Henry says ukes will save Gibson- They really need an L5s and marketing 101

Re: Henry says ukes will save Gibson- They really need an L5s and marketing 101

Chistopher said:
Come to think of it, I actually have heard some women complain about guitars seemingly designed for men.
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That is one whining, stupid, chauvinistic article!!!seen Bonnie Raitt in concert several times (mostly plays a strat)...5' 4" and well endowed...she can play circles around most male guitar players and do it for hours...for example...
 
Re: Henry says ukes will save Gibson- They really need an L5s and marketing 101

Ever wonder how much BC Rich pays out if you get a popped breast implant?
 
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Re: Henry says ukes will save Gibson- They really need an L5s and marketing 101

Cynical said:
Am I the only person who spent that whole article thinking "has she really never picked up a Rhoads V?"
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My first thought was get an Explorer, but similar principle.
 
Re: Henry says ukes will save Gibson- They really need an L5s and marketing 101

justFred said:
That is one whining, stupid, chauvinistic article!!!seen Bonnie Raitt in concert several times (mostly plays a strat)...5' 4" and well endowed...she can play circles around most male guitar players and do it for hours...for example...
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Im not accusing anyone, but there's an evil form of marketing that I call "Black Hat" marketing (think cowboy movies)...

One of the evils of BH marketing is creating a need that doesn't really exist, so the BH company can meet that need... $300 sneakers, $500 blenders that are called juicers... Creating false demand increases consumerism without adding value and its a real 1st world problem because 'ordinary' prouduct prices also rise... Ie they're getting $300 for shoes similar to the ones I sell for $30... I might as well charge $60.

I'm certainly not saying that the "we need a different shape guitar" market is BH... Ive played the St. Vincent and its a great guitar for the $.

But the good thing about White Hat marketing is that it usually wins in the end... The $300 sneakers fail in recession/depressions- so if Female markets need different products, White Hat is likely to fill the void over time...

If you're interested in learning more, there's a short, interesting article here

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ashley-madison-grooveshark-black-hat-leads-eye-michael-stierhoff/

Stierhoff- Black Hat article.JPG
 
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Henry says quality problems are 'Fake News" and they are growing fast...

Henry says quality problems are 'Fake News" and they are growing fast...

Gibson CEO Henry Juszkiewicz recently sat down for an interview with our friends at Guitarist Magazine. During the conversation—which covered everything from the company's recent bankruptcy filing, to its new models, technology and pricing, to Juszkiewicz' own future with the company—Juszkiewicz sounded off on accusations that the guitar giant's quality control has declined in recent years.

“Well, to quote some politicians, I would say that’s ‘fake news,’" Juszkiewicz said.

"It’s easy for people to troll on the internet, but you’re in the media and I think you’re probably more aware than most folks about the negativity that exists and, sometimes, the lack of truth in that negativity.”

Juszkiewicz detailed the company's 24/7 customer services, and said that less than seven percent of calls the company receives are regarding an issue with a guitar.

"Our quality today is better than it’s ever been, which is not to say that we’re perfect."

“The second thing I would say is our sales are increasing; we are growing much faster than the industry is growing, and so that would be a good indicator that there are maybe a few satisfied people. So if we really made junk, then people wouldn’t buy it, especially at the price that we charge.”

https://www.guitarworld.com/news/henry-juszkiewicz-gibson-qualitycontrol-accusations-fake-news
 
Re: Henry says ukes will save Gibson- They really need an L5s and marketing 101

how does increasing sales + high quality (low return rate) = bankruptcy?
 
Re: Henry says ukes will save Gibson- They really need an L5s and marketing 101

justFred said:
how does increasing sales + high quality (low return rate) = bankruptcy?
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;)
Henry has always claimed (and may believe) that Gibson has a healthy business model that become slogged down in debt because of acquisitions- he claims quality has never been low, ignores the dealers that got left behind, etc...

In a very narrow way he has a point- if the guitar business was standalone it would probably be profitable... that's one of the reason's its worth rehabilitating the company-

However, he's missing the bigger picture (or spinning the story to make himself look better)-

1. The acquisitions were totally mishandled and may be so hard to sell that they have to go at fire sale rates and if they can't cover the debt they are in big trouble.

2. The competition has had a field day- look at all of the Gibson-like or better than Gibson products that have filled in the gaps.

And this is directly connected to dealer issue- the competition now has a lot more space on the walls and many players are growing up never touching an actual Gibson.

In the articles we cover the fact that it is possible that Gibson could possibly survive if they simply dis-invest-

However, to rebuild the brand and grow, they will have to address quality, competitive value points (quality at a given price).

I'm pulling for a totally rehabilitated Gibson, its one of the reasons it's been worth writing a 'to do' list- otherwise they will just float around until Asian deep pockets grab em.
 
Re: Henry says ukes will save Gibson- They really need an L5s and marketing 101

My guess is that sales increases are propped up by lower cost faded, worn, J, special T products(same materials, hardware and electronics as high priced guitars)...these are diluting their mix and competing against their own products...~$700 for these flavor LP and SG made in USA...they may be losing money on these models...I don't think currently Gibson as a stand alone could stand alone....
 
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Re: Henry says ukes will save Gibson- They really need an L5s and marketing 101

He's says quality is "better" but doesn't say by how much, or how it relates to the rest of the industry. He says sales are increasing but doesn't say by how much. Ever read that book "how to lie with statistics"?
 
Re: Henry says ukes will save Gibson- They really need an L5s and marketing 101

;)



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Re: Henry says ukes will save Gibson- They really need an L5s and marketing 101

Gibson "sales" being up is meaningless because of the minimum buys they force on their dealers.
 
Re: Henry says ukes will save Gibson- They really need an L5s and marketing 101

justFred said:
My guess is that sales increases are propped up by lower cost faded, worn, J, special T products(same materials, hardware and electronics as high priced guitars)...these are diluting their mix and competing against their own products...~$700 for these flavor LP and SG made in USA...they may be losing money on these models...I don't think currently Gibson as a stand alone could stand alone....
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It's almost certain that Epi is cannibalizing Gibson... Lower costs and better values.

Considering the lack of data and poor management accross the organiz.comation, you may also be right with Gibson on Gibson canabolisim.

Krk must be digging into numbers will be interesting to see what they do. Private orgs can play with numbers, but ultimately G has to be profitable or they will be sold...

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Re: Henry says ukes will save Gibson- They really need an L5s and marketing 101

I find the whole interest in Gibson's finances strange. I have no idea if ESP is doing well, or if Ibanez has had three bad quarters.

I do like Gibson guitars. I also like guitars from other manufacturers. I wouldn't want to see any of them go under, a) as a consumer, as I don't want my choices limited; and b) because people make their livings working for these companies.

Gibson attracts a weird love/hate thing.

BTW, my 1992 Gibson Lucille is probably the best guitar I've ever played bar none. That was made during Henry's tenure.
 
Re: Henry says ukes will save Gibson- They really need an L5s and marketing 101

Hasn't the head of Epiphone recently 'retired' (or made to retire)? Gibson owns Steinberger, yet the last few years when other companies crank out high-end headless guitars, Steinberger 'comes back' after a dormant 5 years with $300 imports made from maple, with none of the innovations that built the company to begin with (and would put their guitars far ahead of the competition, even today). Yeah, there is some mismanagement going on there.
 
Re: Henry says ukes will save Gibson- They really need an L5s and marketing 101

voggin said:
I do like Gibson guitars. I also like guitars from other manufacturers. I wouldn't want to see any of them go under, a) as a consumer, as I don't want my choices limited; and b) because people make their livings working for these companies....

BTW, my 1992 Gibson Lucille is probably the best guitar I've ever played bar none. That was made during Henry's tenure.
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Voggin, you bring up 2 important points..

1. If Gibson was operating well, they help keep the competitive eco system healthy, which is usually good for consumers, employes and ultimately the industry.

2. Yes they have made, and still make, wonderful instruments. However the good get lost in the bad... Here's a relevant section from Part III...

"When you think about it, this lack of process impedes Gibson’s ability to compete and hurts Gibson’s ‘good’ products as well. When the "I left Gibson for other brands" segments leave, it’s understandable if they throw the baby out with the bathwater.

They cathartically chat through their frustrations, they explain their attraction to alternative brands and ultimately increase visibility for Gibson’s competition.

And Gibson’s high quality, reasonably priced instruments get stuck in the noise floor.



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Re: Henry says ukes will save Gibson- They really need an L5s and marketing 101

Mincer said:
Hasn't the head of Epiphone recently 'retired' (or made to retire)? Gibson owns Steinberger, yet the last few years when other companies crank out high-end headless guitars, Steinberger 'comes back' after a dormant 5 years with $300 imports made from maple, with none of the innovations that built the company to begin with (and would put their guitars far ahead of the competition, even today). Yeah, there is some mismanagement going on there.
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Yep, Rosenberg retired last month... Good spin from Epi here... http://www.epiphone.com/News/Features/News/2018/Thanks,-Jim-Rosenberg!.aspx

Imho, Epi is one of Gibsons best cards...they can be a great standalone and G could make them soup to nuts mass production...

They have wonderful designs of their own and their LPs are as good as many Gibsons. If Epi had more autonomy, Gibson could focus on high quality on the high end and good income across all lines could lead to more competitive pricing...

But the Steinberg side is really sad... Reminds me of the cakewalk debacle... Running a perfectly good (legacy) product into the ground isn't good for anyone.

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Re: Henry says ukes will save Gibson- They really need an L5s and marketing 101

That's a great article, Bob!
 
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