I bought a Tele guitar copy from Artist in Australia for $A279/140 quid and it's awesome. It was a return, probably because it's a tad heavy, but that doesn't bother me. No set up required, no fret issues, FnF is perfect and the PUs are great. Haven't tried any of the basses as they're FSOs and don't appeal, but I'm sure they're of similar quality.
This. The location of the machine doesn't matter as factory quality machines will all be pretty good these days, and a moderately xhilled labour force in a lower wage country means good quality output and numbers for a modest price out the door. The lumber shipping costs to Indo or China are basically free as most is going in the other direction and shippers are happy to get whatever they can for the return trip instead of carrying mainly empty containers.
Maybe in some places, but I've heard the guitar factories in Indo are sought after and well paying jobs, at least in local terms.