Well well, Gibson has lowered prices on its 2015 line...

Mr. B

Mr. B

New member
I note that all Gibson 2015 models are significantly lower in price in the new catalogs. The Les Paul Standard is 500 dollars cheaper. Could it be that people aren't clamoring for the "new improved" features like Gibson thought they would? The brass nut that does nothing but save Gibson a lot of labor cutting nuts correctly, the uglier headstock inscription, the nifty hologram sticker, the new pickguard that is now removable (which they have always been), the "training-wheels" string tuning gizmo... I just can't see why people weren't shelling out the thousands of extra dollars required for these "upgraded models".... ;)
 
Re: Well well, Gibson has lowered prices on its 2015 line...

Meh... Gibson can do no right... they try to innovate a little, people bring the hate... they dont change people whine they arent not trying. Unless Gibson starts giving LP's for free people will still jump their nuts no matter what they do.
 
Re: Well well, Gibson has lowered prices on its 2015 line...

Well, there is "trying to please customers" and then there is "doing stupid things no one is asking for and pretending it is what customers want". In all my years discussing Les Pauls with people, I have never heard anyone begging for a brass nut, or hologram sticker, or a tuning system, or hand written logos on the headstock or wider fretboards. If they wanted to TRY these things, they could have included it on a special run model and watched to see if people snatched them up. Including things most people don't want on every model seems like manufacturing suicide to me. The removable pickguard is the only logical move out of the lot if you ask me... which no one did. I'm just ranting.

For instance, I didn't mind that Gibson had to use Baked Maple on its SG's a few years back. I would rather have that than the 2 piece fretboards that they were even using on their historic models at one point. I tried one with baked maple, and it played great and I couldn't tell the difference in tone, BUT they weren't pretending that anyone had asked for that and charging an extra 1300 dollars for it. That is the difference.
 
Re: Well well, Gibson has lowered prices on its 2015 line...

The Gforce (or whatever it's called) should be offered as an option but when it was back in 2013 or 2014 on some models the dealers seemed to stock those tuner models more heavily. So I don't know how practical it would be to offer as an upgrade. I don't think they went to the brass "zero fret" nut to avoid having to do some labor because I think they are/were pleking all the nuts anway. I could be wrong. The wider board didn't bother me, but I don't like the G-force. I was undecided on the brass nut. But I'm not a Gibson junkie so this is based only on checking out a bunch of Les Pauls last week and of course it's just my point of view. It seems like Gibson is willing to just let sales tell them whether it's good or bad. I think that's a risk and maybe not a wise one to take. So I have to agree with Mr. B that they maybe should have rolled it in on a couple of popular models while still selling those same models without the new "upgrades" and comparing how they are received by the consumer. I don't think the force feed approach is the smartest or best. But then again, I'm not much of a business type.
 
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Re: Well well, Gibson has lowered prices on its 2015 line...

I noticed the blue studio I have been gassing over for months
dropped from $1299 to $1175 last month
then again with last weeks MF catalog to $1075

I think the tuning gizmo is kinda neat
love the adjustable action brass nut
and the fretboard wasn't "classical wide"

thank you for reading
 
Re: Well well, Gibson has lowered prices on its 2015 line...

Mr. B said:
Well, there is "trying to please customers" and then there is "doing stupid things no one is asking for and pretending it is what customers want". In all my years discussing Les Pauls with people, I have never heard anyone begging for a brass nut, or hologram sticker, or a tuning system, or hand written logos on the headstock or wider fretboards. If they wanted to TRY these things, they could have included it on a special run model and watched to see if people snatched them up. Including things most people don't want on every model seems like manufacturing suicide to me. The removable pickguard is the only logical move out of the lot if you ask me... which no one did. I'm just ranting.

For instance, I didn't mind that Gibson had to use Baked Maple on its SG's a few years back. I would rather have that than the 2 piece fretboards that they were even using on their historic models at one point. I tried one with baked maple, and it played great and I couldn't tell the difference in tone, BUT they weren't pretending that anyone had asked for that and charging an extra 1300 dollars for it. That is the difference.
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I'm totally with you 100%.

My brother's got a '61 SG with the baked maple board. I love that guitar. I keep telling him that if he looks to sell it I have first dibs.
But, yeah, nobody asked for the wider nut and the adjustable nut. The auto tuner is cool, but not necessary on EVERY model, and is not as intuitive as it should be.
 
Re: Well well, Gibson has lowered prices on its 2015 line...

Isn't it SOP to ask for more when a model is new and ask for less as the current model year wears on? They have big car sales just before the new models hit the lot to clear out back inventory.
 
Re: Well well, Gibson has lowered prices on its 2015 line...

I sympathize with Gibson a little, they're under pressure to improve sales, but they have a customer base that expects old designs, and a customer base which is quite possibly shrinking as the golden age of rock guitar heoes gets further behind us. I'm surprised that Gibson isn't more into the relic'ing and "Pure Vintage" stuff that seems to be working well for Fender. I bet that marketing gimmick would work very well in the wine and Scotch world, you can openly admit it's a young vintage, but make the label look aged and put "1956" on the label for no particular reason, buyers can't help themselves, it will sell like hotcakes. Money on the table.
 
Re: Well well, Gibson has lowered prices on its 2015 line...

DreX said:
Isn't it SOP to ask for more when a model is new and ask for less as the current model year wears on? They have big car sales just before the new models hit the lot to clear out back inventory.
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Yeah, but guitars have never had a yearly model turnover before. A Les Paul was a Les Paul and went on with the same features for years.
 
Re: Well well, Gibson has lowered prices on its 2015 line...

the first thing they could do to improve sales is reinforcing their necks, then look how people frequently modify their gibsons and made models with the most common mods from stock for no extra charge
 
Re: Well well, Gibson has lowered prices on its 2015 line...

DreX said:
I sympathize with Gibson a little, they're under pressure to improve sales, but they have a customer base that expects old designs, and a customer base which is quite possibly shrinking as the golden age of rock guitar heoes gets further behind us. I'm surprised that Gibson isn't more into the relic'ing and "Pure Vintage" stuff that seems to be working well for Fender. I bet that marketing gimmick would work very well in the wine and Scotch world, you can openly admit it's a young vintage, but make the label look aged and put "1956" on the label for no particular reason, buyers can't help themselves, it will sell like hotcakes. Money on the table.
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Yeah, but here's the thing... There's pressure, but that pressure is looking for more options, not less. Gibson locked us into the same neck shape and wide nut on all of its non-vintage, non-signature models.

You know what I think they should do? They should offer all their Standard US-made models with different neck options. I'd suggest their standard 1-11/16" nut with both a slim '60s back shape and a '59 back shape and also a NARROWER 1-5/8" nut with the same back shapes. That would appeal to all their customers that want vintage designs but also appeal to us Fender people who don't seem to bond with the wider Gibson nut width (my usual problem). I'd also offer the robotic tuner as an option, maybe even an easy retrofit kit that drops right in on the standard headstock without any drilling and covers up existing holes (or even uses them).

That and some nifty colors (trans red, trans green, trans blue, Pelham blue, the usual sunbursts, etc.) will sell them a metric butt-ton of guitars.
 
Re: Well well, Gibson has lowered prices on its 2015 line...

The 2016s are announced in a month. Thus the price drop. This is status quo.
 
Re: Well well, Gibson has lowered prices on its 2015 line...

Will be interesting to see what changed they make for 2016.

I'm not against progress if it makes the guitar more playable and better sounding. I would gladly give up wire retainers on Tune-o-matics, pickups you can't level with your strings on old SG standard pickguards, crappy vintage tuners, bridge saddles that don't have enough travel to intonate, the same colors they have been selling since 1956, impostor bumblebee caps, plastic nibs on the fret ends that break off over time... etc etc...

I'm fine with them introducing new models and trying weird combinations. I actually liked the concept of the BFG guitars with their p-90 neck pickups. However, if I want to buy a Les Paul Standard, I want to buy a Les Paul Standard, not a faddish collection of useless gimmicks.
 
Re: Well well, Gibson has lowered prices on its 2015 line...

I am more interested in the 2016 models at this point. I don't mind some innovation but I do not like the wider fretboard, I'm not crazy about the tuning system but I like the traditional 50's neck. I would like to see them innovate along the lines of body woods and finishes... not trying to re-invent the wheel. I'm a Gibson fan but I think I can say no 2015 model will ever be in my possession.
 
Re: Well well, Gibson has lowered prices on its 2015 line...

Darg1911 said:
The Gforce (or whatever it's called) should be offered as an option but when it was back in 2013 or 2014 on some models the dealers seemed to stock those tuner models more heavily.
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I think dealers stocked them more heavily because putting in a battery is easier than helping customers find a tuner or whatever. Laziness on the part of the dealers.


I am a Gibson/ Epiphone guy and I hate the 2015 line. Too many Les Pauls with stupid features and not enough Explorers. That being said, I don't hate Gibson for trying new things. The wider and thicker fretboard is something that makes a lot of sense. They've made simple changes to the electronics that improve the quality of the sound (not differences in tones, which is subjective, but stronger signals and clearer sounds). Gibson made some changes that I love and some that I don't. I don't like the Zero Fret nut thing because the first thing I'd do if I had gotten a 2014 Gibson would have been to replace the nut with a bone or TUSQ one. I don't like the G-Force, but at the same time, it's not that hard to replace the tuners on the new Gibsons with something a little more classic (Grovers for me). It's something I shouldn't have to do, but it's possible. I think the robot tuners should have just been an option for people who want them (maybe you play in 3 different tunings and can only afford one guitar type thing).

I'm pretty sure that with all the complaints Gibby's gotten in the last year, the 2016 models will be much more affordable. If not, then maybe 2014 was the last good year for Gibson.
 
Re: Well well, Gibson has lowered prices on its 2015 line...

I just don't like the hollow guitars, circuit board electronics, and the wide fretboards. The other stuff is nothing much really.
 
Re: Well well, Gibson has lowered prices on its 2015 line...

Let's see about gibson 2016

If they pull out a Studio with a correct width fingerboard, 60's neck, mahogany neck, normal nut, plain or light flame top, and the new pearl trap inlays, I'll snatched one up. Wishful thinking I know....

In my opinion, Gibson needs to start a Modern Series with these improvements for a similar price to the tried and true guitar line. A standard should look and feel like a les paul, and shouldn't be the first to imbrace change imo.

If Gibson can't get thier act together I'll have to look at Heritage :/
 
Re: Well well, Gibson has lowered prices on its 2015 line...

I can't afford one at the moment anyways, so I don't really care that much.

But I do like the idea of the brass nut and chambering. I do not like wider fretboards though, my general preference is for a narrow, 1 5/8" nut. I would also swap the tuners and PCB electronics for the "old school" hardware, which I just prefer. I like tuners to be simple (don't need more technology to fail), and I like electronics to be handwired (because I also go in and do something with the wiring).

What I miss seeing are the '50s Tribute SG's. I want a SG with two P90s and a '50s neck profile.
 
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