Had Gibson and a Martin both from China both really cool The Gibson was a 335 style in cherry red lots of flame gold hardware block inlays played great with good sounding pu's if your into this type of electric buy one lable as Gibson on the headstock.The Martin also labled as one Its an OM28 came with bone saddle and nut sounded like a Martin just need the action lowered,again if your into this stuff get one both bought for under $500.
https://www.hsienmoguitars.com/
^^^ I've been following these online for a while (have never seen one in person). Lots of cool stuff. Some are direct ripoff designs which is questionable ethically. You can't even mention this brand on the AGF (it's a banned topic) without people's hair catching on fire. I get it. Still some cool guitars though.
Quote from: Silence Dogood on March 09, 2026, 11:11:11 AMhttps://www.hsienmoguitars.com/
^^^ I've been following these online for a while (have never seen one in person). Lots of cool stuff. Some are direct ripoff designs which is questionable ethically. You can't even mention this brand on the AGF (it's a banned topic) without people's hair catching on fire. I get it. Still some cool guitars though.
I watched a video last week of some guy who took one of these Hsienmo instruments to a couple of respected repair people. He covered the headstock and took out the label and asked for an evaluation. Both luthiers gave the instruments high marks and when asked what they thought it was worth, both quoted a much higher figure than the actual cost. I don't know what the resale value is on these instruments since they don't cost much to begin with, but for me, I have become used to a certain sound and neck feel. Even that Martin DSDS-17 I bought last year, a very good instrument but it just doesn't have the sound of my Larrivee's. So that Martin will be going but not the Larrivee's.
Quote from: Silence Dogood on March 09, 2026, 11:11:11 AMYou can't even mention this brand on the AGF (it's a banned topic) without people's hair catching on fire.
Really? Yikes I missed that.
I took a look at the website and the prices raised my eyebrows a bit considering that the cost of living in China is about 25% of the USA. That means they're charging $5 grand for a "handmade" guitar with a bolt on neck. Nah . . .
That said, its about time us folks recognize that the secret to making a nice sounding guitar has been out for a few decades. There's no logical reason to look down on Asian built guitars except for the fact they build to whatever specs they're given so if they're told to make them cheap they can, but they're perfectly able to make them to the same quality specs as USA builders.
I say this after almost buying a used Fender Paramount several years ago, having seen one at Sam Ash (RIP). If it was a 12 fret I'd be looking at it right now in my study . . .
The reason the name is banned from AGF, as I understand it, is that there's suspicion people were paid to shill for them. I don't have any first hand knowledge of the situation. I just recall this coming up and the evidence seems to be out there.
I've not been particularly impressed by Chinese guitars, even at their respective price ranges. But, I can say that about a few US makers as well. Thankfully, we're spoiled for choice and everyone is free to spend as they wish.
Quote from: B0WIE on March 09, 2026, 06:34:46 PMThe reason the name is banned from AGF, as I understand it, is that there's suspicion people were paid to shill for them. I don't have any first hand knowledge of the situation. I just recall this coming up and the evidence seems to be out there.
That makes more sense.
Quote from: B0WIE on March 09, 2026, 06:34:46 PMThe reason the name is banned from AGF, as I understand it, is that there's suspicion people were paid to shill for them. I don't have any first hand knowledge of the situation. I just recall this coming up and the evidence seems to be out there.
Ah, the "shill" part rings a bell, I may have seen that, thx.
The Martin came with a bone nut and saddle,the tuners will need to be repleced at some point they're Waverly copies.
Deleted.
Quote from: _7NationArmy_ on March 12, 2026, 09:31:59 PMDeleted.
Dang. I read your post last night before turning in and was going to respond today. I found it thoughtful and interesting, and it's too bad you deleted it. Stick around. This is a cool place. And... buy a Larrivee. Everyone needs one.
:humour:
Anyway, I think some of these Hsienmo guitars are cool. I'm on their mailing list and enjoy seeing what they're putting out. I get the outrage from some at the AGF over the direct rip-off designs, but I personally don't care that much. It is what it is. Buy one if you want one; if not, don't. Simple. I'm getting too old to fight wars no one even knows about and that make no difference.
Quote from: Silence Dogood on March 13, 2026, 10:28:45 AMDang. I read your post last night before turning in and was going to respond today. I found it thoughtful and interesting, and it's too bad you deleted it. Stick around. This is a cool place. And... buy a Larrivee. Everyone needs one.
:humour:
Anyway, I think some of these Hsienmo guitars are cool. I'm on their mailing list and enjoy seeing what they're putting out. I get the outrage from some at the AGF over the direct rip-off designs, but I personally don't care that much. It is what it is. Buy one if you want one; if not, don't. Simple. I'm getting too old to fight wars no one even knows about and that make no difference.
In fairness to them, I had removed part of the post as it was bordering on the kind of thing that may have gotten this topic banned from AGF. Most of the positive things about the guitars were left intact so I'm not sure why they deleted.
It's just odd that the company has been accused of shilling and then someone with no interest in Larrivee guitars randomly sniffs out a post on the Larrivee forum within a couple days and posts a defensive reply. That kind of thing happens when search engine triggers are in place. I won't accuse anything at this point but, if the intent was to ease concerns about shilling, it certainly failed at that.
I've been playing and working on guitars for almost 60 years and find al this stupity funny there just guitars.I don't care were its made if its a good guitar and it sounds good and plays good who cares if its $200 or $19k.So play on.
Chinese knockoffs!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DU0wnQCz0Hg
I would never work on, play or represent as original any counterfeit product. IMO, they should all be destroyed on sight.
Some folks see no harm, but I know some uneducated consumers are paying way more than those guitars are worth (sometimes from unscrupulous resellers) and not realizing they have been duped.
I would never want a counterfeit guitar: i.e., a guitar with "Martin," et al on the headstock when it's not a Martin. Some of the ones Hsienmo makes (e.g., the ones that look just like a Lowden but don't have "Lowden" on the headstock) are questionable ethically from a certain viewpoint (I'm sure very questionable from Lowden), but at least they aren't trying to sell them as the real thing to the unsuspecting public. But, really, I'd rather have my Larrivee than anything else.
Quote from: B0WIE on March 13, 2026, 01:44:34 PMIn fairness to them, I had removed part of the post as it was bordering on the kind of thing that may have gotten this topic banned from AGF. Most of the positive things about the guitars were left intact so I'm not sure why they deleted.
It's just odd that the company has been accused of shilling and then someone with no interest in Larrivee guitars randomly sniffs out a post on the Larrivee forum within a couple days and posts a defensive reply. That kind of thing happens when search engine triggers are in place. I won't accuse anything at this point but, if the intent was to ease concerns about shilling, it certainly failed at that.
I'm not interested in posting on a site where the moderator thinks it is acceptable to go into someone's post and modify what they wrote without any prior communication with the poster. That is beyond the pale (and I personally moderate a dozen different internet groups, some with >10,000 members). If a post in unacceptable according to the rules of the site, delete it or ask that it be modified to conform to the rules.
Please delete my account. Goodbye.
I'm out on the entire notion of Chinese counterfeit goods, of any kind. I just find that type of business model to be reprehensible.
That said, my Chinese made Alvarez Guitars, which is an American Company owned by a St. Louis, MO musical instruments company, whose Alvarez President and Studio Engineer are both Brits :humour: , are both very fine $1500 +\- guitars. At this time in my life, I think it highly unlikely I'd ever sell either of them.
How about lawsuites from Japan.I owned a few and some were better then the real thing.
Quote from: unclrob on April 13, 2026, 10:36:35 PMHow about lawsuites from Japan.I owned a few and some were better then the real thing.
Didn't all of those guitars have the actual manufacturer's name on them though? Like Takamine, Morris, etc? That's a different kind of presumed infringement than putting a Martin logo on a chinese guitar from a builder that is unaffiliated with Martin. No?