Hi,
 
This is scary for me in many ways.
 
In Brazil we lived in a shack, just about, in the city of Assis in the state of Sao Paulo. The worker level in those places, would be equivalent of one nickel to a dollar here, at the very least.
 
And then we discuss, in politics, this thing called "global economy" and then we sit back and do not realize what that means ... different workers, different wage scales, and what not.
 
And then we complaint about the product.
 
My comment is a suggestion that the "industrial world" or "commercial world" has priced itself out of competition.
 
Now, there is such a thing as ... if you pay good for something, you will respect it better and actually think it is a better product. I have seen pick'rs in Barcelona that can make Eric Clapton and John McLaughlin crazy, trying to figure out what is being played, and these pickers are all using nickel and dime guitars, because they are broke, and live in the hills under newspaper and other pleasant luxuries of the place. And we complaint about the quality of the instrument ... compared to an over priced one?
 
I, have, NEVER, EVER, found a player that was not "better" than his instrument ... that's just the biggest crock of ad nauseum soup! I can not understand why a consumerist society has to think that the appliance is more important than what you have inside ... go read Robert Wyatt's book ... he made a kid's little play organ an instrument in a couple of his records!

I have just finished a 2 week tour of China. I do this every month to 6 weeks.The people i met are great. You hit them, they get bruises. You cut them, they bleed. Yes, they are my companies bread and butter. So what ?

I met, for example, a guy who has so much money that hotels, KTV's etc mean not much.

He's just built a middle school, private education, but open to all,in Chengdu. Next stop, a senior school, same city. Big respect. OK, Because he can. And he is not alone in terms of HNWI people.

Some will certainly find something wrong with that but hey, hats off.

Yes, there are problems in China, but also in the US, UK, France (where I live), whatever.....

I am by no means an expert on China, but i have what i consider to be very good friends over there who i see regularly and who, when they come to France, visit me. Both sexes, we keep in contact with WeChat and sms's.

The most tourists in the world are currently from,the US, but hey, in mebbe 4 years time it will be the Chinese.

Don't underestimate, and don't believe all you see in the press. The spending power of Mr and Mrs Average is increasing yearly, as is that of that of that of the less well off in smaller cities/towns.

As i said, yes, there are problems, but at the end ofthe day, we all bleed together. Throughout the world.

Ciao,
J

My MIC Tele is a sweet guitar.... that's all I have to say.

Well, not actually, but for now...... yep.

I have a Stagg LS400 (LP copy). Its got a straighter neck and lower action than my (real) Les Paul (USA built). Its made in China

The pups wrer not good, so replaced them with SD phat cats. Also added a Bigsby ( ! ) for the fun of it. But wow, the shoulder weight .......

A great guitar. Love it. My go to for a crunchie sound.

Cheers,
J

Edit : to stay on the Chinese topic.

jbow

57Gregy
Eventually, the 200 million 8 year-old girls who make these things are going to revolt.

Actually since they abort or kill most girls there will soon be a hoard of Chinese men who are going to invade some place in order to get wives.
 
"As a result, approximately 30 million more men than women will reach adulthood and enter China's mating market by 2020."
http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/14/opinion/china-challenges-one-child-brooks/
 
That is a scary statistic, it sound's like a time bomb to me.

There is a documentary discussing how that problem has already lead to a lot of girl kidnapping in the rural areas of China. The privileged are already looking outside of China for brides and this will only increase as the single, financially secure male population increases.

Great news for American girls who can not get jobs here.
 
 
Who would choose a poorly educated Latvian village girl as a mail order bride, when they can get an American girl with a PhD in ethnic studies from Swarthmore. 
 
We may have finally found our export niche.

This thread has gone from being about a $149 Chinese guitar to the international slave trade in 26 posts. Surely there must be some award? 

ampfixer
This thread has gone from being about a $149 Chinese guitar to the international slave trade in 26 posts. Surely there must be some award? 

Only in the CH..
 
and who says are we do here is buffoonery and monkeyshines???