes I think they are capable of making guitars as good as American-made guitars,...but they don't. I have some beautiful Ibanez instruments that for the most part as as well made, if not better constructed than my American guitars.

I remember reading a "Guitar Player" article about Larry Carlton. He was known for his sweet-sounding ES-335, but for a time was endorsing the excellent Yamaha SA2000. Basically he said that they were beautifully designed and constructed. Yet, he felt they were almost TOO consistent, lacking the "specialness" that he would sometimes feel in a really good ES-335. This accurately describes my feelings about many of the foreign made instuments I play.

The Asian builders (and I'm not even going there with the MIM Fenders), are built to a price point. To compete in this market. Seems foolish to go head-to-head against Custom Shop Fenders, high-end Martins and Taylors, and Gibson Historics; when there is so much market share to conquer in the low-to medium price ranges. And I think because of this history of competing in the low-end, there continues to be a "stigma" against the foreign makers.

Can they built a guitar as good as an American-made guitar? Yes, of course. They have the same access to materials that our makers do; and they certainly have the know-how.

But, for the most part...they simply don't.

Bill

I have to try this Texas Chilli one day.

The Japanese made guitars I've played have been great, and I'd have no hesitation buying one. I'd love to have a Yamaha SBG-3000, it's one of my dream guitars.





The Japanese Gretsches are great guitars which easily compete with US made Gibsons. The lower end, beginners guitar are, of course, not as nice as the much more expensive US made guitars, but you'd expect that. I think that in this age of CNC made guitars that it's going to be a very competitive market in the near future - didn't Gibson make a Bamboo guitar recently? Now there's a sign if ever there was one...



I can't think of anything new products I'd like G&L to make. I would like a new car though, so if they could make me a smallish four wheel drive van I'd appreciate it. It would be Emerald Blue with Fullerton Red trim. Thank you.

I have to try this Texas Chilli one day.

Can someone post up a recipe so us deprived Aussies can try some? Is it the Mexican inspired stuff with ground beef, chilli, tomato sauce etc. with cheese and coriander on top?

Re. Japanese guitars, when I first started buying guitars in the mid 80's American guitar making was at a low point and the Japanese instruments were clearly superior in finish and overall quality control. One of my favourite instruments is an '84 MIJ Fender strat '62 re-issue. This one.


I would still buy that particular guitar over most US made strats as the neck is perfect for me.

Having said that, the Japanese instruments made the American makers improve their game (well maybe not Gibson) and these days nearly every US or MIM Fender I play in a shop is darn near perfect. I've found that US instruments do generally have better electronics and pickups than MIJ instruments but the overall workmanship is pretty much on a par. US quality control has finally caught up to Japanese standards IMHO.

I've never played an 80's G&L though all the later G&L's I've played have been excellent. I doubt that G&L fell into the 80's rut that a lot of the major US makers did.

I can't think of a product that I'd like G&L to make, but I would like to be able to custom order ANY colour from a rainbow swatch. It shouldn't be impossible - car auto places can spray virtually any colour you can imagine by mixing basic colours.

Keep up the good work Chet!

Guys,
I might be serving breakfast tomorrow. I got a long afternoon tomorrow.

I would like to see G&L make a 12 string, I wonder about a Steel guitar too.

When it comes to Import guitars. I own 3 right now. A Fernandes Strat, A GTX built by Kaman in the 80s and a Tokai TST 62 that is in a semi state of electronics restoration (That one will be on the relic wave).
I know the inconsistency of Gibson nowadays and PRS to some degree A lot of the imports are right there with the American brands.
Look at the quality of Mexi Fenders now over 10-15 years ago.
G&L Tribrutes,and MIJ Gretches,are another good example good built import guitars.
I have found out unless you are getting a older or the higher end models of imports the electronics can be questionable.
But Edwards/ESP,Van Zandt and Seymour Duncan are building guitars in Japan that are dead on quality.

Jamie,
I have to post a recipe for a "Good Ole Pot of Red".
Maybe I should cook up some Menudo.


Thanks for the encourgement.

Chet

The Japanese made guitars I've played have been great, and I'd have no hesitation buying one. I'd love to have a Yamaha SBG-3000, it's one of my dream guitars.

You may like my 1976 Yamaha SG1500 then. I bought it new in 1976 and it is my favorite guitar. For some reason I think there are more fans of the Yamaha SGs in the UK and Australia than in the US.



I think Boogie Bill is exactly right. The Japanese can absolutely build superb instruments (the 1970s Yamaha SGs being a prime example), but then they will come with a corresponding price tag. I believe they rather build price-competitive instruments and sacrifice some quality.

Kit

Kit,
I think Yamaha SG's and Ibanez Artist from the 70's are great I liked the Greco's too. When Norlin had Gibson, CBS had Fender and Gretsch who closed down during that era.Every thing went to ....., for the American companies.
Lately it seems some of the big boys have got there act together and others...well .
I say that but my main guitars are my G&L's,Corona Strat and my Gibson J50
I don't put G&L in that category and never have. But I use my Fernandes quite a bit just not as often after I got my ASAT.


Chet

I'd like to see G&L do two things:

1) Replace the "barrel jack" currently used on ASAT guitars and instruments with rear-loaded controls with ... well, with anything other than those awful barrel jacks. The old open phone jack Leo used on the earliest Telecasters, etc. are far and away a better design. Maybe I'm missing something, but I've never understood why G&L product development decided to go with these things. Probably the only component with a high failure rate you're likely to find on and G&L instrument. </rant>

2) As far as new products, I'd love to see a JB style bass with MFD pickups like those found on the 1st generation SB-2 (some call them "soap bars" though I can't help but default to Gibson when I hear that term). I'm not really in the market for another bass, but I'd put my money down on that one. Yeah those pups on a traditional J-style body might look a little odd at first, but G&L wouldn't be the first to outfit a traditional looking body with their own pickup design.

You may like my 1976 Yamaha SG1500 then. I bought it new in 1976 and it is my favorite guitar. For some reason I think there are more fans of the Yamaha SGs in the UK and Australia than in the US.

Yes I do Seems that whenever I mention a guitar I'd love to own somebody here has one!