5150III 50w...Made in Vietnam?!

[nevusofota]

All I am saying is....which my OP clearly states.........is that I hope the build quality is the same as the Mexican made 100watter. As everyone can see from my sig and from previous threads that I post in, I am extremely happy with my "made in Mexico" amp. I have stated many times that I don't care where an amp is built as long as I am inspired by the instrument and its not falling apart. I am just worried that the change in production may compromise the build quality.

Do you have a link to the article? Or can post the pic of the back of the amp from the article? I would love to hear/see more about it.

I looked for the article online last night but couldn't find it. It may show up on the Guitar Player website in a few days.

 

[232cap]

Instead of keeping US capital in the US, we should send it overseas and complain that the government isn't doing enough to create jobs. It's so crazy, it just might work.

Well said,

 

[Juggernaut]

Ampeg has had their amps built in Vietnam for a few years now....

Has the quality changed?

Depends on who you talk to, I had an SVT4Pro that was great, resale on the vietnams is alot less than the US models

 

[TeleBlaster]

Great. So now I'm a racist if I prefer "Made In USA" ???

 

[Skrln]

Great. So now I'm a racist if I prefer "Made In USA" ???

Wow, I'm not even gonna try to reply to the shortsightedness of this comment.

 

[glpg80]

the original 5150 III is designed in Germany, built in mexico

the 50 watter was designed in USA, but being built in vietnam.

IMHO you have no room to talk about true made in USA quality unless you're talking about something 30 years or older OR 4 times the price bracket of the 5150 III models. Too many people want one to begin with because price is of more importance - the OP said so himself "now i dont have to buy an amp gizmo" - if you want true made in Germany or Made in the good ol USA quality - you'll pay a damn high premium in this economy and you'll do it knowing you have piece of mind. If you want mil-spec quality and mil-spec tolerances, Mike Soldano, Mike Fortin, DAR, Brad King/Cameron, Larry Amplifiers, etc. is the price bracket you're in. you cant have your cake and eat it too - not today, and dont hold your breathe in it changing anytime soon.

 

[oldmanmetal]

Do. Not. Want. P.O.S.

 

[TeleBlaster]

Someone could have any number of reasons to consider the country of origin when purchasing a product, but you immediately played the race card.
Go occupy the OT or something. Seriously.

 

[Lution]

Do. Not. Want. P.O.S.

Yeah, dude. They're gonna be huge piles of shit.

 

[nevusofota]

the original 5150 III is designed in Germany, built in mexico

Is this fact? I have never heard that it was designed in Germany, the amp says USA (Mike Ulrich was the lead designer) but built in Mexico.

 

[nevusofota]

Do. Not. Want. P.O.S.

Yeah, dude. They're gonna be huge piles of shit.

One mans pile of shit is another mans fertilizer

 

[nevusofota]

Too many people want one to begin with because price is of more importance - the OP said so himself "now i dont have to buy an amp gizmo"

Has nothing to do with price. Not to sound like a dick but with my disposable income I could have purchased just about any amp. In fact, I went to the store back in 2007 to buy a SLO, the EVH sounded much better to me and was much more versitile for what my band does live. I walked out with the EVH, not the SLO. Not having to buy an amp gizmo is a benefit because I don't have to worry about another piece in my rig that can break, take up room on a pedal board, program, and hooking up another cable. Simplicity for live situations is very important to me.

 

[gibson08]

And why would someone in Vietnam do less of a good job than someone in Mexico or the United States? Or anywhere else for that matter?

NO , I am sure a twelve year old at 1.80 per hour it would be perfect.

 

[gibson08]

And why would someone in Vietnam do less of a good job than someone in Mexico or the United States? Or anywhere else for that matter?

Just throwing this out there.................If you had a choice between two identical Les Pauls (even played identical) that were the exact same price, one made in the USA and one made in, oh say Korea, which one would you pick?

USA at 2000 and Korean at 1500,,I would buy USA.

 

[glpg80]

Too many people want one to begin with because price is of more importance - the OP said so himself "now i dont have to buy an amp gizmo"

Has nothing to do with price. Not to sound like a dick but with my disposable income I could have purchased just about any amp. In fact, I went to the store back in 2007 to buy a SLO, the EVH sounded much better to me and was much more versitile for what my band does live. I walked out with the EVH, not the SLO. Not having to buy an amp gizmo is a benefit because I don't have to worry about another piece in my rig that can break, take up room on a pedal board, program, and hooking up another cable. Simplicity for live situations is very important to me.

have to agree with you there, i do agree 5150's/II's/III's sound better than a SLO.

but i have to ask, what are you doing complaining about an outsourced production run amplifier? surely you dont believe everyone can make money and be happy without sacrifices? im sure you've heard of the carpenter's triangle? quick, good, and cheap. pick two out of that list and the outcome is the opposite of what is left.

 

[glpg80]

the original 5150 III is designed in Germany, built in mexico

Is this fact? I have never heard that it was designed in Germany, the amp says USA (Mike Ulrich was the lead designer) but built in Mexico.

its not fact, you are right it is USA - i was not thinking when i was typing as usual

 

[nevusofota]

Too many people want one to begin with because price is of more importance - the OP said so himself "now i dont have to buy an amp gizmo"

Has nothing to do with price. Not to sound like a dick but with my disposable income I could have purchased just about any amp. In fact, I went to the store back in 2007 to buy a SLO, the EVH sounded much better to me and was much more versitile for what my band does live. I walked out with the EVH, not the SLO. Not having to buy an amp gizmo is a benefit because I don't have to worry about another piece in my rig that can break, take up room on a pedal board, program, and hooking up another cable. Simplicity for live situations is very important to me.

have to agree with you there, i do agree 5150's/II's/III's sound better than a SLO.

but i have to ask, what are you doing complaining about an outsourced production run amplifier? surely you dont believe everyone can make money and be happy without sacrifices? im sure you've heard of the carpenter's triangle? quick, good, and cheap. pick two out of that list and the outcome is the opposite of what is left.

I guess the OP came across as me complaining about the amp being outsourced. Not so (as the original amp, that I am happy with, was outsourced). Just worried the change may mess up a good thing. Many assumed in this thread that I was pissed its not made in USA. I'm worried I may not like the amp as much (tone, fit/finish) because production is changing form Mexico to Vietnam.

 

[glpg80]

the design has not changed, fender has choices over the parts that they use to assemble them - even the solder. only the labor involved is different. only time will tell this - same thing happened with the 5150 III 100W - there were many bugs in the first runs that had to be fixed before they got settled, its not a far fetched assumption it could happen again in the early stages of production here with the included MIDI and so forth.

 

[oldmanmetal]

Do. Not. Want. P.O.S.

Yeah, dude. They're gonna be huge piles of shit.

The current ones are, I expect more of the same.

 

[Lution]

the design has not changed, fender has choices over the parts that they use to assemble them - even the solder. only the labor involved is different. only time will tell this - same thing happened with the 5150 III 100W - there were many bugs in the first runs that had to be fixed before they got settled, its not a far fetched assumption it could happen again in the early stages of production here with the included MIDI and so forth.

This may be why it took nearly a year to get from being shown at winter NAMM to being finally available (hopefully starting next month). . . to take care of the bugs, make sure quality is up to snuff, and avoid the same thing that happened with the first batches of the 100watter back in '07.

Here is a quote from a 5150III Thread on TGP:

"I got to sit and chat with the dude who was playing guitar in that Tone King video.
He told me that EVH used the 50 watter for about 75% of the new recording, when they re-recorded it. He said it sounded pretty much the same as the big one. He also said that the shared eq on the dirt channels was Ed's preference. He also said Ed is the sweetest guy to a fault. I had a great time chatting with him. He seemed quite genuine to me.

I just remembered too that he said the mini EVHs are made overseas, that is how they were able to get the cost down. And the delay on them getting out has to do with a mistaken transformer issue. Fender wanted to use their own, the overseas company thought Fender wanted that company to build new ones. So, when the first batch came in, they weren't up to spec, a bit lighter and not right in the tone category. A misunderstanding due to communication issues."