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[Poster]

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[patrickstefanski]

so just out of curiosity i have been emailing back and forth with a Chinese guitar manufacturer in regard to potentially building some truly cheap languedoc copies. I sent in a few pictures, and apparently they can happily make a clone for approximately 488 shipped to your door. Cant get one anytime soon, but iam definitely curious...

you get what you pay for though.
aesthetically it may resemble a 'Doc, based off of pictures, but I highly doubt they can get qualified woodworkers with the skills needed to work on these for that price....even if they are in China. 

Plus, the materials to make a decent 'Doc would cost more then $488.
Let alone labor. (even if they pay close to nothing, they still pay something).
Let alone shipping an oversized roughly 8 pound box from China to the US.
Plus making enough profit to make it all worth it?

Sounds a little phishy.

[picture_of_nectar]

Is this a troll?

What's the point of a Languedoc shaped guitar that sounds like crap?

[sour d]

Its scary to see that chinese could just bang out clones like that... I bet with practice those fuckers would have it down to a science

I have a couple strat copies from the 70's one made in korea and one made in japan that are extremely well made. That's why they call them "lawsuit" guitars. Fender did not like that shit because they couldn't compete with their costs, and their quality was as good if not better than the u.s.a strats. The same thing happened to gibson. In fact you have to be careful if you buy a gibson on craigslist or ebay because they is some asian company banging out almost exact copies with gibson right on the headstock for roughly the same money as poster is talking. I'm interested in seeing one of these poster, sounds cool.

[strangedesign]

http://guitarofchina.com/

[Brian27]

Thumbs down for any company who doesnt make them for leftys. So far Dillion is the only company that makes PRS Hollowbody clones for leftys

[Poster]

im pretty sure these chinese would build whatever the heck you paid um to.

[cactuskeeb]

So why can't he build it for you right now?  What do you mean, it won't be any time soon?

[Walker done done]

Ok, I'm just gonna come and say it: I think this Chinese guitar idea is wrong wrong wrong.  Hey, why don't you go put more people out of work by buying one?  Oh wait...

You've got good people right here in the good ol' USA who work damn hard to do what they do....by purchasing these cheap immitations you're basically screwing them.  Plus, the money you spend here stays here = that's a great thing folks.  Poster, isn't one of the reasons you crap all over Equator's guitars is because he's buidling them in wherever the fuck he builds them?  Isn't this sorta the same thing? 

Either way, I say fuck those guys and if you want a guitar, have someone in your own country make it.  I'm not a rah-rah patriot, but c'mon.  Don't support these crooks.  Yeah you can get 'em cheap, but that's what they are, and you're undercutting your brother in the process.   

[ColForbin]

Ok, I'm just gonna come and say it: I think this Chinese guitar idea is wrong wrong wrong.  Hey, why don't you go put more people out of work by buying one?  Oh wait...

You've got good people right here in the good ol' USA who work damn hard to do what they do....by purchasing these cheap immitations you're basically screwing them.  Plus, the money you spend here stays here = that's a great thing folks.  Poster, isn't one of the reasons you crap all over Equator's guitars is because he's buidling them in wherever the fuck he builds them?  Isn't this sorta the same thing?  

Either way, I say fuck those guys and if you want a guitar, have someone in your own country make it.  I'm not a rah-rah patriot, but c'mon.  Don't support these crooks.  Yeah you can get 'em cheap, but that's what they are, and you're undercutting your brother in the process.  

Ummm.....can I still get get AO to make me a guitar or do I have to get a Canadian to do it?  Because I really want and AO guitar and if I have to pull some strings and bribe some people with beer from Nova Scotia and weed from British Columbia, just to get Andrew Olsen dual citizenship, I'll do it.  I don't give a fuck!!lol

But for seriously though, I haven't found a builder in this country that would have me as excited as I am for my AO when I finally f'n place my order.  Stupid money.

[sour d]

beer from Nova Scotia and weed from British Columbia

Eeeeeeww beasters!!! The great AO cannot be swayed by such nugget  j/k

[picture_of_nectar]

Gunna have to agree with Walker on this one.

Also, I had a email conversation with Mr. Languedoc himself about kick offs of his designs.

He basically told me that copycats piss him off, and he considers it stealing and plagerism.

Just sayin.

[Walker done done]

Gunna have to agree with Walker on this one.

Also, I had a email conversation with Mr. Languedoc himself about kick offs of his designs.

He basically told me that copycats piss him off, and he considers it stealing and plagerism.

Just sayin.

I have many email conversations still saved that go back and forth between him and I that coincide with this as well.    When I was first poking around doing research for what is now my 'doc copy, he gave me 2 cents.  And then 2 more.  You could say he didn't quite give the idea his "blessing".  I politely & respectfully explained that although I'd want nothing more than one of his very own it would be selfish (not to mention irresponsible) to both me, my future, and my family to plunk down $10k on one, and so that in making my decision to order a "knock-off", I hope he understood where I was coming from.  I tried to see if there was wiggle room on the price so that I might be in a better position to afford one.  Nope.  He did understand where I was coming from but as you mentioned he still considers it stealing and plagerism, and quite frankly I can see where he's coming from but at the same time whole-heartedly disagree and think his feelings are misaligned.  Granted, I am fully aware how easy it is for me to say standing in my shoes and not his.  There are always 2 sides to every coin, and 1 is just as important as the other.  But, in music - and this goes for both the music played as well as the instruments/gear they're played on - many of this stuff is "knock-off".  Chords to songs, specs in equipment, amps, pedals, guitars.  Even when it comes to immitating nuances, technique, wardrobe, etc.  In fact, the same can be said for his own design.  Sure, you can word it and say it's "inspired by" such and such, but it's still a line that is more fine than thickly defined.  But the thing that makes it HIS is the quality, craftsmanship, etc. and that cannot be "knocked-off" as we all know.  I dunno, I guess I'd think he'd feel more honored (or at least accept it more) that someone was copying his work.  It is a tribute, afterall.  I mean, you had to know it was gonna happen.  He did acknowledge that he was of course flattered that someone would want to copy his work, but that didn't me he still staunchly disagreed with it.  And if his work didn't cost so damn much, more of us would be ordering from him.  Hey, all the power to him for being able to get himself to that point.  He didn't get there alone, though...he had plenty of help along the way in the nightly advertising on stage.  If Phish sucked, he may not be anywhere near where he is today.  Or...maybe he'd be further along.  Point is, it's not really worth arguing or worrying about as there's not much you can do about it anyways.

This is a conversation that has many many shades of color to it, none of which are wrong, IMHO.  He has every right to feel the way he does, as do we all, which is why some (most? all?) of us are not only ok with buying "knock-offs" but actually make the plunge to do so, as well as advertise & promote the idea.  Hey, Paul Langedoc "inspired" many a people - players and luthiers alike.  So did Les Paul, Fender, Gibson.  So does/will our friend AO.  Some kid someday (if not already) will probably see AO's work and get inspired, come up with an idea not too far from his vein and maybe go into the luthier biz.  Sweet.  In my mind it's just passing it along the timeline of life.

But the Chinese knock-offs are a little different, and if I had to give a really good answer as to why, well I'd have to formulate it a little better before responding. 

It's an interesting linear conversation point to make, though.  Why am I ok with having a luthier who's cheaper make me a 'doc copy here in the U.S. but I am not ok with pretty much the same thing happening overseas?  I suppose that's a valid question.

Alright, rant over...gotta get back to work!

[picture_of_nectar]

Right.

I wanted to, but I didn't feel it was my place to tell him that it could be considered flattery that people want to copy his work. But I basically mentioned there was a huge market for a cheaper version of his guitar, so it's to be expected people want to capitalize on that. Either way he's booked solid with work so, there's obviously plenty of people willing to drop the coin.

He said, "I guess I'd have a bigger problem if people didn't want to copy my work." very true!

Anyway, pretty soon I might be offering up my Koa 'Doc Copy for sale...

[patrickstefanski]

Anyway, pretty soon I might be offering up my Koa 'Doc Copy for sale...

pics?