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does anybody know if Japan still manufactures guitars in their country or do they take the same approach as the U.S. and farm all that out?.. I picked up a beautiful LOTUS brand gut string recently for 20 bucks and the paper label says it's made in Japan.. I know some LOTUS guitars were made in Japan but they moved production to Korea for later years.. the guitar I picked up is a Model LC540..it plays better than many $400.00 gut strings I've fooled around with at the music stores..

Dane Ellis Allen wrote:does anybody know if Japan still manufactures guitars in their country or do they take the same approach as the U.S. and farm all that out?.. I picked up a beautiful LOTUS brand gut string recently for 20 bucks and the paper label says it's made in Japan.. I know some LOTUS guitars were made in Japan but they moved production to Korea for later years.. the guitar I picked up is a Model LC540..it plays better than many $400.00 gut strings I've fooled around with at the music stores..

Who knows?
I thought everything was being made in China these days anyway.
I think it's funny that Jackie Chan refuses to by Chinese products.
He says a TV made there might explode!

not sure when everything started being moved to korea (pre china) but i generally think of japanese stuff going up thru the late 70's. i have a '77 Epiphone mandolin that was made in japan and (what i believe to be) a late 70's japanese made Washburn HB-35....both are fantastic instruments w great build quality.

you can check my HB-35 here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpFnW9Ay ... e=youtu.be

I have a nice 84 Japanese Strat that I picked up about 6 years ago. The build quality is better than any other Strat I've owned including my Special Edition Clapton Strat. I've been tempted to change out the pickups but she just sounds so sweet through my old Fender silver faced Princeton. Japanese guitars these days are mainly sold in Japan and Europe but you can find them on Ebay.

Kramer had their lower lines made in Japan in the 80's, and later they went to korea. The Japan models were every bit as well-built as their american counterparts. The models themselves were cheaper, but not the hardware.

Since going to Korea, and ultimately china, nearly ever brand has suffered QA problems as a result.

The Japanese took pride in their work and it's quality, much like the american markets did at the time. Nowadays, it's all about cheaper.. and cheaper.. cheaper hardware, cheaper designing, cheaper parts, cheaper everything.

all my ibanez are made in japan.

All your ibanez are belong to us.

And Kramer is now a fender.

P.S.
You're a butthole, Mikey

A butthole? Am not!

MikeG9699 wrote:I have a nice 84 Japanese Strat that I picked up about 6 years ago. The build quality is better than any other Strat I've owned including my Special Edition Clapton Strat. I've been tempted to change out the pickups but she just sounds so sweet through my old Fender silver faced Princeton. Japanese guitars these days are mainly sold in Japan and Europe but you can find them on Ebay.

The only problem I have with these guitars is I MUST have that 22cd fret to play with. Mexican strats are also that way just 21. For me the minimum is 22!

gtZip wrote:All your ibanez are belong to us.

And Kramer is now a fender.

Actually the Kramer brand was bought out by Gibson

Kramerguy wrote:

gtZip wrote:All your ibanez are belong to us.

And Kramer is now a fender.

Actually the Kramer brand was bought out by Gibson

Maybe they can buy out Twinkies.

Kramerguy wrote:

gtZip wrote:All your ibanez are belong to us.

And Kramer is now a fender.

Actually the Kramer brand was bought out by Gibson

thought Kramer guitars had aluminum necks or something? always think of metal guitars (not wood) when I think Kramer... maybe my wires are crossed..

Dane Ellis Allen wrote:

Kramerguy wrote:

gtZip wrote:All your ibanez are belong to us.

And Kramer is now a fender.

Actually the Kramer brand was bought out by Gibson

thought Kramer guitars had aluminum necks or something? always think of metal guitars (not wood) when I think Kramer... maybe my wires are crossed..

Kramer indeed had a Aluminum neck guitar at one time.
http://www.vintagekramer.com/alum.htm

Kramerguy wrote:

gtZip wrote:All your ibanez are belong to us.

And Kramer is now a fender.

Actually the Kramer brand was bought out by Gibson

Dammit, you're right!
Sonofa...