I bought a brand new les Paul a few years ago and the thing had faulty electronics in it. Gibson then told me I could only get it fixed at an authorized dealer. Then they gave me the number for their dealer in my city, called the guy and he said they let him go when they went bankrupt. So then they told me to go to Guitar Center. Then it took them a month to send me two parts that took ten minutes to install. They didn’t overnight the parts or anything, which you’d think they’d do after I bought a brand new instrument. Just feels like they don’t care about the customer at all.
This isn't surprising to me. Fender would've treated you like a damn king if you spent that money on their guitars. They even emailed me back within 5 hours to confirm that my used fender was legitimate. I hadn't even bought anything from them yet they replied that afternoon to confirm that a used guitar at a pawn shop was legit. That's customer service.
@@alexmurphy5289 I emailed Fender with a couple of random, borderline-annoying questions about my Acoustasonic Junior amplifier, which I’d purchased in 1999. I absolutely did not expect a response, but I got a very helpful one, within the hour.
Jeez, I sent Alvarez an email about my bone saddle having a hairline crack and they 2 day shipped me a new one and gave me a bunch of stickers to boot. Come on Gibson!
I can tell you why I left Gibson. While nearly every other manufacturer has been improving quality while lowering price, Gibson has been doing the opposite. Gibson quality has continued to decline while the price skyrockets. It's incredibly odd to see some Epiphones with better attention to detail in the build than the Gibson its emulating.... considering they're the same company, really.
I think you might have sealed my decision on upgrading my Slash Epiphone LP to the Gibson. I bought it used for $550 and it plays amazing. Good neck, good frets and the only thing I want to upgrade is the tuning machines.
@@dragon7590 That's the way I do it. I usually ignore hardware when guitar shopping (within reason, of course). I look primarily at the finish on the body and the feel of the neck. If that is spot on, I buy it. Everything else is easy to upgrade cheaper than if you'd bought that higher end model. I have a squier my dad bought me way back in the 90's. Over the years I've basically turned it into a much higher end instrument. I upgraded the tuners, bridge, nut, pickups and the internal electronics. If you know how to solder and have some very basic woodworking skills it's super easy and saves a ton of cash.
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Epiphone is more proactive, more diverse in their choice of instruments and offers better quality/price relation. On basses and hollow body guitars, they're way above Gibson right now, IMHO.
@ The one thing I'll say for Gibson is their pickups are still amazing. I'm not saying they are the greatest ever made or anything.... but Gibson pickups are still leaps and bounds ahead of Epiphone. I own several epiphones. All but one of them I've upgraded to Gibson pickups. The other one is my metal guitar and it's rocking James Hetfield EMG's.
Exactly have a brand new Gibson Les Paul Goldtop when I got it home I had to go in and fix the Rhythm switch had to take the back off and tighten it up to where it would work I want a $2,700 guitar when I bought the Epiphone in the same model to standard Les Paul gold top only thing I had to change his lower the action that's it good guitar
I’ve been saying this for 10 years, and I’m 61 years old. The day they put minimum buy’s on their small dealers, in an effort to recoup revenue, they sealed their fate. Les Paul knew it and told their ownership (at the time) they had ruined his company.
As a manufacturer's rep, although not for a guitar company, there is always a push/pull relationship between "dealers" and manufacturers. The old adage that you can't sell from an empty cart comes into play here. Many "dealers" are underfunded and want to be able to sell everything but stock nothing. Inventory ties up capital. The dealers blame the manufacturer if they choose to set up one dealer but not another. Minimum inventory requirements are a normal thing in business. I know that many of you don't like to think of instrument manufacturing as a business but there it is. If a dealer isn't willing to bring in a reasonable representation of the line then why does the manufacturer need dealers at all? They could just sell direct and make a higher margin by cutting out the middle man.
You are so right. I live in the north of Spain. In my region, this is the biggest town. Well, you can't find a single Gibson dealer here for that reason. I didn't know they were loosing costumers but it's only logical. People in charge are doing an awful job and these are the consequences. Best wishes from Spain!
Yep, and it sucks for all involved. Most dealers can’t front 150k for the inventory. So you never see Gibsons in local stores and people just end up buying one used online.
@@jMOPS1993 that's right. I don't like buying online because I like helping local stores. But I wanted a specific acoustic and there wasn't other way. Too bad. Awful policy.
When they moved their manufacturing facility from Kalamazoo Michigan to Nashville Tennessee, and fired all their top craftsmen... That's when their guitars went to shit. Oh yeah... and that other guy... that asshole Obama took away your mahogany
Excellent points Jeremy. I love old Gibsons, but can’t stand where they are now. You’re absolutely right that they’re a dying brand and totally out of touch with the younger audience.
Gibson sales figures please... I think you'll find they might be out of touch, but why care, people still aspire to buy them new, and as an owner of newer Gibson, bought second hand at a reasonable reduced price, with push pull knobs, that give me out of phase options, that's otherwise Custom Shop where you have to have the pickup setup configured as out of phase, it's great to get close to Peter Green or Jimmy Page tones. Anyhow I would wager old Gibson purists are not talking with experience of newer models, and are just making unsubstantiated claims.
@@macabre2007 this is a clickbait video. Don't expect any data. These people don't really have a clue if Gibson is "losing guitar players" or not. They just read stuff from social media, they might now about Gibson going bankrupt and then TH-camrs do what TH-camrs do. Gibson has NEVER, EVER, been about the guy searching for a guitar at a pawn shop or Facebook Marketplace (which is almost the same thing today). All the big movements in ELECTRIC guitar music have involved Fender guitars which were lost in a basement: the Jazzmasters, Mustangs or Jaguars of the world I could say. Besides, Fender cannot compete with Gibson when it comes to genres like jazz, acoustics, etc. And I've never seen a video about how Fender has destroyed every single acoustic guitar company they purchased like Tacoma and ALMOST did with Ovation, Takamine and Guild.
Especially when the Strat is far sexier at half the price. Sounds better too. And it won't give you scoliosis from hanging that huge dead weight around your neck!
We do NOT need to be a professional luthier, a Clapton or a Frampton to acknowledge the truth in your statement ! Gibson has forgotten the essential truth of ‘sales’ .... the customer’s requirements are more important than the company’s market strategy. 🤔
@@jeremyreid9582 Exactly. The Gibson Guitar Co. has been passed around more times than a lit joint at a party over the past few decades, with each successive owner merely ripping off the name. No stability whatsoever.
@@FEARTHEEER1 I’ve got 8 from a ‘58 ES 125 (bought new by my dad, rip)to a month old LP Standard and have lived thru the gamut of Gibsons. Have a bad SG that had the robot tuners that has never been right even after changing to Grovers. They are coming out of a dark period and hopefully on track now. Regarding price, made in USA is expensive. Workers are well paid,need health insurance and benefits. Facility, workers comp, taxes and all that it takes. You pay for all that in the price of every guitar. Add quality materials and some profit and everyone feels ripped off.
There is always a used Gibson somewhere. I am not wealthy but I won’t hold BMW and Porsche to blame for the crazy prices they ask. Different strokes for different folks
@@jaycook2323 True. I recently bought a 60s Les Paul Standard and it is amazing. Yes it was $2499 plus tax which is not a price point for younger players ( I’m 47) but what I purchased was a perfect guitar. It plays like a dream and I could not find a single flaw with it. I agree with most if not all of the points Jeremy spoke of and Gibson’s public relations is a hot mess. I’ve bought a 2017 Les Paul Tribute and a 2018 Flying V and both those guitars are amazing and at a price closer to an American made Fender. There are plenty of guitars Gibson, as well as Epiphone make that are quality made guitars without the high price.I’m a left handed player and in this day, there are plenty of guitar makers that make great guitars for us. I’ve always wanted a Gibson and when my finances were right, I bought one. I look at it as a tool to create and although we as humans are partial to our biases, any well set up guitar can help launch you to creating your sound and give you the ability to express yourself.
PRS, Fender really aren’t inexpensive. All high end companies have lesser priced models that are great. Save your money and buy what you like. I purchased two Gibsons in the last year zero QC issues.
I currently own : an acoustic- no bridge pins. a wildkat royale- awesome p90s. and a LP special/jr - only need that one double coil p'up. & I'm gonna get a casino & epiphone 3 p90 Riviera like the one jimmy vivino plays
Spot on assessment! Gibson is to guitars as Harley is to motorcycles, and both are sinking under the weight of their own self-serving hubris. As you said, they want doctors and lawyers...folks who have lots of money and want to relive their youth. You would think Gibson would learn, but they don't.
I would say for the time being it's probably a good business model, as bad as it is for guitar in general. Boomers are retiring in record numbers, people like me in Gen x are at the top of our earning power, and combined it is a huge demographic. So they need to make hay now when they have all these boomers with disposable income and gen-xers at the top of their earning game. But their extended forecast does not look good, I don't see them connecting with younger people. They just have too much baggage tied to the boomer generation.
A lot of younger people around where I live love Harleys. Not always the big touring bikes, but the Dyna line is a great bike that a lot of "bikers" balk at as just a sportster with a bigger motor. I love my Dyna. Gibson has made some iconic instruments, but its kinda a love/hate thing with me. I was a fender guy for many years and then bought an LP during the pandemic, but don't really enjoy playing it. It has great sound, but after a couple of decades of playing a strat, I find it clunky as hell to play well. Might be going right back to a strat.
Yes, that is the problem lots of companies make a similar guitar to a Gibson/Epiphone models with maybe one exception the SG model that Gibson still bullies others to not make. Even flying V designs are made by a few companies. Even Epiphone one can get a Gibson model guitar for same price as a Gibson and get more from the guitar.
Gibson hasnt quite sunk to that level yet, Gibson dealers generally won't try to insult your masculinity for wanting something that didn't go obsolete in the 70s.
Gibson realizes that the quickest way to a buck is go after low volume, high price to those of us becoming empty nesters with excess income.... Simple as that.
@@paule4696 I'm a huge Gibson fan. My parents had Les Paul/Mary Ford records, I knew who Scotty Moore and Chuck Berry were and that they played Gibsons by the time I was 7 or 8 years old. Price high/low is relative. Perceived Value is subjective. I own several Gibson Les Pauls from 'Specials' to Standards and still have the Custom I got as child. Worked and paid for it myself at 14 years old. I also have several Fenders and Epiphones (Not Chinese). and others I have an Epi dot.. factory blemish, gold tone wore off (love it), the 'E' on the pick guard fell off... Got it new in '98 or so.... I've played hundreds of ES335's... only two equaled this Epi (both custom made for their owners). Everyone that hears it or plays it makes an offer... Everyone I've touched is just as good. I'd rather buy American, but can't justify 8 or 10 times the price for a slightly better/prettier wood top or hardware. Especially for something that is so valuable I won't take it out to bar or club gig. Sadly you can walk into GC, pick up the most expensive Les Paul and find flaws... PLEK'd my butt... I usually find the guitars are not intonated correctly. You could say it's GC's crappy environment (Dry, over AC'd.) but all have the same issue.. Tune it up, play the 'a' on the G-string 14th fret and e string 17th fret... flat!!! not like that between 2nd and 5th frets.. Then pick up the cheapest Fender or off shored PRS (not a fan).. and the fit and finish are near perfect as is the intonation. Very few new instruments are investment grade. You're just buying a name and. past glory. Face it Clapton, Page, Beck through Slash, BB. King sold more Gibsons than the great Les Paul himself. When I do strap on a Gibson on stage and announce "This is a political statement"... you can tell the people that get it. (ie. Obama admin abuses, especially Gibson, non-union shop in Red State vs Fender, Union shop, California.) About 3 years ago I was in Nashville. Of course stopped in the Gibson Lounge in the airport. Walls are full of classic Gibsons. All filthy, rusty strings, dust and mold hanging off of them. Zero pride... Their name in on the Entry, the menus, the walls, the napkins and of course one of their factories/museums is in town... I even volunteered to go in after hours and clean and restring the instruments if they would supply the cleaning kits and strings.. I didn't even get a reply.. Was there about six weeks later... No change. I think this is a stupid way to do business , but it's reality. Car Manufacturers do not really care about selling cars to the the individual. The large distributors and dealers are the target market. By the time the car in on the lot the manufacturer has their money.. Short sighted... See what happened in the 70's ;-(... Go into GC, SamAsh, call up ZZsounds et. al. and ask them how much money they have to front Gibson every year to be allowed to carry them and how much flexibility they have in pricing. The only way they get a deal is to get Gibson (and others) to do a special run.. re: color, hardware, features.. that only they have..And they'll still have a handful in stock years later... The small local stores can't afford to play this game. Due to labor, environmental and other regulations, taxes, labor, shipping costs etc. etc. it's getting harder and harder for craftsmen to make a living. Want a 'real' Gibson. Buy a Heritage... 9 out 10 Gibson players I speak to never heard of them and they are next to impossible to find in a retail store. If Gibson is to survive they need to devolve (size wise) into Heritage... or ramp up Chinese child and slave labor to drive costs down as much as possible, maybe they can poach some management from [take your pick, you know who] manufacturing in China and sign up a couple of NBA stars to shill for them. After COVID, IP Theft, buying out our Uni's and one political party and part of another what sane person is buying anything Chinese anymore if there is an alternative?
At least until they have all popped their clogs. Then what will they do? They are investing in a dying customer base instead of the customer base of the future. That seems a bit stupid to me.
I think it comes to value. In a world where you have so many reasonably priced alternatives to gibson's products, they aren't offering anything to justify the prices.
I was dead set on getting a Gibson Les Paul and played several in my quest for an American made guitar. But compared to my Epi Les Paul, they didn’t feel or sound better to me. Then I picked up an American pro tele with a maple neck and I fell in love. So, in my case... epiphone quality is super good and fender felt so much better.
@@mattsmitchger259 Yeah, like so many, I tend to get caught up in the hype. Like, I'll never be a great player if I don't have a Gibson or a Neve or a Neumann or a $2,000 acoustic guitar or whatever! Truth is nowadays, it's not the gear. It's the performance. It's the player. It's the song. Gear is not holding us back. Get your guitar set up perfectly and it will play better than most new expensive guitars hanging on the rack. Truth. Spread the word.
I’ve been poor my entire life. I’m 30. I’m not a boomer doctor or lawyer. I saved money (I know CCRAAZY) and bought a Gibson SG ‘61 reissue. I’ve never been so inspired to play. After spending 20 years playing mostly acoustic and mostly cheap crap I am beyond happy with it. Originally I bought a Fender American Professional which I had to send back 2 models before I got one that didn’t have horrible QC/shipping/wrong color issues. When I spent time with the one that had a really nice fit and finish, I wasn’t happy with it just based on what and how I like to play. And fender actually left me with a bad taste in my mouth. When I got my Gibson, boom right out of the case it was perfect. Did a set up myself and have never been happier. There’s nothing wrong with fender, I still want one, but they blew it! When I was shopping for guitars, one thing I quickly learned was that if you buy a flagship model guitar made in the USA they all cost between $1-$2k. The American Professional I bought was $1500! I was also looking at PRS guitars in the same price range. People can argue all day and all night about value per dollar, but the long winded debating about the price of Gibson USA is ridiculous because people are always talking about the $5-$10k models and pretend Fender custom shop and PRS doesn’t offer the same exact thing. The perspective of the video that oh I don’t see my hipster self fitting in with Gibson, they aren’t speaking to me, they aren’t interested in me, they keep talking about history and dinosaurs and that video of Dweezil Zappa on Gibson TV. Seriously who cares? I hate companies that try and snatch your identity and use it against you. Gibson knows exactly what they are, they’re the guitar that has had a place right along side fender in popular music decade after decade. The whole point of their campaign right now is to say that they aren’t going to change the guitars with robotuners, they’re going to embrace their long and storied history. Sorry you think the new Slash guitar or Peter Frampton or Dave Mustaine guitars are stupid and out of touch with hipsters. It’s not about you. Lol You may not respect that Gibson is going to use Jimmy Page with his les paul burst, or George Harrison with his SG or ES 345, or any of the other dinosaur music to prop themselves up. They're coming out of 30 years of mismanagement. That's what this video is about. You're not covering anything new. I'm sorry you need a giant corporation to make you feel a certain way to buy their product. I don't need Gibson to make me feel special, I need them to make classic guitars that are iconic that have good QC and are made by Americans; it is my opinion they are doing this again. As long as they achieve that, I can handle my own self image and how I fit into things. I don't need their help.
Gibson USA have made great guitars this year. I love that 61 reissue and the new Standards, I got a 60s and it's amazing. I will have it for life like my 94 Tele Plus and 97 Tele American Standard. Do it once do it right.
@Jimmy Dean Bolt on neck prices also are always going to be less because they're easier to make, also with a straight headstock you can be more efficient with wood. People still want Les Pauls. When I started playing the 90s many of us were against them because the LP/Marshall cliche but the JCM 900 and Les Pauls were just great. Again I'm agnostic, I don't hang myself to a brand or model guitar like a lot of internet personalities. I go in phases where all I want to play are my LPs only to play my Teles for weeks. They're all great and there's a reason they are still made this day that has noting to do with boomers. Sooner or later every generation will play one and realize why they are so great. Especially live because you can get so many sounds out of a LP by just using the knobs and selector. The only guitar I love more is my 335.
I'm a poor mofo, but I love all 4 of my Gibsons that I worked really hard for. I love my Fenders as well btw. You can say whatever you want, but in my opinion Gibson, since James Curleigh, did EXACTLY what we've all been wanting them to do; provide us with high quality guitars for a price that's nothing more than fair for an American made quality product. The only thing I agreed on is their fear driven policies regarding smaller builders. Apart from that, I don't think I've ever seen a guitar brand regaining the trust of their consumers so quickly. Hats off to Gibson and James Curleigh! 🎩 O and Jimmy Dean, you can kiss my hairy, European socialist butt.
Agnesi should have stayed inside his douche-bag he crawled out of. I subbed to gibson tv when they were giving away epiphones. Contest over, no more sub.
Yeah, he's doing his Norman's Rare Guitars shtick on a larger scale. Not bad, it's fun to watch people with more money than God show off their collections, but very much a "Glory Days" approach. Basically it says we used to make great guitars.
Hey Bro, I respect your viewpoint. I've got 18 Gibson guitars and I love them. I've purchased at least three since JC took over. No problem. High quality, great sound and spectacular build quality. Everyone is different and I'm not telling people what they should or should not like. But, when I hit the stage with my Gibson guitars it gives me confidence and a feeling of power. I'm holding 127 years of kick ass in my hands and there's a reason why so many players have chosen Gibson in the past. No...I am NOT telling anyone that their choices are wrong. Indeed, I have other guitars too, but, playing a Gibson is almost a spiritual bliss to me and many others. So...everyone...do your own thing. I'm NOT a guitar dictator. Just keep playing whatever you've got. And...Jeremy...I DO enjoy your channel. A LOT!
That's cool, and I'm sure they're wonderful. I certainly wish I could afford one, but for now I'll have to take my Epiphones and Fender Standard/Player Series guitars.
@jake smith...your missing the point entirely. & what he's saying is undeniabley accurate. I have no loyalty to him or his content btw...first time tuning in to his channel. Just sayin.
@@VaiRoth I think there's a reason a lot of people say that Epiphone is better than Gibson in a lot of ways now. They may not have Gibson pickups, but Epiphone's construction quality and QA/QC are really good right now
I agree with this. I’ve been playing for 6 years and I’d always wanted a Les Paul. I saved 100$ a month for 2 years and was going to buy one. I went to go play one and it was comfortable, heavy, and not worth the 2k entry level guitar that was used. I ended up buying a new signature Steve Vai Jem. Couldnt be happier with it. It’s sad how the company is falling. There’s no need to spend 5K in a guitar when you can buy a decent one for the average guy for 500 bucks.
I bought a Gibson Midtown Custom brand new for 1.200$ back in 2013. Probably the best and most enjoyable guitar I’ve ever played. It sells for about double the price these days preowned.
@@alexanderstyrlander7991 but whos buying? not kids or young people its boomers and boomers are getting old you think its gonna be as valuable in 20 years? the target demographic will all be gone lol kids aint buying gibsons now,cause they are overpriced and all the young guitar heros aint playing them either...nor do gibson go out of their way to put les pauls in the hands of upstarts,fender do though
@@random_an0n Well probably boomers like myself who’s always dreamt of owning a nice Gibson guitar etc. But I agree the market is probably limited and shrinking. But there will probably always be a market for it.
They are too expensive. That made them aspirational when there were few alternatives that weren't junk. Now you can get a perfectly good guitar for 1/5th the cost of a new Gibson. Kids then start to define "cool" differently.. and more youngsters want their own identity or want a brand less steepd in Blues Lawyer. Also obviously music has changed and rock n roll and blues are no longer mainstream. The cool gay/androgynous kids are playing Duesembergs.. Gibson priced themselves out of relevance to upcoming generations. They forgot the golden rule of marketing: if the only people who aspire to buy your stuff just want to hang it on the wall or are having a mid-life crisis, the brand itself rapidly devalues and becomes irrelevant.
Yeah but product wise they're selling out and making some of their best stuff? Search TH-cam for reviews of the 50s and 60s Les Paul Standards. Gibson knocked it out of the park. Even dividing their lines from Original and Modern was smart. they need younger artists for sure but Fender has always been more about signature models than Gibson, they have one to rule them all the Les Paul.
Outside of all your points, Gibson doesn’t make a good entry level guitar. Sure you can go Epiphone and get a pretty decent guitar but Fender has a guitar for literally every single price point you can think of. And it doesn’t take half the money to get a great guitar with the full fender name as it does a Gibson. I think Gibson really needs to make a guitar that’s priced at the player series level with the Gibson name on the headstock. It’s silly but people do really want that name on their guitars. Their QC is already a joke so there’s no prestigious name left to tarnish. Get it together Gibson!
I would love a 335. But I refuse to be ripped off. If Gibson made a Gibson logo 335 at the pricepoint of a Mexican fender. Then I would buy one tomorrow.
People who care about resale value want the Gibson name on their guitar trust me.... I don't care about how you feel about Gibson the company the truth is the name Gibson sells your guitar...
I just got a Les Paul standard, and I love it so far. Let me start by saying, I’m not a lawyer, dentist, etc, and I’m certainly not rich or wealthy by ANY estimate. Im just a guy who is happy living pretty barebones and saved for a decent while to buy the thing. Also, I’ve been one of the biggest critics of Gibson for awhile now, so I’m no Gibson fanboy. However, once JC took over, I figured I’d give them another shot. The QC sucked for awhile, but this new LP is fantastic. Sounds great and zero quality control issues. Gibsons earned its reputation during the 2010s, but I think a lot of people who have not played any of the new stuff are talking shit on it. Or even if you get to play a newer Gibson, and you go in with the attitude of “this thing is gonna suck!” You’re clearly gonna think the thing sucks regardless if it actually does or not. The prices have gone down from when Henry was in charge, but I think Gibson would be better suited by getting the Les Paul Standards down to $2000. Also, as far as comparing Gibson to other companies, people throw around double standards ALL the time. I know a guy in a shop who trashed Gibsons for even the slightest thing off with the guitar, yet literally told me “always a good idea to dress the frets on a strat out of the factory” and went on about how fender is the best. As for me, I love Fender too, but this happens all the time. People act like Fender and all other companies put out guitars that are absolutely perfect every time, and that’s just not true. The nut on my Jaguar popped off after only a couple years, and I had to re do all the soldering on all the switches because who ever did it the first time did a legitimately half ass job (still absolutely love my Jaguar though, don’t get me wrong). Point is, if people want to hate Gibson, that’s totally cool. Everyone is entitled to their opinion 100%. However, don’t go around saying the new stock “sucks” when you have never actually played it or given it a chance, and try to have SOME consistency with your criticism of any company. Don’t say company A sucks, and then ignore that company B does the same shit just because you like them more. (Yeah, newsflash, a lot of your favorite companies sue people too)
The modern Gibson Les Pauls stink. Most of you guys are using high distortion amps, with multiple gain channels and foot pedals and to ad insult to injury, big pedal boards. You're not actually even hearing your guitar, you're hearing artificial noise. Take all that stuff away, plug your guitar into a simple tube amplifier that will only distort if you turn it all the way up, and you quickly find out your guitar can't sound good at all without throwing battery boxes at it. LPs off the production line, are harsh sounding, non-musical unplugged tone that belies how cheaply they are made. A Gibson guitar CAN be fixed, though. Throw away all the hardware, all the harness, get better pickups, and its possible to fix most of its mistakes into something they are incapable of producing themselves.
@@davestephens8033 “foot pedals, and to ad insult to injury, big pedal boards” yeah chief, doesn’t sound like you really know what you’re talking about there. Funny enough I only use one pedal, and it’s a polytune.
All true and how about Fender being sued for misrepresenting their products. Like selling humbuckers that turn out to be single coil when you open them up. And building 'Fenders' in China. And exploiting cheap labour around the world etc etc.
Another huge issue is QC. I have a $1,200 “Tribute” model that is an extremely bare-bones model. You’d think at this price point, with no binding, no figured top, no trapezoid inlays, it would be a great no-frills rocker. Well, the bridge pickup had to be replaced because it’s crap (neck pup was alright). And the frets are not even well dressed. And I’m one of the lucky ones. I tried a p-90 Les Paul recently, and the frets were so pokey I figured I’d need to buy a box of band-aids to go along with it. If I’m paying over one G, I expect buttery frets and amazing pickups. And there are all sorts of horror stories about their binding on even more expensive models. This QC issue extends beyond just the MIA models. I have a couple of Squiers that were made in the past couple of years. They blow away anything I’ve tried from Gibson, let alone their Epiphone brand. There really is no contest. There has GOT to be a better way of making guitars in America while still delivering value. Their Les Paul Standard seems to occupy a strange No-man’s-Land between the PRS core MIA price point, and the more expensive made-overseas price point. Now, part of me is just fighting against pricing in general. I don’t think any Strat is worth one penny more than $1,000. And even then, it better be the most amazing guitar ever. I’m digressing. But the point is, Gibson’s prices and quality, and the relation between the two (value) just don’t seem to be well-situated in today’s market.
I feel bad for Peter Frampton. He seems like a nice guy and he's a great guitar player and has great rock and roll stories. When i was a teenager, we considered him soft rock, not guitar rock. Beach music. That's not a criticism. Just wondering. why? What's wrong with just a good guitar. I mean, I like the Sheryl Crow SJ, but do i want her name on my guitar? It is just so teenager. How many teenagers have $3000+ for a guitar? (recently traded up 3 lower end vintage gibson's for a '59 J-45)
I laughed so hard. Seriously, Who at Gibson thought that would be a good idea? I'm 30 and NO ONE at my age is a Peter Frampton fan. Hell, no one I know even cares about the guitar anymore. It's a sad reality
Hi Jeremy. You mentioned Peter Frampton. I would suggest that no matter how old or young you are, you should listen to Frampton. He was and still is one of the greatest guitar players of this time.
@@vorpalblades Yeah but his guitar is great. I've never listened to a single Les Paul Album, his guitar is great; nay legendary. have YOU played a Frampton model? It's a LP modded buy the guy that gave it him in the 70s, shaved neck different pickups etc. Play the guitar, you don't have to like Frampton to think it's a great guitar, that's so dumb. Like if you're not a fan of H.E.R. I guess you can't use her strat???
SRV played a squier live, wilde played an epi live, and cobain liked his squier for live performances too. I think its smart. Just make sure they hold tune fine and leave good stuff at home. I think its for this reason, not because they preferred cheaper shit...
He never played a squier....In the early days he played a univox hiflyer later on he played mustangs and Jaguars and he used mexican Strats to destroy at the end
Let me give my recent impression of Gibson... Went to a guitar store today, and while I like the sound of Gibson, the fit and finish were clearly lacking compared to similar priced Martins. And this quality control, fit and finish issue was quite obvious. For example, the particular Gibson I played had a poorly sanded, finished sound hole. Now I know this may sound petty, but it was that bad. The s;Martin was beautifully finished. Anyways, that's what turned me off. I want a guitar that is made with care, not something that is quickly pushed through the assembly line.
I used to live in Kalamazoo. I can tell you exactly why. There is no doubt to me that these are the highest quality instruments made, BUT, when they cost as much as a CAR or a small HOUSE, not everyone can afford that. When there ARE better choices for less money, I know where I am going to spend mine, money is too hard to come by these days.
2 things. 1. Sales 101 is about the entity spending the money.. not the entity receiving the money. 2. I have a 1966 Hummingbird my dad used to play The Opry in the 60's and 70's. I called Gibson about possibly doing some work on it... biggest bunch of snobs I've ever talked to. No way would I deal with them unless I absolutely have to.
I got my first Gibson less than a few months ago. As a 27 year old who started playing when I was around 10, you can probably guess how beyond excited I was to finally get my own coveted Gibson Les Paul. Not one of those phony bologna epiphone's. A real, $2,800 LP. It came in the mail and after waiting an excruciatingly long 48 hrs for it to acclimate to my home temp I was able to open it. Popped open the case and couldn't believe how beautiful it was. I was shell shocked at this momentous milestone of my life. I ran downstairs with it and put it under better lighting so I could go over it with a fine tooth comb. After all, for $2,800 it had better be perfect. Turns out, there were little cracks in the binding on the top of the neck where they pressed the frets into. I contacted MF's customer service and after a week and a half I received my new new LP. Little dots in the face of the guitar that didn't get any finish. And there were chunks of glue stuck to the nut. Another week and a half later my new new new LP arrives. The flame top is meh, guitar sounds and plays good but it didn't wow me like the first one did, but I decided to settle on this one. Now, myself not knowing much about gibson, in my case I have learned that gibsons quality control is just not where the hype has them at. This whole process has just made me lose hope and admiration for gibson and their future and this video just reiterates that for me. It's so sad to see an iconic brand go down this way but honestly, if they don't want to change, then let them go away. I'll happily play other brands. (I personally love schecters and ibanez)
There quality control is rubbish,I was in the market for an acoustic guitar with only 3000e to spend I was looking at there j45 but everyone I played had some sort of issue so I walked away happy with my new MARTIN D 18 and couldn’t be happier 😁
@@ADHD_collector_in_the_YYJ you are going to get good & bad in any brand as long as they are mass produced. It’s search & play until you find one that “speaks “ to you. Or you can sell the farm and buy a custom made “boutique “
Last year I was looking at the J45's on a company website that lets you look at the actual pictures of the guitars that they have to sell. They had 6 J45's and every one of them had QC issues that should never have made it out of Gibson's facilities. There were gaps between the fretboard and top on one. 3 of them had the tuning machines installed crooked. This is something that should never pass final inspection. The tuning machines are mounted to the headstock with small screws to keep them from turning. When these tuning machines are reinstalled straight, they leave holes in the wood at the back of the headstock from the screws being installed in the wrong place. There was glue that did not get cleaned off on all of them. Most of it was where the fretboard was glued to the top. The glue was all around the fretboard and on the soundboard. It would have been very visible from across a room. They looked like they were finished by children just learning to put kits together. I guess I shouldn't expect so much for a guitar that I would have to pay $2900.00 for. I wonder if the artists that Gibson sponsors get to choose their instruments from another production facility that is not accessible for the general public? I bought a Martin D-28 instead. I'll just have to wait to get a mahogany and spruce acoustic. It might well be a D-18.
It is rubbish. Case in point: I bought a Songwriter acoustic back in '05 that turned out to have a neck defect. I took it to my local Gibson factory-authorized luthier a few weeks later. He said he'd put in the paperwork to Gibson but that I'd have to give him $800 up front because in all likelihood Gibson wouldn't pay for it. He said he'd seen the exact same problem on several of them but that Gibson's usual response was to blame the owner. I took it back and let an unauthorized luthier do the work instead (which turned out great btw and much cheaper). Gibson is going to profit off whatever cachet it still has, but time is running out. When our kids are grown they'll be putting them in Happy Meals as prizes to be thrown away with the box.
I recall some years ago (when HJ was CEO), Gibson stating categorically that the dealer was their 'end-user'; the players, you and me, were by implication inconsequential.. That pretty much underscores what your presentation stated. Thank you.
After playing for 15 years, never once looked at a Gibson. Always knew they were out of reach. By not engaging me in my teens and twenties, they probably lost a customer for life. I found what works for me (PRS, Classic Vibe Squires, Seagull, etc.) and they won’t ever break the bank. Fun to mod, etc.
Who can forget that Agnessi train wreck of a video? In many ways this story is very much in line with the division being pushed by the media and politicians who also think they’re all so far above the average citizens and it speaks of elitism imo.
@@andredegiant3876 Seriously...you never heard of a Corvus or RD or. Gibson has always presented NEW STUFF and gotten whipped for it. Robotuners...oversized Buckethead models...and what sells are...guess...1950s and 60s designs.
@@dragonpundit.6443 you have to make good new stuff lol can’t just put out shit and expect people to like it. Robô tuners were horrible and didn’t work
I'm 48, been playing guitar since 1984, played violin from 1977-1983. My first electric was a Bentley series 10, 2nd was an Epiphone (by Gibson), 3rd was a Gibson Explorer (1991 model with 24 frets, Floyd Rose). I was dead-set on owning Gibson products for life. I've borrowed Ibanez and Martin and Fender Strats, etc over the years to perform, record and instruct on, played just about everything at music stores on 4 continents. I'll play anything, but my heart goes back to Gibson's designs, specifically semi-hollow, that came about in the 1940s-50s. I bought a 1990 Yamaha SA-1100 (es-335 clone) back in 2000 and haven't looked back. At age 4 I first saw a Yamaha grand piano (several of them) at SIUE college in Southern Illinois. It blew my mind how clear it was, the uni had around 20 of them and that stuck with me. Over the years I realized it's about sound and being realistic. Gibson can F itself. It is the GM of guitars, Fender is the Ford. Yes, after GM purposefully, intentionally designed car parts to fail in order to get more repair money which led to 1,000s of deaths and disfigurements, yes, they should have been ''let to fail''. Same with Gibson, we would be better without them. All they are doing is lengthening the death spiral of what has become Boomer nostalgia - which has also hampered record labels' investments in new artists. The last 25 years has felt like a never-ending retirement party for music from the 1960s-1980s. I'm beyond sick of it. Think about all of the groups who've done ''Reunion'' tours. It's sickening. In the 1950s Gibson got super lucky and signed Les Paul to an endorsement deal. Had they not had that they would have died the following decade. In the 1970s Jimmy Page was out there making everyone aware that the Les Paul was the bomb - without an endorsement. All they've been is lucky and that luck rests squarely upon having a hero like Les Paul, Jimmy Page or Slash. It's over. Had they not went down the rabbit hole of making $4,000 guitars for no-talent privileged douchebag white guys to hoard in their man-caves to appease their twisted hangups it COULD have been different. But, that's exactly what they did. I got no problem never touching another Gibson product again. The Japanese do it better, anyway, that's why I'll likely play Yamaha here on out.
Ok, Loved your comment! I'm older then you so....the kid knows his stuff! (One of the best in it's time Yamaha 3000) Some real gems "death spiral of what has become Boomer nostalgia" "never-ending retirement party, ''Reunion'' tours. It's sickening. " "no-talent privileged douchebag white guys to hoard in their man-caves to appease their twisted hangups" Thanks for taking the time to comment!
ปีที่แล้ว +1
Another Yamaha lover here, but on a diferent instrument (bass).
Ive had many electric guitars over the years from gibsons, fenders, prs, gretch... if i dont jell with a particular guitar i move it on. The only one guitar i can honestly say i will never sell is my 59 reissue les paul standard. its an absolute power house guitar that plays like a dream.
I have a Gibson Southern jumbo which I absolutely love. But your right, I don’t love the way they have been going about things. I recently purchased a D’angelico for the reasoning that I like where they are going and what they are about. That’s exactly why I bought a D’angelico and not a Gibson as my latest guitar.
I generally agree with you Jeremy. But, for me, as long as Gibson makes a good guitar (up for debate), I don’t care what message their marketing team pumps out. Stop paying attention to their marketing and media, and all the crap falls away. I wanted a Les Paul Standard, so I bought one.
Yeah that’s fine, but the times are showing most people don’t. People are moving away in droves from Gibson. He’s just speculating on why he thinks that is. and he’s pretty spot on in my opinion.
So you absolutely had to buy a Gibson single cut? Did you look around, did you see that there are many other companies that would have guitar that better suit your needs, like better pickups for your type of music, better tuners, better tuning stability, better neck profile, flatter radius for faster playing, the price? What criteria lead you to think that the Gibson was the superior product? Or did you just buy blindly because the marketing hype has lead you to believe that somehow Gibson is better? Les Paul Standard, hang on, isn't that an Epiphone model?
I bought two 50’s Standards this year. A triple A flamed cherryburst. And a P-90 equipped Gold Top. Both great guitars, with no issues. Any company has a right to protect their patents.
I will be honest by saying that I knew absolutely NOTHING about Gibson before purchasing a Gibson Classical (used) and fell absolutely in love with it. I mean... I am a former guitarist with a master's in performance. I stopped playing years ago, selling my guitar and pledging never to pick up another. However, I found this guitar at a used book store that also sold instruments and fell madly in love with it. For $300, this guitar has a huge, dark, rich sound that I never experienced on my $3,000 dollar instrument back in the day. All I have to say is... I am so grateful to Gibson for having made a product so amazing to compete with the much more expensive rivals. That being said, I am sad that what you are saying is true. The world has changed, and, after doing some research on the company, discovered that Gibson has made problems for itself dating from the 1970's. For example, selecting a family member as CEO with no business experience who allowed their trademarks to expire and not looking toward the future. Many great companies have gone out of business for not keeping up with the times. I mean... Gibson first got a footing at the turn of the last century by selling mandolins and ukuleles. You MUST keep up with the times or die!
As usual, you absolutely nailed it with this video. I have forwarded it to our local GIBSON rep. If they would have half a brain they would hire you to help them fix this problem. Great job Jeremy!
As a Griz from UM, I was really happy to hear my son in law's story about his tour of Gibson while he was living in Bozeman, evidently absorbed in the tour that as he was leaving, he was offered a job. He declined since he wanted to finish his schooling at MSU. He's been stopping by during his paramedic internship here in Coeur d'Alene to play my guitars as I started learning to play this past year. I wonder if he made it home to western WA, since Snoqualmie Pass is closed due to snow and avalanche conditions... Glad I picked up the guitars when I did... Taylor Guitars Primetime Tuesdays 6 p.m. Pacific, 9 p.m. Eastern, Live on TH-cam! I think the Gibson acoustics sold through their demo shop and Reverb look great. My son in law dreams for one... I look at Maestro Guitars, and I'm blown away by their voicing, craftsmanship and materials, and then their price is just so affordable.
Easy. They charge $1,200 for guitars that are worth $200. I just built an SG for $200 and it has chrome tuners and a custom wood stain finish, unlike a Gibson.
It's the tone and I don't care if Gibson is misunderstanding some guitarists they are too expensive for most, and when you get a Gibson Les Paul eventually as I did, after being an Epiphone owner, you realise, it's a revelation guitar. I think they know that, their focus on sustain, and tone are important, and there aren't that many guitarists who wouldn't want great tone, and sustain. That is their sales point mostly in the second hand market you play an Epiphone and you play a Gibson, and you just listen to both guitars, the Gibson seems to always have some sustain clarity and some more velocity with the tones, as well as tapering so 1,2,3,4,5.6.7.8.9.10 on the knob dial settings are significant, my Epiphone was not as clear, and it tapered 1,3,5,10, big gaps for tone and worse for volume. Every guitar should aspire to the standard of tone and sustain, Gibson just seem to achieve that in most of their instruments.
I have been a Gibson fan since I bought my first one in the 80's. That being said, you nailed it with this video. Gibson has not evolved and is stuck in the corporate world with little or no concern for the arts or the artists who fund them. Fender who is equally as iconic has hit a homerun in my opinion with fender play. Great video, keep up the good work! Glad to have found your channel! Thank you!
It’s their attitude In general that’s the problem. Somewhere they lost their love for making guitars and started to love making money. Most people don’t want to think about/ be associated with a manager trying to look like a rockstar that is the contradiction of authenticity. The only thing authentic is the bullshit coming out of his(Agnese) mouth.
I completely agree. The unfortunate thing is that this happens time and time again in every type of business when “investment” companies take over a business.
True, investors smell money, jump on profitable companies and suck them dry making us overpay for everything and downgrade quality processes and materials in order to make investors more money. Just as bad as those collectors horsing guitars and increasing prices so I can’t afford them anymore😥
Recently I bought a Gibson Les Paul Standard Faded (the one that they just re-issued). I did this because I had one years ago when I was in a band and I let it go. I can tell you that the new one was infinitely better than the last one. It came set up great and it was pleked. It also came with a bunch of case candy, strap and tool. That being said I could have likely gotten a much better les paul for a whole lot less money it was purely an emotional purchase for sentimental value. More recently I wanted to pair down several lower priced guitars I had for a really high quality acoustic. I really wanted a Gibson Hummingbird but I ultimately went with a Martin D18. The D18 was over 1000 bucks cheaper and quite frankly blew the Hummingbird out of the water. I also think that the massive increase in Epiphone Quality makes Gibson really irrelevant. Lets not forget that Gibson basically destroyed Epipone back in the day and so the fact that they are now inadvertently working against Gibson is really interesting and quite frankly funny.
if it aint broke dont fix it and really what new design that has been popular has Fender came out with. They are both legendary brands that started everything
@@raakareiska9804 As nice as Epiphones are, you do have a point. Epiphone is basically the compromise brand you get since Gibson is only accessible to dentists and you're still left jonesing for the real deal, but you become that cartoon dog sitting in a burning room that says "This Is Fine!"
When they try to add new tech in the LP’s people bitch that “they’re ruining tradition, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.” If they don’t innovate then they get criticized for not innovating. A lot their guitars are expensive because they’re laborious and expensive to make, they use nitro paint, hand wrap the binding with fabric ropes, plek em etc.
Uh nah, they are expensive because they are selling a brand. Literally everyone wraps guitars to install binding. They pidgeonholed themselves by catering to elitists who want a symbol rather than musicians who want a tool.
@@MiikeyLawless $2000 for a les Paul ain’t bad considering the work that goes into it. That’s about the same price as an American strat or tele and it’s way more involved. Strats are poly paint not nitro, no binding, bolt on necks, not plekd. Also, American labor ain’t cheap. Are you talking about the Gibson es line?
@@HegemonWiggi the wood they use today is less dense and the body is swiss cheese, no thanks. My guitar was made by hand, not by a CNC machine. I have a real rosewood fret board and real abalone inlay, not baked rich lite and plastic inlays. Sorry, their not the same things.
I feel you overlooked two additional points, pricing and quality. Their guitars are consistently overpriced with quality that's been hit or miss for the last 10 years! Many alternative brands exist that are far more affordable, offer a much better value, and put Gibson's QC to shame.
This is the real reason why people are _leaving_ rather than them just not attracting _new_ players. And to the latter point - which seemed to be the point of the video in the first place, really - I don't get it, as I never have seen Gibson fitting that role. That is, to me they were always a premium brand - and premium/luxury brands don't ever care about total noobs, regardless of the product, because that's just not their demographic. The abysmal QC is the real issue here, coupled with ever-high prices.
I guess I have been really lucky. I have 9 Gibson models from various years from 1987 to 2019 and I have never had an issue with any of them beyond one or two small cosmetic issues. Best guitars I own. I agree with your points though that they need to focus one on the artists and WHO used their tools to make incredible music.
I like my Gibson guitars, flaws and all. They definitely have a magic to them. However, they also have supply chain issues, remaining QC issues, pricing issues, etc.. Spot on with this video. It's getting harder and harder to be a Gibson fan and player.
Complete BS.Look at the Gibson owners site on facebook.I just purchased a Gibson J-45 2 months ago.Gibson is still the leader in guitars.Checkout Reverb and see how many are being sold.Go back and do some real research.I have Martins,Ovations, and PRS and every time I look at the PRS site the owners are always wanting to change something.Gibson owners rarely want to change pickups or bridges, nuts,ect.
His main point is that gibson is losing "new players"/"modern players". I know a good amount of guitarists whom are all around my millenial age and NONE of them have a gibson. They're not worth the money especially considering how questionable their quality control is. I purchased a j-45 on reverb for over 2k(because no stores around me sold gibsons..which is too common). It felt NO better than my $200 epiphone. Literally on-par in playability. Returned it within 3 weeks. I've always wanted a 335, but because im not about to spend another 2-3k on one to be dissapointed, i went ahead and bought wn epiphone sheraton instead for $400. Plays great! There is absolutely no valid reasons for their price asking other than their "legendary status" they think they still acquire. I'll stick with my Fender Tele that i paid 1k for and would have gladly paid another 1k for. Because it actually feels better than what i paid for it. Every gibson i have played never has.
@@Zumlauf101 If you buy a 335 it's for life. Pick out a good one and keep it forever. Price wont matter. That guitar and your house will be the only things that appreciate over the years. I have a 335 and it's great, the Memphis factory is probably one of the best. And Gibsons QC has been issues forever that's why people hunted bursts because the qc was so inconsistent that they wanted that magic neck. I've been super critical of Gibson USA line the last two decades (having to hunt down well made guitars is tiring) but I can say without a doubt they are back. the 2020 lines were fantastic.
@George Ray i agree that's what Epi is there for. but my main point was that i have yet to play a gibson that feels worth the asking price in comparison to Epi. They're a little out of touch in that field. Hense why i have two Epi's at the moment.
I've purchased three new Gibson guitars in the past nine months. Each one off of the production floor and each one amazing. The 339 is flawless. I guess I'm the exception.
The Doctor/Lawyer thing is implicit bias: I was riding Harleys and playing Gibson since age 16, and I became a Doctor at age 37. I'm a Dr. and a decent enough player for bigger clubs. I'd never want to put food on the table playing guitar. The 'street cred' and "living hard" lifestyle for guitar players is just as weak of an argument as "play authentic." So both of those attitudes are equally bad. For me, the reason of "losing guitar players" is: I'd rather buy an old one that buy a remake of an old one. Their Future and HP models are different enough, but I'll wait until I see used ones. And players spend more time shopping than learning.
This is exactly the image problem Gibson has. Im happy for ya man, you made it. Worked hard your whole life and now youre set up. Thats awesome. But to a 14 year with guitar dreams youre not cool at all. In fact, you owning a Gibson is going to actively make that kid not want one. They have to buck that reputation and make their product become an object of desire for those who cant afford it yet, but will soon.
@@hughjass5156 To your point, Harley Davidson is having the same problem. What was cool cannot be the new cool. In the opposite direction, there's not enough musical artists (popular among 14 yr olds) that play Gibsons that make them want to buy one.
I've become far more fond of Gibson over the past two years. I love what they've done with the electric line the past couple of years. I don't give a whiff about their marketing enterprise or their lawsuits or whatever advertising narrative/catchphrase they're using this week or whatever Gibson TV (which I'm not sure I've ever seen...but I probably have) is or any of that. I know what I like in a guitar, and Gibson just happens to be checking those boxes lately. And I'm not some longtime Gibson fanboy; I owned an SG for about a year in the early '00s, bought a Gibson acoustic back in 2006 and didn't buy another Gibson guitar until 2019. I've been a Fender guy for far longer and own more of those. Now, all that said...I recognize I'm probably the old guy in the room (though I'm not THAT old) so perhaps I'm just as out-of-touch as Gibson is accused of being :)
The biggest issue with buying a Gibson (in my opinion) is not the lousy guitars themselves but supporting that type of company. I get a good feeling when I spend money with a small builder that makes guitars out of passion, not to get rich, and sells based on quality and not riding the back of some legacy that is decades past relevancy. Hell, I even feel good about buying a new Fender when I see all of the up and coming small indie artists they’ve helped bring exposure to. I’m not interested in making a financial contribution to a company that is more focused on destroying brands like that than they are supporting the community of players by building what the people actually want. Gibson doesn’t exist anymore in my opinion. It’s a boardroom that funds a production line to exploit music history with inferior products. Hard pass.
@@wiseguy9202 Not sure I see what you’re getting at. Suhr, Tom Anderson, Xotic, etc all hold their value extremely well; in fact, I’d argue they hold their value much better than any non vintage Gibson. All of that aside, I don’t typical buy guitars based on resale value unless it’s a flipper I’m grabbing for a good deal. I buy based on what I like and what I connect with. Resale value isn’t even a factor.
@@user-te3qq1rb7u My reply was geared more towards boutique builders whose names most aren't familiar with. Most are familiar with Suhr and Tom Anderson so yes their value will hold.
@@MK4vDubbin I LOVE small/boutique companies. I'd like to think I've done my fair share for that part of the industry and have definitely been rewarded handsomely with tones that I love. That said, I can introduce you to some people who think I'm batsh!t crazy for spending that kind of money on an amp that's "basically" a Princeton Reverb, a pedal that's "basically" a Tube Screamer or a guitar that (at first glance) is no different than half of the ones hanging on the wall at Guitar Center. They could be right but, as I said in my previous comment, the main factor driving my purchases is making sure I get what I like and what will be useful and inspiring to me over the long-term. Sometimes it's the boutique builders for the win, other times it's the dinosaurs. And given how complex the guitar-buying public is, there will always be someone out there to tell you you're wrong* :D *Please note that I'm not giving you a hard time for disagreeing...I think that's fine!
I totally agree with you on this. Gibson is a legendary builder who didn't do their homework for about 20 years. They lost actual artists who where good ambassadors (Ex: Mastodon). Gibson is classy looking but they could have improve it. It's like golf players. 30 years ago, golf players were guys who had money and not in good shape. Today they are physical monsters. It improved the sport. Here's a few thing gibson could have done: 1-Improve the headstock angle 2-Lower the prices 3-Create new lines or new models 4-Imrpove the quality control!!! Damn, I have two gibson explorers and both have finish issues and cracks around the nut. I've played a J-45 acoustic with poorly applied finish...This is not acceptable for me.
For me the acoustic side is on another level and it needs to be discussed a part.... They're doing something greats in Montana... (also the cs of jazz guitar is great but it's really luxury)
I believe Gibson is making their best acoustics ever these days. I have an advanced jumbo that I will put up against any Martin in terms of volume, clarity, richness, and playability...Plus it looks better. Some folks say looks don't matter, but they do to me. Life's too short to play a boring looking guitar.
When it comes to acoustic guitars. Yamaha is the best guitar for the best price. just stay away from the two hundred dollar bundle models. and you won't be sorry.
For electric guitars, try out a Heritage guitar. Built in the old Gibson Factory in Kalamazoo, Michigan by former Gibson employees. Virtually the same models (different names) and high quality instruments at much lower prices.
Why? Overpriced. Only Slash gets a perfect guitar every time. I try to buy one many times over the years but i always find flaws. Slash doesn't. I bought a PRS SE 245 4 years ago. It is flawless
Simple as that. They charge 4-figure sums for what are essentially a flat(ish) bit of wood attached to a long bit of wood (which are cut and calibrated several at a time by machines, with a bit of hand finishing), and with some inexpensive electric components attached.
The materials used are usually quality, but they way they're all tied together leaves a lot to be desired. A lottt. None of the ingredients in a cake matters if it tastes horrible
SMDH!!! Let me make it easy for people to get. If “you” cannot “afford” a Ferrari, it doesn’t mean it’s overpriced, it means it is not for you. It is for a more wealthy clientele. Stand back, recognize that there is clearly a market for Gibson guitars (or they would not exist) and then move along. I will never say something is overpriced. It is either not within my reach (can’t afford) or I need to step my game up and get to that level. Neither one of those is Gibsons fault or problem.
@@jaycook2323 False equivalence. It’s not a matter of not being able to afford a Gibson (or a Fender, for that matter), it’s that the parts involved in the production of electric guitars aren’t particularly specialised or expensive, and there’s a lot of CNC used in their construction (much more now than earlier in their history, and this alone should drive down prices). Sure there’s a market for them, because people like the cachet of the name on the headstock and are willing, mistakenly in my view, to pay for it.
On guitar marketing: PRS recently made Dany of The Warning one of their artists. Fender also sent her an Acoutisonic. She isn’t famous and while I love what she does she’s not a shredder and doesn’t even solo that much. But she’s young and charismatic, and she plays fun riffs that ordinary players can learn (she even teaches how to play their sings for top level Patreons). So what you are saying about connecting with regular players ties perfectly into that. She used to play a Les Paul but says it is too heavy for live shows for her, but I don’t think Gibson did anything to recruit her. They do have Jake Kiszka of GVF so that’s one younger player, but they need more. Brands need to pull in a lot of younger players to be able to end up with a famous one down the road.
They won’t bring in younger artists because younger artists go against their vision of “superior guitar playing” ie: playing the same tired shredding solos on the pentatonic over and over again for 55 years and bending your strings up to your eyebrows when you want to get a good “hell yeah brother” out of the crowd of retirees at the vfw”
Interesting perspective, pretty balanced I reckon - you're not alone in making these remarks. I have mainly played my 1968 Les Paul Custom since I bought it in '74, so I think I have a pretty good benchmark for 'what a Gibson should be'. Over the years I have tried lots of Gibsons, some quite nice, some lacking, but these last 5 years or so I have bought a few Epis with the intention of modding ('50s wiring, Lollar & Monty's pick=ups, bone nuts) and had great results that equal Gibson quality and are 'bespoke' for my needs in the studio, but the revelation for me has been the Eastmans I have tried - for the price of a LP Standard (approx) you have a handmade, hand finished instrument with Gotoh Hardware and, depending on the model, Lollar or Bare Knuckles pick-ups tailored to Eastman's specs (some Seymour Duncans, too). Ebony fretboards are standard. The SB59/v (hand varnished) and their nitro equivalent leave Gibsons at a comparable price point dead in the water, even some of the Custom Shop Gibsons I have tried . . .
45 years ago I bought a made in Japan Aria Pro Two, it knocked the socks off Gibson. Also bought a much derided MIJ Takamine, stunning. Slaves to badges are missing so much, that's why I drive a KIA ...............
I'm a 55 year player and amateur luthier. My first acoustic was a Dixon-era 1970 Hummingbird that I bought new in August/1970. My personal experience is that Gibson has been coasting on their name/reputation for over 40 years, as the build quality isn't in line with their price points, and they seem to always be looking to save a few pennies at the expense of their customers. I recall a J40 with a PLASTIC bridge! Really? I've never bought another Gibson, and well over a hundred acoustics have gone through my hands since that Hummingbird (which I still own!).
And Jeremy, if Mark agnesi had one ounce of your genuine style, he might be more appealing, but he comes across as such a tool. They need a new messenger.
@@JohannesLabusch ...with metal ornamentation all over them. I always cringed on the Normans Rare Guitar videos when he would pick up a guitar. Sorry Daniel, I missed seeing your comment. I’m just agreeing with you. He was a great guitar player tho
I like Gibson cause I'm old, but watching them in the marketplace is painful. I think Taylor puts customers first the same as Fender, they seem to focus on young players and don't trot out old guys who played Taylors 50 yrs ago.
Yes! I figured it was time to start learning to play guitar during Pandemic Pause 2020 so I watched reviews, checked manufacturer websites, and wound up with the Taylor Academy 12 and 12e, comfortable, affordable and with Taylor quality, and then a Breedlove Pursuit Exotic Concert E at a blowout price. An Ibanez Artcore for the variety of electric. All three manufacturers have newsletters and/or magazines, staying in touch with their customers and artists, and listening to their market. Go to any school to present an activity and you'll learn quickly that students would rather hang with older kids as mentors, not those of parent or grandparent age.
@@bgbreslin4596 I my opinion it’s Taylor all day until you get to the $3,000 or so price point. At that point and higher they have some serious competition from smaller companies, but at that level craftsmanship should be impeccable across the board and it just becomes a matter of personal preference.
And rightfully so, if you own the patents and original design why not? Some of these boutique brands are just recycled Gibson templates, no innovtions.
@@roymontero4066 If you think Gibson should sue everyone who's mimicked their design, then you would also agree CF Martin should sue Gibson for copying the square shouldered dreadnought with their Hummingbird models. And those boutique builders make a better Gibson guitar than Gibson does. Hell, I'll buy a ESP Eclipse for half the price of a LP and its double the quality of a Gibson. Lets also not forget - Gibson has been bought and sold by other "parent" companies and its nothing more than a trademarked name. No one related to Orville Gibson is a part of the current company and hasnt ever been since the days past. They have been run by corporate shills since the late 90s and them suing other brands is nothing more than corporate warfare. And they still cant make a quality LP thats priced right. Gibson is the bully brand of the guitar world. Agnese is and always has been a douche, even back when he was at Norm's. Him and Gibson are a perfect fit.
@@sc12100 such a long soliloquy yet weak counterpoint. I will clarify my position a bit better as to why I side with Gibson: 1. They invented the shapes and own the patents for Les Paul, SG, Explorer, Flying V, PAF pickups, marauder, Epiphone Coronet, Wiltshire etc. They should be protecting their intellectual rights whether Oriville Gibson’s family owns Gibson or an umbrella corporation do - its beside the point. 2. Gibson markets their brand as “legacy” and “premium” ergo the target consumer is not a bearded hipster who works for starbucks. Why get angry when you’re not the target consumer. Do one get mad a jeweller who sells blinged out grills to rappers, if you’re not a rapper? Please. 3. Wait for the annual sales report whether Gibson has positive or negative net profit, methinks Gibson number this year is black.
@@roymontero4066 You do know patents expire right? Thats the reason Fender, Martin, and others aren't sue happy like Gibson - because they know its a waste of money and a losing battle when it comes to their reputation. Gibson hasnt figured that out yet. Again, Gibson’s parent company is the one directing their legal decisions, NOT Gibson. That's something you're failing to realize.
@@roymontero4066 I think you are spot on with your second and third points. Although I don’t disagree that Gibson (or any of company) should do what is necessary to protect their intellectual property the lawsuits do negatively affect the brand and many of their lawsuits have come too late to stop the problem. Gibson has always been a “premium” brand. Even though they are a premium brand it is also worth noting that Gibson offers the least expensive American made guitars of any of the major brands in both electric and acoustic guitars. It might not be the model (models) that most people want or aspire to own, but they need to be given credit for their entry level American made guitars. Like you, I’m fairly sure that Gibson had a pretty good year in 2020. It’s also worth noting that Gibson’s financial issues never had anything to with the guitar portion of the business.
I love Epiphone and what they are doing lately. I know they are under the Gibson family, but they are taking the iconic designs to a new level with premium specs at a price that doesn't make you afraid to take the damn thing out of the case. Gibson can suck it though. I can't see why anyone would pay those prices unless they drank the Cool-Aid (intentional misspelling)
See Gibson is the type of company that would mark this video as “slander”. They hate the little guys and in return players hate Gibson for that reason. I’m a big Suhr guitar fan and find value in their amazing craftsmanship, cosmetics and tone. Same with Taylor guitars, both are very much in tune to the player. Keep at it Jeremy, you’re doing great 👍🏼 #speakyourmind
I’m in two minds. I really enjoy seeing the collections as there are some really cool, unique guitars shown. But I also don’t aspire to have a collection like that, nor could I afford one! I see Gibson as just that, an aspirational brand. Epiphone is there for a reason, to provide more affordable alternatives of Gibson models. While I think Fender Play is a good app, do we really expect every guitar brand to have one? Imagine the cost in developing and maintaining and app like that. For a company that has struggled financially recently I doubt they see it as a good investment. All that being said, just my opinions. Keep up the vids, I really enjoy them.
Feel like I gotta nitpick a bit here due to Civics taking on an increasingly important role recently... It doesn't make any sense to say that Gibson is infringing on your 1st Amendment Rights. The 1st Amendment along with the rest of the Bill of Rights are protections FROM GOVERNMENT. Gibson is not the Government, so the 1st Amendment doesn't apply at all to your relationship with them. That being said, I bought my first "nice" acoustic last year, and tried out a bunch of Gibsons and Bozeman Epiphones while searching. I thought the ones I played sounded and felt cheaper across the board compared to the Martin OM-28 I decided to pick up instead.
Acoustic Outfitters in Stratham, New Hampshire closed when a guy who had been playing Taylor’s in the store walked in with a brand new Taylor he had bought direct for less than the store, which had a dealer stocking minimum, paid for it. So it’s not just Gibson ripping people off.
Taylors are nice I'm more into Martins. What's humbling is seeing how much they are , yet online certain people treat them as basic instruments and opt for the even more expensive guitars. Online, more people should promote more affordable guitars, with the accent on playing.
Your comments about CEO 's statements is spot on. It reminds me of the two 2016 campaign slogans. Clinton's was "I'm With Her", Trump's was "I'm With YOU".
@@ramonmoreno8014 So, like...doing things like storming the White House and attacking courthouses and burning down neighborhoods and cities is Fascism? What's the actual definition of the word Fascism?
I do own a few Gibson guitars now, but as a kid in 1981 when my late father saw I was serious about learning guitar he said he'd get me a nice one- any kind I wanted. I didn't hesitate to get a US made Vintage Series '62 Reissue Sunburst Stratocaster. It's been my #1 ever since. A Les Paul did cross my mind but I was soooo into Hendrix the Strat was the no brainer. Today I'm thankful I was into Jimi more than Page back then. I've played a crapload of Strat's but that 1982 '62 Reissue is the finest playing Strat I've ever come across. I like Les Paul's true enough; but I LOVE the Stratocaster!
I had a Gibson for less than a month, it got stolen while I was at practice and I tried a few Gibson's in the same price range and they felt cheaper than my old tribute, so I decided to get a fender boxer tele instead
@@ArielCardona that may be true bro. But do not see the issue with that? I mean think 🤔 about it. Isn't music about inspiration ? It's hard to see a future for Gibson if they're not trying to inspire new players.
for sure, whats gibson going to do when the boomers all go extinct in the next 20 years from lung cancer heart failure and alcoholism? They haven’t bothered to generate any good will with younger buyers. And when that happens they’re going to point at us and tell us it’s because we don’t respect heritage.
@@JeremySheppard Seriously. I just posted it on LinkedIn for my network of mostly B2B marketers, because the lessons are so generally applicable. Good stuff.
Gibson has been the villain since the Norlin era of the 70s. The culture of arrogance goes beyond the executive team past or present- it’s in their DNA and it’s hard to change.
Spot on! And I love Gibson guitars but they are so wildly out of price I could never afford one. It forced me as a guitarist to discover boutique makers and open up to other sounds. So a blessing in disguise really.
You are so off-base here man. Gibson is a business and their business is building exceptional guitars. They shape the development of guitarists by inspiring them to play really awesome instruments that excite them. Let’s not forget, Gibson didn’t go bankrupt because people weren’t buying their guitars, they went bankrupt because a few at the top acquired debt by branching out, away from guitars…which is their bread and butter. Also let’s be crystal clear: Gibson IS the most innovative “hero” guitar company around. Gibson invented the truss rod, the adjustable height bridge (for both acoustic and electric instruments), humbucking pickups, electric Spanish semi hollowbody models, arch top jazz models, jumbo size acoustics, 24.75 scale lengths, and more. They are the hero company.
I agree with basically everything you say. The problem is that they play the hero and most modern players have no place to fit into that story. So they are choosing brands, and spending as much money or more on brands that help them become better musicians. Look at PRS, Frank Brothers, Novo, Fano, and Heritage. I love Gibson guitars, and I also think their quality is better than people give them credit for.
@@JeremySheppard I guess I don’t really understand what you mean here by “hero”. It seems like you are trying to say that Gibson’s “brand image” is not what it actually is. It is commonly accepted by the majority of guitarists that Gibson provides superior quality, innovation, and inspiration in their instruments. You are here saying their “brand image” is some how different? By what metrics? In the words of Mr. Lebowski…that’s like…just your opinion man.
I was surprised by this video. I feel like you are jumping on the bash Gibson bandwagon. All of your other videos focus on friendship and music and you’ve managed to stay away from the negativity. That is your story brand. Stay true to yourself and continue down that path.
Definitely a bashing rant. Nobody hates on car companies for touting about how their brand is better, etc.....big deal. Business-wise, they do what they need to do, as any business should. If their product isn't for you, move on. Crying about it on social media is what fuels all the other social media babies into thinking the world should be tailored to them specifically. Videos like this are more embarrassing than the infamous "play authentic" video everybody whines about. Chill and get over it.
@@hbbishopjr This isn’t a bashing video it’s a critique if you can’t be critical of something then how can you improve as a person or a company without calling the faults of the company or person
@@bassplaya4196 Yea, Gibson Was bought by big business. Heritage is the real Gibson IMO. I know they just recently sold the business but the guys were getting old, was inevitable..
Thanks for putting up the video. Agree with the whole legal issue mission Gibson went on being petty. But do not agree with the other points. Yes, Gibson’s can be really pricey but they also have the Epiphone line which today has been knocking it out of the park on what you get for the price. I think the new CEO has done an amazing job and is genuinely a music guy. As for Gibson being responsible for inspiring and giving players creativity? That is the players job to seek inspiration. It is a never ending quest by listening to music and playing. Gibson makes and sells the product for each player to explore on their own. I think it is a bit much to expect them to teach you how to play. I have owned an Epiphone in the past and it was a great guitar. I have several brands now ranging from Fender to Ibanez and Schecter. Like them all and would not hesitate to get a Gibson. To be totally fair though Gibson did have a few really rough years when it came to quality. They let some real dogs out the door but my understanding is that this was corrected when the new CEO came and turned thing around. Now Gibson’s and Epi’s are spot on. As for price, yes.....Gibson is not cheap but some of their entry level guitars are pretty affordable for a all American made guitar. (Excluding custom shop models) Especially considering that there are plenty of guitars over $1k coming out of the Far East which I think is unreasonable.
Despicable company, if you pay what they ask for the quality control should be top notch, but there's a 50/50 chance that your gibson will come out of the factory with something majorly wrong
I bought a brand new les Paul a few years ago and the thing had faulty electronics in it. Gibson then told me I could only get it fixed at an authorized dealer. Then they gave me the number for their dealer in my city, called the guy and he said they let him go when they went bankrupt. So then they told me to go to Guitar Center. Then it took them a month to send me two parts that took ten minutes to install. They didn’t overnight the parts or anything, which you’d think they’d do after I bought a brand new instrument.
Just feels like they don’t care about the customer at all.
This isn't surprising to me. Fender would've treated you like a damn king if you spent that money on their guitars. They even emailed me back within 5 hours to confirm that my used fender was legitimate. I hadn't even bought anything from them yet they replied that afternoon to confirm that a used guitar at a pawn shop was legit. That's customer service.
@@alexmurphy5289 I emailed Fender with a couple of random, borderline-annoying questions about my Acoustasonic Junior amplifier, which I’d purchased in 1999. I absolutely did not expect a response, but I got a very helpful one, within the hour.
How do you like the guitar otherwise?
Jeez, I sent Alvarez an email about my bone saddle having a hairline crack and they 2 day shipped me a new one and gave me a bunch of stickers to boot. Come on Gibson!
@@humanbeing2420 the guitar is great. The only problem was the electronics in it. And the customer service haha.
I can tell you why I left Gibson. While nearly every other manufacturer has been improving quality while lowering price, Gibson has been doing the opposite. Gibson quality has continued to decline while the price skyrockets. It's incredibly odd to see some Epiphones with better attention to detail in the build than the Gibson its emulating.... considering they're the same company, really.
I think you might have sealed my decision on upgrading my Slash Epiphone LP to the Gibson. I bought it used for $550 and it plays amazing. Good neck, good frets and the only thing I want to upgrade is the tuning machines.
@@dragon7590 That's the way I do it. I usually ignore hardware when guitar shopping (within reason, of course). I look primarily at the finish on the body and the feel of the neck. If that is spot on, I buy it. Everything else is easy to upgrade cheaper than if you'd bought that higher end model.
I have a squier my dad bought me way back in the 90's. Over the years I've basically turned it into a much higher end instrument. I upgraded the tuners, bridge, nut, pickups and the internal electronics.
If you know how to solder and have some very basic woodworking skills it's super easy and saves a ton of cash.
Epiphone is more proactive, more diverse in their choice of instruments and offers better quality/price relation. On basses and hollow body guitars, they're way above Gibson right now, IMHO.
@ The one thing I'll say for Gibson is their pickups are still amazing. I'm not saying they are the greatest ever made or anything.... but Gibson pickups are still leaps and bounds ahead of Epiphone. I own several epiphones. All but one of them I've upgraded to Gibson pickups. The other one is my metal guitar and it's rocking James Hetfield EMG's.
Exactly have a brand new Gibson Les Paul Goldtop when I got it home I had to go in and fix the Rhythm switch had to take the back off and tighten it up to where it would work I want a $2,700 guitar when I bought the Epiphone in the same model to standard Les Paul gold top only thing I had to change his lower the action that's it good guitar
I’ve been saying this for 10 years, and I’m 61 years old. The day they put minimum buy’s on their small dealers, in an effort to recoup revenue, they sealed their fate. Les Paul knew it and told their ownership (at the time) they had ruined his company.
As a manufacturer's rep, although not for a guitar company, there is always a push/pull relationship between "dealers" and manufacturers. The old adage that you can't sell from an empty cart comes into play here. Many "dealers" are underfunded and want to be able to sell everything but stock nothing. Inventory ties up capital. The dealers blame the manufacturer if they choose to set up one dealer but not another. Minimum inventory requirements are a normal thing in business. I know that many of you don't like to think of instrument manufacturing as a business but there it is. If a dealer isn't willing to bring in a reasonable representation of the line then why does the manufacturer need dealers at all? They could just sell direct and make a higher margin by cutting out the middle man.
You are so right. I live in the north of Spain. In my region, this is the biggest town. Well, you can't find a single Gibson dealer here for that reason. I didn't know they were loosing costumers but it's only logical. People in charge are doing an awful job and these are the consequences. Best wishes from Spain!
Yep, and it sucks for all involved. Most dealers can’t front 150k for the inventory. So you never see Gibsons in local stores and people just end up buying one used online.
@@jMOPS1993 that's right. I don't like buying online because I like helping local stores. But I wanted a specific acoustic and there wasn't other way. Too bad. Awful policy.
When they moved their manufacturing facility from Kalamazoo Michigan to Nashville Tennessee, and fired all their top craftsmen... That's when their guitars went to shit. Oh yeah... and that other guy... that asshole Obama took away your mahogany
Excellent points Jeremy. I love old Gibsons, but can’t stand where they are now. You’re absolutely right that they’re a dying brand and totally out of touch with the younger audience.
Younger audience are out of touch with music. Just look at the Billboard charts.
@@maraviyoso8473 yeah because people buying high end guitars are the same ones listening to top 100. Are you an idiot or something?
That’s not true the people that listen to the top 100 is not buying guitars because they don’t even know What a instrument is
Gibson sales figures please... I think you'll find they might be out of touch, but why care, people still aspire to buy them new, and as an owner of newer Gibson, bought second hand at a reasonable reduced price, with push pull knobs, that give me out of phase options, that's otherwise Custom Shop where you have to have the pickup setup configured as out of phase, it's great to get close to Peter Green or Jimmy Page tones. Anyhow I would wager old Gibson purists are not talking with experience of newer models, and are just making unsubstantiated claims.
@@macabre2007 this is a clickbait video. Don't expect any data. These people don't really have a clue if Gibson is "losing guitar players" or not. They just read stuff from social media, they might now about Gibson going bankrupt and then TH-camrs do what TH-camrs do.
Gibson has NEVER, EVER, been about the guy searching for a guitar at a pawn shop or Facebook Marketplace (which is almost the same thing today). All the big movements in ELECTRIC guitar music have involved Fender guitars which were lost in a basement: the Jazzmasters, Mustangs or Jaguars of the world I could say. Besides, Fender cannot compete with Gibson when it comes to genres like jazz, acoustics, etc. And I've never seen a video about how Fender has destroyed every single acoustic guitar company they purchased like Tacoma and ALMOST did with Ovation, Takamine and Guild.
I feel 200% sexier when I hold my LP!
Unfortunately at the same time I feel 3000 bucks poorer...
Kinda cancels each other out
Don't forget, also 20 pounds heavier
Especially when the Strat is far sexier at half the price. Sounds better too. And it won't give you scoliosis from hanging that huge dead weight around your neck!
@@patrickfoster4586sounds worse and looks worse tbf
It doesnt gibson rocks
I feel about 20 pounds heavier
Let's see, ever increasing prices along with ever decreasing quality......what could possibly go wrong?
We do NOT need to be a professional luthier, a Clapton or a Frampton to acknowledge the truth in your statement ! Gibson has forgotten the essential truth of ‘sales’ .... the customer’s requirements are more important than the company’s market strategy.
🤔
@@jeremyreid9582 Exactly. The Gibson Guitar Co. has been passed around more times than a lit joint at a party over the past few decades, with each successive owner merely ripping off the name. No stability whatsoever.
Price of LP Standard has dropped well over 1k and quality turned the corner years ago. Get facts right.
@@profsteel8217 It (the price) had nowhere to go but down and the quality had nowhere to go but up. BTW, I was a Gibson dealer back in the 90s.
@@FEARTHEEER1 I’ve got 8 from a ‘58 ES 125 (bought new by my dad, rip)to a month old LP Standard and have lived thru the gamut of Gibsons. Have a bad SG that had the robot tuners that has never been right even after changing to Grovers. They are coming out of a dark period and hopefully on track now. Regarding price, made in USA is expensive. Workers are well paid,need health insurance and benefits. Facility, workers comp, taxes and all that it takes. You pay for all that in the price of every guitar. Add quality materials and some profit and everyone feels ripped off.
I think the main issue with Gibson is they are way way over priced , I agree they are for the rich or loaded at least.
There is always a used Gibson somewhere. I am not wealthy but I won’t hold BMW and Porsche to blame for the crazy prices they ask. Different strokes for different folks
@@jaycook2323 True. I recently bought a 60s Les Paul Standard and it is amazing. Yes it was $2499 plus tax which is not a price point for younger players ( I’m 47) but what I purchased was a perfect guitar. It plays like a dream and I could not find a single flaw with it. I agree with most if not all of the points Jeremy spoke of and Gibson’s public relations is a hot mess. I’ve bought a 2017 Les Paul Tribute and a 2018 Flying V and both those guitars are amazing and at a price closer to an American made Fender. There are plenty of guitars Gibson, as well as Epiphone make that are quality made guitars without the high price.I’m a left handed player and in this day, there are plenty of guitar makers that make great guitars for us. I’ve always wanted a Gibson and when my finances were right, I bought one. I look at it as a tool to create and although we as humans are partial to our biases, any well set up guitar can help launch you to creating your sound and give you the ability to express yourself.
I just play heritage now,Gibson is too expensive!! Heritage makes great quality guitars for slightly less!!
PRS, Fender really aren’t inexpensive. All high end companies have lesser priced models that are great.
Save your money and buy what you like. I purchased two Gibsons in the last year zero QC issues.
Well , theres definitely the QC issue that comes with archtop guitars.
Archtop just creates so many issues
Gibson has Competition. And their competitors are making great gear.
Epiphone
@@brianwexler9207 is trash
@@ViveLeQuebecLibreTabarnak Shill much?
@@generalawareness101 8 years. no subscribers. 1 comment.
I currently own : an acoustic- no bridge pins. a wildkat royale- awesome p90s. and a LP special/jr - only need that one double coil p'up. & I'm gonna get a casino & epiphone 3 p90 Riviera like the one jimmy vivino plays
Spot on assessment! Gibson is to guitars as Harley is to motorcycles, and both are sinking under the weight of their own self-serving hubris. As you said, they want doctors and lawyers...folks who have lots of money and want to relive their youth. You would think Gibson would learn, but they don't.
I would say for the time being it's probably a good business model, as bad as it is for guitar in general. Boomers are retiring in record numbers, people like me in Gen x are at the top of our earning power, and combined it is a huge demographic. So they need to make hay now when they have all these boomers with disposable income and gen-xers at the top of their earning game. But their extended forecast does not look good, I don't see them connecting with younger people. They just have too much baggage tied to the boomer generation.
A lot of younger people around where I live love Harleys. Not always the big touring bikes, but the Dyna line is a great bike that a lot of "bikers" balk at as just a sportster with a bigger motor. I love my Dyna. Gibson has made some iconic instruments, but its kinda a love/hate thing with me. I was a fender guy for many years and then bought an LP during the pandemic, but don't really enjoy playing it. It has great sound, but after a couple of decades of playing a strat, I find it clunky as hell to play well. Might be going right back to a strat.
People are realizing they can get quality instruments for much lower prices than Gibson.
Yes, that is the problem lots of companies make a similar guitar to a Gibson/Epiphone models with maybe one exception the SG model that Gibson still bullies others to not make. Even flying V designs are made by a few companies. Even Epiphone one can get a Gibson model guitar for same price as a Gibson and get more from the guitar.
Schecter
Lol such as???
Reminds me a lot of the Harley Davidson story over the last years.
Gibson hasnt quite sunk to that level yet, Gibson dealers generally won't try to insult your masculinity for wanting something that didn't go obsolete in the 70s.
@@kidthorazine 😹
Literally came to say the same thing.
PRS is to Gibson what Polaris Indian is to Harley.
Gibson is a great gateway guitar .
“We’re gonna build a Paul. The biggest Paul anyone has ever seen. And we’re going to make Paul Reed Smith pay for it!”
😂😂😂😂😂😂
Underrated comment.
Gibson realizes that the quickest way to a buck is go after low volume, high price to those of us becoming empty nesters with excess income.... Simple as that.
You should take a look around. Not all Gibsons are high-priced.
@@paule4696 I'm a huge Gibson fan. My parents had Les Paul/Mary Ford records, I knew who Scotty Moore and Chuck Berry were and that they played Gibsons by the time I was 7 or 8 years old. Price high/low is relative. Perceived Value is subjective. I own several Gibson Les Pauls from 'Specials' to Standards and still have the Custom I got as child. Worked and paid for it myself at 14 years old. I also have several Fenders and Epiphones (Not Chinese). and others I have an Epi dot.. factory blemish, gold tone wore off (love it), the 'E' on the pick guard fell off... Got it new in '98 or so.... I've played hundreds of ES335's... only two equaled this Epi (both custom made for their owners). Everyone that hears it or plays it makes an offer... Everyone I've touched is just as good. I'd rather buy American, but can't justify 8 or 10 times the price for a slightly better/prettier wood top or hardware. Especially for something that is so valuable I won't take it out to bar or club gig. Sadly you can walk into GC, pick up the most expensive Les Paul and find flaws... PLEK'd my butt... I usually find the guitars are not intonated correctly. You could say it's GC's crappy environment (Dry, over AC'd.) but all have the same issue.. Tune it up, play the 'a' on the G-string 14th fret and e string 17th fret... flat!!! not like that between 2nd and 5th frets.. Then pick up the cheapest Fender or off shored PRS (not a fan).. and the fit and finish are near perfect as is the intonation. Very few new instruments are investment grade. You're just buying a name and. past glory. Face it Clapton, Page, Beck through Slash, BB. King sold more Gibsons than the great Les Paul himself. When I do strap on a Gibson on stage and announce "This is a political statement"... you can tell the people that get it. (ie. Obama admin abuses, especially Gibson, non-union shop in Red State vs Fender, Union shop, California.)
About 3 years ago I was in Nashville. Of course stopped in the Gibson Lounge in the airport. Walls are full of classic Gibsons. All filthy, rusty strings, dust and mold hanging off of them. Zero pride... Their name in on the Entry, the menus, the walls, the napkins and of course one of their factories/museums is in town... I even volunteered to go in after hours and clean and restring the instruments if they would supply the cleaning kits and strings.. I didn't even get a reply.. Was there about six weeks later... No change.
I think this is a stupid way to do business , but it's reality. Car Manufacturers do not really care about selling cars to the the individual. The large distributors and dealers are the target market. By the time the car in on the lot the manufacturer has their money.. Short sighted... See what happened in the 70's ;-(... Go into GC, SamAsh, call up ZZsounds et. al. and ask them how much money they have to front Gibson every year to be allowed to carry them and how much flexibility they have in pricing. The only way they get a deal is to get Gibson (and others) to do a special run.. re: color, hardware, features.. that only they have..And they'll still have a handful in stock years later... The small local stores can't afford to play this game.
Due to labor, environmental and other regulations, taxes, labor, shipping costs etc. etc. it's getting harder and harder for craftsmen to make a living. Want a 'real' Gibson. Buy a Heritage... 9 out 10 Gibson players I speak to never heard of them and they are next to impossible to find in a retail store. If Gibson is to survive they need to devolve (size wise) into Heritage... or ramp up Chinese child and slave labor to drive costs down as much as possible, maybe they can poach some management from [take your pick, you know who] manufacturing in China and sign up a couple of NBA stars to shill for them. After COVID, IP Theft, buying out our Uni's and one political party and part of another what sane person is buying anything Chinese anymore if there is an alternative?
@@paule4696 maybe the one in grandmas attic. For most of us, they are way over priced.
At least until they have all popped their clogs. Then what will they do?
They are investing in a dying customer base instead of the customer base of the future. That seems a bit stupid to me.
not much money in pricey low volume sales. chevy makes way more $ than ferrari
I think it comes to value. In a world where you have so many reasonably priced alternatives to gibson's products, they aren't offering anything to justify the prices.
Such as???
I was dead set on getting a Gibson Les Paul and played several in my quest for an American made guitar. But compared to my Epi Les Paul, they didn’t feel or sound better to me. Then I picked up an American pro tele with a maple neck and I fell in love. So, in my case... epiphone quality is super good and fender felt so much better.
Love my Epiphone. Don't even want a Gibson anymore. I don't get it.
If you want the best quality go for a late 70s/early 80s Japanese guitar.
@@mattsmitchger259 Yeah, like so many, I tend to get caught up in the hype. Like, I'll never be a great player if I don't have a Gibson or a Neve or a Neumann or a $2,000 acoustic guitar or whatever! Truth is nowadays, it's not the gear. It's the performance. It's the player. It's the song. Gear is not holding us back. Get your guitar set up perfectly and it will play better than most new expensive guitars hanging on the rack. Truth. Spread the word.
The only problem with the Epiphone is resale value.
@@BITESIZEJONES true but that’s not a problem if you don’t sell it
I’ve been poor my entire life. I’m 30. I’m not a boomer doctor or lawyer. I saved money (I know CCRAAZY) and bought a Gibson SG ‘61 reissue. I’ve never been so inspired to play. After spending 20 years playing mostly acoustic and mostly cheap crap I am beyond happy with it.
Originally I bought a Fender American Professional which I had to send back 2 models before I got one that didn’t have horrible QC/shipping/wrong color issues. When I spent time with the one that had a really nice fit and finish, I wasn’t happy with it just based on what and how I like to play. And fender actually left me with a bad taste in my mouth. When I got my Gibson, boom right out of the case it was perfect. Did a set up myself and have never been happier. There’s nothing wrong with fender, I still want one, but they blew it!
When I was shopping for guitars, one thing I quickly learned was that if you buy a flagship model guitar made in the USA they all cost between $1-$2k. The American Professional I bought was $1500! I was also looking at PRS guitars in the same price range. People can argue all day and all night about value per dollar, but the long winded debating about the price of Gibson USA is ridiculous because people are always talking about the $5-$10k models and pretend Fender custom shop and PRS doesn’t offer the same exact thing.
The perspective of the video that oh I don’t see my hipster self fitting in with Gibson, they aren’t speaking to me, they aren’t interested in me, they keep talking about history and dinosaurs and that video of Dweezil Zappa on Gibson TV. Seriously who cares? I hate companies that try and snatch your identity and use it against you. Gibson knows exactly what they are, they’re the guitar that has had a place right along side fender in popular music decade after decade. The whole point of their campaign right now is to say that they aren’t going to change the guitars with robotuners, they’re going to embrace their long and storied history. Sorry you think the new Slash guitar or Peter Frampton or Dave Mustaine guitars are stupid and out of touch with hipsters. It’s not about you. Lol
You may not respect that Gibson is going to use Jimmy Page with his les paul burst, or George Harrison with his SG or ES 345, or any of the other dinosaur music to prop themselves up.
They're coming out of 30 years of mismanagement. That's what this video is about. You're not covering anything new. I'm sorry you need a giant corporation to make you feel a certain way to buy their product. I don't need Gibson to make me feel special, I need them to make classic guitars that are iconic that have good QC and are made by Americans; it is my opinion they are doing this again. As long as they achieve that, I can handle my own self image and how I fit into things. I don't need their help.
Well said!
Whoa! Nice work.
Gibson USA have made great guitars this year. I love that 61 reissue and the new Standards, I got a 60s and it's amazing. I will have it for life like my 94 Tele Plus and 97 Tele American Standard. Do it once do it right.
@Jimmy Dean Bolt on neck prices also are always going to be less because they're easier to make, also with a straight headstock you can be more efficient with wood. People still want Les Pauls. When I started playing the 90s many of us were against them because the LP/Marshall cliche but the JCM 900 and Les Pauls were just great. Again I'm agnostic, I don't hang myself to a brand or model guitar like a lot of internet personalities. I go in phases where all I want to play are my LPs only to play my Teles for weeks. They're all great and there's a reason they are still made this day that has noting to do with boomers. Sooner or later every generation will play one and realize why they are so great. Especially live because you can get so many sounds out of a LP by just using the knobs and selector. The only guitar I love more is my 335.
I'm a poor mofo, but I love all 4 of my Gibsons that I worked really hard for. I love my Fenders as well btw.
You can say whatever you want, but in my opinion Gibson, since James Curleigh, did EXACTLY what we've all been wanting them to do; provide us with high quality guitars for a price that's nothing more than fair for an American made quality product.
The only thing I agreed on is their fear driven policies regarding smaller builders. Apart from that, I don't think I've ever seen a guitar brand regaining the trust of their consumers so quickly. Hats off to Gibson and James Curleigh! 🎩
O and Jimmy Dean, you can kiss my hairy, European socialist butt.
Mark Agnesi should have stayed with Norman's Rare Guitars
He probably can go back afterwards with a full bank account and collectors will still like him
Agnesi should have stayed inside his douche-bag he crawled out of. I subbed to gibson tv when they were giving away epiphones. Contest over, no more sub.
Yeah, he's doing his Norman's Rare Guitars shtick on a larger scale. Not bad, it's fun to watch people with more money than God show off their collections, but very much a "Glory Days" approach. Basically it says we used to make great guitars.
@@msspi764 yup. My 20 year old Schecter is just as good as one made yesterday.
Yeah, he was either exposed for his true nature or the gun-to-head theory holds some water lol. Like milk on a hot day, it was a bad choice 🥛
Hey Bro, I respect your viewpoint. I've got 18 Gibson guitars and I love them. I've purchased at least three since JC took over. No problem. High quality, great sound and spectacular build quality. Everyone is different and I'm not telling people what they should or should not like. But, when I hit the stage with my Gibson guitars it gives me confidence and a feeling of power. I'm holding 127 years of kick ass in my hands and there's a reason why so many players have chosen Gibson in the past. No...I am NOT telling anyone that their choices are wrong. Indeed, I have other guitars too, but, playing a Gibson is almost a spiritual bliss to me and many others. So...everyone...do your own thing. I'm NOT a guitar dictator. Just keep playing whatever you've got. And...Jeremy...I DO enjoy your channel. A LOT!
That's cool, and I'm sure they're wonderful. I certainly wish I could afford one, but for now I'll have to take my Epiphones and Fender Standard/Player Series guitars.
@jake smith...your missing the point entirely. & what he's saying is undeniabley accurate. I have no loyalty to him or his content btw...first time tuning in to his channel. Just sayin.
@@VaiRoth I think there's a reason a lot of people say that Epiphone is better than Gibson in a lot of ways now. They may not have Gibson pickups, but Epiphone's construction quality and QA/QC are really good right now
I agree with this. I’ve been playing for 6 years and I’d always wanted a Les Paul. I saved 100$ a month for 2 years and was going to buy one. I went to go play one and it was comfortable, heavy, and not worth the 2k entry level guitar that was used. I ended up buying a new signature Steve Vai Jem. Couldnt be happier with it. It’s sad how the company is falling. There’s no need to spend 5K in a guitar when you can buy a decent one for the average guy for 500 bucks.
That's great - if "decent" is what you're looking for.
the jem is a good super strat and arguably the most prettiest of the mainstream brands,and more versitile than a LP,well done
I bought a Gibson Midtown Custom brand new for 1.200$ back in 2013.
Probably the best and most enjoyable guitar I’ve ever played. It sells for about double the price these days preowned.
@@alexanderstyrlander7991 but whos buying? not kids or young people its boomers and boomers are getting old
you think its gonna be as valuable in 20 years? the target demographic will all be gone lol kids aint buying gibsons now,cause they are overpriced and all the young guitar heros aint playing them either...nor do gibson go out of their way to put les pauls in the hands of upstarts,fender do though
@@random_an0n Well probably boomers like myself who’s always dreamt of owning a nice Gibson guitar etc.
But I agree the market is probably limited and shrinking. But there will probably always be a market for it.
They are too expensive. That made them aspirational when there were few alternatives that weren't junk. Now you can get a perfectly good guitar for 1/5th the cost of a new Gibson.
Kids then start to define "cool" differently.. and more youngsters want their own identity or want a brand less steepd in Blues Lawyer. Also obviously music has changed and rock n roll and blues are no longer mainstream. The cool gay/androgynous kids are playing Duesembergs..
Gibson priced themselves out of relevance to upcoming generations. They forgot the golden rule of marketing: if the only people who aspire to buy your stuff just want to hang it on the wall or are having a mid-life crisis, the brand itself rapidly devalues and becomes irrelevant.
As someone who's created advertising for that last 24 years, you're spot-on about Gibson's brand storytelling. Very well said.
Yeah but product wise they're selling out and making some of their best stuff? Search TH-cam for reviews of the 50s and 60s Les Paul Standards. Gibson knocked it out of the park. Even dividing their lines from Original and Modern was smart. they need younger artists for sure but Fender has always been more about signature models than Gibson, they have one to rule them all the Les Paul.
I couldn't possibly care less about "brand story telling." Either the guitars are good or they are not.
The guitars are not good
Outside of all your points, Gibson doesn’t make a good entry level guitar. Sure you can go Epiphone and get a pretty decent guitar but Fender has a guitar for literally every single price point you can think of. And it doesn’t take half the money to get a great guitar with the full fender name as it does a Gibson. I think Gibson really needs to make a guitar that’s priced at the player series level with the Gibson name on the headstock. It’s silly but people do really want that name on their guitars. Their QC is already a joke so there’s no prestigious name left to tarnish. Get it together Gibson!
I would love a 335. But I refuse to be ripped off. If Gibson made a Gibson logo 335 at the pricepoint of a Mexican fender. Then I would buy one tomorrow.
People who care about resale value want the Gibson name on their guitar trust me.... I don't care about how you feel about Gibson the company the truth is the name Gibson sells your guitar...
I have a les paul studio faded only cost $750. I love it.
@@michaelrichardson8755 right on. You got a good deal.
I'd rather have a high end Epiphone than a low end Gibson.
‘You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain’
I just got a Les Paul standard, and I love it so far.
Let me start by saying, I’m not a lawyer, dentist, etc, and I’m certainly not rich or wealthy by ANY estimate. Im just a guy who is happy living pretty barebones and saved for a decent while to buy the thing. Also, I’ve been one of the biggest critics of Gibson for awhile now, so I’m no Gibson fanboy. However, once JC took over, I figured I’d give them another shot.
The QC sucked for awhile, but this new LP is fantastic. Sounds great and zero quality control issues. Gibsons earned its reputation during the 2010s, but I think a lot of people who have not played any of the new stuff are talking shit on it. Or even if you get to play a newer Gibson, and you go in with the attitude of “this thing is gonna suck!” You’re clearly gonna think the thing sucks regardless if it actually does or not. The prices have gone down from when Henry was in charge, but I think Gibson would be better suited by getting the Les Paul Standards down to $2000. Also, as far as comparing Gibson to other companies, people throw around double standards ALL the time. I know a guy in a shop who trashed Gibsons for even the slightest thing off with the guitar, yet literally told me “always a good idea to dress the frets on a strat out of the factory” and went on about how fender is the best. As for me, I love Fender too, but this happens all the time. People act like Fender and all other companies put out guitars that are absolutely perfect every time, and that’s just not true. The nut on my Jaguar popped off after only a couple years, and I had to re do all the soldering on all the switches because who ever did it the first time did a legitimately half ass job (still absolutely love my Jaguar though, don’t get me wrong).
Point is, if people want to hate Gibson, that’s totally cool. Everyone is entitled to their opinion 100%. However, don’t go around saying the new stock “sucks” when you have never actually played it or given it a chance, and try to have SOME consistency with your criticism of any company. Don’t say company A sucks, and then ignore that company B does the same shit just because you like them more. (Yeah, newsflash, a lot of your favorite companies sue people too)
The modern Gibson Les Pauls stink. Most of you guys are using high distortion amps, with multiple gain channels and foot pedals and to ad insult to injury, big pedal boards. You're not actually even hearing your guitar, you're hearing artificial noise. Take all that stuff away, plug your guitar into a simple tube amplifier that will only distort if you turn it all the way up, and you quickly find out your guitar can't sound good at all without throwing battery boxes at it. LPs off the production line, are harsh sounding, non-musical unplugged tone that belies how cheaply they are made. A Gibson guitar CAN be fixed, though. Throw away all the hardware, all the harness, get better pickups, and its possible to fix most of its mistakes into something they are incapable of producing themselves.
@@davestephens8033 “foot pedals, and to ad insult to injury, big pedal boards” yeah chief, doesn’t sound like you really know what you’re talking about there.
Funny enough I only use one pedal, and it’s a polytune.
Of course u like it its the best electric guitar brand (other than fender nitro finished guitars, benedetto, collings and sandowky)
All true and how about Fender being sued for misrepresenting their products. Like selling humbuckers that turn out to be single coil when you open them up. And building 'Fenders' in China. And exploiting cheap labour around the world etc etc.
Another huge issue is QC. I have a $1,200 “Tribute” model that is an extremely bare-bones model. You’d think at this price point, with no binding, no figured top, no trapezoid inlays, it would be a great no-frills rocker. Well, the bridge pickup had to be replaced because it’s crap (neck pup was alright). And the frets are not even well dressed. And I’m one of the lucky ones. I tried a p-90 Les Paul recently, and the frets were so pokey I figured I’d need to buy a box of band-aids to go along with it. If I’m paying over one G, I expect buttery frets and amazing pickups.
And there are all sorts of horror stories about their binding on even more expensive models.
This QC issue extends beyond just the MIA models. I have a couple of Squiers that were made in the past couple of years. They blow away anything I’ve tried from Gibson, let alone their Epiphone brand. There really is no contest.
There has GOT to be a better way of making guitars in America while still delivering value. Their Les Paul Standard seems to occupy a strange No-man’s-Land between the PRS core MIA price point, and the more expensive made-overseas price point.
Now, part of me is just fighting against pricing in general. I don’t think any Strat is worth one penny more than $1,000. And even then, it better be the most amazing guitar ever.
I’m digressing. But the point is, Gibson’s prices and quality, and the relation between the two (value) just don’t seem to be well-situated in today’s market.
LMAO on the Peter Frampton model. He had some good songs and I appreciate him but you are right the model should have come out 30 years ago.
Should cam out like 45 years ago🤣
I think it's made for collectors to buy up and scalp unfortunately
I feel bad for Peter Frampton. He seems like a nice guy and he's a great guitar player and has great rock and roll stories. When i was a teenager, we considered him soft rock, not guitar rock. Beach music. That's not a criticism. Just wondering. why? What's wrong with just a good guitar. I mean, I like the Sheryl Crow SJ, but do i want her name on my guitar? It is just so teenager. How many teenagers have $3000+ for a guitar? (recently traded up 3 lower end vintage gibson's for a '59 J-45)
I laughed so hard. Seriously, Who at Gibson thought that would be a good idea? I'm 30 and NO ONE at my age is a Peter Frampton fan. Hell, no one I know even cares about the guitar anymore. It's a sad reality
Yep in the early 1990's with at latest 2000. He has some great music but yeah it was too late.
Hi Jeremy. You mentioned Peter Frampton. I would suggest that no matter how old or young you are, you should listen to Frampton. He was and still is one of the greatest guitar players of this time.
Just like Gibson, he hasn't been relevant in over 3 decades.
@@vorpalblades Yeah but his guitar is great. I've never listened to a single Les Paul Album, his guitar is great; nay legendary. have YOU played a Frampton model? It's a LP modded buy the guy that gave it him in the 70s, shaved neck different pickups etc. Play the guitar, you don't have to like Frampton to think it's a great guitar, that's so dumb. Like if you're not a fan of H.E.R. I guess you can't use her strat???
Nobody i know even knows who Frampton is they don't care
@@allensaunders449 Time to widen your pool of acquaintances. Believe it or not, there was music before Nickleback.
Cobain was perfectly fine with playing on fender squire. And delivered great songs.
But all he did is play 4 chords. Of course you don't need expensive guitars for that.
SRV played a squier live, wilde played an epi live, and cobain liked his squier for live performances too. I think its smart. Just make sure they hold tune fine and leave good stuff at home. I think its for this reason, not because they preferred cheaper shit...
@@Broccoli75 and how many acclaimed songs and albums have you made with your expensive gear?
@@777Lateralus
I only have a $26 acoustic guitar😢. I lived in a shitty country where the currency is really weak.
He never played a squier....In the early days he played a univox hiflyer later on he played mustangs and Jaguars and he used mexican Strats to destroy at the end
Let me give my recent impression of Gibson... Went to a guitar store today, and while I like the sound of Gibson, the fit and finish were clearly lacking compared to similar priced Martins. And this quality control, fit and finish issue was quite obvious. For example, the particular Gibson I played had a poorly sanded, finished sound hole. Now I know this may sound petty, but it was that bad. The s;Martin was beautifully finished. Anyways, that's what turned me off. I want a guitar that is made with care, not something that is quickly pushed through the assembly line.
I used to live in Kalamazoo. I can tell you exactly why. There is no doubt to me that these are the highest quality instruments made, BUT, when they cost as much as a CAR or a small HOUSE, not everyone can afford that. When there ARE better choices for less money, I know where I am going to spend mine, money is too hard to come by these days.
2 things.
1. Sales 101 is about the entity spending the money.. not the entity receiving the money.
2. I have a 1966 Hummingbird my dad used to play The Opry in the 60's and 70's. I called Gibson about possibly doing some work on it... biggest bunch of snobs I've ever talked to. No way would I deal with them unless I absolutely have to.
I got my first Gibson less than a few months ago. As a 27 year old who started playing when I was around 10, you can probably guess how beyond excited I was to finally get my own coveted Gibson Les Paul. Not one of those phony bologna epiphone's. A real, $2,800 LP. It came in the mail and after waiting an excruciatingly long 48 hrs for it to acclimate to my home temp I was able to open it. Popped open the case and couldn't believe how beautiful it was. I was shell shocked at this momentous milestone of my life. I ran downstairs with it and put it under better lighting so I could go over it with a fine tooth comb. After all, for $2,800 it had better be perfect. Turns out, there were little cracks in the binding on the top of the neck where they pressed the frets into. I contacted MF's customer service and after a week and a half I received my new new LP. Little dots in the face of the guitar that didn't get any finish. And there were chunks of glue stuck to the nut. Another week and a half later my new new new LP arrives. The flame top is meh, guitar sounds and plays good but it didn't wow me like the first one did, but I decided to settle on this one. Now, myself not knowing much about gibson, in my case I have learned that gibsons quality control is just not where the hype has them at. This whole process has just made me lose hope and admiration for gibson and their future and this video just reiterates that for me. It's so sad to see an iconic brand go down this way but honestly, if they don't want to change, then let them go away. I'll happily play other brands. (I personally love schecters and ibanez)
There quality control is rubbish,I was in the market for an acoustic guitar with only 3000e to spend I was looking at there j45 but everyone I played had some sort of issue so I walked away happy with my new MARTIN D 18 and couldn’t be happier 😁
Did the exact same thing late 2019. Had my heart absolutely set on a J45. Wound up with a D18 and very happy lol.
@@ADHD_collector_in_the_YYJ you are going to get good & bad in any brand as long as they are mass produced. It’s search & play until you find one that “speaks “ to you. Or you can sell the farm and buy a custom made “boutique “
Last year I was looking at the J45's on a company website that lets you look at the actual pictures of the guitars that they have to sell. They had 6 J45's and every one of them had QC issues that should never have made it out of Gibson's facilities. There were gaps between the fretboard and top on one. 3 of them had the tuning machines installed crooked. This is something that should never pass final inspection. The tuning machines are mounted to the headstock with small screws to keep them from turning. When these tuning machines are reinstalled straight, they leave holes in the wood at the back of the headstock from the screws being installed in the wrong place. There was glue that did not get cleaned off on all of them. Most of it was where the fretboard was glued to the top. The glue was all around the fretboard and on the soundboard. It would have been very visible from across a room. They looked like they were finished by children just learning to put kits together. I guess I shouldn't expect so much for a guitar that I would have to pay $2900.00 for. I wonder if the artists that Gibson sponsors get to choose their instruments from another production facility that is not accessible for the general public? I bought a Martin D-28 instead. I'll just have to wait to get a mahogany and spruce acoustic. It might well be a D-18.
It is rubbish. Case in point: I bought a Songwriter acoustic back in '05 that turned out to have a neck defect. I took it to my local Gibson factory-authorized luthier a few weeks later. He said he'd put in the paperwork to Gibson but that I'd have to give him $800 up front because in all likelihood Gibson wouldn't pay for it. He said he'd seen the exact same problem on several of them but that Gibson's usual response was to blame the owner. I took it back and let an unauthorized luthier do the work instead (which turned out great btw and much cheaper).
Gibson is going to profit off whatever cachet it still has, but time is running out. When our kids are grown they'll be putting them in Happy Meals as prizes to be thrown away with the box.
Martin rocks
gibson is the harley-davidson of guitars.
agree they make great guitars
I recall some years ago (when HJ was CEO), Gibson stating categorically that the dealer was their 'end-user'; the players, you and me, were by implication inconsequential.. That pretty much underscores what your presentation stated. Thank you.
After playing for 15 years, never once looked at a Gibson. Always knew they were out of reach. By not engaging me in my teens and twenties, they probably lost a customer for life. I found what works for me (PRS, Classic Vibe Squires, Seagull, etc.) and they won’t ever break the bank. Fun to mod, etc.
Prs are more expensive than gibson
@@seancriddle6227 That's what I was thinking about PRS guitars. They're mega expensive.
@@seancriddle6227 Sean, PRS covers all of the price points, from beginner instruments to their high end and all of them are extremely well made.
Who can forget that Agnessi train wreck of a video?
In many ways this story is very much in line with the division being pushed by the media and politicians who also think they’re all so far above the average citizens and it speaks of elitism imo.
They are living off the legacy of the 50’s Les pauls...juniors,sg.....etc....can’t go forward ...
Agreed! PRS built a better mousetrap decades ago. Having both feet planted in 1950 is the surest way to become a dinosaur 🦕 ⚰
@@andredegiant3876 PRS is better than what exactly!? What is better than my Gibsons? I have a MCCarty, a bunch of Hamers...they are all good.
@@andredegiant3876 Seriously...you never heard of a Corvus or RD or. Gibson has always presented NEW STUFF and gotten whipped for it. Robotuners...oversized Buckethead models...and what sells are...guess...1950s and 60s designs.
I had a PRS back in the mid-90s. It was shit.
@@dragonpundit.6443 you have to make good new stuff lol can’t just put out shit and expect people to like it. Robô tuners were horrible and didn’t work
I'm 48, been playing guitar since 1984, played violin from 1977-1983. My first electric was a Bentley series 10, 2nd was an Epiphone (by Gibson), 3rd was a Gibson Explorer (1991 model with 24 frets, Floyd Rose). I was dead-set on owning Gibson products for life. I've borrowed Ibanez and Martin and Fender Strats, etc over the years to perform, record and instruct on, played just about everything at music stores on 4 continents. I'll play anything, but my heart goes back to Gibson's designs, specifically semi-hollow, that came about in the 1940s-50s. I bought a 1990 Yamaha SA-1100 (es-335 clone) back in 2000 and haven't looked back. At age 4 I first saw a Yamaha grand piano (several of them) at SIUE college in Southern Illinois. It blew my mind how clear it was, the uni had around 20 of them and that stuck with me. Over the years I realized it's about sound and being realistic. Gibson can F itself. It is the GM of guitars, Fender is the Ford. Yes, after GM purposefully, intentionally designed car parts to fail in order to get more repair money which led to 1,000s of deaths and disfigurements, yes, they should have been ''let to fail''. Same with Gibson, we would be better without them. All they are doing is lengthening the death spiral of what has become Boomer nostalgia - which has also hampered record labels' investments in new artists. The last 25 years has felt like a never-ending retirement party for music from the 1960s-1980s. I'm beyond sick of it. Think about all of the groups who've done ''Reunion'' tours. It's sickening.
In the 1950s Gibson got super lucky and signed Les Paul to an endorsement deal. Had they not had that they would have died the following decade. In the 1970s Jimmy Page was out there making everyone aware that the Les Paul was the bomb - without an endorsement. All they've been is lucky and that luck rests squarely upon having a hero like Les Paul, Jimmy Page or Slash. It's over. Had they not went down the rabbit hole of making $4,000 guitars for no-talent privileged douchebag white guys to hoard in their man-caves to appease their twisted hangups it COULD have been different. But, that's exactly what they did. I got no problem never touching another Gibson product again. The Japanese do it better, anyway, that's why I'll likely play Yamaha here on out.
Ok, Loved your comment! I'm older then you so....the kid knows his stuff! (One of the best in it's time Yamaha 3000) Some real gems "death spiral of what has become Boomer nostalgia" "never-ending retirement party, ''Reunion'' tours. It's sickening. " "no-talent privileged douchebag white guys to hoard in their man-caves to appease their twisted hangups" Thanks for taking the time to comment!
Another Yamaha lover here, but on a diferent instrument (bass).
Ive had many electric guitars over the years from gibsons, fenders, prs, gretch... if i dont jell with a particular guitar i move it on. The only one guitar i can honestly say i will never sell is my 59 reissue les paul standard. its an absolute power house guitar that plays like a dream.
I have a Gibson Southern jumbo which I absolutely love. But your right, I don’t love the way they have been going about things. I recently purchased a D’angelico for the reasoning that I like where they are going and what they are about. That’s exactly why I bought a D’angelico and not a Gibson as my latest guitar.
I generally agree with you Jeremy. But, for me, as long as Gibson makes a good guitar (up for debate), I don’t care what message their marketing team pumps out. Stop paying attention to their marketing and media, and all the crap falls away. I wanted a Les Paul Standard, so I bought one.
Indeed!
Yeah that’s fine, but the times are showing most people don’t. People are moving away in droves from Gibson. He’s just speculating on why he thinks that is. and he’s pretty spot on in my opinion.
@@jaxn13 Well said Jax
I agree! I don't care one bit who 'Gibson is trying to sell to'... I love Gibson guitars so I buy Gibson guitars.
So you absolutely had to buy a Gibson single cut? Did you look around, did you see that there are many other companies that would have guitar that better suit your needs, like better pickups for your type of music, better tuners, better tuning stability, better neck profile, flatter radius for faster playing, the price? What criteria lead you to think that the Gibson was the superior product? Or did you just buy blindly because the marketing hype has lead you to believe that somehow Gibson is better? Les Paul Standard, hang on, isn't that an Epiphone model?
Great points!
Gibson is yesterday’s guitar at tomorrow’s prices.
I bought two 50’s Standards this year. A triple A flamed cherryburst. And a P-90 equipped Gold Top. Both great guitars, with no issues. Any company has a right to protect their patents.
well said
I will be honest by saying that I knew absolutely NOTHING about Gibson before purchasing a Gibson Classical (used) and fell absolutely in love with it. I mean... I am a former guitarist with a master's in performance. I stopped playing years ago, selling my guitar and pledging never to pick up another. However, I found this guitar at a used book store that also sold instruments and fell madly in love with it. For $300, this guitar has a huge, dark, rich sound that I never experienced on my $3,000 dollar instrument back in the day. All I have to say is... I am so grateful to Gibson for having made a product so amazing to compete with the much more expensive rivals. That being said, I am sad that what you are saying is true. The world has changed, and, after doing some research on the company, discovered that Gibson has made problems for itself dating from the 1970's. For example, selecting a family member as CEO with no business experience who allowed their trademarks to expire and not looking toward the future. Many great companies have gone out of business for not keeping up with the times. I mean... Gibson first got a footing at the turn of the last century by selling mandolins and ukuleles. You MUST keep up with the times or die!
As usual, you absolutely nailed it with this video. I have forwarded it to our local GIBSON rep. If they would have half a brain they would hire you to help them fix this problem. Great job Jeremy!
Gibson quality control : sux
Artist relations : sux
Price point value : r u fuqqin kidding me 🤣
I like the acoustics Don running the show in Montana seems genuine. Also i think the use of walnut is cool.
As a Griz from UM, I was really happy to hear my son in law's story about his tour of Gibson while he was living in Bozeman, evidently absorbed in the tour that as he was leaving, he was offered a job. He declined since he wanted to finish his schooling at MSU. He's been stopping by during his paramedic internship here in Coeur d'Alene to play my guitars as I started learning to play this past year. I wonder if he made it home to western WA, since Snoqualmie Pass is closed due to snow and avalanche conditions... Glad I picked up the guitars when I did... Taylor Guitars Primetime Tuesdays 6 p.m. Pacific, 9 p.m. Eastern, Live on TH-cam! I think the Gibson acoustics sold through their demo shop and Reverb look great. My son in law dreams for one... I look at Maestro Guitars, and I'm blown away by their voicing, craftsmanship and materials, and then their price is just so affordable.
@Tim Cox cool I'm jealous
Easy. They charge $1,200 for guitars that are worth $200. I just built an SG for $200 and it has chrome tuners and a custom wood stain finish, unlike a Gibson.
It's the tone and I don't care if Gibson is misunderstanding some guitarists they are too expensive for most, and when you get a Gibson Les Paul eventually as I did, after being an Epiphone owner, you realise, it's a revelation guitar.
I think they know that, their focus on sustain, and tone are important, and there aren't that many guitarists who wouldn't want great tone, and sustain. That is their sales point mostly in the second hand market you play an Epiphone and you play a Gibson, and you just listen to both guitars, the Gibson seems to always have some sustain clarity and some more velocity with the tones, as well as tapering so 1,2,3,4,5.6.7.8.9.10 on the knob dial settings are significant, my Epiphone was not as clear, and it tapered 1,3,5,10, big gaps for tone and worse for volume.
Every guitar should aspire to the standard of tone and sustain, Gibson just seem to achieve that in most of their instruments.
I have been a Gibson fan since I bought my first one in the 80's. That being said, you nailed it with this video. Gibson has not evolved and is stuck in the corporate world with little or no concern for the arts or the artists who fund them. Fender who is equally as iconic has hit a homerun in my opinion with fender play. Great video, keep up the good work! Glad to have found your channel! Thank you!
It’s their attitude In general that’s the problem. Somewhere they lost their love for making guitars and started to love making money. Most people don’t want to think about/ be associated with a manager trying to look like a rockstar that is the contradiction of authenticity. The only thing authentic is the bullshit coming out of his(Agnese) mouth.
I completely agree. The unfortunate thing is that this happens time and time again in every type of business when “investment” companies take over a business.
True, investors smell money, jump on profitable companies and suck them dry making us overpay for everything and downgrade quality processes and materials in order to make investors more money. Just as bad as those collectors horsing guitars and increasing prices so I can’t afford them anymore😥
Super salient points. I really appreciate how your focus is on the player, and how the guitar is merely the tool. Your observations are really astute.
Recently I bought a Gibson Les Paul Standard Faded (the one that they just re-issued). I did this because I had one years ago when I was in a band and I let it go. I can tell you that the new one was infinitely better than the last one. It came set up great and it was pleked. It also came with a bunch of case candy, strap and tool. That being said I could have likely gotten a much better les paul for a whole lot less money it was purely an emotional purchase for sentimental value. More recently I wanted to pair down several lower priced guitars I had for a really high quality acoustic. I really wanted a Gibson Hummingbird but I ultimately went with a Martin D18. The D18 was over 1000 bucks cheaper and quite frankly blew the Hummingbird out of the water. I also think that the massive increase in Epiphone Quality makes Gibson really irrelevant. Lets not forget that Gibson basically destroyed Epipone back in the day and so the fact that they are now inadvertently working against Gibson is really interesting and quite frankly funny.
In part, unlike Fender, Gibson has not evolved quality and design, at reasonable prices for the ordinary player.
E P I P H O N E
if it aint broke dont fix it and really what new design that has been popular has Fender came out with. They are both legendary brands that started everything
@@brianseneca3546 If its not broken then just keep enjoying decreasing sales and sue more companies 👍
@@blakjack3053 I dont think the Gibson fever will make anyone buy a chinese guitar instead.
@@raakareiska9804 As nice as Epiphones are, you do have a point. Epiphone is basically the compromise brand you get since Gibson is only accessible to dentists and you're still left jonesing for the real deal, but you become that cartoon dog sitting in a burning room that says "This Is Fine!"
Is it bad that I like seeing the guitar tours that Mark does and the “scene” ones...
I like them. I don't see anything wrong with checking out Dweezil's guitar collection. Otherwise, Gibson can go pound sand.
No it's bad you like seeing them. Don't listen to this pathetic comment section, or the content of this horrible video.
When they try to add new tech in the LP’s people bitch that “they’re ruining tradition, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.” If they don’t innovate then they get criticized for not innovating. A lot their guitars are expensive because they’re laborious and expensive to make, they use nitro paint, hand wrap the binding with fabric ropes, plek em etc.
Uh nah, they are expensive because they are selling a brand. Literally everyone wraps guitars to install binding. They pidgeonholed themselves by catering to elitists who want a symbol rather than musicians who want a tool.
@@MiikeyLawless $2000 for a les Paul ain’t bad considering the work that goes into it. That’s about the same price as an American strat or tele and it’s way more involved. Strats are poly paint not nitro, no binding, bolt on necks, not plekd. Also, American labor ain’t cheap. Are you talking about the Gibson es line?
My 79 Les Paul Standard cost me $600 when I bought it, theres no way in hell I'd pay $2K plus for a worse product that's produced today.
@@michaelkeudel8770 $600 in 1979 had the buying power of $2,160 in 2021 USD due to inflation, so.... Pretty spot on then!
@@HegemonWiggi the wood they use today is less dense and the body is swiss cheese, no thanks. My guitar was made by hand, not by a CNC machine. I have a real rosewood fret board and real abalone inlay, not baked rich lite and plastic inlays. Sorry, their not the same things.
I feel you overlooked two additional points, pricing and quality. Their guitars are consistently overpriced with quality that's been hit or miss for the last 10 years! Many alternative brands exist that are far more affordable, offer a much better value, and put Gibson's QC to shame.
This is the real reason why people are _leaving_ rather than them just not attracting _new_ players. And to the latter point - which seemed to be the point of the video in the first place, really - I don't get it, as I never have seen Gibson fitting that role. That is, to me they were always a premium brand - and premium/luxury brands don't ever care about total noobs, regardless of the product, because that's just not their demographic. The abysmal QC is the real issue here, coupled with ever-high prices.
I guess I have been really lucky. I have 9 Gibson models from various years from 1987 to 2019 and I have never had an issue with any of them beyond one or two small cosmetic issues. Best guitars I own. I agree with your points though that they need to focus one on the artists and WHO used their tools to make incredible music.
I love how Gibson is “hated.” Makes me buy them more and the 12” radius and 50s style necks.
I like my Gibson guitars, flaws and all. They definitely have a magic to them. However, they also have supply chain issues, remaining QC issues, pricing issues, etc.. Spot on with this video. It's getting harder and harder to be a Gibson fan and player.
this
Complete BS.Look at the Gibson owners site on facebook.I just purchased a Gibson J-45 2 months ago.Gibson is still the leader in guitars.Checkout Reverb and see how many are being sold.Go back and do some real research.I have Martins,Ovations, and PRS and every time I look at the PRS site the owners are always wanting to change something.Gibson owners rarely want to change pickups or bridges, nuts,ect.
His main point is that gibson is losing "new players"/"modern players". I know a good amount of guitarists whom are all around my millenial age and NONE of them have a gibson. They're not worth the money especially considering how questionable their quality control is. I purchased a j-45 on reverb for over 2k(because no stores around me sold gibsons..which is too common). It felt NO better than my $200 epiphone. Literally on-par in playability. Returned it within 3 weeks. I've always wanted a 335, but because im not about to spend another 2-3k on one to be dissapointed, i went ahead and bought wn epiphone sheraton instead for $400. Plays great! There is absolutely no valid reasons for their price asking other than their "legendary status" they think they still acquire. I'll stick with my Fender Tele that i paid 1k for and would have gladly paid another 1k for. Because it actually feels better than what i paid for it. Every gibson i have played never has.
@@Zumlauf101 If you buy a 335 it's for life. Pick out a good one and keep it forever. Price wont matter. That guitar and your house will be the only things that appreciate over the years. I have a 335 and it's great, the Memphis factory is probably one of the best. And Gibsons QC has been issues forever that's why people hunted bursts because the qc was so inconsistent that they wanted that magic neck. I've been super critical of Gibson USA line the last two decades (having to hunt down well made guitars is tiring) but I can say without a doubt they are back. the 2020 lines were fantastic.
@George Ray i agree that's what Epi is there for. but my main point was that i have yet to play a gibson that feels worth the asking price in comparison to Epi. They're a little out of touch in that field. Hense why i have two Epi's at the moment.
Never could afford new Gibson always had used Gibson's.
I've purchased three new Gibson guitars in the past nine months. Each one off of the production floor and each one amazing. The 339 is flawless. I guess I'm the exception.
Thanks Peter! I will be getting a new Dove this month.
No, you're not. GenZs just complain about anything they can't get.
The prices went up, the quality went down. That's why players steer clear. A very badly run company. Shame.
I hope someone high up in Gibson marketing sees this and does something because Gibson is the only guitar brand I cringe to follow on social media.
The Doctor/Lawyer thing is implicit bias: I was riding Harleys and playing Gibson since age 16, and I became a Doctor at age 37. I'm a Dr. and a decent enough player for bigger clubs. I'd never want to put food on the table playing guitar. The 'street cred' and "living hard" lifestyle for guitar players is just as weak of an argument as "play authentic." So both of those attitudes are equally bad.
For me, the reason of "losing guitar players" is: I'd rather buy an old one that buy a remake of an old one. Their Future and HP models are different enough, but I'll wait until I see used ones. And players spend more time shopping than learning.
Lol;
This is exactly the image problem Gibson has. Im happy for ya man, you made it. Worked hard your whole life and now youre set up. Thats awesome. But to a 14 year with guitar dreams youre not cool at all. In fact, you owning a Gibson is going to actively make that kid not want one. They have to buck that reputation and make their product become an object of desire for those who cant afford it yet, but will soon.
@@hughjass5156 To your point, Harley Davidson is having the same problem. What was cool cannot be the new cool. In the opposite direction, there's not enough musical artists (popular among 14 yr olds) that play Gibsons that make them want to buy one.
I've become far more fond of Gibson over the past two years. I love what they've done with the electric line the past couple of years. I don't give a whiff about their marketing enterprise or their lawsuits or whatever advertising narrative/catchphrase they're using this week or whatever Gibson TV (which I'm not sure I've ever seen...but I probably have) is or any of that. I know what I like in a guitar, and Gibson just happens to be checking those boxes lately. And I'm not some longtime Gibson fanboy; I owned an SG for about a year in the early '00s, bought a Gibson acoustic back in 2006 and didn't buy another Gibson guitar until 2019. I've been a Fender guy for far longer and own more of those.
Now, all that said...I recognize I'm probably the old guy in the room (though I'm not THAT old) so perhaps I'm just as out-of-touch as Gibson is accused of being :)
The biggest issue with buying a Gibson (in my opinion) is not the lousy guitars themselves but supporting that type of company. I get a good feeling when I spend money with a small builder that makes guitars out of passion, not to get rich, and sells based on quality and not riding the back of some legacy that is decades past relevancy. Hell, I even feel good about buying a new Fender when I see all of the up and coming small indie artists they’ve helped bring exposure to. I’m not interested in making a financial contribution to a company that is more focused on destroying brands like that than they are supporting the community of players by building what the people actually want. Gibson doesn’t exist anymore in my opinion. It’s a boardroom that funds a production line to exploit music history with inferior products. Hard pass.
@@MK4vDubbin So you end up spending twice as much for a guitar that wont have the same resale value? Depends on how you view it I guess.....
@@wiseguy9202 Not sure I see what you’re getting at. Suhr, Tom Anderson, Xotic, etc all hold their value extremely well; in fact, I’d argue they hold their value much better than any non vintage Gibson. All of that aside, I don’t typical buy guitars based on resale value unless it’s a flipper I’m grabbing for a good deal. I buy based on what I like and what I connect with. Resale value isn’t even a factor.
@@user-te3qq1rb7u My reply was geared more towards boutique builders whose names most aren't familiar with. Most are familiar with Suhr and Tom Anderson so yes their value will hold.
@@MK4vDubbin I LOVE small/boutique companies. I'd like to think I've done my fair share for that part of the industry and have definitely been rewarded handsomely with tones that I love. That said, I can introduce you to some people who think I'm batsh!t crazy for spending that kind of money on an amp that's "basically" a Princeton Reverb, a pedal that's "basically" a Tube Screamer or a guitar that (at first glance) is no different than half of the ones hanging on the wall at Guitar Center. They could be right but, as I said in my previous comment, the main factor driving my purchases is making sure I get what I like and what will be useful and inspiring to me over the long-term. Sometimes it's the boutique builders for the win, other times it's the dinosaurs. And given how complex the guitar-buying public is, there will always be someone out there to tell you you're wrong* :D
*Please note that I'm not giving you a hard time for disagreeing...I think that's fine!
I bought an Epiphone Hummingbird in 2018; made some modifications. Plays great! I do not need a Gibson. Epiphone is a good bang for the buck.
I totally agree with you on this. Gibson is a legendary builder who didn't do their homework for about 20 years. They lost actual artists who where good ambassadors (Ex: Mastodon). Gibson is classy looking but they could have improve it.
It's like golf players. 30 years ago, golf players were guys who had money and not in good shape. Today they are physical monsters. It improved the sport. Here's a few thing gibson could have done:
1-Improve the headstock angle
2-Lower the prices
3-Create new lines or new models
4-Imrpove the quality control!!!
Damn, I have two gibson explorers and both have finish issues and cracks around the nut. I've played a J-45 acoustic with poorly applied finish...This is not acceptable for me.
Exactly, spot on
Gibson thinks they're all it and a bag of chips. Taint so.
For me the acoustic side is on another level and it needs to be discussed a part.... They're doing something greats in Montana... (also the cs of jazz guitar is great but it's really luxury)
I believe Gibson is making their best acoustics ever these days. I have an advanced jumbo that I will put up against any Martin in terms of volume, clarity, richness, and playability...Plus it looks better. Some folks say looks don't matter, but they do to me. Life's too short to play a boring looking guitar.
When it comes to acoustic guitars. Yamaha is the best guitar for the best price. just stay away from the two hundred dollar bundle models. and you won't be sorry.
This. New Gibson acoustics are really really good. And they do have some at decent price points for what they are. G45 is an incredible deal at $1k
For electric guitars, try out a Heritage guitar. Built in the old Gibson Factory in Kalamazoo, Michigan by former Gibson employees. Virtually the same models (different names) and high quality instruments at much lower prices.
I love heritage. I had a 555 a few years ago and it was better than any 355 I've ever played.
@@JeremySheppard Thanks for the reply Jeremy, love your videos.
Has Gibson sued them yet?
@@UAL320 Not sure but Heritage has been making guitars in Kalamazoo since Gibson left in 1984. heritageguitars.com/
Why?
Overpriced.
Only Slash gets a perfect guitar every time.
I try to buy one many times over the years but i always find flaws.
Slash doesn't.
I bought a PRS SE 245 4 years ago.
It is flawless
I'm glad someone mentioned the obvious. That would have been at least a number one or two for me.
Simple as that. They charge 4-figure sums for what are essentially a flat(ish) bit of wood attached to a long bit of wood (which are cut and calibrated several at a time by machines, with a bit of hand finishing), and with some inexpensive electric components attached.
The materials used are usually quality, but they way they're all tied together leaves a lot to be desired. A lottt. None of the ingredients in a cake matters if it tastes horrible
SMDH!!! Let me make it easy for people to get. If “you” cannot “afford” a Ferrari, it doesn’t mean it’s overpriced, it means it is not for you. It is for a more wealthy clientele. Stand back, recognize that there is clearly a market for Gibson guitars (or they would not exist) and then move along. I will never say something is overpriced. It is either not within my reach (can’t afford) or I need to step my game up and get to that level. Neither one of those is Gibsons fault or problem.
@@jaycook2323 False equivalence. It’s not a matter of not being able to afford a Gibson (or a Fender, for that matter), it’s that the parts involved in the production of electric guitars aren’t particularly specialised or expensive, and there’s a lot of CNC used in their construction (much more now than earlier in their history, and this alone should drive down prices). Sure there’s a market for them, because people like the cachet of the name on the headstock and are willing, mistakenly in my view, to pay for it.
On guitar marketing: PRS recently made Dany of The Warning one of their artists. Fender also sent her an Acoutisonic. She isn’t famous and while I love what she does she’s not a shredder and doesn’t even solo that much. But she’s young and charismatic, and she plays fun riffs that ordinary players can learn (she even teaches how to play their sings for top level Patreons). So what you are saying about connecting with regular players ties perfectly into that. She used to play a Les Paul but says it is too heavy for live shows for her, but I don’t think Gibson did anything to recruit her. They do have Jake Kiszka of GVF so that’s one younger player, but they need more. Brands need to pull in a lot of younger players to be able to end up with a famous one down the road.
They won’t bring in younger artists because younger artists go against their vision of “superior guitar playing” ie: playing the same tired shredding solos on the pentatonic over and over again for 55 years and bending your strings up to your eyebrows when you want to get a good “hell yeah brother” out of the crowd of retirees at the vfw”
Interesting perspective, pretty balanced I reckon - you're not alone in making these remarks. I have mainly played my 1968 Les Paul Custom since I bought it in '74, so I think I have a pretty good benchmark for 'what a Gibson should be'. Over the years I have tried lots of Gibsons, some quite nice, some lacking, but these last 5 years or so I have bought a few Epis with the intention of modding ('50s wiring, Lollar & Monty's pick=ups, bone nuts) and had great results that equal Gibson quality and are 'bespoke' for my needs in the studio, but the revelation for me has been the Eastmans I have tried - for the price of a LP Standard (approx) you have a handmade, hand finished instrument with Gotoh Hardware and, depending on the model, Lollar or Bare Knuckles pick-ups tailored to Eastman's specs (some Seymour Duncans, too). Ebony fretboards are standard. The SB59/v (hand varnished) and their nitro equivalent leave Gibsons at a comparable price point dead in the water, even some of the Custom Shop Gibsons I have tried . . .
Gibson gained me as a player by continuing to make beautiful nitro finished guitars in the USA.
Nitro is tight but it’s kind of an environmental/health risk.
Yup. Me too
@@Murphmonster69 not for me
I agree with you completely, I actually get more excited about the epiphone and kramer series than I do about Gibson.
45 years ago I bought a made in Japan Aria Pro Two, it knocked the socks off Gibson. Also bought a much derided MIJ Takamine, stunning. Slaves to badges are missing so much, that's why I drive a KIA ...............
I bought a Dean acoustic after Gibson sued them.
I'm a 55 year player and amateur luthier. My first acoustic was a Dixon-era 1970 Hummingbird that I bought new in August/1970. My personal experience is that Gibson has been coasting on their name/reputation for over 40 years, as the build quality isn't in line with their price points, and they seem to always be looking to save a few pennies at the expense of their customers. I recall a J40 with a PLASTIC bridge! Really? I've never bought another Gibson, and well over a hundred acoustics have gone through my hands since that Hummingbird (which I still own!).
Because nowadays, some guitars have better quality with 1/4 of the price of a gibson.
And Jeremy, if Mark agnesi had one ounce of your genuine style, he might be more appealing, but he comes across as such a tool. They need a new messenger.
Hey! He's got EXPENSIVE leather jackets!
@@JohannesLabusch It's so painful watching him scratching those thin old guitar finishes with his zipper at Normans Rare Guitars...
@@JohannesLabusch ...with metal ornamentation all over them. I always cringed on the Normans Rare Guitar videos when he would pick up a guitar. Sorry Daniel, I missed seeing your comment. I’m just agreeing with you. He was a great guitar player tho
I like Gibson cause I'm old, but watching them in the marketplace is painful.
I think Taylor puts customers first the same as Fender, they seem to focus on young players and don't trot out old guys who played Taylors 50 yrs ago.
When I went looking for my first “nice” acoustic, I budgeted myself 1K. The salesman said Taylor all day at that price range.
Yes! I figured it was time to start learning to play guitar during Pandemic Pause 2020 so I watched reviews, checked manufacturer websites, and wound up with the Taylor Academy 12 and 12e, comfortable, affordable and with Taylor quality, and then a Breedlove Pursuit Exotic Concert E at a blowout price. An Ibanez Artcore for the variety of electric. All three manufacturers have newsletters and/or magazines, staying in touch with their customers and artists, and listening to their market. Go to any school to present an activity and you'll learn quickly that students would rather hang with older kids as mentors, not those of parent or grandparent age.
@@bgbreslin4596
I my opinion it’s Taylor all day until you get to the $3,000 or so price point.
At that point and higher they have some serious competition from smaller companies, but at that level craftsmanship should be impeccable across the board and it just becomes a matter of personal preference.
They should also stop trying to sue their way back into profitability
And rightfully so, if you own the patents and original design why not? Some of these boutique brands are just recycled Gibson templates, no innovtions.
@@roymontero4066
If you think Gibson should sue everyone who's mimicked their design, then you would also agree CF Martin should sue Gibson for copying the square shouldered dreadnought with their Hummingbird models.
And those boutique builders make a better Gibson guitar than Gibson does. Hell, I'll buy a ESP Eclipse for half the price of a LP and its double the quality of a Gibson.
Lets also not forget - Gibson has been bought and sold by other "parent" companies and its nothing more than a trademarked name. No one related to Orville Gibson is a part of the current company and hasnt ever been since the days past.
They have been run by corporate shills since the late 90s and them suing other brands is nothing more than corporate warfare. And they still cant make a quality LP thats priced right.
Gibson is the bully brand of the guitar world.
Agnese is and always has been a douche, even back when he was at Norm's. Him and Gibson are a perfect fit.
@@sc12100 such a long soliloquy yet weak counterpoint. I will clarify my position a bit better as to why I side with Gibson:
1. They invented the shapes and own the patents for Les Paul, SG, Explorer, Flying V, PAF pickups, marauder, Epiphone Coronet, Wiltshire etc. They should be protecting their intellectual rights whether Oriville Gibson’s family owns Gibson or an umbrella corporation do - its beside the point.
2. Gibson markets their brand as “legacy” and “premium” ergo the target consumer is not a bearded hipster who works for starbucks. Why get angry when you’re not the target consumer. Do one get mad a jeweller who sells blinged out grills to rappers, if you’re not a rapper? Please.
3. Wait for the annual sales report whether Gibson has positive or negative net profit, methinks Gibson number this year is black.
@@roymontero4066
You do know patents expire right? Thats the reason Fender, Martin, and others aren't sue happy like Gibson - because they know its a waste of money and a losing battle when it comes to their reputation.
Gibson hasnt figured that out yet.
Again, Gibson’s parent company is the one directing their legal decisions, NOT Gibson.
That's something you're failing to realize.
@@roymontero4066
I think you are spot on with your second and third points.
Although I don’t disagree that Gibson (or any of company) should do what is necessary to protect their intellectual property the lawsuits do negatively affect the brand and many of their lawsuits have come too late to stop the problem.
Gibson has always been a “premium” brand. Even though they are a premium brand it is also worth noting that Gibson offers the least expensive American made guitars of any of the major brands in both electric and acoustic guitars. It might not be the model (models) that most people want or aspire to own, but they need to be given credit for their entry level American made guitars.
Like you, I’m fairly sure that Gibson had a pretty good year in 2020. It’s also worth noting that Gibson’s financial issues never had anything to with the guitar portion of the business.
I love Epiphone and what they are doing lately. I know they are under the Gibson family, but they are taking the iconic designs to a new level with premium specs at a price that doesn't make you afraid to take the damn thing out of the case. Gibson can suck it though. I can't see why anyone would pay those prices unless they drank the Cool-Aid (intentional misspelling)
Wow Jeremy, your remarks are very thoughtful and articulate. I appreciate the video!
See Gibson is the type of company that would mark this video as “slander”. They hate the little guys and in return players hate Gibson for that reason. I’m a big Suhr guitar fan and find value in their amazing craftsmanship, cosmetics and tone. Same with Taylor guitars, both are very much in tune to the player. Keep at it Jeremy, you’re doing great 👍🏼 #speakyourmind
I’m in two minds. I really enjoy seeing the collections as there are some really cool, unique guitars shown. But I also don’t aspire to have a collection like that, nor could I afford one!
I see Gibson as just that, an aspirational brand. Epiphone is there for a reason, to provide more affordable alternatives of Gibson models.
While I think Fender Play is a good app, do we really expect every guitar brand to have one? Imagine the cost in developing and maintaining and app like that. For a company that has struggled financially recently I doubt they see it as a good investment.
All that being said, just my opinions. Keep up the vids, I really enjoy them.
Feel like I gotta nitpick a bit here due to Civics taking on an increasingly important role recently... It doesn't make any sense to say that Gibson is infringing on your 1st Amendment Rights. The 1st Amendment along with the rest of the Bill of Rights are protections FROM GOVERNMENT. Gibson is not the Government, so the 1st Amendment doesn't apply at all to your relationship with them.
That being said, I bought my first "nice" acoustic last year, and tried out a bunch of Gibsons and Bozeman Epiphones while searching. I thought the ones I played sounded and felt cheaper across the board compared to the Martin OM-28 I decided to pick up instead.
If you hate Gibson...you should get some help.
@@dragonpundit.6443 if I hated Gibson I wouldn’t currently own a 59 reissue collectors choice Nicky or a ebony standard LP. Had many 58 reissues also.
@@BPToneReview Its a rhetorical statement...not aimed at you but folks that hate Gibson.
This is why I play Taylor guitars! I like that Taylor is owned by the employees, and their environmental practices are awesome!
Acoustic Outfitters in Stratham, New Hampshire closed when a guy who had been playing Taylor’s in the store walked in with a brand new Taylor he had bought direct for less than the store, which had a dealer stocking minimum, paid for it.
So it’s not just Gibson ripping people off.
I wouldn’t give a penny to Taylor because I refuse to support Scientology.
@@CubanBBQ Taylor finances Scientology? More information, please.
@@CubanBBQ Huh? Don't just drop a pile of doo doo and split
Taylors are nice I'm more into Martins.
What's humbling is seeing how much they are , yet online certain people treat them as basic instruments and opt for the even more expensive guitars.
Online, more people should promote more affordable guitars, with the accent on playing.
Your comments about CEO 's statements is spot on. It reminds me of the two 2016 campaign slogans. Clinton's was "I'm With Her", Trump's was "I'm With YOU".
And you are with fascism.
@@ramonmoreno8014 Could you tell me what Fascism is?
@@caseypayne5138 Attacking your own country is a start
@@ramonmoreno8014 So, like...doing things like storming the White House and attacking courthouses and burning down neighborhoods and cities is Fascism?
What's the actual definition of the word Fascism?
Trump's a moron
I do own a few Gibson guitars now, but as a kid in 1981 when my late father saw I was serious about learning guitar he said he'd get me a nice one- any kind I wanted. I didn't hesitate to get a US made Vintage Series '62 Reissue Sunburst Stratocaster. It's been my #1 ever since. A Les Paul did cross my mind but I was soooo into Hendrix the Strat was the no brainer. Today I'm thankful I was into Jimi more than Page back then. I've played a crapload of Strat's but that 1982 '62 Reissue is the finest playing Strat I've ever come across. I like Les Paul's true enough; but I LOVE the Stratocaster!
I had a Gibson for less than a month, it got stolen while I was at practice and I tried a few Gibson's in the same price range and they felt cheaper than my old tribute, so I decided to get a fender boxer tele instead
Man I feel on everything you've said. Gibson has always seemed to be out of touch with younger players. I want one but it's so steep in getting one.
You're out of touch with Gibson. Gibson has never been about targeting younger players, so why this millennial complain about it?
@@ArielCardona that may be true bro. But do not see the issue with that? I mean think 🤔 about it. Isn't music about inspiration ? It's hard to see a future for Gibson if they're not trying to inspire new players.
for sure, whats gibson going to do when the boomers all go extinct in the next 20 years from lung cancer heart failure and alcoholism? They haven’t bothered to generate any good will with younger buyers. And when that happens they’re going to point at us and tell us it’s because we don’t respect heritage.
This video should be part of an MBA class on branding.
That is high praise, thanks, alan.
@@JeremySheppard Seriously. I just posted it on LinkedIn for my network of mostly B2B marketers, because the lessons are so generally applicable. Good stuff.
Gibson has been the villain since the Norlin era of the 70s. The culture of arrogance goes beyond the executive team past or present- it’s in their DNA and it’s hard to change.
Spot on! And I love Gibson guitars but they are so wildly out of price I could never afford one. It forced me as a guitarist to discover boutique makers and open up to other sounds. So a blessing in disguise really.
How many have you actually owned? How much money have you spent on any Gibson?
You are so off-base here man. Gibson is a business and their business is building exceptional guitars. They shape the development of guitarists by inspiring them to play really awesome instruments that excite them. Let’s not forget, Gibson didn’t go bankrupt because people weren’t buying their guitars, they went bankrupt because a few at the top acquired debt by branching out, away from guitars…which is their bread and butter. Also let’s be crystal clear: Gibson IS the most innovative “hero” guitar company around. Gibson invented the truss rod, the adjustable height bridge (for both acoustic and electric instruments), humbucking pickups, electric Spanish semi hollowbody models, arch top jazz models, jumbo size acoustics, 24.75 scale lengths, and more. They are the hero company.
I agree with basically everything you say. The problem is that they play the hero and most modern players have no place to fit into that story. So they are choosing brands, and spending as much money or more on brands that help them become better musicians.
Look at PRS, Frank Brothers, Novo, Fano, and Heritage.
I love Gibson guitars, and I also think their quality is better than people give them credit for.
@@JeremySheppard I guess I don’t really understand what you mean here by “hero”. It seems like you are trying to say that Gibson’s “brand image” is not what it actually is. It is commonly accepted by the majority of guitarists that Gibson provides superior quality, innovation, and inspiration in their instruments. You are here saying their “brand image” is some how different? By what metrics? In the words of Mr. Lebowski…that’s like…just your opinion man.
I was surprised by this video. I feel like you are jumping on the bash Gibson bandwagon. All of your other videos focus on friendship and music and you’ve managed to stay away from the negativity. That is your story brand. Stay true to yourself and continue down that path.
I get that and I don't view this as a "bashing" video. I appreciate your perspective a lot and I'm glad to have your feedback.
Definitely a bashing rant. Nobody hates on car companies for touting about how their brand is better, etc.....big deal. Business-wise, they do what they need to do, as any business should. If their product isn't for you, move on. Crying about it on social media is what fuels all the other social media babies into thinking the world should be tailored to them specifically. Videos like this are more embarrassing than the infamous "play authentic" video everybody whines about. Chill and get over it.
@@hbbishopjr This isn’t a bashing video it’s a critique if you can’t be critical of something then how can you improve as a person or a company without calling the faults of the company or person
@@hbbishopjr Look at some of the comments and articles about Harley Davidson. People do the same as he’s doing here
I play heritage guitars now!!! Great quality guitars at slightly less!!
Yeah, I always said if I could get the $$ for a custom-ish LP style guitar, Heritage would be it. Never played one but they seem to be the real deal.
@@FC-cz6zd bro heritage is more gibson than Gibson itself!!! Lol
Yes. I have a Heritage 535 and 150. I wanted Gibsons but comparing them the Heritage are better built.
@@aesoundforge i'm trying to let these folks know,heritage is the old quality Gibson's from back in the day!!
@@bassplaya4196 Yea, Gibson Was bought by big business. Heritage is the real Gibson IMO. I know they just recently sold the business but the guys were getting old, was inevitable..
Thanks for putting up the video. Agree with the whole legal issue mission Gibson went on being petty. But do not agree with the other points. Yes, Gibson’s can be really pricey but they also have the Epiphone line which today has been knocking it out of the park on what you get for the price.
I think the new CEO has done an amazing job and is genuinely a music guy. As for Gibson being responsible for inspiring and giving players creativity? That is the players job to seek inspiration. It is a never ending quest by listening to music and playing. Gibson makes and sells the product for each player to explore on their own. I think it is a bit much to expect them to teach you how to play. I have owned an Epiphone in the past and it was a great guitar. I have several brands now ranging from Fender to Ibanez and Schecter. Like them all and would not hesitate to get a Gibson. To be totally fair though Gibson did have a few really rough years when it came to quality. They let some real dogs out the door but my understanding is that this was corrected when the new CEO came and turned thing around. Now Gibson’s and Epi’s are spot on.
As for price, yes.....Gibson is not cheap but some of their entry level guitars are pretty affordable for a all American made guitar. (Excluding custom shop models) Especially considering that there are plenty of guitars over $1k coming out of the Far East which I think is unreasonable.
Despicable company, if you pay what they ask for the quality control should be top notch, but there's a 50/50 chance that your gibson will come out of the factory with something majorly wrong
I bought three Gibsons in the last year - I'm happy with them
Me too. Fantastic guitars.