Tech 21 Gear still Made in the USA!

[joecool85]

Wow, how did I miss this?  It appears that Tech 21 gear is still all designed and manufactured in the USA.  I might need to take a look at the Trademark 30 and 60 amps...

[sewage666]

Is it really? Not to be a naysayer, but EHX makes that same claim. Truth be told, a lot if not all their circuit boards are populated overseas, with just the final box assembly occuring stateside. I imagine that's common practice.

[joecool85]

Is it really? Not to be a naysayer, but EHX makes that same claim. Truth be told, a lot if not all their circuit boards are populated overseas, with just the final box assembly occuring stateside. I imagine that's common practice.

Judging by speaking with Lloyd over there as well as the information on their website and videos documenting it all, I think there production is all done here.  That said, I would imagine many of their parts are manufactured overseas.

**edit**
I haven't watched them but here are links to videos (at the bottom) of factory tours:

http://www.tech21nyc.com/videos/index.html

[sewage666]

I'm sure the parts are from overseas... Does any US company make transistors anymore? I just think slapping some knobs on a pedal and calling it "made in the USA" is a stretch. Better than not, though, I guess.

Thanks for the link to the videos! I'll check it out.

[joecool85]

I'm sure the parts are from overseas... Does any US company make transistors anymore? I just think slapping some knobs on a pedal and calling it "made in the USA" is a stretch. Better than not, though, I guess.

Thanks for the link to the videos! I'll check it out.

The good news is that you can't legally label anything Made in the USA unless a certain percentage of the components (I believe 70% but I'd have to look it up) is sourced locally as well as the labor.  Otherwise it would be "Assembled in the USA" or "Assembled in the USA of Imported and Domestic Goods".

[joecool85]

I watched all the videos and it definitely looks like all of their products are 100% Made in the USA  :dbtu:

Only thing is some components (ICs, transistors) are made overseas.  But all chassis components, PCBs, assembly and all that are done here as well as the design and testing.

[spud]

I watched a bunch but not all.  That one interviewer irritated the $h!# out of me and I had to bail - the real trendy looking bonehead that was full of himself.  Albeit, the other one was also a pain but less so. 

Overall, I think they are doing what they can considering that they source what is possible (and actually better) in the US.  I'm not any kind of ultra-patriotic type and my view is that if you can get it here and it's better or the same as made overseas, do it and he seems to take that attitude.  Obviously, why build something inferior wherever you source it.  Just doesn't make sense.  One this that hard to believe is how much he charged for his first units - of course they were all "hand made" (by him) but $300.00 in that day was pretty high and would be at least equivalent to $600.- or more today.  That is insane but that's I guess it really did something unique.  The classic still goes for $289.- on their site but think about it considering the power of volume production and sales and the rationalization of the manufacturing process.

I've been considering building the TondPad version of the GT2:

Project page:

http://tonepad.com/project.asp?id=22

and the project PDF:

http://tonepad.com/getFile.asp?id=112

Jim