Ampeg Now Made in PRC???

[Bassman7]

Ed Straker says:

"Colonel Foster and a team of SHADO mobiles have just reported finding a bass guitar amplification system in a UFO wreckage. Amongst some obscure CDs by someone called Manring and Wooten, they discovered an Ampeg B100-R Bass Combo but it had 'Made in PRC' on the rating label!"

"What's happened to good 'ol US Ampegs??"

Edited December 3, 2007 by Bassman7

[SJA]

hopefully they'll get cheaper and lighter now.... :ph34r:

[Wil]

Ah, tenuous.

[stingrayfan]

[quote name='Bassman7' post='97772' date='Dec 2 2007, 08:35 PM']Ed Starker says:

"Colonel Foster and a team of SHADO mobiles have just reported finding a bass guitar amplification system in a UFO wreckage. Amongst some obscure CDs by someone called Manring and Wooten, they discovered an Ampeg B100-R Bass Combo but it had 'Made in PRC' on the rating label!"

"What's happened to good 'ol US Ampegs??"[/quote]
Wha....? Is this some sort of Star Trek speak? Fraid you've lost me.

[bnt]

If the question is whether Ampegs are Made In China, well, Ampeg's parent company ([url="http://www.loudtechinc.com/"]LOUD Technologies[/url]) has the following statement in their [url="http://www.loudtechinc.com/invest/invest_sf.html"]Annual Report[/url] for 2006:
[quote]In 2006, we began the process of transferring our remaining domestic manufacturing overseas. All of our domestic manufacturing plants will be closing before the end of the second quarter of 2007 as our overseas contract manufacturers ramp up to full production of our products. Our overseas manufacturers are supported by a team of our employees, located in China. These employees are responsible to audit quality procedures, manage and facilitate the transition of products from design to manufacturing and to ensure timely delivery of purchased product.[/quote]
LOUD is the "corporate face" of Mackie, and is also the parent company of Crate, Martin Audio, and others. They have job openings in Shenzen if you fancy a new challenge.

Edited December 2, 2007 by bnt

[Bassman7]

[quote name='stingrayfan' post='97798' date='Dec 2 2007, 09:22 PM']Wha....? Is this some sort of Star Trek speak? Fraid you've lost me.[/quote]

Ed Straker says: "It's part of late 60s early 70s British culture don't you know..."

Caption: S.I.D. (Space Intruder Detector)

"Alert...unidentified bass player unfamiliar with classic Gerry Anderson late 60s Sci-Fi culture"

(Bit of fun really!!)

Edited December 2, 2007 by Bassman7

[Musky]

[quote name='Bassman7' post='97859' date='Dec 2 2007, 11:17 PM']Ed Straker says: "It's part of late 60s early 70s British culture don't you know..."

Caption: S.I.D. (Space Intruder Detector)

"Alert...unidentified bass player unfamiliar with classic Gerry Anderson late 60s Sci-Fi culture"

(Bit of fun really!!)[/quote]

Hmm... Early seventies, surely?

[David Nimrod]

[quote name='bnt' post='97804' date='Dec 2 2007, 09:36 PM']Our overseas manufacturers are supported by a team of our employees, located in China...[/quote]


Oh well, another one bites the dust

[Buzz]

So chaps, if you want ampeg gear, best scrimp your pennies together and buy now while you're guarenteed a USA made one.

I suspect as it's Ampeg and the vintage stuff already claims a decent price, this'll make anything USA made climb in price fairly rapidly regardless of whether the China stuff is of the same top notch quality (which it could be if Ampeg get really strict in QC).

[bnt]

[quote name='Buzz' post='97889' date='Dec 3 2007, 01:46 AM']So chaps, if you want ampeg gear, best scrimp your pennies together and buy now while you're guarenteed a USA made one.[/quote]
I imagine that horse has already bolted: the end of the second quarter of 2007 was the final date, and that was 5 months ago.

[paul, the]

Crickey. If Ampeg gear wasn't expensive enough...

[Bassman7]

[quote name='Musky' post='97868' date='Dec 2 2007, 11:34 PM']Hmm... Early seventies, surely?[/quote]

Ed Straker: " Explain to our friend lieutenant..."

Lieutenant Ellis says: "UFO was filmed in 1969-70, and began broadcasting in September 1970 in England and September 1972 in America. The series ran for only a single season, for a total of 26 one-hour colour episodes."

Edited December 3, 2007 by Bassman7

[Bassman7]

[quote name='bnt' post='97891' date='Dec 3 2007, 02:05 AM']I imagine that horse has already bolted: the end of the second quarter of 2007 was the final date, and that was 5 months ago.[/quote]

Ed Straker says: "Launch interceptors immediately. Go find those remaining few US built Ampegs!!"

Caption: 'There go the boys..."

[Tee]

Everyone is going this way these days.

[SMART]

[quote name='Tee' post='97939' date='Dec 3 2007, 09:15 AM']Everyone is going this way these days.[/quote]

It's a real shame but the pressures of globalisation and the high costs of manufacturing in the USA are to blame in the main. I take my hat off to any UK manufacturer still able to make some if not all of their products in the UK but when faced with the same pressures as say in this case Ampeg the same story will unfortunately roll on.

This may be a good time to illustrate why the search for ever cheaper products by UK musicians can only go so far when so much is still expected:

For Mr A bass amplification builder in the UK he has to make a gross profit of bewteen 40-50% on his sales to distributors outside the UK more if selling to a dealer in the UK (say 50-60%) to cover his costs for labour, sales and marketing and any other distribution costs and hopefully at the end of the year if the business plan has gone say, well according to plan, a small net profit to boot. To make less will lead to financial oblivion however good the product is.

Now all the time customers want to pay less and less which is reinforced and promoted by internet shops that look to make no more than 0-10% on most lines, the poor old manufacturer comes under increasing pressure and his long-term viability to stay in biz.

We all get a bit than more disappointed when many manufacturers don't turn up at bass days or shows but the expense of supporting these show is becoming less and less attractive (unless there is s clear demonstration of an affect on sales from such events which is usually impossible to measure) simply because it is from the margins under pressure as mentioned above from which these things are funded. So there has to be a financial justification.

We all (myself included) want to get value money and a great price be it for a bass or amplification but when the balance of paying a reasonable sum for whatever piece of equipment we are after affects the financial life and expectancy of a great product line or brand perhaps we need to step back...

As old Oscar Wilde once said: 'A cynic is a man who knows the price of everything but the value of nothing'

Oh, don't forget the funding on new product development and R&D, these have to paid for from the same margin.

Just some thoughts.

Ciao

Ian

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

Well, if Ashdown's example is followed it won't make any difference to the quality or reliability of the products then

[SMART]

[quote name='Jean-Luc Pickguard' post='97960' date='Dec 3 2007, 09:52 AM']Well, if Ashdown's example is followed it won't make any difference to the quality or reliability of the products then [/quote]

Ashdown are to applauded then and so have learnt from the mistakes made at Trace and others and ...quite rightly keep thing lean, mean and tight. We follow the same line for our business as does our good friends at the SimS Custom Shop. The bills have to be paid and the biz pushed forwards...plus we luv bass and want to be around for the longer term!!

Just some thoughts.

Ciao

Ian

Edited December 3, 2007 by SMART

[wateroftyne]

Ampeg in China.. isn't this old news?

FWIW, a number of 'quality' brands make their stuff in Asia, including Genz & PJB.

[acidbass]

I'm not sure that moving production overseas will have a huge impact on the quality of the instruments being produced. The parts and machines used will not change, and surely one that is made in China is no more liable to fail than one made in America. From my experience of Chinese labour, quality controls play a huge part in production over there, so I think to have a negative view on the output of their factories cannot always be justified.

I expect that as with Ashdown and others that there will be an initial 'teething' period as production is gradually shifted abroad, but after that I'd certainly have no reservations about buying a product that to me is no different.

[Bassman7]

I expect that as with Ashdown and others that there will be an initial 'teething' period as production is gradually shifted abroad, but after that I'd certainly have no reservations about buying a product that to me is no different.
[/quote]

Ed Straker says:

"Colonel Foster and myself at SHADO thank everyone for the feedback...just was a bit surprised (though I suppose not entirely unexpected the way production in the MI industry is now structured) that the American 'flavour' of an Ampeg has now also gone but at the end of the day if the product is even better quality-wise and the product is same...well great!

I suppose it's like Apple. 'Designed by Apple in California' but still Apple!

Caption: "Thumbs up for Ampeg, then!"

Edited December 3, 2007 by Bassman7

[MB1]

MB1.

The b series combos and many of the smaller speaker cabs are being made in china.Had a look round Sound Control the other day and there were very few that werent made in china. The SVT Classic range of speakers and valve heads are still being made in the states as far as i know.

[stingrayfan]

[quote name='Bassman7' post='97859' date='Dec 2 2007, 11:17 PM']Ed Straker says: "It's part of late 60s early 70s British culture don't you know..."

Caption: S.I.D. (Space Intruder Detector)

"Alert...unidentified bass player unfamiliar with classic Gerry Anderson late 60s Sci-Fi culture"

(Bit of fun really!!)[/quote]

[Bassman7]

[quote name='MB1' post='98355' date='Dec 3 2007, 07:31 PM']MB1.

The b series combos and many of the smaller speaker cabs are being made in china.Had a look round Sound Control the other day and there were very few that werent made in china. The SVT Classic range of speakers and valve heads are still being made in the states as far as i know.[/quote]


Ed Straker says: "That's great intel so thanks. I'll send the boys out to go find some SVTs..."

Later...

Ed Straker: "From this print-out it looks like we've found some real American Ampegs!"

[Merton]

I'm not sure what the fuss is about. Eden Nemesis stuff is built in China and no-one even mentions it when discussing China manufacture. Clearly their QC is top notch, so it's obvious that as long as the QC is kept up-to-scratch, the components are sourced wisely (i.e. don't go cost-cutting like Gibson did with Trace) and the contract manufacturer is kept on a tight leash everything will be OK. My experience in my day job sees contact with Chinese CEMs all day long, apart from a few stupid things here and there (which everyone else is also capable of) they are no different from UK, continental European or American manufacturers. Some of our bigger Chinese customers have stricter QA and QC than their UK parent companies.