Kaman Music bought by FMIC (Fender)

[mesavox]

Funny how business' "from different sides of the business world", purchase companies "so unlike themselves". What does that initially tell you!

Money money money money money....

However, sometimes those purchases really help a company. The influx of cash can sometimes really get a company righted.... when the purchaser leaves the management of purchased company alone.

Only time will tell, but from what is being said at Genz Benz, this could be a good deal...

I don't know... I haven't really noticed the drop in quality or raise in prices at Jackson. I mean, the lower line stuff has always been hit or miss, and the upper end stuff seems about the same price to me. And, the Phil Collen model looks way cool with the Strat headstock instead of that ugly thing it used to have. LOL

 

[darnright]

I think Fender has done a good job with some of their new companies. Guild for instance builds as good if not a better product than before. I hate to see all the small companies gobbled up, but Kamen wasn't a small company. At least now it's owned by an actual music company.

 

[Big Poppa]

actually the only guilds I have seen are now made in CVhina..Swr is dead comapred to when FMIC bought them. I would probably argue as to whether FMIC has sucessfully integrated any of thie r aquisitions...

 

[darnright]

The two that I played were both "made in USA" what ever that's worth. Fender is the largest offender of "that" in the world. Their USA "Highway One" series are ALL made in Mexico and assembled in USA. Apparently if an object is "final-finished" to a very small percent in the US, it can legally be labeled "Made In USA". So, perhaps that was the case with the Guild guitars I played, I do not know about that. These were very good representations of early 60's Guilds.
They were clean inside, played good, and sounded good. They were pleasing to the eye with a little hint of vintage feel and look. You probably are in a better position to know the manufacturing process than I, so I will accept your word on the 'Made in China' thing. I just love my Music Man guitars, all the rest is drivel anyway.

 

[mesavox]

actually the only guilds I have seen are now made in CVhina..Swr is dead comapred to when FMIC bought them. I would probably argue as to whether FMIC has sucessfully integrated any of thie r aquisitions...

Is SWR still worth buying in your opinion? I really liked them back in the day. In fact, a bass player friend and I were talking the other day and I was saying how much I loved the ones I had heard.

 

[Big Poppa]

I think they were great but now a days they are a bit harsh for me and I like thinks like MarkBass way better

 

[dannymusic]

The HamerUSA marriage is the one I have my eye on. HamerUSA makes a superb instrument with QC standards that blows G****n outta the water. I've been to the connecticut Hamer/Ovation factory and can tell you there are some serious CRAFTSMEN there making heirloom quality instrument one at a time.

 

[Marcus2]

Hamer

I find this very interesting, and have followed it at the hamerfanclub.com discussion board.

Back in 1997, I bought my first Hamer when I was actually in the market for a PRS. The quality:dollar ratio was amazing. Since then, I have collected a few very nice Hamers, and find them to be very, very nicely crafted guitars.

Hamer used to hold open houses, and a group of enthusiasts made it feel kind of like a clubhouse at the message board. Members hosted regional jams and came to one another's aid in some tough times.

Depending on what Fender does to Hamer, things could go well or poorly. If Hamer is left alone, it may benefit from Fender's market power. On the other hand, if Fender messes with a quality organization, things may take a turn for the worse.

I think this may indirectly affect EBMM guitars. If you think about the kind of vibe I described above at the Hamer board, and the actions/vibe here, there's something in common. Also, fans of both Hamer and EBMM seem to be well informed about what makes a quality instrument and care about exceptional customer service.

I was turned on to EBMM, in part, as a response to a biking injury that affected my fretting hand. The neck carve on my Hamers, which used to fit me well, no longer does. In my search for a new guitar, I played the JP6 that is now my #1 guitar. Given my interaction EBMM in a number of contexts, I've grown to like the way the company does business, increasingly appreciate the care that goes into the guitars. IF Fender messes Hamer up, I can see more Hamer fans drifting more to EBMM. In fact, a number of us post here and at the Hamer site.

Either way, it's nice to be a part of this community.

Cheers,
Marc

 

[Big Poppa]

you know that management issue is a touchy one..opne one hand if the existing management was so good they probably wouldnt be sold...there are just so many ways to look at this and I am in noway chastising any existin kaman employee but there may be an impovement under fmic only time will tell

 

[Stoo]

For me, I spent from 1991-2005 working music retail, own several Hamers and a Takamine. In my music retail years, I came to realize a few things very clearly:

IMO, EBMM has always a maintained the reputation of being professional gear. period. As salespeople, we never had to try and persuade the customer that EB products were top-quality (volume pedals/ etc) Strings will always have a personal preference factor, but quality was never an issue with EB and our customers.

Although we weren't a Musicman dealer, I found that across the entire range of customer, from the girlfriend of the novice beginner to the 5-night a week giggers, a Musicman instrument (just like the EB accessories,) was assumed to a pro-quality instrument that you could hand to a performer straight out of the box with no complaints.

Secondly, and even more impressive IMO, is that the EBMM marketing is second to none. In my music retail years, throughout hair-metal to grunge to whatever you call nowadays stuff, EB has totally had their finger on the pulse of the vibe that drives people to pick up a guitar and jam. They've never seemed to miss being the benchmark for what's cool, both in advertising and marketing stuff like the Vans Warped tour stuff. They've done that better than anybody ever has, in my opinion. A remarkable acheivement, in my experience.

Kaman has some nice, successful products. It'd be a shame to see some of those lines suffer, but only time will tell. I see EBMM continuing to "...dance with the girl that brought 'em in the first place" and continue building on their success with it.

Best Wishes

 

[Big Poppa]

thanks stoo
guys dont worry...I would be fired working for someone else within a week.....Im unemployable!

 

[Kirby]

I used to love SWR before they became Fender and moved the plant to Mexico. Now, the speakers have changed and I am holding on to my pre-Fender Goliath cabinets, because the new ones cannot touch the old ones. Probably why I have a Markbass 410 on order from GC too.

 

[Devnor]

Re: Hamer USA

As long as they keep making the guitars in CT, nothing much is going to change. They've limited a few options; one of which stopped me from proceeding with a new custom order. Of course prices will go up just like with Jackson.

Personally the direction of the company and what I want from a guitar maker are no longer in sync. It's all good; they are doing what they want and I've always fancied a Huber anyway...