Even when Elliot was around, they had trouble keeping endorsers. The ones they had were all from 80s 2nd and 3rd tier bands. Everything was all metal, all the time. And some of the shapes are just terrible.
Maybe if they got someone to design their guitars other than medieval weapons of torture experts they'd have more appeal to non-Viking guitarists.
Larry
Well, it is fine to have those shapes, but that will only appeal to certain players. No one is gonna do a wedding or church gig with a blood stained V.
I would disagree a little bit. It would depend on the wedding and the church.
Everything was all metal, all the time.
Not quite.... The Palomino was essentially an ES-175. They've had other stuff that was distinctly not metal.
But they have strived since the early Dean girls days to be outrageous and bleeding edge, as it were.
They need a market advisor like you, Dave... just to temper the foolishness.
I have this weird theory that Hendrix would still be alive if he'd had ONE honest friend who told him, "You're NOT a god, Jimi".
My guess would be the banks take ownership of the companies and brand and sell it to an investment company, unless an actual manufacturing buyer wants to take it over/merge. Would be ironic if Gibson ended up with the brand and just kept selling the same shapes.