Your top 5 guitar companies for quality

[yngzaklynch]

EBMM make great guitars imho.

 

[Code001]

Yep, sorry about the customer service thingy.

I don't know if a company should warranty a knife edge or not. I know a guy who is constantly wearing out knife edges due to the fact that he is constantly using the bar. I am the opposite and my tremolos last me forever.

For the money I still think EBMM builds some quality instruments.
I once went to out shopping for an Anderson or a Suhr and after a few hours of test driving, I came home empty handed. I couldn't justify spending over a grand more on a guitar that really didn't do anything my EBMM can't do.

EBMM BFRs and Andersons/Suhrs are comparable in price.

Edit: Regarding what Anderson would have done in the baseplate situation - His customer service is seriously some of the best I've ever come across. I'm sure he would have worked something out that you could both agree with.

 

[RSRD]

Suhr, Fractal, Anderson, Grosh, Forshage

Starting to really dig Forshage sinced you turned me on to them. Thanks man!

 

[kiddjazz]

Skermetta
Tyler
Bernie Rico
Anderson
Luxxtone

 

[jlb32]

IMO it's all about what you like and what you've had success with. Most here would never consider putting Gibson or Fender on a highest quality list but personally I've never owned a bad one.

Customer service is usually better with the smaller reputable shops but that's kind of the same with most things, not just guitars.

 

[Gainiac]

The EBMM rep up here in Ontario Canada has been very helpful to me. Anyhow, I believe we are talking about guitar quality and not customer service/management quality.

OP asked for build quality and customer service.

Like I mentioned in another thread.... I love my EBMM JP6 BFR. It just feels, plays, sounds and looks great. BUT if I dive bomb the trem it isn't smooth at the bottom. I called EBMM and dude said the two studs the knife edge rests on are probably getting grooves in them. It still plays fine. Stays in tune fine. Not an expsensive fix. I mentioned that my guitar was bought new roughly a year and a half ago thinking they should cover everything. They didn't see it that way. Wonder what Anderson, Suhr, or Charvel
would have done??

Jim

James!
I dealt with all 3 companies EXTENSIVELY for customer service issues over respective YEARS of work with those3 (and a number of other companies who SUKD) and this I can tell you from MY EXPERIENCE

Anderson and Charvel Custom Shop wouldnt install ANYTHING LESS then a USA Floyd, unless the customer requested otherwise (and theyd wisely prolly try and talk you out of it) and BOTH of those cust. svc reps as well as the guys at Suhr (although they're dealing with a diffent trem system and I'm guessing unlike Charvel who is married to fender who owns Floyd and got tired of paying for the bridge) ALL would custom order whatever bridge you wanted and ALL would deal with a Bridge issue IMMEDIATELY, you'd most likely be responsible for shipping the guitar back to their respective shops (IF you purchased thru a dealer and not direct, might be a different reality) so their in house reps could have a look and to determine how an improperly working system got past QC. All 3 companies (again, in my experience) take their instruments AND customers very seriously. Now Idk what you'd get from EB, but I've had all 3 companies jump thru hoops for customers in the past. And again, thats MY experience working retail and having great realationships with them, other retailers may have enjoyed a different experience altogether....

H

 

[Gainiac]

OH yeah... So, point is,

I like Anderson, Charvel CS, and Suhr. Lots.

And Dean, well, I dont think theyre focused on trying to do the same things that those other guys are.
And thats prolly the best way I'd explain it amongst other fish in the water...

 

[Gainiac]

I stepped away from the page for a minute an thought better about that, I tend not to like to step on any particular product cause I've been on both sides of production and dont always know what it's like from all sides of an owners equation, but, since I have no longer have an iron in the fire, I feel compelled to say this about Dean...

I think since most of their production pieces are from overseas, their Cust svc. reps hands' are tied on what they can and cannot do for repair/replacement and I think that BLOWS for the reps as well as the customers.

I think their difference between USA and, REAL, TRUE, SERIOUSLY HAND MADE USA is something to look at, and I think all of their real USA Custom Shop stuff, is really AMAZING (few of you have ever even HELD one and thats JUST WRONG ) and right up there with the other companies I was discussing previously, but I think with the INSANE cost for these instruments the average consumer will almost NEVER get the chance to Play one, ( in fact, I personally think its EASIER to go out and play and get signed to a deal with Dean as a player for a custom build than it is to actually play a "low production number, one off, one of a kind, 'but available at your local retailer' custom shop instrument", but thats just MHO... ) and that says to me somethings wrong there. THEN AGAIN, THATS JUST MY EXPERIENCE, and I've been out of it for 2 years, so maybe others can speak to tremendous changes over there... Regardless, I still want a 'custom one off one of a kind with a floyd rose special wood hand made' ML......