Gibson Last straw...

[Uk Ant]

Re: Gibson Last straw...

That's why I own Tokai's

And don't talk to me about the price of gas, petrol is about £5 ($10) a gallon over here.

[LtKojak]

Re: Gibson Last straw...

Im looking at a car magazine today and see a pic of an old Explorer (with bigsby, yuck)... The ad talks about how a guy bought this for his son for $247.50 (something like that) way back when and just auctioned it off for $611,000.

I'd like to know what the heck Gibson's gotta do with the auction price...

You can have an excellent CS Gibson instrument for less than a three grand. Most private Luthiers will charge you about that much for a Custom instrument.

The only reason I can think of ranting like this is that wasn't YOU the one that got rich for selling a rare vintage instrument.

In my case, I'm proud of modding cheap but good instruments and getting'em to sound great, and in some cases even bring'em to the same league of CS instruments.

Pepe aka Lt. Kojak
Milano, Italy

[KeeperOS]

Re: Gibson Last straw...

Whine and moan as much as you want about Gibson, but when you play one that fits, there's not much out there that can top it.

Erm, I beg to differ...

Case no.1:

(picture needs replacing but just when everything was done I broke the tone pot's ears while trying to install a new knob )
2000 Fender MiM Std Strat, paid 150.000 drx (about 440€) for it and over the years about 450 more in upgrades (not counting tech fees). Right now all it needs is the in-the-works SDUGF P-90-in-a-Strat at its' neck and it's gonna be perfect. No compromise, and all that for under a grand.
The ultimate blues/rock machine, everything perfect (for me).

Case no.2

(now this photo might not be very good but at least it's the latest it could be, it has the floyd I am going to install tomorrow)
Bought a couple of months ago for a mere 300€, just a couple of days ago I spent 380€ for a complete electronics overhaul using only the BEST I could get my hands on and tomorrow I'll spend 160€ more for the black Gotoh and maybe another 80€ for new tuners.
For a total of 920€ (again less than a grand) I will have (always IMO) the ultimate, perfect shred/metal axe. Again, exactly what I want/how I want it. No compromise!

My point of course is that your statement would be right if you replaced "one" (as in Gibson) with "the one guitar":

"when you play the one guitar that fits, there's not much out there that can top it."

That can be ANY guitar from ANY manufacturer and at ANY price point.
Thing is only Gibson cashes out those "maybes" in advance...

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Gibson Last straw...

Here´s how it´s always worked...

Gibson sells to rich guy who wants to be a musician. After it collects dust, he sells to buy Harley.

Musician buys for half price from rich guy, and then makes music with high quality guitar.

[DonP]

Re: Gibson Last straw...

The only reason I can think of ranting like this is that wasn't YOU the one that got rich for selling a rare vintage instrument.

+1 - sour grapes.

If you can't afford it, don't buy it. It's that simple. If people didn't buy, Gibson wouldn't sell, and they'd be out of business. Obviously they know what they are doing.

[KeeperOS]

Re: Gibson Last straw...

If you can't afford it, don't buy it. It's that simple. If people didn't buy, Gibson wouldn't sell, and they'd be out of business. Obviously they know what they are doing.

Forgive me if I don't confuse "good business" with "honest business"...

[Benjy_26]

Re: Gibson Last straw...

How much more honest can they be?

Seriously, if people don't want to buy a Gibson, they don't have to. This day and age, you can walk into any well stocked music store and have at least 5 different brands to choose from. People buy Gibsons because they can afford them and because to them those guitars are worth it.

As far as my previous comment, I stand by it. Hate on Gibson all you want, but when you play that LP/SG/335/Byrdland/ that clicks with you, you'll not think of other guitars the same way.

Let me put it this way: Even though Gibson has taken a beating in QC lately and people are dissilusioned with them, they're still the standard, the measuring stick. Whenever ANYONE releases a set neck, mahogany, twin 'bucker axe, they're guaged by whether or not they're better or worse than a GIBSON Les Paul.

Not PRS. Not Hamer. Not Carvin. Not Fender or Schecter.

[BloodRose]

Re: Gibson Last straw...

I'd like to know what the heck Gibson's gotta do with the auction price...

My point is that this seems like a greed ad.

You can have an excellent CS Gibson instrument for less than a three grand. Most private Luthiers will charge you about that much for a Custom instrument.

Yeah, Id rather have a Jet or something.

The only reason I can think of ranting like this is that wasn't YOU the one that got rich for selling a rare vintage instrument.

Id have been thrilled if it were me... I dont have that kinda luck..


In my case, I'm proud of modding cheap but good instruments and getting'em to sound great, and in some cases even bring'em to the same league of CS instruments.

I do the same bro.. I have a Squier strat that a bud of mine who paid $1200 for a custom Fender back in the day, wanted to trade me cuz mine smoked his.
I have abunch of great playing axes with less invested than ONE of these Custom Shop gibsons
Pepe aka Lt. Kojak
Milano, Italy

KHerman,
True!! to the alternatives! True to the increases. Thats not inflation, thats rape.. You guys seen deliverence??


Yeah, Im man enough to admit that some of it is sour grapes. I ALWAYS dreamed of having a Black LP Custom. For a couple of years they were $1999. Then they went up alittle bit.. THEN.... Gibson decided to call them Custom shop models and CRANKED the price.. They didnt change the way they were made at all. Only the title and the price.

But then, the quality started to fall. Last black custom I played, had a price tag of well over $3000 and it didnt fell or play good..

Again, Im sorry to fan the flames. The can be great and I LOVE LOVE LOVE my explorer.. And my Paul is sweet too.. I just dont like the money hungry attitude..

[JOLLY]

Re: Gibson Last straw...

I don't have a problem with Gibson really. I bought all my Les Pauls used. I bought my SG's and Explorer from Musicians Friend. I bought my ES-135LE and Flying V from some other dealers.....And I just bought one of these new (about 20 minutes ago) for $899.



I've wanted one since they came out as a guitar of the week, but just wasn't up for paying the $1169 for it. I think I got a good deal. If I don't like it I'll send it back, but I know I'll like it.

[KeeperOS]

Re: Gibson Last straw...

How much more honest can they be?

Seriously, if people don't want to buy a Gibson, they don't have to. This day and age, you can walk into any well stocked music store and have at least 5 different brands to choose from. People buy Gibsons because they can afford them and because to them those guitars are worth it.

As far as my previous comment, I stand by it. Hate on Gibson all you want, but when you play that LP/SG/335/Byrdland/ that clicks with you, you'll not think of other guitars the same way.

Let me put it this way: Even though Gibson has taken a beating in QC lately and people are dissilusioned with them, they're still the standard, the measuring stick. Whenever ANYONE releases a set neck, mahogany, twin 'bucker axe, they're guaged by whether or not they're better or worse than a GIBSON Les Paul.

Not PRS. Not Hamer. Not Carvin. Not Fender or Schecter.

Well, sure, just like whenever somebody builds a bolt-on they are gauged according to how better/worse they are to a FENDER Strat/Tele/whatever.

But this is just the simple result of being the first company to introduce that specific product to the public.
But that's IT. Being the first, not the best.
I mean, anyone wanting the best Strat and knows what he's doing would definitely choose a Suhr, Tom Anderson or whatever while if he wanted to have the best Strat designed by Leo he'd buy a G&L.

However the people with the knowhow are the minority.
99.5% of the people that buy guitars STILL think that since Fender and Gibson were the first, they must also be the best, you know, kinda like the OFRs built today MUST be "better" than the Gotohs/Edges of today because, after all, OFR stands for Original Floyd Rose? *sneer*

I stand by my previous comment as well.
If there is one guy that can build something then there are at least another dozen or so fully capable of building it just as good, if not better than him.

[KeeperOS]

Re: Gibson Last straw...

Don't get me wrong, I don't knock those guys who found THEIR one in a Gibson, just saying that it wasn't because it was a Gibson that it was their one, it could have just as easily have been a Tokai, Burny, Orville, Greko, Ibanez, Edwards, ESP, Yamaha, Hamer, Carvin, Warmoth, FREEKIN' Michael Kelly.
It doesn't matter, your one, that one GREAT guitar that for a certain reason stood out above all else could have been made by the hands of ANY skilled luthier REGARDLESS WHO HIS EMPLOYER IS.
I mean, is a Gibson built in the Kalamazoo plant better by definition to the ones Heritage builds today? Why? Wasn't it THE VERY SAME PEOPLE that build them both?
And, WHO ARE BUILDING TODAY'S GIBSONS ANYWAY...?

Again, I'm not knocking any individual guitar but there's such a thing as putting TOO much faith on a name on a headstock...

And to clearly answer the question that everyone already knows the answer but keeps beating around the bush:
Why do people STILL buy Gibsons?
BECAUSE THEY'RE RECOGNIZABLE.
The ones that don't know, well, just don't know any better and the ones that DO know know that while their Hamer or Carvin will only lose in value a Gibson will ADD in value, not because they're any better but because they're recognizable (plus, as long as prices keep going up and quality keeps going down its' a sure bet that a Gibson you bought today is gonna be BETTER than a more expensive one built tomorrow, how could it NOT gain in value?)
That's what happens when a music company is ran by lawyers instead of musicians...

[guitfiddle]

Re: Gibson Last straw...

Guitarists have it easy.

You get into good orchestral instruments, and the base level "good" ones are $10,000 and up. The really great ones are anywhere from $20,000 to infinity.

Gibson mandolins costs anywhere from $2,000 to $23,000 depending on the model. The base models of mandolin are just a shade cheaper than the LP Standard, and better models get crazy expensive past the value of any new Les Paul. Same thing for their banjos...anywhere from $2,000 to around $40,000 for the best they make.

Overall, they're (electric guitars) still the cheapest way into music, unless you aspire to the Ukelele.

[AzCat]

Re: Gibson Last straw...

Whenever ANYONE releases a set neck, mahogany, twin 'bucker axe, they're guaged by whether or not they're better or worse than a GIBSON Les Paul.

If that's the case the standard for quality among this sort of guitar is pretty doggone low these days.

[Benjy_26]

Re: Gibson Last straw...

I own a Hamer, own and have owned multiple Carvins, flirted with a couple of Parkers , have plenty of MIA and MIJ Fenders and, until recently, owned a 1996 LP std that was beat to death. I sold it for financial reasons and kept the others. The only guitar that had the same mojo as that LP is my Hamer.

I swore I was never going to buy another high dollar guitar, but I finally broke down and went out and tried every PRS, Musicman, Gibson, MIA Fender, and G&L I could find.

I thought that I had escaped unscathed (my wallet, anyway), and then I played some PRS McRosewoods. They were nice, in an ambivalent way, and absolutely gorgeous. All played great and had good QC, but none knocked my socks off. I then found out that this dealer also carried VOS Lesters. I picked up a Goldtop and a '60 Plaintop. Both had acceptable QC (at least as good as the PRSi), they played a bit more stiffly, and were heavier by a bit, but by God, the tone was there.

Those two LP's made all of the rosewood necked PRSi sound like cheap knock-offs. Nothing in the store could touch those two Gibsons, clean or distorted. Guess what? Both of those LP's undercut the cheapest high zoot PRS by a couple hundred bucks, and you got an axe not totally made by CNC machines and shot in nitro.

Imagine that.

Gibson has turned out it's share of dogs (as has every company), but when they get one right, they knock it out of the park.

Needless to say, I'm in the process of getting me a VOS '60 Plaintop.

[Benjy_26]

Re: Gibson Last straw...

If that's the case the standard for quality among this sort of guitar is pretty doggone low these days.

Every play something from the "Good old days"?

A lot of that stuff would be unacceptable now. My buddy's '57 strat looks cool and sounds great, but it plays like poo, IMHO.

Everyone rags on Gibson for making bad guitars now, but in fact, their QC is better than it used to be. If you ge a chance, take a look at one of their old Norlin era pancake LP's.