|
|
Joined:
March 2007
Posts: 840
Location: CA | Okay, all things being equal — age, use, condition, humidity, etc. . . .
Why would, say, a Balladeer or equivalent sound better than, say, a solid-top Pinnacle? Both have AA spruce tops, both are built of Ovation-produced parts, including USA-made bowls, right?
Aside from the fact that they're built on opposite sides of the world (and the Mothership won't work on the offshore ones), what are the differences? Do they use different bracing, for example? I know the neck construction and finish is a bit more cheaply done. But that wouldn't affect the sound.
Maybe a better way to ask it is: what are the 'down' sides of a Korean-built guitar SOUNDWISE to its American equivalent? |
|
| |
|
Joined:
October 2005
Posts: 5327
Location: Cicero, NY | Certainly bracing can have a significant effect on the tone of a guitar. I would wager that as much R&D goes into bracing as wood combinations to produce a particular sound but I would defer to some others here who probably know a bit more about that than I. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
May 2008
Posts: 4996
Location: Phoenix AZ | Another way to ask the question - do the Asian built Balladeers of today sound any different than the USA built ones of last year?
I would guess probably not. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2006
Posts: 6268
Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | Originally posted by Oddball:
what are the 'down' sides of a Korean-built guitar They can't play 'F' chords... |
|
| |
|
Joined:
September 2005
Posts: 3618
Location: GATLINBURG TENNESSEE :) | I would venture to say that they are probably using the same specs (including bracing) in China. I just checked out some very nice Chinese-made Guilds at a local music shop, and they were actually rather nice. I remember a time when anything made in Japan was thought to be cheap, then all that changed with time. The same could probably be said as China's technological experience is emerging. The big difference I believe is in the experience of US craftsmen. Those guys at the factory have apparently been doing guitars for a long time. That is the edge they currently maintain. When I studied the history of classical guitarmaking, I found that many luthiers from around the world had traveled to Spain to learn the techniques and secrets of the trade. It didn't take long for the art to spread to other countries. In my opinion (for what it's worth), it's just a matter of time before those in China will be pumping out high-quality instuments. That time may be even sooner than we think. With all that said, those original Spanish guitar shops still exist and their guitars are still in demand because of their reputation for excellent craftsmanship. As long as Kaman produces a high quality US product there will still be people willing to spend the extra dollars to own one. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
October 2006
Posts: 5575
Location: big island | china is already putting out some remarkable quality guitars. i know,i own one and am planning on getting another as soon as possible. (i could not imagine making statements like these just a few months ago!) |
|
| |
|
Joined:
November 2008
Posts: 83
Location: North Wales, UK. | In my modest and quite small herd:
http://ovationfanclub.ning.com/photo/2194223:Photo:20721?context=us...
there is a Korean cc0045 (in the middle) which for quality is most cerainly on a par with the two US made gits.
The Chinese made 0028 which I sent back recently was dreadful in comparison.
dave |
|
| |
Indulge this question one more time
