Vintage guitars

[Mimasu]

After MDRFOX talking about the quality new guitars, some thoughts on vintage:

When I studied at a technical university in the late 70’s some guy teached about one of the main differences in USA manufacturing and Japanese manufacturing at that time. That lesson was about cars but I think that it could be used for guitars also.

The US system was based upon quality check after you had build something. If it wasn’t good you repaired it, or even throw it away and start again.

The Japanese system was based upon numerous quality checks along the whole production line. Every component was checked before use. And, if not good, wasn’t used.

At the end the Japenese system had a more constant quality. Not many products are much better then the average, and not many products are much worse than the avarage.

It’s generally agreed that for machine manufactured products the average quality of Japanese production (don’t forget we’re talking 70’s and 80’s, or even 60’s for some Japanese brands)) was better that the US production.

During those years most of the the Japanese production was more automated than the US production resulting in a wider variety of quality for US products, and less variety for MIJ products.

So perhaps the average quality in Japan was better than in the US, but in the US you could still find that very good quality product, and, unfortunately, also that very poor quality product (and believe me, I've had a lot of 70's fenders, some very poor quality. But the best guitar I've ever played is my '78 tele)

And now some of Mimasu’s thoughts about US vintage guitars:

Let’s say good quality is rated 100 %. Japanese production would produce with a average quality of 100 with all guitars between 95 and 105. US production would be an avarage quality of 95 (an average lower that the MIJ guitars), but with a range from let’s say 75 to 115.

And there is where the vintage story begins:

These 75 % US instruments are played a while, modified, used at picknicks, and at last even burned in picknick fires.
The 115 % instruments however are played a while, sold, sold again, and at the end will turn up with players that recognise quality.
In this system in general the older the guitar, the greater the chance you buy a very good guitar (the bad ones are fired up already).

That doesn't mean that an older instrument is better. It means that with an older instrument the chance it is better is much higher.

So perhaps the vintage myth is only all about statistics and less about craftmanship, woods, etc. These old high quality guitars will find the right players (and collectors) and remain, the rest has faded away.

Leon

[MDRFOX]

Leon,

Quite brilliant, actually.

Chris

[cmguitar]

Ditto.

[Kitarist]

I just love MIJ Quality!!!