Fender to finally make the Starcaster bass and reissue the Coronado?

[dadagoboi]

Yep, US and homeboy builders like us can't compete with Chinese labor costs.   Ugh.

Unfortunately you have to if you want to get a toehold in the market.  If you have better ways of making a living or spending your time, why bother?

[Dave W]

About ten years ago, a friend who is in a position to know told me that the actual landed cost of a $200 retail Squier is roughly $30. I can believe it.

There's always room for a higher quality product, you just have to find the right niche. You can't compete with cheap labor at the low end of the market.

[jumbodbassman]

Average retail gross margin is usually 55-60%.    So the retailer is paying less than $100 for that bass from fender....

That is why America/western Europe  can never compete  on the low end of any market in any product line.   Parts,  labor is fractions of what they cost.

And why I am still out of work since Dec.....

[drbassman]

What a drag Jim.  This country needs to get back on track.  As for Chinese goods, now that the buying public is used to them, I don't think we'll ever be able to turn the clock back.

Best wishes and good luck out there, Jim.  I can imagine it's very disheartening for you.

[Psycho Bass Guy]

The irony is that as China gains economically, it's going to eventually undermine the ultra cheap labor costs. The only difference between the plutocrats in the US and the ruling party elite in China are the few regulatory agencies and labor laws "destroying our freedom." China may never build a middle class like the 1950's US, but as more people benefit from their lopsided economy the Communist Party hold gets diluted. However small that may be, in a country of 1.4 billion people, somebody is bound to get pissed off. Suicides at iPhone factories are only the beginning, and unlike the lazy, deluded United States, China has nowhere to go but up socially.

[drbassman]

The irony is that as China gains economically, it's going to eventually undermine the ultra cheap labor costs. The only difference between the plutocrats in the US and the ruling party elite in China are the few regulatory agencies and labor laws "destroying our freedom." China may never build a middle class like the 1950's US, but as more people benefit from their lopsided economy the Communist Party hold gets diluted. However small that may be, in a country of 1.4 billion people, somebody is bound to get pissed off. Suicides at iPhone factories are only the beginning, and unlike the lazy, deluded United States, China has nowhere to go but up socially.

Excellent analysis.  The key will be the commie leadership keeping a lid on the growth of expectations by folks earning more money.  History shows it's not so easy and if I were in the government, I'd be nervous.  The genie is out of the bottle now!!!  Ha, ha!

[Dave W]

That's the way it almost always goes, regardless of what government is in charge. Those of us of a certain age remember when you went to Japan to manufacture cheap goods. Then the Japanese had to go to Korea, etc. etc. How many years will it take for Chinese companies to start manufacturing in Bangladesh?

[Psycho Bass Guy]

I wouldn't put it past them to use the aftermath of that terrible typhoon to "annex" some territory. They've been encroaching on the Philippines ever since we left. The irony is that when the US closed its bases in the Philippines, the people there all but kicked us out, but now that they have an almost completely dysfunctional government (even worse than the US) and China scares them, guess who they're being nice to again? There are a lot of tensions in Southeast Asia. Vietnam hates China, their former ally against the US and regularly has to keep its Russian-built fighters patrolling for Chinese intruders. China also despises Japan for WWII atrocities. Anyone with a realistic view knows that WHEN China finally decides to swamp Taiwan and possibly nuke Japan, it'll be WWIII, but right now, they don't have the military muscle to hold off a US counterstrike. China's leaders make no secret about it; they one day expect to rule the entire world. Putin wisely plays games with their military hardware purchases and more than a few "leaks" of our tech have been intentional dead ends. Their F-35 knockoff, the J-31,  performed so poorly that the Chinese military passed on it altogether and is marketing its as fourth generation + export fighter to poor countries that want to pretend to have a "stealth capability." The Communist Party knows that unless it expands its resource base, its citizens are going to start eyeing their leaders a little less respectfully.

[dadagoboi]

That's the way it almost always goes, regardless of what government is in charge. Those of us of a certain age remember when you went to Japan to manufacture cheap goods. Then the Japanese had to go to Korea, etc. etc. How many years will it take for Chinese companies to start manufacturing in Bangladesh?

The earliest Chinese manufacturing that was of decent export quality was done by the Taiwanese in the "Free Enterprise Zone" factories, where they shipped Taiwanese managers and exploited cheap Chinese labor.  The factories I worked with were exclusively Taiwanese run except for 2.  The one I had the best relationship with moved from Taiwan to China in the late 90s but also kept their Taiwanese factory open.  5 years ago they shut China down and sold the land back to the government and moved everything back to Taiwan.  There's a big housing bubble that makes land speculation seem like a much easier way to make money in China.  That and high wages have already caused manufacturing to move to VietNam, Malaysia and Indonesia.  The textile industry went to Bangladesh a long time ago.  I seriously thought about moving to Viet Nam around 2000.  Beautiful country, fantastic food both Asian and European and the people have a lot more soul and culture than the Chinese.

[dadagoboi]

I wouldn't put it past them to use the aftermath of that terrible typhoon to "annex" some territory. They've been encroaching on the Philippines ever since we left. The irony is that when the US closed its bases in the Philippines, the people there all but kicked us out, but now that they have an almost completely dysfunctional government (even worse than the US) and China scares them, guess who they're being nice to again? There are a lot of tensions in Southeast Asia. Vietnam hates China, their former ally against the US and regularly has to keep its Russian-built fighters patrolling for Chinese intruders. China also despises Japan for WWII atrocities. Anyone with a realistic view knows that WHEN China finally decides to swamp Taiwan and possibly nuke Japan, it'll be WWIII, but right now, they don't have the military muscle to hold off a US counterstrike. China's leaders make no secret about it; they one day expect to rule the entire world. Putin wisely plays games with their military hardware purchases and more than a few "leaks" of our tech have been intentional dead ends. Their F-35 knockoff, the J-31,  performed so poorly that the Chinese military passed on it altogether and is marketing its as fourth generation + export fighter to poor countries that want to pretend to have a "stealth capability." The Communist Party knows that unless it expands its resource base, its citizens are going to start eyeing their leaders a little less respectfully.

In my view the Chinese are a lot smarter than you think, they've been around 4700 years longer than the US has.  Smart enough to BUY all the oil resources they can get their hands on instead of starting endless wars.  Smart enough to spend money on infrastructure, unlike here where it's cut back on everything except "defense".  The average Chinese feels his country has improved his life, they're proud of themselves and with reason.  From no roads to bullet trains in 30 years for one.  China is generally aware of its problems at home and taking steps to rectify them, I wouldn't be surprised if they had a reasonable universal healthcare system before we do.  They are already taking over Taiwan, it's evident to anyone traveling there who is familiar with the country.   

Any Philippino who studies history has a reason to hate the US, they're aware of the genocide after the Spanish American War.
The Philippines is the absolute worst country I've ever been to in Asia in terms of poverty.  I attribute the horrific Manila slums directly to the Catholic church and corrupt governments propped up by the US since Independence in '46.  Most people there would be better off under a Communist government like China or VietNam's.

Vietnam:  The only country in the World that has defeated France, China and the USA one on one.

[Psycho Bass Guy]

In my view the Chinese are a lot smarter than you think, they've been around 4700 years longer than the US has.  Smart enough to BUY all the oil resources they can get their hands on instead of starting endless wars. 

They've been quietly "acquiring" islands in the South China Sea for the past ten years using military force to occupy the Spratly Islands claimed by the Philippines, Taiwan, and Malaysia, literally killing the occupants as part of a move to make a claim on the oceanic shelf which is expected to hold more oil and natural gas than every other region on earth and through which 80% of the world's oil and 20% of oceanic cargo passes. Their tactic is to attack an island using military and fishing boats and then use their coast guard to quarantine their territory. China is famous for its patience, but is is also famous for its bloodshed. The Cultural Revolution and subsequent purges have killed more Chinese than ALL the casualties of the Holocaust, WWII, and Stalin combined!

Right now they're trying like crazy to build a blue water navy. They have one old decommissioned Soviet carrier with an aircraft ski jump, which limits its planes' range and payload, that they are trying to field and have laid the keels for three other, larger, more advanced carriers with electromagnetic catapults. Their weakness in ultra high tech is efficiency and tolerances: they can't build decent jet engines and they can't even get their copies of western military gear to perform at 60% equivalent effectiveness. Ironically, for such  a populous and industrialized country their weakness is that the only military hardware they have in large numbers is cheap junk that barely works. That's THE reason the US defense industry is spending itself beyond redemption. China hates Russia, but knows that Russia would fight a bloody war without thinking twice while a war-weary US isn't exactly going to rally itself to save Walmart.

[rahock]

The US has a tendency to think that they are smarter than everyone else, despite its' rather short history. It is a mistake to underestimate anyone, particularly those who have been around and experienced so much more. I love this country, but we have proven ourselves to be very foolish, very often.
Those who say ,"love it or leave it", should listen a bit closer to those that say ,"change it or lose it."
Rick

[neepheid]

So, how about those basses then?

The Coronado has arrived in my local shop finally, will try to get a shottie of it at the weekend.

[Dave W]

I need to check one out in person, this is one I definitely want to try before even considering an order. None seem to be in stock locally yet.

[Pilgrim]

The photos look REALLY tempting.