Why is it USA guitars....

guitars4you

Kittyfrisk said:

guitars4you said:

The history and roots of popular music as we know it today is from the USA - Jazz, blues, gospel, rock n roll - Most guitars supplied for such a market came from a local source, hence the USA - Be it Martin, Gibson, Gretsch etc etc and it has just evolved this way into where we are today - Why import any guitar when you already had it available within your own country 

European steel strung guitars from the 40s, 50's and 60's were hardly anything special and the Jap invasion had barely started

By the time we got to the birth of The Beatles and The Stones, the USA influence could not be stopped 

Granted today many fine guitars are produced from many corners of the globe - But the USA owned companies got in there first and the domination, popularity, hype, desire etc has stayed with us ever since - Just about all the classic formats came from USA designed guitars

"... the Jap invasion had barely started"

Ooh errr. Teeny bit insensitive? (although I'm sure not meant as such).

See what you mean - the Japanese influence might be a better phrase - Outside Japan, the influences  of their own designs barely existed - It was not until they started making copies in the 70's (pre-law suit) followed by their own designs in the late 70's that the market took any notice

jdgm

The electric guitar is an American invention.

The steel-strung acoustic may not be, but certainly got highly developed in the USA.

However European makers reigned in the classical/nylon-strung guitar field...and let's not forget Django and Maccaferri.

HAL9000

SlopeSoarer said:

[Why is it that USA guitars]... are generally seen top of the tree? 

Because that’s what the Fender and Gibson marketing departments tell us?

guitars4you

jdgm said:

The electric guitar is an American invention.

The steel-strung acoustic may not be, but certainly got highly developed in the USA.

However European makers reigned in the classical/nylon-strung guitar field...and let's not forget Django and Maccaferri.

I'm not actually sure if Martin was the first to build a steel strung guitar or not - Steel strings did not really come into play until about 1900 - Again such issues evolved as guitar players wanted to compete with banjo's and mandolins that at the time were much louder - Remember pre-WW2 and the banjo/mandolin market was far larger than the guitar market

But yes the violin and classical guitar are totally a European product

rossi

The American electric  guitars of the 50's and 60's had Mojo .All the top bands used them and  the opposition were crap mainly .However it was that crap that started the British invasion .We played crap but dreamed of American guitars we could  nt afford and in the early days couldnt buy anyway or even look at often .The USA gradually lost their wartime affluence and monopoly .Suddenly they were no longer top dog though often they thought they were .Others copied ,innovated,and really made guitars affordable  to the masses all over the world and all over the world is the critical phrase.Its not just a few guys now ,its girls and boys from everywhere .and they still want US guitars or at least guitars that look like American guitars .The big four ,Fender ,Gretsch,Gibson and Rickenbacker got it right .In the end they survive by making ,except for Rickenbacker, cheaper foreign made copies and not letting anyone see just what percentage of their bottom line is foreign .PRS are just a copy of all the bits others designed with some fancy dentist wood .Yamaha do a great copy of a Harley and many drive them but few want them.its not the real thing  .Its all down to authenticity and mojo .

Kittyfrisk

rossi said:

The American electric  guitars of the 50's and 60's had Mojo .All the top bands used them and  the opposition were crap mainly .However it was that crap that started the British invasion .We played crap but dreamed of American guitars we could  nt afford and in the early days couldnt buy anyway or even look at often .The USA gradually lost their wartime affluence and monopoly .Suddenly they were no longer top dog though often they thought they were .Others copied ,innovated,and really made guitars affordable  to the masses all over the world and all over the world is the critical phrase.Its not just a few guys now ,its girls and boys from everywhere .and they still want US guitars or at least guitars that look like American guitars .The big four ,Fender ,Gretsch,Gibson and Rickenbacker got it right .In the end they survive by making ,except for Rickenbacker, cheaper foreign made copies and not letting anyone see just what percentage of their bottom line is foreign .PRS are just a copy of all the bits others designed with some fancy dentist wood .Yamaha do a great copy of a Harley and many drive them but few want them.its not the real thing  .Its all down to authenticity and mojo .

Calm down dear, it'll all look better in the morning. Or when you resume your meds 

jdgm

guitars4you said:

I'm not actually sure if Martin was the first to build a steel strung guitar or not - Steel strings did not really come into play until about 1900 - Again such issues evolved as guitar players wanted to compete with banjo's and mandolins that at the time were much louder - Remember pre-WW2 and the banjo/mandolin market was far larger than the guitar market

Yes very interesting point - the steel strung acoustic - where/when and who? Difficult to pin it down I should think as it must have gradually evolved.....

Caffeine_Vampire

Personally, I think Korean made instruments have more seoul. 

blobb

Best guitar I've got was made in Britain.

Grangousier

Weren't the original strats and tele made in the US by Mexicans. I like to think my MIMs are more authentic based on that patently false rationale. 

jdgm

blobb said:

Best guitar I've got was made in Britain.

I have a lot of time for this statement.  I have 3 English-made guitars which are just fantastic instruments.

Kittyfrisk

guitars4you said:

Kittyfrisk said:

guitars4you said:

The history and roots of popular music as we know it today is from the USA - Jazz, blues, gospel, rock n roll - Most guitars supplied for such a market came from a local source, hence the USA - Be it Martin, Gibson, Gretsch etc etc and it has just evolved this way into where we are today - Why import any guitar when you already had it available within your own country 

European steel strung guitars from the 40s, 50's and 60's were hardly anything special and the Jap invasion had barely started

By the time we got to the birth of The Beatles and The Stones, the USA influence could not be stopped 

Granted today many fine guitars are produced from many corners of the globe - But the USA owned companies got in there first and the domination, popularity, hype, desire etc has stayed with us ever since - Just about all the classic formats came from USA designed guitars

"... the Jap invasion had barely started"

Ooh errr. Teeny bit insensitive? (although I'm sure not meant as such).

See what you mean - the Japanese influence might be a better phrase - Outside Japan, the influences  of their own designs barely existed - It was not until they started making copies in the 70's (pre-law suit) followed by their own designs in the late 70's that the market took any notice

Fair play to you.
Although I think that the Japanese construction skills & influence were already very well known in the 1960's & possibly earlier.

Grumpyrocker

Americans are very vocal about USA made products. On US forums there's often suspicion of anything made in China and glorification of anything made in the USA.

I see it on photography forums too. Although obviously Japanese cameras are given a pass. I see Americans paying £100 for accessories made in the USA that must have cost pennies to produce (like metal grips) and the same product from China costing a realistic £10 being derided as cheap rubbish. 

Obviously all the discussion about iconic American designs and American music is true. I'm just adding the way American guitars do seem rather obsessed with US gear. 

underdog

SlopeSoarer said:

... are generally seen top of the tree? 

As with most things guitar related, tradition. It was the birth place of Rock n Roll and thus were making much better guitars at the time than most of the world (in a mainstream production sense), now they don't have to be the best, they can live on the name for another 20 or 30 years yet until the last of us die off 

digitalscream

SlopeSoarer said:

... are generally seen top of the tree? 

I've got four hand-made guitars - one from the USA and three from the UK. They're all great guitars (one custom Washburn N4 and three by Jaden Rose), but I'd have the UK-built ones every day of the week if I was pushed to choose. In fact, the N4 only sticks around for sentimental reasons, really.

So...my answer is twofold: marketing, and guitarists being the ultimate conservative folk.

meltedbuzzbox

GoldenEraGuitars said:

American companies are behind the iconic designs that most other luthiers/builders make. And the top 3 mainstream brands (Gibson, fender and PRS) are American companies.

Are PRS bigger than ibanez?

kt66

Roger Rossmeisl - is a major reason for me. No one else came near in my book

and because Rickenbacker still, only, make them there.

roberty

Funny that @underdog should say 'tradition' and right after @digitalscream says 'conservatism'. Perhaps two ways of looking at the same phenomenon

Bellycaster

My "Best Guitar" was made in Finland, it was Custom Built. All my other Guitars are USA made "Mass Produced". If Finland had a Mass Production Guitar Company, then maybe someone else who had one of them would prefer his/her Fender Custom Shop Built Guitar?

terada

SlopeSoarer said:
If I think about there cars they are usually unreliable, very heavy and poorly finished.

Gibson make cars?