buelljack Posted November 25, 2015 Share Posted November 25, 2015 Had a search through the forum for some thoughts on AliExpress. Found this [url="http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Bass-Guitar-Newest-4-Strings-Gray-Thunderbird-Electric-Bass-High-Quality-OEM-Free-Shipping/32275208611.html?spm=2114.01020208.3.78.HXGypZ&ws_ab_test=searchweb201556_2_79_78_77_80,searchweb201644_5,searchweb201560_8"]http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Bass-Guitar-Newest-4-Strings-Gray-Thunderbird-Electric-Bass-High-Quality-OEM-Free-Shipping/32275208611.html?spm=2114.01020208.3.78.HXGypZ&ws_ab_test=searchweb201556_2_79_78_77_80,searchweb201644_5,searchweb201560_8[/url] For some strange reason I want a NR Bird' in my guitar rack. Why? Well just 'cos Has anyone used this site? I sit awaiting Thomann building a NR shape, I really like their TB-70 I own TY for any info, my intial thought is to stay well away, but who knows Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Apple Posted November 25, 2015 Share Posted November 25, 2015 My missus has bought plenty of (non-bass) things through Ali Express and while sometimes there are communication issues dealing with Chinese speakers (or readers) she's never had a problem. She's returned stuff too and got her money back with no problems. Although depending on the reason for return you may have to pay the postage. When she's returned stuff her postage has been refunded. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougieb Posted November 25, 2015 Share Posted November 25, 2015 Hello, My Wife and I have bought quite a lot of stuff from Ali Express and have had no problems at all. My Wife got jewellery stuff and I have bought 2 Chibson Les Pauls. The guitars were surprisingly good and played well. They are generally well set up and the finish on them is beautiful. The electrics on one were crap and the other was at least Epiphone level. I rewired both, 500 K pots and Iron Gear pups and they are great guitars and I have a genuine Gibson to compare them to. Message me if you have any specifics, more than willing to help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigwan Posted November 25, 2015 Share Posted November 25, 2015 I have nothing to add except I like the look of this one! http://www.aliexpress.com/item/New-Arrival-Custom-20-Vintage-Sunburst-Electric-Bass-Guitar-4-Strings-Thunderbird-Bass-Guitar-from-Chinese/2031320100.html?spm=2114.01020208.3.1.uu2NiJ&ws_ab_test=searchweb201556_2_79_78_77_80,searchweb201644_5,searchweb201560_8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buelljack Posted November 25, 2015 Author Share Posted November 25, 2015 [quote name='Bigwan' timestamp='1448458371' post='2915577'] I have nothing to add except I like the look of this one! [url="http://www.aliexpress.com/item/New-Arrival-Custom-20-Vintage-Sunburst-Electric-Bass-Guitar-4-Strings-Thunderbird-Bass-Guitar-from-Chinese/2031320100.html?spm=2114.01020208.3.1.uu2NiJ&ws_ab_test=searchweb201556_2_79_78_77_80,searchweb201644_5,searchweb201560_8"]http://www.aliexpres...archweb201560_8[/url] [/quote] I know, the looks is great, but at £300 approx, I fear paying Epiphone prices for below Epiphone quality, just for a body shape Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommorichards Posted November 28, 2015 Share Posted November 28, 2015 I ordered a bass from there. This one to be specific. http://www.aliexpress.com/item/High-quality-Orange-Transparent-body-Acrylic-4-strings-electric-Bass-guitar-China-Glass-Guitar-Free-Shipping/32346816124.html However, i asked to make some changes. Namely in that i wanted the body mahogny, with this red colour, and a matching headstock and no pickup routing. Took about 2 months to arrive. This is what i recieved: Exactly what i ordered. As youd expect the hardware wasnt the best, nor the strings. But the fit and finish were top notch except the edge of the fretboard was too sharp an angle, so i rounded it off a bit. I also got some black tuners for it and new strings. This is what it looks like now. So basically. definitely worth the money for a decent foundation for a project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annoying Twit Posted November 28, 2015 Share Posted November 28, 2015 (edited) I've read the reviews and online discussions of 'Chibsons' etc. What has struck me is that the description of the quality of the instrument is similar to what I read for cheaper branded instruments. E.g. for a Les Paul guitar, to a Harley Benton Les Paul. So, unless someone really wants the instrument to have the name "Gibson" on it in the slightly inaccurate font, then there isn't really an advantage that I can see to the Chibson, as the Chibsons are much more expensive. In the case of Tommorichards' bass, I think that the custom side of it is a big plus. But again, the description is that the bass was fairly good quality but needed better hardware and strings. Which might again be what you might expect from some of the budget lines. But, I think that Tommorichards' example shows what can be done. I've read that others have had entirely custom guitars made by the Chinese factories for much less (but with less, but still reasonable, quality) than a custom builder in the UK would make one for. That's something that I'm surprised that more people don't do. I want to be clear here, I don't think getting a bass custom made in a Chinese factory is an alternative to having a UK builder make one. These are entirely different markets working at entirely different price points and producing a product at a different level of quality. EDIT: I should have looked at Tommorichards' link before posting. That really is quite different from what you had delivered. Very much a custom bass, with some vague similarities to the original. I like your bass a lot. The original looks ... well .... EDIT: For this 8 string bass, won't it cause some sort of inbalance if te middle strings are being picked up by three pickups, but the outer strings are only being picked up by two or one pickup? http://www.aliexpress.com/item/8-String-Bass-Guitar/2000434195.html?spm=2114.031010208.3.105.PqDpJP&ws_ab_test=searchweb201556_1_79_78_77_80,searchweb201644_5,searchweb201560_10 Edited November 28, 2015 by Annoying Twit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philw Posted November 28, 2015 Share Posted November 28, 2015 Errrm, this doesn't look quite right to me: http://www.aliexpress.com/item/High-Quality-5-String-Ernie-Ball-Musicman-Music-Man-Sting-Ray-silver-gray-Electric-Bass-Guitar/32338771414.html P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommorichards Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 I agree with you twit, for basses like precisions and jazzes out there, theres many a decent budget line that definitely work. However, for more unusual basses, customisation etc, chibsons can be the way to go. A lot of the time its easier to talk via pictures of what you want, as i sent a guy a picture of the colour that i wanted the bass to be. But as there are different sellers, who use different factories, quality can vary. But id say they probably are along the line of harley benton. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gs_triumph Posted December 1, 2015 Share Posted December 1, 2015 Probably using the exact same factories who actually build many of the low end guitars we are used to seeing such s Harley Benton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annoying Twit Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 [quote name='tommorichards' timestamp='1448899691' post='2918987'] I agree with you twit, for basses like precisions and jazzes out there, theres many a decent budget line that definitely work. However, for more unusual basses, customisation etc, chibsons can be the way to go. A lot of the time its easier to talk via pictures of what you want, as i sent a guy a picture of the colour that i wanted the bass to be. But as there are different sellers, who use different factories, quality can vary. But id say they probably are along the line of harley benton. [/quote] The more I look at your bass, the more I like it. It looks a bit like an Atlansia, except slightly more normal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommorichards Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 I think theyre getting on to people wanting as close to an exact replica of the lemmy bass, so a lot of them have started doing through necks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr.noisy Posted December 10, 2015 Share Posted December 10, 2015 Chinese Fodera http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Custom-Shop-Natural-Wood-Flame-Solid-Maple-Top-One-Piece-Neck-Fodera-NAMM-Emperor-5-Strings/32319030741.html?spm=2114.10010108.0.111.bDvMwo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annoying Twit Posted December 10, 2015 Share Posted December 10, 2015 (edited) Someone on here bought a Chinese Fodera, though without the butterfly logo. Where is that thread... EDIT: Here it is: http://basschat.co.uk/topic/261845-chinese-fodera-inspired-copy-finished-pics/page__hl__chinese%20fodera Since I read this thread and went off to look through basses on Ali Express, I've been getting Ali Express adverts appearing on a lot of pages that I visit. But, the Ali Express ads aren't showing pictures of basses, but pictures of Chinese ladies wearing very skimpy underwear. I wonder how the advertising targetting algorithms came up with that. Edited December 10, 2015 by Annoying Twit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.