Yet Another Yunzhi Process

[mr. beaumont]

Jeff, when did you get the Squier? Is it the J Mascis version with the chunkier neck?

Side dots misaligned, surely that's a sign of being hand made or that the CNC operator has a squint!

it's the regular vm squier...its great...got it as a tele backup for my recent stretch of "being luther perkins" gigs. I'm gonna put a fatass warmoth neck on it just like my tele, but even the stock neck is nice, very "60's fender."

back to this topic, i'm just saying, if you want a handbuilt guitar for a grand and you want complete cosmetic perfection you're asking an awful lot.

[Skip Ellis]

The dots on my $300 Squier jazzmaster are perfectly aligned.

Just for perspective. Maybe sometimes a little computer controlled machine in the process ain't such a bad thing.

Well said, Mr. B !!

[BigMikeinNJ]

There's not a darn thing "wrong" at all. It's part of Skips criteria for what he will accept. I sorta scratched my head saying WHAT ???? the first time I saw that. I mean, really ?!?!?

Just trying to understand : what's wrong with these dots ?

[Skip Ellis]

There's not a darn thing "wrong" at all. It's part of Skips criteria for what he will accept. I sorta scratched my head saying WHAT ???? the first time I saw that. I mean, really ?!?!?

You must have unlimited funds to throw away on inferior workmanship, but that's OK if you're satisfied with it. I, personally, am not in a financial position to settle for less than getting fair value for what I spend - my money does not come that easy. And furthermore, if I tried to play that guitar, those dots would be so distracting, I'd probably forget what song I was playing. I can deal with slightly 'off' but what you posted of the 'work in progress', to me, was just poor workmanship. I will say that the backstrap looked well done.

[BigMikeinNJ]

You talking to me Skip ?? I'm retired and live on a fixed income, I'm legally blind, have a slurry of other medical issues and really don't have the money to throw around you mentioned.

I bought my Yunzhi YZ23 as it was called 3 1/2 years ago for $1100.00 shipped EMS. I had it worked over this year - got a new pick guard, got the neck recarved and refinished, got a Bartolini 5J floater installed and had Schatten hidden volume and tone pots put in. Back while I was waiting for the YZ23 to arrive I scored a Eastman AR880 in blonde for a great price. So for about 2 years I had both the Yunzhi and the Eastman to compare. The only difference is the Yunzhi came with a floating pickup, not a set into the top like the Eastman. If you notice they're sided by side in my avatar... I sold the Eastman to a broker buddy, bought it back from him and sold it to him again. Now that the Yunzhi is all tweaked it's my main guitar. Total invested spread out over 3 1/2 years only $1600.00.

I'm not sure what you're looking for in an arch top but good luck finding it...

[Spook410]

If they can't get something as simple and noticeable as side dots correct, what about the rest of the instrument? This would be a deal killer for me. Price of the instrument is immaterial - there is no excuse for shoddy workmanship at any level if they expect to remain in business. You'll never find this kind of crappy work on an American luthier made instrument. But, I guess you get what you pay for. I'm also suspect of the quality of the woods used in these guitars - source, processing, drying, etc. Is the workplace humidity controlled? Type of glues used? I just don't trust the Chicom on any level.

Then don't buy one. Honestly, we don't care. If you don't want or need a hand carved instrument, you don't care about solid high end woods, you don't want to specify the finish, nut width, inlays, etc, and you don't care how the guitar sounds compared to any other guitar made this way regardless of price but still only cost a grand, suit yourself. Also if you don't trust all the recordings or the reports from honest, reasonably well informed individuals over several years that have poured in from those who have bought them, that's fine. Really.

The alignment of hand done fret markers are what matters and makes the price of the instrument immaterial for you, that's just the kind of guitar guy you are and you should run with it.

[Skip Ellis]

Then don't buy one. Honestly, we don't care. If you don't want or need a hand carved instrument, you don't care about solid high end woods, you don't want to specify the finish, nut width, inlays, etc, and you don't care how the guitar sounds compared to any other guitar made this way regardless of price but still only cost a grand, suit yourself. Also if you don't trust all the recordings or the reports from honest, reasonably well informed individuals over several years that have poured in from those who have bought them, that's fine. Really.

The alignment of hand done fret markers are what matters and makes the price of the instrument immaterial for you, that's just the kind of guitar guy you are and you should run with it.

I certainly don't intend to.

[gcb]

Hi Xuoham,

From your pics I notice that fingerboard #2 has a slope from fret 12 to the end that fingerboard #1 hasn't.

I like that.



,

[2bornot2bop]

I certainly don't intend to.

Still scratching my head why anyone would hold Yunzhi archtops to the standard of an American built archtop...you lost me at that point.

Ever heard the old saying, 'if you can't say something good about a guitar, don't say anything at all?'