Gary, most, but not all...just do a search on the WM website for anchor chains.

[QUOTE=plaineolde;17776]Anyone know if the anchor chain sold by West Marine is ACCO ??? I'm going to upgrade a chain rode; West Marine would be convenient as I won't have to pay shipping, but I don't want an off brand chain. I bought an off brand some years ago (before I knew better) and it lasted one season before turning to a pile of rust flakes. never again.[/QUOTE]

You might want to check with defender if you are on the east coast. The chain price differences are significant from defender to wm. Defender does sell ACCO. I've been eying a pail of 92' @ 5/16" HT from them.:cool:

You might also try Fisheries in Seattle ([url]http://www.fisheriessupply.com[/url](link is external)) -- all orders over $99 ship free, I think this includes chain.

While they sell Acco chain, they sell a non-Acco chain at a substantial discount (less than 1/2 the price of Acco), and my experience with them is that their non-name products stand up at least as well (they have to, as Fisheries has a serious reputation to uphold in terms of the "curation" of the products they sell). Anyway, YMMV.

Does anyone actually make their own stuff over here anymore? I get the sense that most companies have their product made to order in the far east and it shows up with their brand on it, but who knows for sure where it originated? I bought "offshore" 5/16" HT at half the price of the name brand and at year 4 it is holding up well. It spends a lot of time in the water, though it is fresh water. Sadly, the way of the world these days.

Sad indeed. I remember purchasing a certain 'Made in Canada' product which I found out later was manufactured in China and assembled here.... and that was enough to say it was made here. Geeesh! :(

Gary,

How do you tell the difference?

Thanks, Gary. I have two Guilds, a 12 string and a 6 string, does that count? :):):)

Sometimes even that isn't enough -- if you buy from the big box boys, you can get an inferior product, even if the brands model numbers happen to match. There are a lot of well-known, name-brand companies that make a separate set of products for the major chains.

Case in point: I've seen DeWalt tools at Home Depot 30% cheaper than identically-modeled DeWalt tools sold by Grainger and others. But they also fail a lot more often. When I spent a lot of time working with power tools (I worked in a construction woodshop during college), we took apart a few of them and found out why -- visibly cheaper brushes and other internal parts.

[quote=plaineolde;17797]Well even worse; counterfeit products. I'm a guitar player; I have a 1971 Fender Stratocaster, made in the USA as were
/quote]

In the late 60s I 'played' in a band, I owned in sequence a Telecaster, Stratocaster (I can't abbreviate that to 'Stat', it's an insult) and finally a Les Paul. All bought used. Wonder what they would be worth now?

Short thread highjack......

Guitar player here also - got 5, but mainly just noodle on the acoustics these days. Some of us old boys from the band get together and jam now n then... :cool:

Gibson Epiphone Alleycat; Seagull Artist Cameo, Martin, Tanglewood & Yamaha

What size chain do you use on your E string?

Two Ovations, two Fenders all acoustic electrics. I play with myself, have not gone blind yet. Have not found anyone that drinks enough to make me sound good. Just theropy for me.

As for production guitars my view is changing. There are some very nice guitars made off shore. Japanese in the 70's where great, Korea has many good facilities, China very hit and miss. When I consider the type of production workers available in Southern California, Tennessee and Montana a guy in Korea trying to support his family as opposed to a drug habit may not be that bad.

Chain may not be much different, the larger factor is how cheap the company wants to make the product.

Are we back on track or is this just Chain Mail personified.

Are we back on track now or is this chain mail personified.

This is beginning to sound like the blind leading the blind, assuming you were in a band somewhere after 1959 and play solo these days. My wife suggested a sound proofed room, but I suggested we get a bigger boat, and look where it got me!

Now Steve's point about offshore guitars is well taken. My folks bought me my first noname (NOT Japanese!) guitar when I was 12 or so, which makes this puppy goin' onto over half a century old! It looks it, and sounds it, and my son, who is a really good guitarist, almost refuses to pick it up. He suggests we simply buy a new one! Geez, these kids and their disposable society.

Actually, spending a few hours in a guitar store shows that even some of the less than $200 guitars these days sound pretty good. I've found the trick is getting the right action and the right neck. My son's bottom-of-the-line old Fender is way cool in that regard. His Scheckter (sp?) has a horrible neck and I can't even play a D chord without having my hand get interfered with by the head. Drats, otherwise a nice guitar.

The answer to Steve's question: 1/4" to 5/16" chain or use the E string to break up some 5200 that has your saloon hatch glued in while it's leaking big time whenever it rains.

Your boat, your choice. :D

Certainly no thread drift here. You [I][U]do[/U][/I] have to have a guitar to buy a C34 or a C36, dontcha? :cool:

Interesting [QUOTE=Steve Frost;17829] When I consider the type of production workers available in Southern California, Tennessee and Montana a guy in Korea trying to support his family as opposed to a drug habit may not be that bad.
[/QUOTE]
Not to mention the fine craftsman in this country who can no longer support their families because their jobs have gone overseas so we can have have cheap merchandise. Didn't realize that they had all turned to drugs...., must be why my McDonald's order keeps getting messed up.

Yup, all us solo guitar players have turned to drugs...:cool:

[QUOTE=stu jackson c34;17843]Yup, all us solo guitar players have turned to drugs...:cool:[/QUOTE]

Playing guitar on my boat is usually my drug of choice! ...

I think the answer was a while back in the thread. The quality assurance is sooo iffy though.
Bought G40 5/16 off my chandler last year. This year bought 75' more (to bring it up to 200') and the new length (from same barrels he had last year, but maybe different batch?); seems to have a white chalky look to it after being in the water once and already one link with a small hint of rust.

Frustrating