I have six Gibson Guitars 4 electric, 2 acoustic so as a loyal Gibson guy this is really fun to watch. I always say Orville Gibson and Leo Fender have the best seats in heaven since they equipped most of the world's greatest bands.
I'm confused by all the negative comments here and suspect most who are commenting have little to no technical background. I see people complaining that a CNC is cutting the bodies... Why in the world would you want or expect bodies to be carved by hand? How would that make the guitar "better". A CNC has precision down to thousandths or an inch or less, meaning every body will be the same. There's a reason you can go into a guitar center anywhere in the world and see hundreds of guitars on the wall. You can't manufacture at this type of volume using craftsmen. The assembly is still done "by hand", what more do you want?
nlav26 Completely agree. Following the logic of the “handwork brigade” we’d still be driving round in a model T. CNC guarantees a level of quality and consistency that could never be matched by hand. Plek guarantees a tremendous fret job as the levels are checked by laser, no human being could match that level of precision period. Where handwork is still important is fit up and finishing. The human hand and eye is still far superior at detecting small flaws and correcting them. Apart from generally better quality components, the real difference in a quality guitar is the time spent finishing it and setting it up properly. That’s quite time consuming, but is very noticeable to the consumer. A mid priced guitar can be significantly improved if you’re willing to invest time and effort in it. With a little know how and time there’s really no reason why it couldn’t be upgraded to a give the same playability and sound as a reasonably high end instrument.
the price they demand is so inflated. They claim its more expensive because the number of hands and hours on it. Theyre not worth 2500 and 3500. Im sorry theres only a few hundred dollars in any guitar thats 1,000 or more. Gibson gets a cpl thousand just for the name alone. Hype
Jonh Monroney I think you’ve got to look at the break down of the price. 40-50% of the price you pay covers the dealers margin, his costs and any sales taxes (dealers have lot of costs to cover: advertising, utilities, rent, taxes, regulatory compliance and staff wages). Therefore Gibson is probably selling high end guitars to dealers for between $1500 and $2000k. Personally I don’t think that’s outrageous. The biggest element of Gibson’s and the dealer’s costs is employee wages. If you want all American you’ve got to be prepared to pay American wage rates which are very high relative to Indonesia or Nam. At least when you buy a Gibson, Fender or PRS you keep manufacturing jobs in the USA. Personally I feel quite good about that.
Yes, I found it very interesting how it went from both processing all the way down to final detailing and quality control. If you follow along closely you'll see how each phase was a little more detailed than the next with quality control being maintained throughout. Also those workers there we're highly skilled and they really made the job look a lot easier than it is.
so fun to see so many people astounded by the fact that machine's are used if you can do it better by hand please don't hesitate to upload and share it
Every guitar manufacturer uses CNC machines, Tom Anderson, PRS, Suhr, Fender, etc. It's not the machines that are the problem, it's the finishing off of a guitar after the machines have done their work. Run your fingers along the neck and body binding of a Gibson, feel the ridge between the binding and wood???...sloppy. What neck joint does your USA Les Paul have, do you even know? Look at the neck joint at 32:33...no problem, hack the wood away and fill the gaps with glue...etc, etc, etc.
CrazyDiamond1968 "hacking the wood away" is all part of wood joinery, and it is what insures a proper fit. Glue is then used to bond the two pieces of wood with permanence. Just like the narrator said. :-)
I took a class trip tour of the Gibson Kalamazoo factory in the mid 70's. Alot has changed since my first tour. I can still remember the old masters at work with shapers making the bodies. All handmade very little CNC work done if any. Still awesome to see being made.
I can't understand why so many people are moaning about what Gibson's cost. I've just bought a brand new lovely black Les Paul studio faded for under £600. When I see how much has gone into making it I am almost incredulous they can make it for that. To be honest I was quite surprised how labour intensive the process is with people hand spraying, cutting in bindings by hand, sanding by hand, polishing by hand and checking each guitar by hand. I was delighted when I opened mine last night to find a photograph of my actual guitar on the bench in QC being checked - a lovely touch. I'm a brit but I think the Europeans and the yanks need to start making a concerted effort to buy things made in our countries to keep skilled work in the West. It's why my Les Paul is a Gibson, my Strat is an American standard and why I buy my guitar straps from Leathergraft of LIverpool England. This video makes me proud to own a GIbson...
People complaint is more with the cost of a Les paul standard not so much the Studio, also the QC is not so good any more, some will be great and others poor in the exact same model. When you pay over 2K you expect a great instrument every time. I would hate to see Gibson go under but it will happen in the future if they don't change things
Thats your own problem if you buy a bad one, most stores offer 45 day return policies..... secondly when buying something handcrafted to a degree their will alway be variations.
I recently purchased a 2013 model LPJ, a very affordable real Gibson Les Paul. It's functionally every bit as good as the LP custom, and LP delux I've owned in the past, if not as finely appointed. I'm very happy with it. A real Gibson made in the USA. When you're shopping around, don't rule out pride of ownership. Also, it was cool to see R.P. Elliot on the tour, my paperwork shows he was the inspector that signed off on my guitar !
So many haterz. Why are you looking at the Gibson factory tour in the first place? There are Real Reasons for the cost of a Premium Guitar, such as Gibson. Primarily, Wood Quality. If you haven't compared this in your Guitar models, You should. Cost on premium woods found in a Gibson are beyond what many pay for a guitar. Culling is a process of trashing woods with large Knots and imperfections. It's something unknown in Asia and the far east. No scarf joint in the neck. And yes scarf joints break. Have a Yamaha in my shop now with one. So Gibson pays a little more for a larger solid piece of wood. Next. Pride in workmanship. Nothing else to say here. Americans getting an American sized paycheck to do a job they love. What is that really worth? The quality control throughout the process and a product that someone someplace is willing to pay a bit more for. Being one of the few companies that hasn't farmed out its entire line to Asia earns at least my respect for this company. I can't say I have ever picked up a bad Gibson and have had a few myself. In fact, They have been my brand since my first guitar, a '79 sunburst Les Paul. I have bought others, and still come back to not only my love for the design but also the way it vibrates with my body, and the tone when singing, something I just don't get from other electrics. It may be that Gibson isn't your favorite, or you just can't reach the price tag, that's all fine. But there is no real reason to hate this brand just because they chose to maintain a certain standard of quality and reputation and that is reflected in the price tag. If you really want to cheap out, there is the Baldwin-Gibson line. Grab one and update the pick-ups or whatever and then you can have your alternative quality with a nice body and headstock.
I will admit and say ... I became real emotional and started to cry while watching how natural wood is carefully processed and constructed to create those beautiful 🎸 guitars. I mean like right before they apply the finish (colors) . The complety assembled guitar (just wood), I was in awe ! ! ! THANK YOU for your craft and craftsmanship.
Oh Jesus, this is how america produced - it's been often said "old school", that hits the nail on the head. As an European I hope TTIP would never be finished.
Jorge B. Talking about mass production, they are done with very good quality, If you're looking for a kind of artesanal made guitars this is not the correct video for you
Oscar Quezada Compare a Les Paul Standard to a Custom 24. Both mass produced, one known for being high quality and one known for being iffy quality. I think you can figure which is which.
very cool video. Never realized all the steps involved in making these awesome guitars. And for every step, when it goes the next you can tell the difference in skill level that each person has. jorge did listen when they said the final person who inspects has been doin his job 19 yrs. if have not attained a certain amount of skill in that time period something is really wrong at Gibson USA. jorge, in all due respect I dont believe that you give these American workers they respectfully deserve.
Hello mark. I posted links for a view in the fabrication of Bacchus guitars much above in this comment section. If you like to see the different steps, it's the vid for you.
People keep bitching about the factory - wtf did you expect? A bunch of Keebler elves making one guitar at a time by hand? This is the real world - and in fact this place seems pretty nice compared to a lot of other shitholes. And if you think they're "overpriced", that's only a personal opinion - either you just don't like them, or you can't afford them. It's a valid opinion, but opinion nonetheless. Plenty of people think otherwise, also for valid reasons.
Every time I play or see a Gibson now, I can't help to think of all the technology and craftsmanship that went into this guitar.. I am confident my grand children will some day enjoy them in the way I did...
I just had to check this one out... I had no idea there was that much involved in making these axes, plus how many people it takes, their expertise's, and the sheer volume being made... Was a good education...
This process doesn't only take a half an hour, it takes weeks to make 1 guitar. People handle the guitars for hours. Granted, the bodies are machined, but that's good because it means your guitar will be perfect. Also, the materials do cost a lot more than you all think. Especially the woods, they don't cost $10 each.
There was a video about the price of the wood in the guitar industry... it was made by a guitar builder that has a little enterprise. It's very informative. If I remeber right, we are at least at 45$ of wood, for a LesPaul type guitar. Gibson can have much more interesting prices, due to the larger amount of wood they will order. In the case of Gibson, it's the margin system that is the most problematic factor. Gibson works with the x6 margin. This allows them to endorse players, pay for publicity and finance their empire. Whatever, this is a real brake when it comes to make a quality/price products. Because, under those conditions, they simply can't.
There has been nothing coming out of Gibson in the last decade that is "perfect." The CNC made parts are before the "techs" get their hands on it and screw it up. And QC is totally out to lunch. But MY GOD the sound they make. I have no idea how they do that.
Really enjoyed that tour ,makes one treasure their own guitar more, although it's mostly automated, that hand work makes your guitar personal....Good Luck *GIBSON"
I dont have a problem with Gibson's prices at all.The sound of a les paul is priceless to me,although i would never buy anything over a standard or a trad.
I came here to appreciate the handcraft of the Gibson Les Paul building process. After 15yrs playing Epiphone I was finally able to get my first, Les Paul Classic 2019. Is an stunning instrument. No wonder why the price.
Stop hating on Gibson. They do a lot of things by hand, and are made in America. This is what guitar factories look like, whether it be Gibson, fender, or ESP. If you don't like that pay a luthier.
for any instrument that "made in america" isn't really guaranteed that it will have a good quality. they're a lot more expensive because of american labour cost is a lot more expensive than those in china or indonesia.
Hey Ben, I hate to break it to you this way, but the vast majority of Gibson Guitars are made overseas. It's true. I think the only big name manufacturer that still builds exclusively in the U.S. is Rickenbaker. But by now, they too may have shipped their production offshore also. I don't know for sure. But I do know this, although I would prefer that things were made in America, because, after all, I am an American. But we don't have some magic ability to make superior instruments. Great guitars are built by great guitar builders who use premium wood in climate controlled workshops. And that can happen anywhere on the planet.
Gibson does not offer tours to the public at this plan in Nashville. The only Gibson plant you can tour is in Memphis, TN which I toured in May 2015 (as well as visiting the amazing historical music sights in this fun city) . The tour was quite interesting but the tour guide showed no love or enthusiasm for the semi hollow body electric guitars being made there-nor willing to answer questions. It was also quite short in time. No pictures permitted. 2 weeks earlier I toured Fender in Corona, CA. The tour of the plant was an hour and a half long and was led by a total Fender guitar Geek (Dave). You can take pics of anything (I took over 100) and the guide answered lots of questions from us. He was also friendly to the production workers and knew many by name. The tour also included a tour of the Custom Shop. You can also put "dibs" on a guitar or bass if you see one you like and I was tempted to pull out the MasterCard and bring another bass home. Some people prefer either a Gibson or Fender but for tours, Fender is far better.
I would not permit pics at my plant either. That's the mistake the American Furniture Industry made with Chinese tours; "Oh, weren't they cute taking so many pictures, and asking all those questions?!". Yup, until the container cargo ships started showing up on our shores with same furniture at a fraction of the price. Go ask the 100,000+ who lost their jobs in the Blue Ridge Mtn area. No pics allowed in my plant, thank you very much.
A good question to ask would have been "Why are we seeing Custom Shop models being made right along side the Gibson USA production line?" Notice the Zakk Wylde signature Customs hanging up to dry right with the USA mix and the ES Custom that is being tested towards the end of the tour. My 2013 R7 came with a certificate stating it was "hand built exclusively by the Gibson Custom Shop." Although I'll never know for sure, I'm fairly certain it was built right along side every other guitar at Gibson with no extra amount of time and patience put into it beyond what the regular USA models get. Did I pay a few extra grand just for the Custom Shop badging? I mean, let's be real here. When something is hand made shouldn't that mean it was made using less machinery than what the USA models are produced with? Never mind.
That's the Zakk Wylde Vertigo LP which was not made by the Custom Shop. There are obvious differences in construction between USA and CS models when you look at the details. Is the difference worth the price? I have one and I don't think so, but I got it used for a good price. They're definitely better quality than the USA models but just about any decently made guitar can be made to play well with some TLC.
Agreed... The idea of custom shop sells the concept of personal hand made fine instruments. For the most part, custom shop instruments are better, but you have to stretch a bit to justify the XL price tag.
Bourne Accident Yeah I mean, I have a standard 335 which is really really nice. I wanted one by the Custom Shop, but I just couldn't justify the difference in price for a badge and some gold hardware. I know it has different pickups, but a Philistine like me is unlikely to notice any dfifference.
***** Well, now that you've clarified that, you are indeed right. All GIbson USA LPs are weight relieved. However, that's not a bad thing. Most people don't want a 12+ lb guitar and it does not negatively affect tone. Anyone who claims they can tell the difference is full of shit. Assuming you're talking about the flood of 2010, guitars were not made during the three months of rebuilding. Stores did still have excess inventory to sell off, however. And three-piece bodies and necks are FAR from plywood so stop making such exaggerated claims. Calling you a conspiracy nut shows MY ignorance? LOL, the irony that you would try to call me ignorant with a claim that doesn't even follow logic is palpable. Exactly how does calling somebody who SEEMED to be claiming Gibson secretly weight relieves Custom Shop guitars a conspiracy nut ignorant? Please explain this incredible pretzel logic to me...
Wow! Impressive! I believe any prospective Gibson buyer, anyone who is on the fence about buying a Gibson, needs to watch this TH-cam. I also believe anybody who is shopping for a guitar, any guitar, needs to watch this TH-cam. For Gibson, it shows why Gibson guitars have the reputation that they have and why they have the price tag that they have. It shows the prospective buyer or one who is on the fence about buying a Gibson the information they may need to more confidently make a Gibson purchase. Jim did a fantastic, thorough job of showing how the Gibson guitars are manufactured and constructed but also from his presentation you can learn quite a bit about how guitars are made and about the technology involved in general. I personally found this presentation educational, enlightening, very interesting, and entertaining. I like how it went from bulk processing all the way down to final detailing and quality control. It seemed that each phase of the operation was just a little more detailed than the previous. I really felt a surge of confidence and was highly impressed when that last gentleman signed his name to the final quality control certificate. That person is putting their honor on the line and that to me is a very large part of the price tag and worth every penny. For me, if I had the money, I would have total confidence and wouldn't skip a heartbeat while quickly handing over my hard-earned money to purchase my favorite Gibson. Afterwards whether people asked or not, I would have a lot more to talk about Gibson guitars, my specific model, why I purchased it, why I love it, and more, thus making my guitar not only an instrument of musical entertainment but so too an interesting conversation piece as well. My Thanks go out to all those including the factory workers of Gibson guitars, who made this amazing and informative video possible.
+Lee Dubya not to mention that those workers probably make only around $15 an hour. I heard it really sucks to work there as a builder. You're paying mostly for the name and Made in USA status.
Those machines aren't cheap, you have to pay for the laborers that actually do the hand work, the time it takes to dry, advertising the company has to pay, the cost to distribute the guitars to various sellers and finally, because it says "Gibson" across the headstock ;)!
I would recommend you to find one of those Tokai of the premium series (not those of the middle class segment you find everywhere). I believed it was hyped BS until I had one in my hands. The best Gibson I ever played. :-)
The thing people don't seem to understand about Gibsons, is that they hold their value, and if anything, increase in value. So you can spend 3000$ on a Gibson, but that money will always be there in the guitar, you can sell that thing in 30 years and make money on it.
True enough...I bought a Gibson J180 9 years ago....used it to gig over 400 shows ....and sold it ladt week for only 10% less than I paid for it. The case was battered...and nasty buckle rash on the back.
Chris P. Bacon I bought a 1990 triple humbuckers 57 Black Beauty Gibson Les Paul reissue back in 2003 , the price tag was $ 7.000.00 , the guitar shop owner told me it was the biggest investment in life , I finally got it for $ 5 k , I put it under my bed as I already had another Gibson les Paul custom and a Jimi Hendrix Flying V , back in 2015 I tried to sell it ... The guitars shops wanted to to pay 1 K for it , I was luck to sell it to my work mate for $ 2.500.00 , B.S. Gibson is an investment , my arse it is investment , Gibson it's the best thing on the world when they are at the guitar shop for sale , when you want to sell it its just a pain in the arse because nobody will pay the price for it from your hands .... # 1 I will never sell my guitars again # 2 I will never buy guitar for investment again # 3 I am buying a Gibson Firebird custom shop but never from a guitar shop again
chocodiledundee1 Well, no matter how valuable a guitar is, the worst thing you can do is sell it to a guitar shop because you're selling it to someone who wants to sell it for profit. Also, you probably got ripped off in the first place buying it for 5,000$ dollars when it's really only worth 3,000$.
Chris P. Bacon I live in Australia bro , here a beaten up truck that worth 2 k in USA is worth $ 20 k here , everything is more expensive here , we pay import tax and shipping on everything ...the guitar had 3 57 classic waxed humbuckers , fat neck with fat belly and heavy as a 460 engine block , if I ever see one black beauty Gibson les Paul custom 1957 reissue again for $ 3 k I will buy it myself . Thank you
lmfao. The 4 piece glued together body blanks would have never happened in the day of Orville Gibson. The two piece ones will be the 5 grand guitars and the 4 piece will be the 1 grand guitars. Just shows not all guitars are created equal. Orville Gibson would have slapped the shit out of every person there that pressed the button on a machine to do what he did by hand. Thats exactly why so many people are starting to move more to making their own guitar. A lot of people say that the machine will be more accurate that a person and this is very much true. But it sure as shit don't get half the quality checks doing it by hand does.
I would have though that a 7000 € Guitar would be 100% handwork by 1 to 5 people. What do I pay for ? CNC mashining and assembly line work ? Or did I get something wrong ? Is there an additional custom workshop ?
+Andyw1228 , These guitars are 10% better than a guy with a band saw and a hand samder. Look how they make sure the wood it the right moisture.. most custom builders don't have that technology.
green323turbo 10% better? Well when Gibson were making the greatest instruments they ever put together, back in the 50's/60's, they didn't have that technology either.
That would be a cool thing to do, but guitars that fail the Gibson quality inspection are burned. They run them through the wood chipper, and send the wood chips to Jack Daniels (the whiskey company) so they can burn them and they use the charred wood to filter the whiskey. I think.
Tyer Estes That sounds like there could be some marketing for the companies with that. "Next time you play your Gibson Les Paul, don't forget to enjoy some Jack Daniels after you're done."
Gibson has always been my favorite guitar maker and after watching this I respect them even more. the haters are poor motherfuckers who can't afford quality
Respect lol that slave driving shithole is not a great place to work see all those women in there they are not guitar lovers they are just working there cause they need a job. The conditions there are below acceptable. Your just a Gibson Fan Boy that can not see pass your love for those guitars. If you ever worked there you would have a completely different opinion of that place and that brand.
Yeah I've worked there for a little over 5 years and in no way are the conditions unacceptable. They place both the safety and welfare of each person in high regards and often conduct training. You're the perfect example of who the OP was talking about. And yes there are some employees that only work there for a paycheck but I ask, and?
I have a 2006 les Paul custom very disappointed never stays in tune neck is always out of adjustment now there is a crack forming in the back side of the neck never ever dropped but I have a PRS 1989 custom 24 top 10 that blows my les Paul away
If it never stays in tune, you are always adjusting it and there is a crack forming - you have likely over tightened the truss rod on a few occasions and the instrument is not being stored correctly.
@@crb1845 thanks for the comment guitar was made for guitar center 2006 stored in a controlled environment . l am a old man I know how to adjust a neck after 17 years it is now not giving me problems thanks
@@vox1966 That's just standard Gibson problems. Binding at the nut due to poor headstock angle and tuner design. PRS and Fender don't have that issue because they know how to actually build a guitar. Straight string pull through the nut is the solution. Gibson could fix it, but sadly the people who worship them would rage because they want the original design. I guess broken headstocks and tuning issues are their idea of a legendary design.
We rarelly (i'm a cabinet maker) use large boards because: -it will tend to bend overtime. Using smaller pieces and alternate them makes it far more stable -getting the right thickness in one piece will cause to much waste because raw wood is uneven -it allows to get rid of imperfections in the wood. A tree trunk is cut in layers, each layer will have it's con's and pros, and by habit you know what part to use and what to avoid. -many machines won't be able to deal with large pieces
In order to have the grain of the wood going in different directions and at different angles. That lessens the wood's reaction to changes in its moisture content as affected by changing humidity. With modern glues, the joint is often stronger than the woodgrain itself, adding stability too. I've seen wood break along the grain right next to the glue joint, while the joint remained intact.
Health and safety! I cannot imagine a factory like this ever getting started these days anywhere in Europe. Some of those operators were a sneeze away from permanent disability. And wasn't there a marked lack of face masks and ear defenders?
Health and safety? You are what's wrong with the mindset of Great Britian - I hope you're wearing protective gloves, UV resistant goggles and a Hi-Vis vest as you're typing your comment... Ugh you're really disgusting.
Anytime you see a manufacturing process like this or on "How it's Made", the real genius is in the engineering of the machines that create the product. People can bash modern day Gibson and perhaps it is valid in some areas but I did the Gibson Memphis tour a few years ago and was impressed by what I saw.
bluzzjazz yeah machines do make the job quicker but these machines still have to be used by skilled workers and the machinist also have to maintain machines to ensure high std of finish on wood over and over but your point is a good observation 'cos rocket science it ain't
Seeing this has made me think Gibson guitars are over priced I know many guitar makers mass produce there guitars and are a lot cheaper I couldn't see anything special in the making of Gibsons
I was thinking the total opposite... well. not about price, but I mean,, the fender factories are a lot more automatized the process. these are more hand made, which is not cheap at all.
2 things I noticed. 1st: with all the checking and rechecking that goes on, how does Gibson have a reputation for below average QC? And 2nd: I saw nothing to warrant the price! I've watched at least 10 videos of factory tours for almost all brands and it's essentially the same. Machines make the guitars and people check the machines work and then do a couple things they haven't invented a machine for yet. But at no point did I see a reason for them to cost so much....smh.
I stand corrected. Just watched the Rickenbacker factory tour. That's about as close to handmade as you're gonna get with a mass produced instrument these days. Also a really really cool curing process! wow!
I have a 1961 melody maker guitar from when my grandpa was a teenager, plays great! And I know that it was hand made at one time, rosewood too. Has the little flaking on the body that collectors would pay extra for. But I don't think I will be selling it anytime soon.
And the sunburst is a cozy, delicious color. Think of it as the taste of coffee in the morning in a log cabin house. The sound, is like a rainy day/snowy day, sitting in front of a campfire. That's what the Gibson is like.
Hulk Slayer - Cause pretense... Companies like Gibson have grown such an ego that they think they're the best thing ever, and while at one point they might. have been, this doesn't stay the case. So they buff the prices because they can get away with it since they have a reputation for being "the greatest". - It's like supercar manufacturers. I tend to compare Gibson to Ferrari; Sure they might be high-end and be fancy and all that, but that's not to say their stuff is perfect and the price tags are "accurate". You buy a name (even a long time ex Gibson designer admitted this when he presented guitars with a much cheaper Asian company). I've heard about Ferrari's breaking down, despite being so "high end" and "amazing" and expensive. - It's stuff. But in the end what you're paying for is a name, a reputation, and often the paychecks of the people manufacturing the products.
Guitars are inexpensive when purchasing a factory made guitar like these.. They would be many times more expensive if they were totally hand made which many small elite companies still do. I bought a beautiful Chinese model for under $100! My most expensive guitar is a Taylor acoustic electric made in Mexico that costs $1000. I once owned a Gretsch Chet Atkins Tennessean model played by George Harrison that I bought new in 1964 for under $500. I had to sell it because I needed cash. Am I kicking myself now. Ron Annapolis MD
Always wanted to make a one off while being a cabinetmaker never got round to it.. enjoyed watching these skilled guys and ladies showing how these are made 👌
#1, Gibson, Does STILL, HAND BUILD, "Cu$tom Shop, Limited amount of, guitars, & , They are, MUCH BETTER, BUT, IF YOU'VE BEEN A ( PRO, PLAYER), &, Have been, " killing it", for a while...THEN YOU HAVE ALREADY, GOT, YOURE, 50's & early 60's ,[REAL], Guitars, Amps, etc, @ ,prices soo, ...[ In the EARLY, 80s 57, goldtop $750.., 59, "burst" $1.500., ( same w/ old Fenders , but cheaper..@ a, pawn shops? Ive bought a 57 strat, $100, & ,then the term, " Vintage Guitars ,Created, a ,BUYING CRAZE ! ,& I would, hit EVERY YARD SALE, ( If it was junk../ $50. Or an old, Gibson/ $50 !🤗, Those days are LONG GONE, ! & , After shows,ppl would, say," I have an old guitar..U can, have it !! , &, That was Common 4, most,musicians in, 60s 70's 80s, &,THEY ARE WAY BETTER IN, EVERY WAY!!....
#1, Gibson, Does STILL, HAND BUILD, "Cu$tom Shop, Limited amount of, guitars, & , They are, MUCH BETTER, BUT, IF YOU'VE BEEN A ( PRO, PLAYER), &, Have been, " killing it", for a while...THEN YOU HAVE ALREADY, GOT, YOURE, 50's & early 60's ,[REAL], Guitars, Amps, etc, @ ,prices soo, ...[ In the EARLY, 80s 57, goldtop $750.., 59, "burst" $1.500., ( same w/ old Fenders , but cheaper..@ a, pawn shops? Ive bought a 57 strat, $100, & ,then the term, " Vintage Guitars ,Created, a ,BUYING CRAZE ! ,& I would, hit EVERY YARD SALE, ( If it was junk../ $50. Or an old, Gibson/ $50 !🤗, Those days are LONG GONE, ! & , After shows,ppl would, say," I have an old guitar..U can, have it !! , &, That was Common 4, most,musicians in, 60s 70's 80s, &,THEY ARE WAY BETTER IN, EVERY WAY!!....
I'm not sure for the "bookmatching". Normally, this process allows to use a cheaper wood. Less perfect. They will saw out the imperfections and then match to similar looking blocks together. It's just a spare of money. PS, you don't need stronger and more stable wood, because a 4.5 cm fat mahogany block will be stable by itself. It's just for the money. Only. And it always was.
Funny so many here wont buy a Chinese or Indonesian guitars because they say they are cheaply made. Gibson uses the same types machines they do. Gibsons aren't as handmade as people are lead to believe. But they charge 10 times the price for the same process. Ya and before you jump on me about this. They might be better but not 10 times better. Plus Gibson slap someones name on the guitar and fools pay even higher prices for a "name".
JIM MCPHERSON Agreed, the company has lost a little bit of it's 'soul'. Lower quality for a inflated prices.. In my opinion a 2,500 Gibson should be as good as their customshop line of 5000 to 8000. But their standard line is marginally better as a cheapo Epiphone (without the pickups). They are a sluggish company, not really on the cutting edge in terms of improving their products (think about Pickups, different woods, proper finishing). They should build like PRS.
JIM MCPHERSON Honestly it doesn't seem to be any different with fender from watching the Fender Factory tour. I have a Squier but from going to the guitar store to check some fenders, honestly I'm glad I got the squier can't say that I'm too tempted to buy a fender any time soon. To me it's no different than my Squier strat now, especially if you take good care of it. I recently just bought an Epiphone though mainly because I'm more of a Gibson person myself, I love the sound. But the price is a bit much. Kind of excited about trying out my new guitar when I get it.
JRC Guitarist I started with a Squire Strat too. Now I have 5 Epiphones because I'm more a Gibson person myself. I like the humbuckers over single coils. I just can't justify the cost of a Gibby. This is just a hobby for me.
Yea, I just bought my Epiphone Ltd edition swingter. It's a great guitar but I feel a lot guitars these days cost way too much. Between Fender and Gibson.
That's just a plainer! They,'ve used plainers all the way back in the 50s.yes they mass produce now days nobody can stay in business when your fighting with the supply and demand factor.the old day's of hand crafted instruments is gone its a new world these day's! But there still a very good instrument compared to China or Indonesia.
When I see this I seriously wonder why people want to pay so much for a Gibson. For the money you pay you can get a guitar made by one luthier instead. The only difference will be that you won't have the Gibson tag, but that's about it.
Your are missing one detail, after 32 years of playing this guitar, it is still at the peak of performance. It's not about a tag, it's about quality and durability.
Lawrence Salas He is talking about a single luthier, for example Daemoness, Black Machine and other such luthiers. Those guitars are WAY better than any Gibson I have ever played.
***** Thanks for replying for me :-) I don't get it why people have this Fender/Gibson fetish. I only buy broken Fenders/other guitars so I can get a guitar for cheap (I can fix most stuff). If I had the money to buy a USA guitar, I would definitely buy one from a luthier instead of Gibson or Fender! (although I've just started building my own, which is a lot of fun).
+adriel viana Here in Argentina we pay 11.500 dollars for the Les Paul Stardard 2015. It's less expensive for us take one week vacations in New York, go to Gibson's store there, buy the same guitar and fly back to Argentina. It's crazy.
paraglidermx China's guitars are pathetic. Probably the worst country at guitar making. Japan is the Asian country that makes decent cheap guitars and fantastic high end guitars. Maybe Gibson quality control is half assed lately, but you can still find great ones. Also brands like, Schecter (the usa models), Taylor USA, Martin USA, Fender USA, and ESPECIALLY PRS models are absolutely superior American guitars, made just as well if not better than the past. As for Gibson if you want a taste of how things used to be, try a New 2013-2014 Les Paul Tradtional, rivals Historic models. Great instrument.
William Potter In my opinion, just because something else is made in a different country it doesnt make it garbage, its just a divergent companies have to take to make a profit with their products.
***** That is Correct, as I said Japan is capable of great guitars. I will add Korea is getting much better, as well as Mexico and Canada. I own Guitars from all of those countries including Epiphone, Schecter, PRS SE and Seagull guitars that I love as much as my USA Gibson, Fender, Martin, and Taylors. However, finding a nice guitar from China is dam near impossible trust me. I am in no way saying only USA can make great guitars. However I am def saying China is by far the worst country of guitar building, this comes from experience, not research and youtube, though you can find lots of info to support this.
19:14 is where the action starts folks. absolutely mind blowing how workers can get such stability from separate pieces of wood, while achieving laser precision neck angles and alignment
TheMuseArchive Stratocaster or telecaster?. I've always been a strat guy myself Kevin Allen it depends. Squier bullet aren't super (altho amazing begginner guitars) but the 'murrican made (I love doing that because i'm canadian don't ask) are great. As for the custom made I have no idea because I don't have almost 5000$ to blow on a guitar but I'm sure they're amazing. It all depends. The player makes the guitar not the other way around
William is awesome Depends really, for more heavy/distorted stuff I like to grab a strat, for like a funk/jazz/warm guitar song I grab my telecaster. Telecasters perform well on just a little crunch, while I find strats, at least my strat copy, performs better on more distortion. Allthough forget Fender, I'd really want a Manson guitar haha, they're £4000 a piece though so I'm happy with Fender/Squier/whateverthecopy for now. Also, I find the neck on my friends Fender Strat American Standard very comfortable to play on unlike other guitars.
I have to confess, I have always loved Gibson guitars and always wanted to own one but the last 10 or so years somewhat throttled my enthusiasm due to how Gibson was claimed by many to have serious quality control problems. I heard all kinds of horror stories from ill-fitting parts, bad binding, fret installation, not keeping intonation, etc., etc., etc. Although I never personally saw any issues myself what compounded this for me was how Gibson seemingly would not address this, at least to me they would not. Whether I was having quality problems or not if I was the CEO I would have at least said something about it to salvage my reputation! I mean hell, if soemone calls your wife a slut and you know she wasn't, wouldn't you be all in their ass!? I would...and you'd probably see my mugshot in the news as well! Anyway apart from all of that I did purchase a brand new Gibson Firebird in November of 2013 from Sweetwater and I LOVE IT!!! If there was any quality control issues before then I'm happy to say there are none now. The only gripe I had about mine was the strap screw on the back when it was installed; the apex port was marred up (obviously from the screwdriver used to install it) and snagged a few shirts of mine and put a small superficial cut on my daughter's hand. I called Sweetwater about this and 3 days later I received a replacement. Other than that negligible issue I absolutely love this guitar and I'm looking forward to a future purchase of a Les Paul Custom!
I have three Gibson guitars and they all look, play and SOUND awesome!! To all you Gibson haters out there, I'm gonna go out on a limb here...I'm gonna say that Gibson USA makes the best sounding humbucker equipped guitars in the world...period. I have NEVER heard another brand of guitar with humbuckers in it that sounds better than a Gibson.
cooltheengines I agree! Seymour Duncans are good pickups as well but they just don't have that Gibson bite IMO like the humbuckers or the burstbuckers. Since I posted this I've played several Gibsons; if Gibson ever had any issues with quality I think it's safe to say that those days are behind them.
I'm not actually talking about the pickups themselves, I'm talking about the guitar. I have Semour Duncan's in two of my Gibson's. What I'm saying is that if you put the same pickups in a different brand of guitar like Ibanez, ESP, PRS or whatever brand you want, it's not going to sound any better than the Gibson guitar - in fact probably not as good. Gibson guitar's just have a certain mojo when it comes to sound. That's why a lot of the big names artists use them.
cooltheengines Oh I agree! Sorry for the confusion; I was also talking about the guitars as well. I own a '71 SG and an '83 Firebird and I absolutely love them. Nothing beats the sound of Gibson p'ups on a mahogany body. A few decades ago a buddy of mine rigged Gibson Burstbuckers on an Ibanez guitar with a maple neck and basswood body. It sounded.....meh....well....okay but not as good as if he had installed them in a mahogany bodied guitar.
Yeah, now look. Peavey closed down their MS plant and auctioned off most of what was left in it. All overseas now. Enjoy it while it lasts, Gibson, hope there are enough people dropping $3,000 left and right to keep the old boat afloat.
Some may not like what I am about to say about this company, so let me just say that I have always been a huge fan of the Les Paul and several other Gibson models. However, Gibson truly offends with some of their price tags charging more than five-thousand dollars for some models that are not comprised of diamonds and gold, but they should be at this price. Moreover, Gibson sent the beloved Epiphone line to Red Communist China; counterfeit Les Paul's come from China. China produces garbage and often by way of child labor. Gibson was also pinched somewhat recently for acquiring illegally procured woods, e.g, Indian Rosewood, etc. Thus they were raided by the Fed's. This is why the fretboards of the "baked maple" Les Paul Custom guitars were only around $1800.00 instead of $4,000.00! I have since switched over to Carvin/Keisel guitars as they are all American made in California. Furthermore, you can totally customize and have your guitar built using exactly what you choose; just ask Gibson to do this for you and they will laugh and hang up. Lastly, Carvin can build me a guitar that looks just like a Les Paul with better construction for less than half the price. However, Gibson's pickups are still king, but Dimarzio's (American made) are just as good at almost half the price.
China subscribes to slave and child labor. China spends billions to buy nuclear bombs whilst letting their people starve. China kills peacefully protesting students and China tells their people how to act, how to think, what they can view on tv/internet; therefore, anything they produce is garbage. Moreover, I am ashamed of any American company who does business with them. The United States should boycott China entirely. However, we should first pay China every cent they are owed by the United States as this is also shameful.
you're living in a naive wonderland aren't you. get a grip on how real life works. it is impossible to reach the cost and volume production if you try to give all rights and payment equal to usa and as a result you wouldn't be able to buy 1/10th of the stuff you now indulge yourself in daily. without china modern economy will come grinding to a halt. remember united states have way more blood in their hands than any country. they also mass manipulate their own people about how and what to think. the only difference is americans are too brainwashed at this point to even realize that they are being manipulated since childhood. and I wonder which country spends more on military than next 7 combined. if even quarter of that money was used for good, many disease and hunger would have been gone by now. fact is, china is doing precisely what any country does at one point of their history or another to get out of the poverty, Britain went through this phase, germany did, usa did too in the 1800s and early 1900s and even japan did just a few decades prior to china. japan was known as the cheap knockoff producer just like china not very long ago.
David Gass I bring up points and you resort to some cheap personal attack? good going lol if you hate china so much tell your politicians to move all the companies back. I am interested to see how that turns out for your economy. It's a delicate financial balance, not a one night project. you can make wishes all day long, but at the end of the day you will still buy chinese stuff to fulfill your materialistic desires and fuel the slave labor that you say you hate so much. hypocrisy much? big words on the internet don't stop slave labor. let them go through the harsh phase. that will improve their economy and they will eventually stand up shoulder to shoulder with modern countries and get rid of their current setup totally organically just like japan did 25 years prior.
Your constant defense of slave/child labor is telling of just how apathetic you are. Moreover, Japan only changed because the United States (after being sucker punched) decided to kick the shit out of the Japanese and force them to change as Japan failed to take over the world, just as Hitler did. Therefore, the United States is mostly responsible for Japan's new age. I will admit that you are correct in exposing my shame of my Country for choosing to do business with communists and terrorists. President Clinton's visit to China was a disgrace. If it helps, you win in that area as there most certainly is a lot of hypocrisy going on in my Country.
Honestly I was really quite surprised how much actual hand work that was performed. Judging from what was said, it takes around 30-50 labour hours to put a guitar together. That’s quite a high cost straight up?
red_array That might be true. I wouldn’t underestimate the challenge of getting the quality right in China though. It could take months or years and in the meantime the business would be risked. They could and should go the same route as PRS and have a high quality affordable range like the SE. Epiphone are crummy by comparison.
@red_array Gibson and Guitar Center got in some hot water a few years ago for artificially inflating the price of Gibson's, so both companies could raise their profit margins exponentially. Yes, I loved my job and Henry was really cool most of the time, but you never knew who your friends were and it was a toxic environment. And the pay wasn't very good either, unless you had managed to stay there for over a decade or more. And most lasted a week to 6 mos. tops. 300% turnover rate back then. I always wondered how you could make a quality product with that kind of turnover, and the truth is you really can't. I am still asked how I managed to stay there 3 years. lol Funny recollection, there was a central vac system we used to suck all the mahogany dust and maple shavings up off the floor and off the shaper tables at the end of the day, and the ducts and/or collection area would frequently catch fire! The first time it happened I was freaking out standing out in the cold. When I asked why everyone was so calm someone shrugged and replied, "It happens all the time".
i worked for ibanez, and everything is done the same, i would imagine every other big name guitar company does the same method also, so why is a les paul , of the same exact quality 3 or 4 thousand dollars , for the same exacting conditions , and generally a better guitar?you can get a better guitar, in my opinion, from esp,, ltd,, or evena cheap dean,it costs more because it says gibson, i can make you the the gibson logo for about 3 bucks, and put it on an esp, tell me the difference, you couldn't
I'm interested in the production process behind the instruments. And your point is legit. Whatever, I strongly think that the mass of the enterprise can be a problem on a shrinking market. And it's probably the case here.
Esp has an angular neck joint to the body for a better reach to the last frets :D but yes I get what you mean. I love LTD, ESP and even Cort guitars a lot since they allow me to buy different guitars (for different feels) and experiment. Also, I can play these guitars at regular gigs unlike a friend of mine who is always worried someone might scratch his Gibson. Guess, both kinds have their own unique charm.
Very informative! I had a tour of the Gibson acoustic factory in Bozeman Montana and would love to visit the Nashville plant. I have 7 Gibson's, electric and acoustics and they are all brilliant ! Great video.!!
I will admit that I think Gibson is a little overpriced. Having said that, I also think there is nothing quite like it. i have played countless les paul copies/epiphones and stuff of that nature, and nothing comes close to the sound of a genuine les paul. also, I have no room to really criticize and intrument for being over-priced. my primary bass is a Ric 4003.
'a little overpriced'?, that's an understatement. Gibson are hugely overpriced, as are Epiphone, that's why they've gone bust. Increasing your prices with 50% every year ensures that you lose customers.
The guy who gets to test the guitars at the end has the best job. Playing hundreds of different guitars a day.
DomSchu Probably the one with a higher salary too, based on merit of course, since he has to have an artistic sensibility.
Julio Sanchez So he gets minimum wage rate?
Mickeyslowd I don't think so.
Julio Sanchez
Living wage rate?
Mickeyslowd He gets a decent wage rate that would give him a good living standard, in comparison to other countries he would seem a rich person.
I have six Gibson Guitars 4 electric, 2 acoustic so as a loyal Gibson guy this is really fun to watch. I always say Orville Gibson and Leo Fender have the best seats in heaven since they equipped most of the world's greatest bands.
I'm confused by all the negative comments here and suspect most who are commenting have little to no technical background. I see people complaining that a CNC is cutting the bodies... Why in the world would you want or expect bodies to be carved by hand? How would that make the guitar "better". A CNC has precision down to thousandths or an inch or less, meaning every body will be the same. There's a reason you can go into a guitar center anywhere in the world and see hundreds of guitars on the wall. You can't manufacture at this type of volume using craftsmen. The assembly is still done "by hand", what more do you want?
nlav26 Completely agree. Following the logic of the “handwork brigade” we’d still be driving round in a model T. CNC guarantees a level of quality and consistency that could never be matched by hand. Plek guarantees a tremendous fret job as the levels are checked by laser, no human being could match that level of precision period. Where handwork is still important is fit up and finishing. The human hand and eye is still far superior at detecting small flaws and correcting them. Apart from generally better quality components, the real difference in a quality guitar is the time spent finishing it and setting it up properly. That’s quite time consuming, but is very noticeable to the consumer. A mid priced guitar can be significantly improved if you’re willing to invest time and effort in it. With a little know how and time there’s really no reason why it couldn’t be upgraded to a give the same playability and sound as a reasonably high end instrument.
the price they demand is so inflated. They claim its more expensive because the number of hands and hours on it. Theyre not worth 2500 and 3500. Im sorry theres only a few hundred dollars in any guitar thats 1,000 or more.
Gibson gets a cpl thousand just for the name alone.
Hype
Jonh Monroney how much do you think those machines cost as well as labor cost?
Jonh Monroney I think you’ve got to look at the break down of the price. 40-50% of the price you pay covers the dealers margin, his costs and any sales taxes (dealers have lot of costs to cover: advertising, utilities, rent, taxes, regulatory compliance and staff wages). Therefore Gibson is probably selling high end guitars to dealers for between $1500 and $2000k. Personally I don’t think that’s outrageous. The biggest element of Gibson’s and the dealer’s costs is employee wages. If you want all American you’ve got to be prepared to pay American wage rates which are very high relative to Indonesia or Nam. At least when you buy a Gibson, Fender or PRS you keep manufacturing jobs in the USA. Personally I feel quite good about that.
Yes, I found it very interesting how it went from both processing all the way down to final detailing and quality control. If you follow along closely you'll see how each phase was a little more detailed than the next with quality control being maintained throughout. Also those workers there we're highly skilled and they really made the job look a lot easier than it is.
Just received the 2014 Gibson Les Paul Studio. Absolutely beautiful!
do your coil tap/volume knobs have a little bit of jiggle to them?
Hey every body!!!!i just farted and it's smell delicious!!!!
If you happen to be a Gibson type person, this almost brings a tear to your eye seeing all of this!
this guy you are asking to describe everything needs a raise by gibson. he knows absolutely everything.
This is just amazing! Look at all those beautiful guitars!
so fun to see so many people astounded by the fact that machine's are used
if you can do it better by hand please don't hesitate to upload and share it
Every guitar manufacturer uses CNC machines, Tom Anderson, PRS, Suhr, Fender, etc. It's not the machines that are the problem, it's the finishing off of a guitar after the machines have done their work. Run your fingers along the neck and body binding of a Gibson, feel the ridge between the binding and wood???...sloppy. What neck joint does your USA Les Paul have, do you even know?
Look at the neck joint at 32:33...no problem, hack the wood away and fill the gaps with glue...etc, etc, etc.
CrazyDiamond1968 "hacking the wood away" is all part of wood joinery, and it is what insures a proper fit. Glue is then used to bond the two pieces of wood with permanence. Just like the narrator said. :-)
I took a class trip tour of the Gibson Kalamazoo factory in the mid 70's. Alot has changed since my first tour. I can still remember the old masters at work with shapers making the bodies. All handmade very little CNC work done if any. Still awesome to see being made.
I have heard they are now doing Gibsons with a denim finish.
noooo ::)
I have officially lost respect for Gibson. They could’ve….oh I don’t know…,maybe donated them instead? Nope let’s destroy them. 🙄
Omg this would be a dream come true to do this as a day job!
FAIBNA. FABNA
FABNA. FABNA
FABNA FABNA
FAIBNA FABNA
FABNA FABNA
I'm amazed there is so much hands on. I bought a brand new 2016 studio and couldn't be happier.
I can't understand why so many people are moaning about what Gibson's cost. I've just bought a brand new lovely black Les Paul studio faded for under £600. When I see how much has gone into making it I am almost incredulous they can make it for that. To be honest I was quite surprised how labour intensive the process is with people hand spraying, cutting in bindings by hand, sanding by hand, polishing by hand and checking each guitar by hand. I was delighted when I opened mine last night to find a photograph of my actual guitar on the bench in QC being checked - a lovely touch. I'm a brit but I think the Europeans and the yanks need to start making a concerted effort to buy things made in our countries to keep skilled work in the West. It's why my Les Paul is a Gibson, my Strat is an American standard and why I buy my guitar straps from Leathergraft of LIverpool England. This video makes me proud to own a GIbson...
Amen bro! Proud Gibson owner.👍
much rather buy from the uk than mexico or china
People complaint is more with the cost of a Les paul standard not so much the Studio, also the QC is not so good any more, some will be great and others poor in the exact same model. When you pay over 2K you expect a great instrument every time. I would hate to see Gibson go under but it will happen in the future if they don't change things
Thats your own problem if you buy a bad one, most stores offer 45 day return policies..... secondly when buying something handcrafted to a degree their will alway be variations.
I agree completely Jonathan.
Best guitar factory tour I've ever seen, thank you
Lambchopper!
Thanks man
LambChopper678 Apparantly you haven't watched the Martin guitar factory tour in six parts!
I haven't yet, but thank you. I'm on my way now
LambChopper678
Check out these from Tokai...
watch?v=GCQlu2AzxW8
watch?v=RyKH6xB0XiM
I recently purchased a 2013 model LPJ, a very affordable real Gibson Les Paul. It's functionally every bit as good as the LP custom, and LP delux I've owned in the past, if not as finely appointed. I'm very happy with it. A real Gibson made in the USA. When you're shopping around, don't rule out pride of ownership. Also, it was cool to see R.P. Elliot on the tour, my paperwork shows he was the inspector that signed off on my guitar !
Thanks Gibson for the Tour in your Factory
So many haterz. Why are you looking at the Gibson factory tour in the first place? There are Real Reasons for the cost of a Premium Guitar, such as Gibson. Primarily, Wood Quality. If you haven't compared this in your Guitar models, You should. Cost on premium woods found in a Gibson are beyond what many pay for a guitar. Culling is a process of trashing woods with large Knots and imperfections. It's something unknown in Asia and the far east. No scarf joint in the neck. And yes scarf joints break. Have a Yamaha in my shop now with one. So Gibson pays a little more for a larger solid piece of wood.
Next. Pride in workmanship. Nothing else to say here.
Americans getting an American sized paycheck to do a job they love. What is that really worth?
The quality control throughout the process and a product that someone someplace is willing to pay a bit more for.
Being one of the few companies that hasn't farmed out its entire line to Asia earns at least my respect for this company. I can't say I have ever picked up a bad Gibson and have had a few myself. In fact, They have been my brand since my first guitar, a '79 sunburst Les Paul. I have bought others, and still come back to not only my love for the design but also the way it vibrates with my body, and the tone when singing, something I just don't get from other electrics.
It may be that Gibson isn't your favorite, or you just can't reach the price tag, that's all fine. But there is no real reason to hate this brand just because they chose to maintain a certain standard of quality and reputation and that is reflected in the price tag. If you really want to cheap out, there is the Baldwin-Gibson line. Grab one and update the pick-ups or whatever and then you can have your alternative quality with a nice body and headstock.
yeah right on the wood prices are very high for aaa ,aaaa grade just priced for custom bass body and cap were 800 1000 birdseye neck 385
I will admit and say ... I became real emotional and started to cry while watching how natural wood is carefully processed and constructed to create those beautiful 🎸 guitars. I mean like right before they apply the finish (colors) . The complety assembled guitar (just wood), I was in awe ! ! ! THANK YOU for your craft and craftsmanship.
Oh Jesus, this is how america produced - it's been often said "old school", that hits the nail on the head. As an European I hope TTIP would never be finished.
I found the tour fascinating. Makes you appreciate the quality and work that goes into a quality product. Thank you.
Quality? This is machine made not custom nor real skill or craftsmanship.
Jorge B. Talking about mass production, they are done with very good quality, If you're looking for a kind of artesanal made guitars this is not the correct video for you
Oscar Quezada Compare a Les Paul Standard to a Custom 24. Both mass produced, one known for being high quality and one known for being iffy quality. I think you can figure which is which.
very cool video. Never realized all the steps involved in making these awesome guitars. And for every step, when it goes the next you can tell the difference in skill level that each person has. jorge did listen when they said the final person who inspects has been doin his job 19 yrs. if have not attained a certain amount of skill in that time period something is really wrong at Gibson USA. jorge, in all due respect I dont believe that you give these American workers they respectfully deserve.
Hello mark. I posted links for a view in the fabrication of Bacchus guitars much above in this comment section. If you like to see the different steps, it's the vid for you.
Possibly the most satisfying TH-cam video I have ever watched.
So cool I love gibson so much the sg is my favorite guitar in the world
People keep bitching about the factory - wtf did you expect? A bunch of Keebler elves making one guitar at a time by hand? This is the real world - and in fact this place seems pretty nice compared to a lot of other shitholes. And if you think they're "overpriced", that's only a personal opinion - either you just don't like them, or you can't afford them. It's a valid opinion, but opinion nonetheless. Plenty of people think otherwise, also for valid reasons.
Crunge92 i was thinking exactly the same thing.
ha ha, Keebler elves.............. I like that
Crunge92 Lol paying $3500 for a robit made guitar.
Keebler elves would HAVE to make crumby guitars!
Thank you finally someone who's more realistic.
Every time I play or see a Gibson now, I can't help to think of all the technology and craftsmanship that went into this guitar.. I am confident my grand children will some day enjoy them in the way I did...
Gibson Les Paul Cherry Sunburst my dream guitar... :D
Les Paul, gloss black with all gold hardware.
"They have the pneumatic clamping where it's tightened down pneumatically."
I just had to check this one out... I had no idea there was that much involved in making these axes, plus how many people it takes, their expertise's, and the sheer volume being made... Was a good education...
that guys knowledge of the process is impressive
This process doesn't only take a half an hour, it takes weeks to make 1 guitar. People handle the guitars for hours. Granted, the bodies are machined, but that's good because it means your guitar will be perfect. Also, the materials do cost a lot more than you all think. Especially the woods, they don't cost $10 each.
There was a video about the price of the wood in the guitar industry... it was made by a guitar builder that has a little enterprise. It's very informative. If I remeber right, we are at least at 45$ of wood, for a LesPaul type guitar. Gibson can have much more interesting prices, due to the larger amount of wood they will order.
In the case of Gibson, it's the margin system that is the most problematic factor. Gibson works with the x6 margin. This allows them to endorse players, pay for publicity and finance their empire. Whatever, this is a real brake when it comes to make a quality/price products. Because, under those conditions, they simply can't.
True
There has been nothing coming out of Gibson in the last decade that is "perfect." The CNC made parts are before the "techs" get their hands on it and screw it up. And QC is totally out to lunch. But MY GOD the sound they make. I have no idea how they do that.
Great tour of the factory process and that’s why I own a 1993 Les Paul Standard and a 2016 Les Paul Classic.
Really enjoyed that tour ,makes one treasure their own guitar more, although it's mostly automated, that hand work makes your guitar personal....Good Luck *GIBSON"
I bet that place smells amazing
My childhood dream to have a Gibson !!! but I was happy to see this video showing how this legend is made!
Drink every time he says "pneumatic".
Some random internet comment tells me to drink, I gets me a beer!
or glue :D
Or operator/operation
metalmusician6798 how bout uh
RICK J
oh youuuu,... little spoilsport ;)
They're using Dr Pepper to clean the pickups.Hahahaha !
Only the best at Gibson
Really makes you appreciate your guitar even more. Probably my favorite "how it's made" I've ever watched. ;)
I dont have a problem with Gibson's prices at all.The sound of a les paul is priceless to me,although i would never buy anything over a standard or a trad.
This comment has not aged well
I just picked up the nicest LP I've ever played about a month ago, it was made by Carvin.
After watching this I have a new found love for my Gibson’s! Great tour!
whares the machine that pre cracks the headstocks to break 2 days after waranty
30:13 dude was totally on his phone. good to know how much he cares about that couple thousand dollar guitar! XD
I came here to appreciate the handcraft of the Gibson Les Paul building process. After 15yrs playing Epiphone I was finally able to get my first, Les Paul Classic 2019. Is an stunning instrument. No wonder why the price.
Stop hating on Gibson. They do a lot of things by hand, and are made in America. This is what guitar factories look like, whether it be Gibson, fender, or ESP. If you don't like that pay a luthier.
for any instrument that "made in america" isn't really guaranteed that it will have a good quality. they're a lot more expensive because of american labour cost is a lot more expensive than those in china or indonesia.
+TheAce78 what's your point?
+Ben Weissman I'll keep hating on Gibson because they make their things off machines not real craftsmanship
Hey Ben, I hate to break it to you this way, but the vast majority of Gibson Guitars are made overseas. It's true. I think the only big name manufacturer that still builds exclusively in the U.S. is Rickenbaker. But by now, they too may have shipped their production offshore also. I don't know for sure. But I do know this, although I would prefer that things were made in America, because, after all, I am an American. But we don't have some magic ability to make superior instruments. Great guitars are built by great guitar builders who use premium wood in climate controlled workshops. And that can happen anywhere on the planet.
@@benweissman2472 His "point", is that he's a typical nut-hugging Gibson worshiper. Gibson has sucked for a long, long, long time.
"Then we sell the sawdust to fast food chains to make chicken nuggets."
gunslinger6shot From there it is fed to African children
@@RealWorldAcademy514 for what purpose?
@@RealWorldAcademy514 oh ok
Actually it gets compressed to make Epiphones !
Superb! I am a proud owner of a Les Paul Studio 2009. Gibson is the best!
Gibson does not offer tours to the public at this plan in Nashville. The only Gibson plant you can tour is in Memphis, TN which I toured in May 2015 (as well as visiting the amazing historical music sights in this fun city) . The tour was quite interesting but the tour guide showed no love or enthusiasm for the semi hollow body electric guitars being made there-nor willing to answer questions. It was also quite short in time. No pictures permitted. 2 weeks earlier I toured Fender in Corona, CA. The tour of the plant was an hour and a half long and was led by a total Fender guitar Geek (Dave). You can take pics of anything (I took over 100) and the guide answered lots of questions from us. He was also friendly to the production workers and knew many by name. The tour also included a tour of the Custom Shop. You can also put "dibs" on a guitar or bass if you see one you like and I was tempted to pull out the MasterCard and bring another bass home. Some people prefer either a Gibson or Fender but for tours, Fender is far better.
Dave is my boy. Glad you enjoyed the tour!
agree and Suhr/Fender/Jackson/Charvel make amazing guitars!
I would not permit pics at my plant either. That's the mistake the American Furniture Industry made with Chinese tours; "Oh, weren't they cute taking so many pictures, and asking all those questions?!". Yup, until the container cargo ships started showing up on our shores with same furniture at a fraction of the price. Go ask the 100,000+ who lost their jobs in the Blue Ridge Mtn area. No pics allowed in my plant, thank you very much.
A good question to ask would have been "Why are we seeing Custom Shop models being made right along side the Gibson USA production line?" Notice the Zakk Wylde signature Customs hanging up to dry right with the USA mix and the ES Custom that is being tested towards the end of the tour. My 2013 R7 came with a certificate stating it was "hand built exclusively by the Gibson Custom Shop." Although I'll never know for sure, I'm fairly certain it was built right along side every other guitar at Gibson with no extra amount of time and patience put into it beyond what the regular USA models get. Did I pay a few extra grand just for the Custom Shop badging? I mean, let's be real here. When something is hand made shouldn't that mean it was made using less machinery than what the USA models are produced with? Never mind.
That's the Zakk Wylde Vertigo LP which was not made by the Custom Shop. There are obvious differences in construction between USA and CS models when you look at the details. Is the difference worth the price? I have one and I don't think so, but I got it used for a good price. They're definitely better quality than the USA models but just about any decently made guitar can be made to play well with some TLC.
Agreed... The idea of custom shop sells the concept of personal hand made fine instruments. For the most part, custom shop instruments are better, but you have to stretch a bit to justify the XL price tag.
Bourne Accident Yeah I mean, I have a standard 335 which is really really nice. I wanted one by the Custom Shop, but I just couldn't justify the difference in price for a badge and some gold hardware. I know it has different pickups, but a Philistine like me is unlikely to notice any dfifference.
***** LOL, looks like the conspiracy nut has arrived. Anyone who thinks the Custom Shop Gibsons are hollowed out cannot be taken seriously.
***** Well, now that you've clarified that, you are indeed right. All GIbson USA LPs are weight relieved. However, that's not a bad thing. Most people don't want a 12+ lb guitar and it does not negatively affect tone. Anyone who claims they can tell the difference is full of shit. Assuming you're talking about the flood of 2010, guitars were not made during the three months of rebuilding. Stores did still have excess inventory to sell off, however. And three-piece bodies and necks are FAR from plywood so stop making such exaggerated claims. Calling you a conspiracy nut shows MY ignorance? LOL, the irony that you would try to call me ignorant with a claim that doesn't even follow logic is palpable. Exactly how does calling somebody who SEEMED to be claiming Gibson secretly weight relieves Custom Shop guitars a conspiracy nut ignorant? Please explain this incredible pretzel logic to me...
Wow! Impressive! I believe any prospective Gibson buyer, anyone who is on the fence about buying a Gibson, needs to watch this TH-cam. I also believe anybody who is shopping for a guitar, any guitar, needs to watch this TH-cam. For Gibson, it shows why Gibson guitars have the reputation that they have and why they have the price tag that they have. It shows the prospective buyer or one who is on the fence about buying a Gibson the information they may need to more confidently make a Gibson purchase.
Jim did a fantastic, thorough job of showing how the Gibson guitars are manufactured and constructed but also from his presentation you can learn quite a bit about how guitars are made and about the technology involved in general.
I personally found this presentation educational, enlightening, very interesting, and entertaining. I like how it went from bulk processing all the way down to final detailing and quality control. It seemed that each phase of the operation was just a little more detailed than the previous. I really felt a surge of confidence and was highly impressed when that last gentleman signed his name to the final quality control certificate. That person is putting their honor on the line and that to me is a very large part of the price tag and worth every penny.
For me, if I had the money, I would have total confidence and wouldn't skip a heartbeat while quickly handing over my hard-earned money to purchase my favorite Gibson. Afterwards whether people asked or not, I would have a lot more to talk about Gibson guitars, my specific model, why I purchased it, why I love it, and more, thus making my guitar not only an instrument of musical entertainment but so too an interesting conversation piece as well.
My Thanks go out to all those including the factory workers of Gibson guitars, who made this amazing and informative video possible.
High tech and super efficient. Right...Wtf are they so damn expensive if they are so efficient to build?
Gibson brand.
+Lee Dubya not to mention that those workers probably make only around $15 an hour. I heard it really sucks to work there as a builder.
You're paying mostly for the name and Made in USA status.
Those machines aren't cheap, you have to pay for the laborers that actually do the hand work, the time it takes to dry, advertising the company has to pay, the cost to distribute the guitars to various sellers and finally, because it says "Gibson" across the headstock ;)!
Gibson was voted as one of the top 10 worst employers to work for in the U.S. about five years ago. Autozone was the worst.
I would recommend you to find one of those Tokai of the premium series (not those of the middle class segment you find everywhere). I believed it was hyped BS until I had one in my hands. The best Gibson I ever played. :-)
The thing people don't seem to understand about Gibsons, is that they hold their value, and if anything, increase in value. So you can spend 3000$ on a Gibson, but that money will always be there in the guitar, you can sell that thing in 30 years and make money on it.
True enough...I bought a Gibson J180 9 years ago....used it to gig over 400 shows ....and sold it ladt week for only 10% less than I paid for it. The case was battered...and nasty buckle rash on the back.
Chris P. Bacon I bought a 1990 triple humbuckers 57 Black Beauty Gibson Les Paul reissue back in 2003 , the price tag was $ 7.000.00 , the guitar shop owner told me it was the biggest investment in life , I finally got it for $ 5 k , I put it under my bed as I already had another Gibson les Paul custom and a Jimi Hendrix Flying V , back in 2015 I tried to sell it ... The guitars shops wanted to to pay 1 K for it , I was luck to sell it to my work mate for $ 2.500.00 , B.S. Gibson is an investment , my arse it is investment , Gibson it's the best thing on the world when they are at the guitar shop for sale , when you want to sell it its just a pain in the arse because nobody will pay the price for it from your hands ....
# 1 I will never sell my guitars again
# 2 I will never buy guitar for investment again
# 3 I am buying a Gibson Firebird custom shop but never from a guitar shop again
chocodiledundee1 Well, no matter how valuable a guitar is, the worst thing you can do is sell it to a guitar shop because you're selling it to someone who wants to sell it for profit. Also, you probably got ripped off in the first place buying it for 5,000$ dollars when it's really only worth 3,000$.
Chris P. Bacon I live in Australia bro , here a beaten up truck that worth 2 k in USA is worth $ 20 k here , everything is more expensive here , we pay import tax and shipping on everything ...the guitar had 3 57 classic waxed humbuckers , fat neck with fat belly and heavy as a 460 engine block , if I ever see one black beauty Gibson les Paul custom 1957 reissue again for $ 3 k I will buy it myself .
Thank you
@@chocodiledundee1 correct I saw a mint 2016 Les Paul Standard at GC this weekend for 2k that probably sold new for over 3k.
The guy with the blue shirt was pretty Impressive. You know he put some time in to get to that level. My hat's off to you Mr. Slack belt operator.
lmfao. The 4 piece glued together body blanks would have never happened in the day of Orville Gibson.
The two piece ones will be the 5 grand guitars and the 4 piece will be the 1 grand guitars. Just shows not all guitars are created equal.
Orville Gibson would have slapped the shit out of every person there that pressed the button on a machine to do what he did by hand. Thats exactly why so many people are starting to move more to making their own guitar.
A lot of people say that the machine will be more accurate that a person and this is very much true. But it sure as shit don't get half the quality checks doing it by hand does.
Can you say, "dream job"? Seriously, working with your hands, using tools, making guitars. I could be really happy going to a job like this everyday.
I would have though that a 7000 € Guitar would be 100% handwork by 1 to 5 people. What do I pay for ? CNC mashining and assembly line work ? Or did I get something wrong ? Is there an additional custom workshop ?
+Andyw1228 Agreed!
+Andyw1228 , These guitars are 10% better than a guy with a band saw and a hand samder. Look how they make sure the wood it the right moisture.. most custom builders don't have that technology.
+Andyw1228 Gibson has a separate custom shop that handles their custom orders, this is just for their "mass produced" guitars.
This is the nashville factory.. not the custom shop.
green323turbo 10% better? Well when Gibson were making the greatest instruments they ever put together, back in the 50's/60's, they didn't have that technology either.
is there any chance i can get the Gibson that failed the quality checks for free???
That would be a cool thing to do, but guitars that fail the Gibson quality inspection are burned. They run them through the wood chipper, and send the wood chips to Jack Daniels (the whiskey company) so they can burn them and they use the charred wood to filter the whiskey. I think.
Tyer Estes Lol what??? to Jack Daniels??? wow that sounds amazing
That's what the word on the street is. I'm not sure if it's true or not.
Tyer Estes That sounds like there could be some marketing for the companies with that. "Next time you play your Gibson Les Paul, don't forget to enjoy some Jack Daniels after you're done."
***** are they any cheap?
Wow. Fascinating to see all the different processes that go into making these wonderful guitars.
+Mike Wilson Same process any guitar factory has, basically. The quality relies on materials, playability and inspection, not the actual building.
Gibson has always been my favorite guitar maker and after watching this I respect them even more. the haters are poor motherfuckers who can't afford quality
Respect lol that slave driving shithole is not a great place to work see all those women in there they are not guitar lovers they are just working there cause they need a job. The conditions there are below acceptable. Your just a Gibson Fan Boy that can not see pass your love for those guitars. If you ever worked there you would have a completely different opinion of that place and that brand.
well said brother
Yeah I've worked there for a little over 5 years and in no way are the conditions unacceptable. They place both the safety and welfare of each person in high regards and often conduct training. You're the perfect example of who the OP was talking about. And yes there are some employees that only work there for a paycheck but I ask, and?
26:25 *TRUE LEGEND NEVER USE A STRING TO ROCK!*
Watching this never gets old. Always amazing to see how much goes into it from wood slab to finished product.
I have a 2006 les Paul custom very disappointed never stays in tune neck is always out of adjustment now there is a crack forming in the back side of the neck never ever dropped but I have a PRS 1989 custom 24 top 10 that blows my les Paul away
If it never stays in tune, you are always adjusting it and there is a crack forming - you have likely over tightened the truss rod on a few occasions and the instrument is not being stored correctly.
@@crb1845 thanks for the comment guitar was made for guitar center 2006 stored in a controlled environment . l am a old man I know how to adjust a neck after 17 years it is now not giving me problems thanks
@@vox1966 That's just standard Gibson problems. Binding at the nut due to poor headstock angle and tuner design. PRS and Fender don't have that issue because they know how to actually build a guitar. Straight string pull through the nut is the solution. Gibson could fix it, but sadly the people who worship them would rage because they want the original design. I guess broken headstocks and tuning issues are their idea of a legendary design.
Why do they cut the wood just to glue it together again?
We rarelly (i'm a cabinet maker) use large boards because:
-it will tend to bend overtime. Using smaller pieces and alternate them makes it far more stable
-getting the right thickness in one piece will cause to much waste because raw wood is uneven
-it allows to get rid of imperfections in the wood. A tree trunk is cut in layers, each layer will have it's con's and pros, and by habit you know what part to use and what to avoid.
-many machines won't be able to deal with large pieces
Multi pieces also makes it stronger.
In order to have the grain of the wood going in different directions and at different angles. That lessens the wood's reaction to changes in its moisture content as affected by changing humidity. With modern glues, the joint is often stronger than the woodgrain itself, adding stability too. I've seen wood break along the grain right next to the glue joint, while the joint remained intact.
True
Gibson started in Kalamazoo Michigan. Where I am sitting right now. I'm about 2 miles from the original location.
Great video, I love Gibson ,but too much $$$$$$$$, worth it I'm sure...someday!!!
there not
That $ represents all the
You don't have much time Sal Scalafani. They are dealing with money issues. In a few years, they will be out of the market.
Health and safety! I cannot imagine a factory like this ever getting started these days anywhere in Europe. Some of those operators were a sneeze away from permanent disability. And wasn't there a marked lack of face masks and ear defenders?
Health and safety? You are what's wrong with the mindset of Great Britian - I hope you're wearing protective gloves, UV resistant goggles and a Hi-Vis vest as you're typing your comment... Ugh you're really disgusting.
Anytime you see a manufacturing process like this or on "How it's Made", the real genius is in the engineering of the machines that create the product. People can bash modern day Gibson and perhaps it is valid in some areas but I did the Gibson Memphis tour a few years ago and was impressed by what I saw.
bluzzjazz yeah machines do make the job quicker but these machines still have to be used by skilled workers and the machinist also have to maintain machines to ensure high std of finish on wood over and over but your point is a good
observation 'cos rocket science it ain't
Seeing this has made me think Gibson guitars are over priced I know many guitar makers mass produce there guitars and are a lot cheaper I couldn't see anything special in the making of Gibsons
std woods they all use.
sorry mister Gibson
I was thinking the total opposite... well. not about price, but I mean,, the fender factories are a lot more automatized the process. these are more hand made, which is not cheap at all.
+Juan D Estrada Becuz the their guitar making process depends on the design of the guitar , some guitar shapes can't be finished by full automatic
btw i love fender's , much pretty guitar and the sound is amazing
2 things I noticed. 1st: with all the checking and rechecking that goes on, how does Gibson have a reputation for below average QC? And 2nd: I saw nothing to warrant the price! I've watched at least 10 videos of factory tours for almost all brands and it's essentially the same. Machines make the guitars and people check the machines work and then do a couple things they haven't invented a machine for yet. But at no point did I see a reason for them to cost so much....smh.
I stand corrected. Just watched the Rickenbacker factory tour. That's about as close to handmade as you're gonna get with a mass produced instrument these days. Also a really really cool curing process! wow!
I have a 1961 melody maker guitar from when my grandpa was a teenager, plays great! And I know that it was hand made at one time, rosewood too. Has the little flaking on the body that collectors would pay extra for. But I don't think I will be selling it anytime soon.
And the sunburst is a cozy, delicious color. Think of it as the taste of coffee in the morning in a log cabin house. The sound, is like a rainy day/snowy day, sitting in front of a campfire. That's what the Gibson is like.
Hulk Slayer - Cause pretense... Companies like Gibson have grown such an ego that they think they're the best thing ever, and while at one point they might. have been, this doesn't stay the case. So they buff the prices because they can get away with it since they have a reputation for being "the greatest". - It's like supercar manufacturers. I tend to compare Gibson to Ferrari; Sure they might be high-end and be fancy and all that, but that's not to say their stuff is perfect and the price tags are "accurate". You buy a name (even a long time ex Gibson designer admitted this when he presented guitars with a much cheaper Asian company). I've heard about Ferrari's breaking down, despite being so "high end" and "amazing" and expensive. - It's stuff. But in the end what you're paying for is a name, a reputation, and often the paychecks of the people manufacturing the products.
Guitars are inexpensive when purchasing a factory made guitar like these.. They would be many times more expensive if they were totally hand made which many small elite companies still do. I bought a beautiful Chinese model for under $100! My most expensive guitar is a Taylor acoustic electric made in Mexico that costs $1000.
I once owned a Gretsch Chet Atkins Tennessean model played by George Harrison that I bought new in 1964 for under $500. I had to sell it because I needed cash. Am I kicking myself now. Ron Annapolis MD
Always wanted to make a one off while being a cabinetmaker never got round to it.. enjoyed watching these skilled guys and ladies showing how these are made 👌
People rip on Epiphone for using Chinese labour. Seeing how much Gibson is automated, is it really worth paying for the "American" guitar.
I think its good because automated means consistency
Would you want your car to be hand-made? CNC machines enable consistent precision.
I think you pay the quality control, very well levelled frets, the wood, componentes,...
#1, Gibson, Does STILL, HAND BUILD, "Cu$tom Shop, Limited amount of, guitars, & , They are, MUCH BETTER, BUT, IF YOU'VE BEEN A ( PRO, PLAYER), &, Have been, " killing it", for a while...THEN YOU HAVE ALREADY, GOT, YOURE, 50's & early 60's ,[REAL], Guitars, Amps, etc, @ ,prices soo, ...[ In the EARLY, 80s 57, goldtop $750.., 59, "burst" $1.500., ( same w/ old Fenders , but cheaper..@ a, pawn shops? Ive bought a 57 strat, $100, & ,then the term, " Vintage Guitars ,Created, a ,BUYING CRAZE ! ,& I would, hit EVERY YARD SALE, ( If it was junk../ $50. Or an old, Gibson/ $50 !🤗, Those days are LONG GONE, ! & , After shows,ppl would, say," I have an old guitar..U can, have it !! , &, That was Common 4, most,musicians in, 60s 70's 80s, &,THEY ARE WAY BETTER IN, EVERY WAY!!....
#1, Gibson, Does STILL, HAND BUILD, "Cu$tom Shop, Limited amount of, guitars, & , They are, MUCH BETTER, BUT, IF YOU'VE BEEN A ( PRO, PLAYER), &, Have been, " killing it", for a while...THEN YOU HAVE ALREADY, GOT, YOURE, 50's & early 60's ,[REAL], Guitars, Amps, etc, @ ,prices soo, ...[ In the EARLY, 80s 57, goldtop $750.., 59, "burst" $1.500., ( same w/ old Fenders , but cheaper..@ a, pawn shops? Ive bought a 57 strat, $100, & ,then the term, " Vintage Guitars ,Created, a ,BUYING CRAZE ! ,& I would, hit EVERY YARD SALE, ( If it was junk../ $50. Or an old, Gibson/ $50 !🤗, Those days are LONG GONE, ! & , After shows,ppl would, say," I have an old guitar..U can, have it !! , &, That was Common 4, most,musicians in, 60s 70's 80s, &,THEY ARE WAY BETTER IN, EVERY WAY!!....
What's the point of sawing the pieces of wood in half and then sticking them back together again?
Bookmatching.
Also the wood is stronger and more stable.
Linus Martin there also cutting out defects
I'm not sure for the "bookmatching". Normally, this process allows to use a cheaper wood. Less perfect. They will saw out the imperfections and then match to similar looking blocks together. It's just a spare of money. PS, you don't need stronger and more stable wood, because a 4.5 cm fat mahogany block will be stable by itself.
It's just for the money. Only. And it always was.
The glue gives all the sustain to the guitar.
This is absolutely fascinating. I want a job at that factory.
Funny so many here wont buy a Chinese or Indonesian guitars because they say they are cheaply made. Gibson uses the same types machines they do. Gibsons aren't as handmade as people are lead to believe. But they charge 10 times the price for the same process. Ya and before you jump on me about this. They might be better but not 10 times better. Plus Gibson slap someones name on the guitar and fools pay even higher prices for a "name".
Precisely.
JIM MCPHERSON Agreed, the company has lost a little bit of it's 'soul'. Lower quality for a inflated prices.. In my opinion a 2,500 Gibson should be as good as their customshop line of 5000 to 8000. But their standard line is marginally better as a cheapo Epiphone (without the pickups). They are a sluggish company, not really on the cutting edge in terms of improving their products (think about Pickups, different woods, proper finishing). They should build like PRS.
JIM MCPHERSON Honestly it doesn't seem to be any different with fender from watching the Fender Factory tour. I have a Squier but from going to the guitar store to check some fenders, honestly I'm glad I got the squier can't say that I'm too tempted to buy a fender any time soon. To me it's no different than my Squier strat now, especially if you take good care of it. I recently just bought an Epiphone though mainly because I'm more of a Gibson person myself, I love the sound. But the price is a bit much. Kind of excited about trying out my new guitar when I get it.
JRC Guitarist I started with a Squire Strat too. Now I have 5 Epiphones because I'm more a Gibson person myself. I like the humbuckers over single coils. I just can't justify the cost of a Gibby. This is just a hobby for me.
Yea, I just bought my Epiphone Ltd edition swingter. It's a great guitar but I feel a lot guitars these days cost way too much. Between Fender and Gibson.
Proudly made in the USA by a machine made in China.
You know that for a fact?
lmao thats good
NO WAY all made in USA when it comes to GIBSON! Dude must of bought a counterfeit and is just venting over it LOL.
sal Carrubba Machinery all made from Pittsburgh steel no Chinese steel there at all!
That's just a plainer! They,'ve used plainers all the way back in the 50s.yes they mass produce now days nobody can stay in business when your fighting with the supply and demand factor.the old day's of hand crafted instruments is gone its a new world these day's! But there still a very good instrument compared to China or Indonesia.
Best tour ive seen of the Gibson factory!
When I see this I seriously wonder why people want to pay so much for a Gibson. For the money you pay you can get a guitar made by one luthier instead. The only difference will be that you won't have the Gibson tag, but that's about it.
Your are missing one detail, after 32 years of playing this guitar, it is still at the peak of performance. It's not about a tag, it's about quality and durability.
Lawrence Salas Not to mention it's made in the US and not China. Most guitars that are Cheaper were made in China. For example- Epiphone.
Lawrence Salas He is talking about a single luthier, for example Daemoness, Black Machine and other such luthiers. Those guitars are WAY better than any Gibson I have ever played.
Garrett Brooks I just got an epiphone to learn on. But I foresee myself getting a gibson in the future.
***** Thanks for replying for me :-) I don't get it why people have this Fender/Gibson fetish. I only buy broken Fenders/other guitars so I can get a guitar for cheap (I can fix most stuff). If I had the money to buy a USA guitar, I would definitely buy one from a luthier instead of Gibson or Fender! (although I've just started building my own, which is a lot of fun).
So a Gibson is all CNC carved and finished and assembled buy hand, just like a Cort. I'll spend the $4000 I saved on beer and pizza.
Neil Pincus 5-10 minutes to cut a body. For $4000 I want hand built.
in my country we pay $2000 more expansive
+adriel viana Here in Argentina we pay 11.500 dollars for the Les Paul Stardard 2015. It's less expensive for us take one week vacations in New York, go to Gibson's store there, buy the same guitar and fly back to Argentina. It's crazy.
é mesmo amigo
+NATURALTALENT 11.000 dólares? Que fumaste? A lo sumo 4000 por una standard, pero se te fue la mano.. Jajja
So this is where those amazing guitars are made...🙏
My guitar was made there
how many guitars do they build a day holly shit
who keeps buying them
I know but my question is how many guitars do people buy a year. like do people even buy 1 guitar a year?
paraglidermx China's guitars are pathetic. Probably the worst country at guitar making. Japan is the Asian country that makes decent cheap guitars and fantastic high end guitars. Maybe Gibson quality control is half assed lately, but you can still find great ones. Also brands like, Schecter (the usa models), Taylor USA, Martin USA, Fender USA, and ESPECIALLY PRS models are absolutely superior American guitars, made just as well if not better than the past. As for Gibson if you want a taste of how things used to be, try a New 2013-2014 Les Paul Tradtional, rivals Historic models. Great instrument.
William Potter In my opinion, just because something else is made in a different country it doesnt make it garbage, its just a divergent companies have to take to make a profit with their products.
***** That is Correct, as I said Japan is capable of great guitars. I will add Korea is getting much better, as well as Mexico and Canada. I own Guitars from all of those countries including Epiphone, Schecter, PRS SE and Seagull guitars that I love as much as my USA Gibson, Fender, Martin, and Taylors. However, finding a nice guitar from China is dam near impossible trust me. I am in no way saying only USA can make great guitars. However I am def saying China is by far the worst country of guitar building, this comes from experience, not research and youtube, though you can find lots of info to support this.
Mexico is one of the best... lol maybe not in terms of guitars from other brands but locally made acoustic guitars in michoacan are too great.
This is really cool to watch. I love Gibson guitars, particularly the Les Paul. My dad showed me this and I told him he should have become a luthier.
DeVillbis airless air assisted guns.? No respirators.surprises me.
One piece body? One piece neck? My ass!
+Daniel Ibanez One piece ass?
19:14 is where the action starts folks. absolutely mind blowing how workers can get such stability from separate pieces of wood, while achieving laser precision neck angles and alignment
They should address the stormtrooper shakedown by the EPA (i think it was) over the phoney imported woods accusations.
"You didn't build this."
Obama's regime
When your trying to make a boring procedure sound interesting 15:22
What an amazing tour to create a beautiful piece of art. I’ll look at a guitar differently now.
Watching this made me realise why Gibsons are so expensive, allthough, I'm still staying a Fender guy.
***** Its all up to personal preferences. Each brand is unique and has its own stand-out features.
Fender suck
TheMuseArchive Stratocaster or telecaster?. I've always been a strat guy myself
Kevin Allen it depends. Squier bullet aren't super (altho amazing begginner guitars) but the 'murrican made (I love doing that because i'm canadian don't ask) are great. As for the custom made I have no idea because I don't have almost 5000$ to blow on a guitar but I'm sure they're amazing. It all depends. The player makes the guitar not the other way around
William is awesome Depends really, for more heavy/distorted stuff I like to grab a strat, for like a funk/jazz/warm guitar song I grab my telecaster. Telecasters perform well on just a little crunch, while I find strats, at least my strat copy, performs better on more distortion. Allthough forget Fender, I'd really want a Manson guitar haha, they're £4000 a piece though so I'm happy with Fender/Squier/whateverthecopy for now. Also, I find the neck on my friends Fender Strat American Standard very comfortable to play on unlike other guitars.
William is awesome Otherwise, growing up with strat copies as my starter guitars, I'm more of a strat guy haha
I have to confess, I have always loved Gibson guitars and always wanted to own one but the last 10 or so years somewhat throttled my enthusiasm due to how Gibson was claimed by many to have serious quality control problems. I heard all kinds of horror stories from ill-fitting parts, bad binding, fret installation, not keeping intonation, etc., etc., etc. Although I never personally saw any issues myself what compounded this for me was how Gibson seemingly would not address this, at least to me they would not. Whether I was having quality problems or not if I was the CEO I would have at least said something about it to salvage my reputation! I mean hell, if soemone calls your wife a slut and you know she wasn't, wouldn't you be all in their ass!? I would...and you'd probably see my mugshot in the news as well!
Anyway apart from all of that I did purchase a brand new Gibson Firebird in November of 2013 from Sweetwater and I LOVE IT!!! If there was any quality control issues before then I'm happy to say there are none now. The only gripe I had about mine was the strap screw on the back when it was installed; the apex port was marred up (obviously from the screwdriver used to install it) and snagged a few shirts of mine and put a small superficial cut on my daughter's hand. I called Sweetwater about this and 3 days later I received a replacement. Other than that negligible issue I absolutely love this guitar and I'm looking forward to a future purchase of a Les Paul Custom!
I have three Gibson guitars and they all look, play and SOUND awesome!! To all you Gibson haters out there, I'm gonna go out on a limb here...I'm gonna say that Gibson USA makes the best sounding humbucker equipped guitars in the world...period. I have NEVER heard another brand of guitar with humbuckers in it that sounds better than a Gibson.
cooltheengines I agree! Seymour Duncans are good pickups as well but they just don't have that Gibson bite IMO like the humbuckers or the burstbuckers. Since I posted this I've played several Gibsons; if Gibson ever had any issues with quality I think it's safe to say that those days are behind them.
I'm not actually talking about the pickups themselves, I'm talking about the guitar. I have Semour Duncan's in two of my Gibson's. What I'm saying is that if you put the same pickups in a different brand of guitar like Ibanez, ESP, PRS or whatever brand you want, it's not going to sound any better than the Gibson guitar - in fact probably not as good. Gibson guitar's just have a certain mojo when it comes to sound. That's why a lot of the big names artists use them.
cooltheengines Oh I agree! Sorry for the confusion; I was also talking about the guitars as well.
I own a '71 SG and an '83 Firebird and I absolutely love them. Nothing beats the sound of Gibson p'ups on a mahogany body.
A few decades ago a buddy of mine rigged Gibson Burstbuckers on an Ibanez guitar with a maple neck and basswood body. It sounded.....meh....well....okay but not as good as if he had installed them in a mahogany bodied guitar.
My 2011 Gibson SG is one of my favorite guitars. It's cool to see Gibson making SGs.
Peavey in Meridian, MS had the computer controlled machines first and everyone snubbed their noses at them. Now look.
Yeah, now look. Peavey closed down their MS plant and auctioned off most of what was left in it. All overseas now. Enjoy it while it lasts, Gibson, hope there are enough people dropping $3,000 left and right to keep the old boat afloat.
Thehigh price has been justified
mr jack right it takes so much time care and people just to make 1
Makes me appreciate my 2016 Gibby LP Traditional even more after watching this. Love my Les Paul.
Some may not like what I am about to say about this company, so let me just say that I have always been a huge fan of the Les Paul and several other Gibson models. However, Gibson truly offends with some of their price tags charging more than five-thousand dollars for some models that are not comprised of diamonds and gold, but they should be at this price. Moreover, Gibson sent the beloved Epiphone line to Red Communist China; counterfeit Les Paul's come from China. China produces garbage and often by way of child labor. Gibson was also pinched somewhat recently for acquiring illegally procured woods, e.g, Indian Rosewood, etc. Thus they were raided by the Fed's. This is why the fretboards of the "baked maple" Les Paul Custom guitars were only around $1800.00 instead of $4,000.00!
I have since switched over to Carvin/Keisel guitars as they are all American made in California. Furthermore, you can totally customize and have your guitar built using exactly what you choose; just ask Gibson to do this for you and they will laugh and hang up. Lastly, Carvin can build me a guitar that looks just like a Les Paul with better construction for less than half the price. However, Gibson's pickups are still king, but Dimarzio's (American made) are just as good at almost half the price.
+David Gass china produces precisely what you order and pay it to produce. that ranges from garbage to cutting edge.
China subscribes to slave and child labor. China spends billions to buy nuclear bombs whilst letting their people starve. China kills peacefully protesting students and China tells their people how to act, how to think, what they can view on tv/internet; therefore, anything they produce is garbage. Moreover, I am ashamed of any American company who does business with them. The United States should boycott China entirely. However, we should first pay China every cent they are owed by the United States as this is also shameful.
you're living in a naive wonderland aren't you. get a grip on how real life works. it is impossible to reach the cost and volume production if you try to give all rights and payment equal to usa and as a result you wouldn't be able to buy 1/10th of the stuff you now indulge yourself in daily. without china modern economy will come grinding to a halt.
remember united states have way more blood in their hands than any country. they also mass manipulate their own people about how and what to think. the only difference is americans are too brainwashed at this point to even realize that they are being manipulated since childhood.
and I wonder which country spends more on military than next 7 combined. if even quarter of that money was used for good, many disease and hunger would have been gone by now.
fact is, china is doing precisely what any country does at one point of their history or another to get out of the poverty, Britain went through this phase, germany did, usa did too in the 1800s and early 1900s and even japan did just a few decades prior to china. japan was known as the cheap knockoff producer just like china not very long ago.
David Gass I bring up points and you resort to some cheap personal attack? good going lol if you hate china so much tell your politicians to move all the companies back. I am interested to see how that turns out for your economy. It's a delicate financial balance, not a one night project. you can make wishes all day long, but at the end of the day you will still buy chinese stuff to fulfill your materialistic desires and fuel the slave labor that you say you hate so much. hypocrisy much? big words on the internet don't stop slave labor. let them go through the harsh phase. that will improve their economy and they will eventually stand up shoulder to shoulder with modern countries and get rid of their current setup totally organically just like japan did 25 years prior.
Your constant defense of slave/child labor is telling of just how apathetic you are. Moreover, Japan only changed because the United States (after being sucker punched) decided to kick the shit out of the Japanese and force them to change as Japan failed to take over the world, just as Hitler did. Therefore, the United States is mostly responsible for Japan's new age.
I will admit that you are correct in exposing my shame of my Country for choosing to do business with communists and terrorists. President Clinton's visit to China was a disgrace. If it helps, you win in that area as there most certainly is a lot of hypocrisy going on in my Country.
I'm disappointed. They didn't show how they put the orange peel in the paint.
I found a golden ticket in mine
I found a golden ticket in mine
lol lol lol lol lol p lol lol lol
what haha
It's not the only Gibsons G strings that go out of tune, it's pretty much every guitar.
Astonished how many operations are carried out by hand. Impressive! 😎🇺🇸
Mass production and then so Expensive? This has nothing to do with quality, the, other manufacturers also. And much cheaper.
Honestly I was really quite surprised how much actual hand work that was performed. Judging from what was said, it takes around 30-50 labour hours to put a guitar together. That’s quite a high cost straight up?
red_array That might be true. I wouldn’t underestimate the challenge of getting the quality right in China though. It could take months or years and in the meantime the business would be risked. They could and should go the same route as PRS and have a high quality affordable range like the SE. Epiphone are crummy by comparison.
@red_array
Gibson and Guitar Center got in some hot water a few years ago for artificially inflating the price of Gibson's, so both companies could raise their profit margins exponentially.
Yes, I loved my job and Henry was really cool most of the time, but you never knew who your friends were and it was a toxic environment. And the pay wasn't very good either, unless you had managed to stay there for over a decade or more. And most lasted a week to 6 mos. tops. 300% turnover rate back then. I always wondered how you could make a quality product with that kind of turnover, and the truth is you really can't. I am still asked how I managed to stay there 3 years. lol
Funny recollection, there was a central vac system we used to suck all the mahogany dust and maple shavings up off the floor and off the shaper tables at the end of the day, and the ducts and/or collection area would frequently catch fire!
The first time it happened I was freaking out standing out in the cold. When I asked why everyone was so calm someone shrugged and replied, "It happens all the time".
i worked for ibanez, and everything is done the same, i would imagine every other big name guitar company does the same method also, so why is a les paul , of the same exact quality 3 or 4 thousand dollars , for the same exacting conditions , and generally a better guitar?you can get a better guitar, in my opinion, from esp,, ltd,, or evena cheap dean,it costs more because it says gibson, i can make you the the gibson logo for about 3 bucks, and put it on an esp, tell me the difference, you couldn't
I'm interested in the production process behind the instruments. And your point is legit. Whatever, I strongly think that the mass of the enterprise can be a problem on a shrinking market. And it's probably the case here.
When you say Ibanez do you mean Hoshino?
Esp has an angular neck joint to the body for a better reach to the last frets :D but yes I get what you mean. I love LTD, ESP and even Cort guitars a lot since they allow me to buy different guitars (for different feels) and experiment. Also, I can play these guitars at regular gigs unlike a friend of mine who is always worried someone might scratch his Gibson. Guess, both kinds have their own unique charm.
Very informative! I had a tour of the Gibson acoustic factory in Bozeman Montana and would love to visit the Nashville plant. I have 7 Gibson's, electric and acoustics and they are all brilliant ! Great video.!!
Haha The finisher wasn’t even wearing a mask… 24 minutes 55 seconds
I will admit that I think Gibson is a little overpriced. Having said that, I also think there is nothing quite like it. i have played countless les paul copies/epiphones and stuff of that nature, and nothing comes close to the sound of a genuine les paul. also, I have no room to really criticize and intrument for being over-priced. my primary bass is a Ric 4003.
Tristan Berke ibanez deluxe 59er
'a little overpriced'?, that's an understatement. Gibson are hugely overpriced, as are Epiphone, that's why they've gone bust. Increasing your prices with 50% every year ensures that you lose customers.