whats in a name

[billkilpatrick]

other than rumor, how can one find out who - ultimately - makes the instruments we buy?

for example, in germany there's an electric mandolin called a "harley benson" on offer that looks remarkably like the crafter i just bought. it costs about half what i paid.

is there a master list of manfacturers somewhere?

- bill

[mrmando]

Three words: Republic of Korea.

The object known to you as a "Crafter" is sold under some half-a-dozen different brand names. Muhahahaha...

[billkilpatrick]

ayeeeeeeeee ...

ok, that's out of the way ... now, where do you get this info?

- bill

(nice site - is that you in the chips uniform?)

[mrmando]

ok, that's out of the way ... now, where do you get this info?
(nice site - is that you in the chips uniform?)
No, that's Nash the Slash. I'm the guy dressed like Tony Soprano playing the National Silvo (search on "Stillion").

As to where I get the information ... just search eBay for "elec* mando*" every day for eight years, and you'll know everything I know. Crafters are sold under the Tyler Mountain and Dillion brand names, for starters, and I think there are others I can't recall just now.

[mandroid]

Visit Korea with a good wad, and they'll put YOUR name on a batch.

[Dolamon]

Rumor's, Tips of the iceberg etc ... The Korean connection is / has expanded into China and Indonesia to a large degree and the trail is really clouded. In the most recent iteration Samick (http://www.samickmusic.com/)is really obscuring the issue on their involvement in string instrument manufacture. In previous versions 'some' of the instruments you asked about were listed.

It seems you need to watch this website almost weekly. (As if you don't have enough to do.) Crafter is generally listed on the Hohner web site ... which of course is the German / Korean Connection. Hohner - (http://www.hohnerusa.com/index.htm) Go to fretted instruments / guitars or banjos and scroll down. Then go to the custom imprinted page and see what they will 'build' for you ... A lot of incest and inbreeding in this herd.