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

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

It's hard to think of Gibson as a proper guitar company when I see things like this http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/2015/Custom/True-Historic-1959-Les-Paul.aspx They seems to be in the business of selling dreams that also happen to be functioning guitars, as a detail. You have to wonder if some of the people who buy these things even play guitar, or if it goes straight up onto a wall in their den.
 
Re: Well well, Gibson has lowered prices on its 2015 line...

Far as I can tell, they've lowered prices to what they still weren't worth a year ago.
 
Re: Well well, Gibson has lowered prices on its 2015 line...

DreX said:
It's hard to think of Gibson as a proper guitar company when I see things like this http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/2015/Custom/True-Historic-1959-Les-Paul.aspx They seems to be in the business of selling dreams that also happen to be functioning guitars, as a detail. You have to wonder if some of the people who buy these things even play guitar, or if it goes straight up onto a wall in their den.
Click to expand...

Why? Just because they do some expensive guitars?
 
Re: Well well, Gibson has lowered prices on its 2015 line...

TRex said:
In my opinion, Gibson needs to start a Modern Series with these improvements for a similar price to the tried and true guitar line.
Click to expand...


Right, they can and should do both. They don't have to abandon the traditional designs and looks, and they can simultaneously have lines for players that want more modern guitars. They can make both camps happy, other companies do it.
 
Last edited:
Re: Well well, Gibson has lowered prices on its 2015 line...

In 1962 Gibson discontinued the Les Paul and replaced it with the SG.
At the time, the old fashioned archtop Les Pauls were simply not competing on the guitar market due to their high production costs and low popularity.
Many people considered Gibson to be too old fashioned in their construction methods, as well as their aesthetics.
So they introduced the SG to trim down on production costs and to create a lighter, sleeker, more modern guitar. Many people criticised them for being too flimsy.
Turns out that some amazing music has been made on both (and many other) types of gibson guitars. There will always be people who criticize gibson for being either too old fashioned or too gimmicky. There will always be people who say they prefer the older models, and some who prefer the new ones. There will always be people who complain about the cost, and there will always be people who both want a high wage and living standard for luthiers and other workers in the industry. There will always be people who complain about the loss of jobs and quality when a company outsources its manufacturing overseas, but when it comes down to it, spend their money on the cheapest axe they can get their hands on. People will complain about attempts to cut manufacturing costs by using pots mounted on pcbs, but will not pay for the old fashioned way of soldering up components.

What I am getting at is this....
Gibson were considered to be making guitars that were both too old fashioned and expensive, and when they created something new they were criticised for making inferior flimsy guitars that were too gimmicky.
Running any kind of company is incredibly difficult just to stay afloat and it requires decision making and strategizing.
Everyone on the internet thinks they could run a big company like gibson better than the people running gibson.
You can't please everyone.
Life goes on.
Relax, and play your guitar.
 
Last edited:
Re: Well well, Gibson has lowered prices on its 2015 line...

Johnny the Kid said:
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.
Click to expand...

The problem with swapping the tuning machines is that they upcharged for the G-force in the first place. So you are, arguably, already paying too much for the brand name, plus extra for the electronic tuners and then you get the pleasure of spending another 50 bucks, or whatever, for tuning machines that you either install or pay to have installed. I'm seeing those electronic tuners show up on ebay for 150 bucks, from private sellers. So, buyers are pulling them as expected. I don't see anyone buying them though, so you probably wont get your money back on that upcharge. Now I know it sounds like I'm *****ing but that wasn't really the point. Like I mentioned, I like Les Pauls but I'm not a Gibson fanatic. I don't have to have one. I also agree with some others who mentioned them going with the 60's slim taper neck as pretty much the go-to standard, again, no option offered (I know there are some models with different profile). My point is that I don't think Gibson is doing themselves a favor by not allowing for options. Just out of curiosity, I'd like to find out how they did on the 2015's when it's all tallied up.
 
Re: Well well, Gibson has lowered prices on its 2015 line...

Gearjoneser said:
Ted McCarty, please rise from the dead and save Gibson before they sink the ship.

Amen.
Click to expand...

Yes, this. They have been in trouble before. Despite my not being a Gibson fanatic, I would hate to see them end up going under. Then again, maybe Epiphone is doing well enough to keep them afloat no matter what ...
 
Re: Well well, Gibson has lowered prices on its 2015 line...

Darg1911 said:
The problem with swapping the tuning machines is that they upcharged for the G-force in the first place. So you are, arguably, already paying too much for the brand name, plus extra for the electronic tuners and then you get the pleasure of spending another 50 bucks, or whatever, for tuning machines that you either install or pay to have installed. I'm seeing those electronic tuners show up on ebay for 150 bucks, from private sellers. So, buyers are pulling them as expected. I don't see anyone buying them though, so you probably wont get your money back on that upcharge. Now I know it sounds like I'm *****ing but that wasn't really the point. Like I mentioned, I like Les Pauls but I'm not a Gibson fanatic. I don't have to have one. I also agree with some others who mentioned them going with the 60's slim taper neck as pretty much the go-to standard, again, no option offered (I know there are some models with different profile). My point is that I don't think Gibson is doing themselves a favor by not allowing for options. Just out of curiosity, I'd like to find out how they did on the 2015's when it's all tallied up.
Click to expand...

And I completely understand that. I guess my point is that it's not that hard, or expensive to undo a lot of the mods.

On a related note, Musician's Friend is selling 2013 Les Pauls for $600 today.
 
Re: Well well, Gibson has lowered prices on its 2015 line...

gibson175 said:
There will always be people who complain about the loss of jobs and quality when a company outsources its manufacturing overseas, but when it comes down to it, spend their money on the cheapest axe they can get their hands on. People will complain about attempts to cut manufacturing costs by using pots mounted on pcbs, but will not pay for the old fashioned way of soldering up components.
Click to expand...

Yes, people want high quality for a low cost and yet they want American workers to keep their jobs and be paid well. Companies weigh a limited set of options and either move everything overseas for cheaper labor or they stick to what they're doing or they restructure with a lower pay chart for workers.

The one option they never consider is the only correct option: start reducing costs from the top rather than the bottom. The very top. Anyone with "Chief" and "Officer" in their job title or description. This is where profits that could have gone back into the company are wasted.
Department managers do not give orders because they make more money than the workers in their department, they give orders because company policy has established that their job title and description says they do.
 
Re: Well well, Gibson has lowered prices on its 2015 line...

Johnny the Kid said:
And I completely understand that. I guess my point is that it's not that hard, or expensive to undo a lot of the mods.

On a related note, Musician's Friend is selling 2013 Les Pauls for $600 today.
Click to expand...

Saw that. Stupid deal of the day. 2013, Red, Future Tributes with the Steinberger gearless tuners. I may have considered it if it were the Goldtop or Burst but I have an option to buy a surprisingly good 2013 70's Tribute from a dealer friend for even less money. Great feeling and playing sample. I played it last week. Loved the neck but the Dirty Fingers would probably need to go and a little touch up to a few of the fret ends. Don't need another guitar which is why it didn't come home with me. But at the price, I'm thinking about it. He doesn't keep it on the sales floor. He was going to take it home for himself and probably will if I don't buy it. In general though, I think those tribute models (and the LPJ's and LPM's) are a risk to buy sight unseen. I wouldn't buy one period, at original asking prices. But at $599 ... probably worth the risk. One could always send it back if it's a mess.
 
Last edited:
Re: Well well, Gibson has lowered prices on its 2015 line...

I fitted a Min-ETune to my '95 LP Std. I think they're handy. Earlier in the year, I tried out a 2015 LP, which was much better than I'd expected.

They do seem to have gotten a bit Global Super Mega Evil Corp in the last few years, and seemingly coming across a bit superficial at times, but hopefully that's just the social media image finding its feet. Hopefully, prices might get far more competitive in terms of my wallet once they're over buying up other things.

Or, something like that, innit.
 
Re: Well well, Gibson has lowered prices on its 2015 line...

Darg1911 said:
Saw that. Stupid deal of the day. 2013, Red, Future Tributes with the Steinberger gearless tuners. I may have considered it if it were the Goldtop or Burst but I have an option to buy a surprisingly good 2013 70's Tribute from a dealer friend for even less money. Great feeling and playing sample. I played it last week. Loved the neck but the Dirty Fingers would probably need to go and a little touch up to a few of the fret ends. Don't need another guitar which is why it didn't come home with me. But at the price, I'm thinking about it. He doesn't keep it on the sales floor. He was going to take it home for himself and probably will if I don't buy it. In general though, I think those tribute models (and the LPJ's and LPM's) are a risk to buy sight unseen. I wouldn't buy one period, at original asking prices. But at $599 ... probably worth the risk. One could always send it back if it's a mess.
Click to expand...

I've played many of the different tributes. If I hadn't bought a new laptop 2 weeks ago, I'd have a spare $600 and I might seriously consider getting one.
 
Re: Well well, Gibson has lowered prices on its 2015 line...

gibson175 said:
What I am getting at is this....
Gibson were considered to be making guitars that were both too old fashioned and expensive, and when they created something new they were criticised for making inferior flimsy guitars that were too gimmicky.
Click to expand...


Yes, and their mistake was, and is, replacing one for the other, instead of keeping both traditional and modern separate. They can do both at the same time. They missed a great opportunity when super Strats took a big share of the market 30 years ago; Gibson failed to come up with viable models to compete. They could have easily done that without dumping their traditional guitars. Instead they tinker with their vintage designs and add things like robot tuners, which pleases few people; a little market research would have told them that. Traditionalists don't like the gimmicky stuff, and it's not nearly modern enough for many younger players. The decades long flaw is the theory of straddling the fence and monkeying with ('updating') 1950's guitars. Have a traditional line for conservative tastes, and let the designers get creative with a competitive modern line. It's not rocket science. Other guitar companies do this. It doesn't have be all one or the other. At some point there's not going to be enough of a market for 1950's guitar designs to sustain a large corporation. Gibson needs to look to the future and be a part of it. As the baby boomers die off, there won't be nearly as much nostalgia for the instruments of the 1950's/1960's. I love LP's, SG's, and 335's because that's what my guitars heroes played. But what about the guys who grew up in the super Strat era?
 
Last edited:
Re: Well well, Gibson has lowered prices on its 2015 line...

It's about time they lowered their prices, considering they've been lowering their Q.C. standards pretty much annually for the past 20+ years!!!
 
Re: Well well, Gibson has lowered prices on its 2015 line...

Honestly, I like a lot of the new features, aside from the G-Force. I am really interested in the Adjustable nut. However, they definitely shouldn't have put them on all models, specifically the lower end models. Also, G-Force should be an option like the E-Tune was last year.
 
Re: Well well, Gibson has lowered prices on its 2015 line...

I don't think it is quite fair to state that people want Les Pauls to be cheap. I never expect higher end guitars to be cheap. I would be fine with Gibson saying that, if they are NOT going to use 2-piece fretboards, baked maple, and other substitutes for the increasingly expensive supply of rosewood and Mahogany, there will have to be a reasonable price increase. I don't see how they can justify the sudden 1,100 dollar price increase on Les Paul Standards due to only the increase in wood costs. Wood prices have not gone up anywhere near that much. No other manufacturer has had that huge of a price jump in one year. Pretending that the price increase can be justified by a cheap brass nut, a hologram sticker, and a tuning system that probably costs them 9 dollars to make is an insult.

Someone suggested it wouldn't cost much to remove those features and replace them???? So we are supposed to be happy about paying an extra 1,100 dollars so we can spend more money to remove crap that should not have been on the guitar to begin with... and still have the ugliest headstock inscription ever?

I used to thumb through the catalogs and make a mental wish list of Gibsons, but I just skip over the entire spread when I see the brass nuts on all their standard models now and start looking again when I see the Derek Trucks SG. I hope 2016 brings some sanity back to their main-line guitars.
 
Re: Well well, Gibson has lowered prices on its 2015 line...

Johnny the Kid said:
I've played many of the different tributes. If I hadn't bought a new laptop 2 weeks ago, I'd have a spare $600 and I might seriously consider getting one.
Click to expand...

That's funny in a coincidence kind of way. My wife's laptop has been crapping out for the last month. It just died on Friday and I have a new one on the way for her. Luckily it's her birthday this month so at least I killed 2 birds with one stone, almost. Birthdays not till the end of the month so I'll add a birthday dinner. After 25 years of marriage, that's a pretty good birthday considering it would probably have been a card, flowers and dinner otherwise. :D
It would be a little tight for this month but I can still swing the LP if I decide on it, and she'll have the new laptop. So, all will be good in our world.
 
Re: Well well, Gibson has lowered prices on its 2015 line...

Darg1911 said:
That's funny in a coincidence kind of way. My wife's laptop has been crapping out for the last month. It just died on Friday and I have a new one on the way for her. Luckily it's her birthday this month so at least I killed 2 birds with one stone, almost. Birthdays not till the end of the month so I'll add a birthday dinner. After 25 years of marriage, that's a pretty good birthday considering it would probably have been a card, flowers and dinner otherwise. :D
It would be a little tight for this month but I can still swing the LP if I decide on it, and she'll have the new laptop. So, all will be good in our world.
Click to expand...

Haha, nothing says opportunity for a new guitar more than buying something like a laptop for the wife!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top