# Gibson 2015 Update and Price Increase



## gigawhat (Sep 10, 2014)

Gibson to Increase Prices, Update Models for 2015 | Reverb

Almost $4000 MAP for a Les Paul Standard. I know that's MAP, but still that's like what, $3k street? For a Les Paul STANDARD?!?!? Not even 5 years ago that's what you paid for a Les Paul CUSTOM. What the flying fvck? 

Then again there will always be someone willing to pay because it says Gibson on the headstock.

I like some of the updates though.

Thoughts?


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## SkullCrusher (Sep 10, 2014)

Yeaaahhhh....

No thanks.

I bought a new les paul studio limited. See pic. Awesome guitar but had a warped neck. 2 months later I got a new SG and the neck had a crack in it.


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## feraledge (Sep 10, 2014)

Price increase isn't a shocker, but 29% is no joke. About time to start learning how to build Les Pauls...


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## JD27 (Sep 10, 2014)

Holy shit! I am a Gibson fan, but that is crazy stuff. Guess that Edwards LP is looking much better to cure my Gas. Hell for the price they are going to want for a standard, you may as well jump over to the Navigators. My RD Artist wasn't cheap, but thankfully it was issue free. Guess the used market is going to go up as well.


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## yingmin (Sep 10, 2014)

Sharply increasing prices, cutting out the lower-end models, AND putting the Min-e-Tune on almost everything? Even as a Gibson supporter, I find these decisions baffling.

I do like the idea of the new nut, though.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Sep 10, 2014)

yingmin said:


> Even as a Gibson supporter, I find these decisions baffling..



I agree. As much as I white knight for Gibson AND hate jumping to conclusions (although the info Reverb dug up is possibly legit), a lot of this news pisses me off. A lot.


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## bouVIP (Sep 10, 2014)

Poor quality control + price increase.....lol


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## BrailleDecibel (Sep 10, 2014)

Wow, I'm not even a Gibson fan and this is appalling...29%?! Sadly, they will still sell guitars because they say "Gibson" on the headstock, but this is straight-up highway robbery.


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## Forkface (Sep 10, 2014)

what i hate the most is the fact that they can, and WILL get away with it.
i mean, i like les pauls as much as the next guy, but with all the different options you have for lespaul-esque guitars (ESP, edwards, Tokai, etc) i can't understand the reason why would someone buy a Gibson.


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## Nag (Sep 10, 2014)

new year's resolution for 2015 : buy ESP Eclipse.


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## Chocopuppet (Sep 10, 2014)

Gibson. Wat r u doin'. Gibson. Stahp.


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## Omura (Sep 10, 2014)

Good thing i hate les Paul's already. Already hated Gibson as a brand, and having never played one with decent QC, I have no interest in ever owning one. It sounds like they are trying to put themselves out of business


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## JoshuaVonFlash (Sep 10, 2014)

I read about this a few days ago, it doesn't change my love for Gibson, I just won't be buying a new one from 2015 or how ever long they keep this shit fest up.


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## Zado (Sep 10, 2014)

Looks like this Solo II came just in time






this or a Skolnick sig will just fit the bill for me. Sorry Gib but about your price increase I couldn't care less.


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## Mprinsje (Sep 10, 2014)

This all sounds pretty stupid.

What are they thinking cutting the satin finished models? almost every gibson i see these days is one of those, you would think that would be a great moneymaker.


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## rikomaru (Sep 10, 2014)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Pretty much the end of the LPJ and SGJ. That series didn't seem to last that long at all.



They got tired of those selling so well since they were selling at their actual value instead of banner value.



Mprinsje said:


> What are they thinking cutting the satin finished models? almost every gibson i see these days is one of those, ....



exactly. lol


Even actual Gibtards have been annoyed by their prices for a bit, especially when someone asks why they cost so damn much. When you had the explorer, juniors and special faded series basically being the only ones most budget-minded players were willing to pay for, something's wrong.


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## Nile (Sep 10, 2014)

Fvcking idiots. I hope they go out of business so they realize how stupid of an idea all of this is.


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## Ancient (Sep 10, 2014)

Agile AL series guitars are about to become a lot more common....


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Sep 10, 2014)

Ancient said:


> Epiphone guitars are about to become a lot more common....



Fixed.


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## DeathChord (Sep 10, 2014)

As a younger man Gibson was what I dreamed about but even then the prices were high enough that the working stiff could not really afford them. I had a friend turn me onto the poor mans Les Paul the Ibanez AR50.

I remember when a SG or a LP Studio sold for under $500. I'm curious to what the appeal is? 

I respect the heritage and all of the fabulous music made with these instruments, some of the best moments in my life took place with a Les Paul playing in the background. But $4000.00 really?? I should get laid a few time for that amount.


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## rikomaru (Sep 10, 2014)

only a few times? well someone here chases the high-end casino escorts :/


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## Nag (Sep 10, 2014)

Mprinsje said:


> This all sounds pretty stupid.
> 
> What are they thinking cutting the satin finished models? almost every gibson i see these days is one of those, you would think that would be a great moneymaker.




it's been a while since Gibson were good at making decisions.


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## Captain Butterscotch (Sep 10, 2014)

Oh Gibson, you so silly. The other big companies are laughing right now.


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## JD27 (Sep 10, 2014)

Nagash said:


> it's been a while since Gibson were good at making decisions.



They are in serious need of some management changes.


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## Andromalia (Sep 10, 2014)

Wider necks ? 
Don't really care about the LPs, I have a studio that made me discover the body shape wasn't for me.


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## TheWarAgainstTime (Sep 10, 2014)

Wider necks and brass nuts are a plus for me, but everything else in that article had me like  

It's a good thing I already knew that Gibson guitars aren't my thing (can't get on with LP/SG shapes, shorter scales, angled necks, or raised TOM's) or they would have lost all chance of getting any of my money in 2015  removing the budget models and making all others _considerably_ more expensive with *forced* upgrades like Min-ETune seems like a somewhat risky move IMO. 

Oh well, it's Gibson; there will always be die-hard traditionalist fans who will pay the price for a headstock logo


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## BucketheadRules (Sep 10, 2014)

F*ck that, if I want a Les Paul I'll buy an old Greco or Burny. If Gibson would fix the Les Paul's appalling headstock construction, its various ergonomic shortfalls and their hit-and-miss quality control, then I might consider it to be worth 2 grand here in the UK. But they won't, so it's a no from me.


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## JoshuaVonFlash (Sep 10, 2014)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Fixed.


 That Lee Malia sig or a Zach Myers would make a great cheap LP purchase.


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## technomancer (Sep 10, 2014)

JD27 said:


> Holy shit! I am a Gibson fan, but that is crazy stuff. Guess that Edwards LP is looking much better to cure my Gas. Hell for the price they are going to want for a standard, you may as well jump over to the Navigators. My RD Artist wasn't cheap, but thankfully it was issue free. Guess the used market is going to go up as well.



Yep. I see an Edwards E-LP-105 or two in my future.


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## rikomaru (Sep 10, 2014)

Wouldn't it be funny if this all turned out to be a joke? Yes, a brilliant joke that makes people think their current prices are justifiable. lol


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## JD27 (Sep 10, 2014)

technomancer said:


> Yep. I see an Edwards E-LP-105 or two in my future.



Going to get one in the next few months. Just need to decide on the color.


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## JoshuaVonFlash (Sep 10, 2014)

^ So am I.


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## bouVIP (Sep 10, 2014)

JD27 said:


> Going to get one in the next few months. Just need to decide on the color.



PINK


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## Taylord (Sep 10, 2014)

Carvin


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## redlol (Sep 10, 2014)

I understand the appeal of gibson but surely anyone with a brain can figure out via looking at the specs and reading online reviews of current models thats they are not worth half the money they ask? I'd wager an ec1000 beats out any LP standard from the last few years.

Plus, why of why would you want a guitar that weighs a ton, bruises the crap out of your ribs, comes with cruddy own brand pickups, has a neck a porn star would have a hard time wanking on and is EXACTLY THE ....ING SAME AS EVERY OTHER LES PAUL OR SG EVER MADE. I mean, why would someone want the same guitar as jimmy page for example? so they can play his riffs and pretend they're him? 

why not get a guitar that plays great, sounds great and can be totally customized to suit your needs with all the options you could ever want? At this point, you can go for a fully loaded carvin and bank 2k, or you can go full custom and get a BEAUTIFUL skervesen or BM or ormsby etc for the same price as a new, standard, boring, crappy gibson that bruises your ribs and looks like a dog turd.


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## Hollowway (Sep 11, 2014)

Gibson charging a ridiculous amount for a subpar guitar?


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Sep 11, 2014)

redlol said:


> Plus, why of why would you want a guitar that weighs a ton, bruises the crap out of your ribs, comes with cruddy own brand pickups, has a neck a porn star would have a hard time wanking on and is EXACTLY THE ....ING SAME AS EVERY OTHER LES PAUL OR SG EVER MADE. I mean, why would someone want the same guitar as jimmy page for example? so they can play his riffs and pretend they're him? .









A lot of Gibsons are weight-relieved now. 
Gibson pickups are actually pretty damn good, such as the 498T, 500T, Iommi sigs, Angus Young sigs, Dirty Fingers, and so on.
Some people, including me, love thicker necks because Ibanez-like necks feel like crap to me. 
Everyone here seems to love it when Ibanez releases RG after RG. 
And why would someone want the same guitar as Steve Vai or Munky?  

Okay, yeah, as I said before, .... Gibson for raising the prices of their guitars for apparently no reason and getting rid of their cheaper line of guitars, but Christ, seriously?


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## Church2224 (Sep 11, 2014)

Thank God for these- PRS Guitars | SC 245


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## JoshuaVonFlash (Sep 11, 2014)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> A lot of Gibsons are weight-relieved now.
> Gibson pickups are actually pretty damn good, such as the 498T, 500T, Iommi sigs, Angus Young sigs, Dirty Fingers, and so on.
> Some people, including me, love thicker necks because Ibanez-like necks feel like crap to me.
> Everyone here seems to love it when Ibanez releases RG after RG.
> ...


Fvckin' djent kids.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Sep 11, 2014)

Church2224 said:


> Thank God for these- PRS Guitars | SC 245



That reminds me; I love how people bitch about PRS prices, even though you can get a better built PRS for a few hundred, if not, thousand less then a Gibson.


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## Dominoes282 (Sep 11, 2014)

JoshuaVonFlash said:


> Fvckin' djent kids.



Hey that reminds me can I replace my SG pickups with M6's?


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## Bloody_Inferno (Sep 11, 2014)

With all the alternatives available, seriously there's no real point on forking out a king's ransom for a Gibson anymore. You can still get a great Les Paul with the old Gibson quality of yore for a smaller fraction of Gibson's asking price today... it just says Heritage on the headstock instead. 

I still like the idea of getting a _good_ Gibson, Les Paul, Flying V etc but that'll mean I have no other choice but hit the used market. 



Dominoes282 said:


> Hey that reminds me can I replace my SG pickups with M6's?


 
You can do that by selling your SG and buing an RG instead.


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## Veritech Zero (Sep 11, 2014)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> That reminds me; I love how people bitch about PRS prices, even though you can get a better built PRS for a few hundred, if not, thousand less then a Gibson.



Actually, I've never once thought that a US PRS was worth the price either. And their SE line is pretty much just like Gibson and Epiphone. Some are awesome, and some aren't.

Makes me wonder what Fender will be doing this upcoming year... They've managed to keep their US line fairly cheap, but as far as I've ever seen they RARELY do anything other than a few models in a couple different solid or burst colors.


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## neurosis (Sep 11, 2014)

Shhhhh. Don´t let the guys at Fender hear or we´ll be screwed...hehe.

In all seriousness I think Gibson have lost it. I also think they are trying to bomb the market forcing direct competition to follow the raise. I don´t care as much about that as I care about the second hand market following suit and finding myself in a shitty position where I would buy back my SG limited for more than I sold it... Hahahah.

I have a LP Studio with zebras in it. It´s go a baked neck. Sounds great and is mint. But if I have to be honest it was chosen out of ten other guitars I played, five of them being the same model of that SG I want back. For some reason all those SGs had different things going against them from one to the other despite allegedly being the exact same guitar. Weird.


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## Pikka Bird (Sep 11, 2014)

That article said:


> All models now have Pearloid Inlays



Isn't that just like it is now and has been for a while? I haven't seen any Gibsons with proper MOP for a few years now.

Furthermore, 27% lower fretwire is a _lot_. That's gotta affect the feel quite much. Plus, it gives you way less mileage before you can't get them leveled anymore and needing to change them.

Oh, and that Les Paul hologram sounds cheesy as fuck, BTW. I'm all for honoring the man, but damn...


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## darkinners (Sep 11, 2014)

Gibson have lost it long ago.
Bump up the price every year, at the same time lowering the quality every year.

If it wasn't the headstock say Gibson on it. People won't even buy the guitar for $1,500.


There are many great LP, explorer, V or SG out there and cost 1/5 of what Gibson charge.

It's sad to see once brilliant guitar manufacturer turn into some snob trying to rip people off.


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## darkinners (Sep 11, 2014)

Bloody_Inferno said:


> You can still get a great Les Paul with the old Gibson quality of yore for a smaller fraction of Gibson's asking price today... it just says Heritage on the headstock instead.




Heritage making some REALLY great guitars, as your comment, they with old Gibson quality, what Gibson suppose to be.

Too bad whoever design their headstock was a retard.


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## Given To Fly (Sep 11, 2014)

I have no love for Gibson.

With that said, I think these changes have the potential to be a good decision. A local store is a Gibson dealer which is not an easy feat for a "mom and pop/brick and mortar" guitar store. They have to sell $1,000,000 worth of Gibson inventory a year to maintain dealership status. Needless to say, I've seen a lot of Gibson's go through the store and here are a few observations.

First, they need to trim back their product line at the top and at the bottom. The sub-$1000 Gibson's were not fooling anybody into believing they were getting a "real" Les Paul, nor were the $8000+ Reissue/Custom Shop/Signature/Meaningless titled Les Pauls fooling anyone into thinking "that was $8000 well spent." All of these "other" Les Pauls, and there really were/are a lot of them, diluted the brand to the point where a new Les Paul Standard was hard to find or even know where it sat in the hierarchy of the product line. If Gibson gets back to its core Les Paul model line up, the Studio, Standard, Custom, I think clarity will be brought to the brand and quality control will rise drastically. They really do not have choice. 

Second, if the quality rises to an adequate and consistant level, a $4000 Les Paul Standard (I'm rounding up) would make a shift from being "hit or miss" to "for $4000 I know exactly what I'm getting." The Les Paul's iconic status would be restored and the odds of getting a subpar guitar would be extremely low. I think $4000 is extremely hard to justify but I've played a few really great Les Pauls. If Gibson can manage consistent high quality than a consistent price tag of $4000 starts to make sense. Though, I will reiterate, $4000 is extremely hard to justify. 

Third, I like the concept of the zero fret and I wish more guitars had them. Is that worth 29% more? No. If the automated tuning system is what I think it is, I would pay not to have it. Is that worth 29% more? It actually probably is in terms of costs but I'm a purist and think guitarists should know how to tune their guitars. Call me old fashion. PLEK'D frets are nice. I can not criticize them for that. 

I focused on Les Pauls because that is what I've been exposed to the most. Hopefully, improvements are made on all models. I won't be buying a Gibson in the near future, if ever, but I think Gibson is trying to fix some of the problems they caused themselves which is good. I still have no love for Gibson, but if they focus on a quality over quantity business model and follow through with it, I can respect that. Time will tell.


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## Grand Moff Tim (Sep 11, 2014)

*Meanwhile, at FMIC HQ...*


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## Andless (Sep 11, 2014)

Hollowway said:


> Gibson charging a ridiculous amount for a subpar guitar?



Sounds like a good business model since what they _really_ sell is the logo on the headstock. 


Now, I really like how LPs look, I think the curved lines are beautiful.Tried so hard to like them, but even the playing position when seated rubs me the wrong way. When ever I picked one up in a shop, I've been appalled by the quality and set-up, can't believe why anyone would buy any of the guitars I tried for the price they're asking.


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## guitarxtc (Sep 11, 2014)

darkinners said:


> Gibson have lost it long ago.
> Bump up the price every year, at the same time lowering the quality every year.
> 
> If it wasn't the headstock say Gibson on it. People won't even buy the guitar for $1,500.
> ...


+1


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## Grindspine (Sep 11, 2014)

I have played a lot of Gibsons lately. Some were good. Some were bad. A few were great.

But those prices are outrageous!


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## Fathand (Sep 11, 2014)

I was going to come here to say well if you want a good (Gibson) LP then... Heritage Guitar Inc., of Kalamazoo ...but a couple of people beat me to it. 

But I'm scratching my head to this announcement also. 

Maybe they're trying to make a distinction between Gibson and Epiphone, by removing the pricewise overlapping models. So in the future:
Gibson - Boutique Priced classics, signatures
Epiphone - Everything midpriced and cheap, more adventurous models

But what I've heard the boutique price doesn't really match the quality nowadays in Gibson (besides the Custom Shop, I'd assume) - however we can't underestimate the brand effect. People will by Gibsons no matter what the price because they are... well, Gibsons. But luckily for the rest of us, for that money you can get pretty much anything else, from a smaller company/luthier with a more rigorous QC.


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## Omura (Sep 11, 2014)

When I commented on this thread I was worried Gibson fans might get offended.. Every Gibson fan is also shaking their heads at Gibson for their poor QC and outrageous prices, poor feature choicesnoverthebpast few years.. If your following will no longer stand by you, you have failed as a company pretty badly IMO


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## Grand Moff Tim (Sep 11, 2014)

Usually when people bitch about Gibbo's pricing, I bring up the practically unheard of and unmatched by any other MiA company number of $1k and under guitars they have on offer.

If they're scrapping those series *and* increase the prices of their already pricier models, though, it's going to become _alot_ harder to defend them.


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## technomancer (Sep 11, 2014)

JD27 said:


> Going to get one in the next few months. Just need to decide on the color.



Yep. I'd love an R7 but these price hikes are ridiculous (IIRC they're $4500 MAP after the last price hike and 2015 prices aren't out yet) and $2500 is a good price for a used one. For that kind of money I'll grab an Edwards to fill the niche since it likely won't be my main guitar.

Just have to decide black, white, or Sykes (though funnily I could get all 3 for around the price of a used R7)


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## fortisursus (Sep 11, 2014)

I love Gibsons. I really do. They have that mojo. But come on those prices are crazy. I'll maintain that I am very happy with my recent Les Paul Classic, but there is no chance of another Gibson in the future for those prices. I'll happily look towards alternatives.


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## Nag (Sep 11, 2014)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> A lot of Gibsons are weight-relieved now.
> Gibson pickups are actually pretty damn good, such as the 498T, 500T, Iommi sigs, Angus Young sigs, Dirty Fingers, and so on.
> Some people, including me, love thicker necks because Ibanez-like necks feel like crap to me.
> Everyone here seems to love it when Ibanez releases RG after RG.
> And why would someone want the same guitar as Steve Vai or Munky?



so many points made, so little time.


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## MUTANTOID (Sep 11, 2014)

Back in the 2014 Gibson thread I said "I haven't played a new Gibson in years, but for the money I don't see how anyone can justify paying that much considering the alternatives in that price range." and I was yelled at..... lol


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## Cloudy (Sep 11, 2014)

MUTANTOID said:


> Back in the 2014 Gibson thread I said "I haven't played a new Gibson in years, but for the money I don't see how anyone can justify paying that much considering the alternatives in that price range." and I was yelled at..... lol



how dare you speak negatively about the glorious gibson!


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## Musiscience (Sep 11, 2014)

Cloudy said:


> how dare you speak negatively about the glorious gibson!



So much this. Gibson mojo fangirls make me want to sell my les paul and buy something else.


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## possumkiller (Sep 11, 2014)

So I guess an R9 will now cost $10k?


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## skisgaar (Sep 11, 2014)

29% increase in price, 100% increase in stupidity. 

Their business decisions are so bad, you'd think they were eating the wood they make their guitars from.


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## Grand Moff Tim (Sep 11, 2014)

MUTANTOID said:


> Back in the 2014 Gibson thread I said "I haven't played a new Gibson in years, but for the money I don't see how anyone can justify paying that much considering the alternatives in that price range." and I was yelled at..... lol



Probably because the 2014 still included several models that were shockingly low priced for MiA guitars, so the ZOMG GIBSON SO XPNSIVE line rang a little hollow.

They've done away with those lines for 2015 though, apparently, so complain away!


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## Nag (Sep 11, 2014)

I love the Les Paul shape, but I wouldn't spend cash on a Gibson. Maybe if I find a well-built one used in a shop in good condition for a good price.

We shit on many "small" custom builders for their poor QC, well now it's time to shit on one of the biggest, oldest and most experienced brands for the exact same thing.

They blast so much technology in their guitars... composite materials for "ecological" fretboards, intelligent weight relief, special nuts for better lubrication, PLEK, stuff to make the guitar tune itself, and what else do I know... but if the guitar itself isn't enjoyable as a tool for playing, because the fret job sucks, the setup is meh, the finish has flaws etc, it's a damn shame.

And people who shell out grands and grands for poor work should also be ashamed, because they encourage the manufacturer to keep building crap and then sell it for horrendous prices. just my


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## JD27 (Sep 11, 2014)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> A lot of Gibsons are weight-relieved now.
> Gibson pickups are actually pretty damn good, such as the 498T, 500T, Iommi sigs, Angus Young sigs, Dirty Fingers, and so on.
> Some people, including me, love thicker necks because Ibanez-like necks feel like crap to me.
> Everyone here seems to love it when Ibanez releases RG after RG.
> ...



Yeah I am a fan of the larger 50's necks, love my RDs. And I agree, I do like their pickups quite a bit, so much that I only changed one set of my 5 guitars and that was only because I wanted Black Winters in the SG. The BurstBucker Pro's, the Dirty Fingers are pretty solid, and surprisingly these GEM Actives in the RD Artist are as well. I think they are just Burstbucker 2's with a preamp.


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## JD27 (Sep 11, 2014)

technomancer said:


> Yep. I'd love an R7 but these price hikes are ridiculous (IIRC they're $4500 MAP after the last price hike and 2015 prices aren't out yet) and $2500 is a good price for a used one. For that kind of money I'll grab an Edwards to fill the niche since it likely won't be my main guitar.
> 
> Just have to decide black, white, or Sykes (though funnily I could get all 3 for around the price of a used R7)



Yeah, doesn't get much classier than a Goldtop, but damn those aren't cheap. I'm leaning towards the E-LP-120CD/QM Tobacco Sunburst or 
E-LP-113LTC in Vintage White.


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## Journey (Sep 11, 2014)

I wasn't gonna buy new anyways  

You're not just paying for a name on a headstock, your paying for every little thing they have on their guitar's that other companies aren't allowed to do anymore. Which is why ESP's look stupid now. If you're a Gibson lover like I am, the copycats just don't do it unless they are exact spec as an LP down to the design of the headstock and body. Their body styles are a piece of art, originality, and a representation of history when bands were making some great songs and not some chugging trendy stuff. The little things do make a difference. Even Agile has it's funky headstock that make me not want one. If you don't care about that then cool story bro I do lol

Also people shouldn't act holier than thou, if you're buying ESP, Ibanez, Jackson/Fender, or whatever you're still paying a lot for a name on a headstock regardless. Let's not be retards sitting around accusing each other of being retarded  That being said this is shitty  Like they weren't expensive already.

Maybe I can do what Robb Flynn did with his ESP flying v and have a company make the guitar almost exactly like a gibson and just put a Gibson truss rod cover on it


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## HurrDurr (Sep 11, 2014)

I mean, realistically I've almost _never_ played a top-tier ESP, Ibby Prestige, Jackson Custom Select, or Fender American Deluxe etc. that didn't absolutely _*blow me away*_ in terms of fit, finish, and playability... All at around a grand or two less than a top-tier Gibson. That said, I've got a buddy who owns several top-tier Gibsons _(some of which he's paid upwards of $5k for)_ and I've never been anything but _*utterly underwhelmed*_ by them with the exception of a much older LP Custom that just has a ton of mojo around it. In fact, and this might just be me, but I find most Gib's aside from an SG to be _*immensely uncomfortable*_ to play. The only set I even enjoyed were their Jr. series as I genuinely felt these were well-worth the money for USA-made quality aside from the inevitable realization that almost half of the ones made were unplayable with warped necks, shoddy fretwork, low-quality electronics aside from the pups. So, the argument that purchasing a top-tier instrument from ESP, Ibanez, Jackson, and/or Fender is the same regarding you're still paying into a fanbase is a bit misconstrued in that at least I'm getting something worth my money and not just a _*wallet-busting nostalgia*_.


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## redlol (Sep 11, 2014)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> A lot of Gibsons are weight-relieved now.
> Gibson pickups are actually pretty damn good, such as the 498T, 500T, Iommi sigs, Angus Young sigs, Dirty Fingers, and so on.
> Some people, including me, love thicker necks because Ibanez-like necks feel like crap to me.
> Everyone here seems to love it when Ibanez releases RG after RG.
> ...



Yeah i dont understand the rg after rg thing either they all look the same to me; one with a trem and one with a hardtail is plenty.. 

but for the price of a gibson you can get a lot more guitar for your money..


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## TedEH (Sep 11, 2014)

Journey said:


> Their body styles are a piece of art, originality, and a representation of history when bands were making some great songs and not some chugging trendy stuff.



This comment evokes the image of old people claiming that you should never waste your time on anything but Fender, Gibson and Marshall because everything else is terrible. That or someone who works in marketing trying to sell me on something.


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## technomancer (Sep 11, 2014)

JD27 said:


> Yeah, doesn't get much classier than a Goldtop, but damn those aren't cheap. I'm leaning towards the E-LP-120CD/QM Tobacco Sunburst or
> E-LP-113LTC in Vintage White.



Cool. If you go for a QM make sure you see the actual guitar, as I've seen some of those that were amazing and others that were downright awful. I really wish they would do one of the higher end rosewood boarded ones without relic'ing or that god-awful yellow "cream" binding 



HurrDurr said:


> I mean, realistically I've almost _never_ played a top-tier ESP, Ibby Prestige, Jackson Custom Select, or Fender American Deluxe etc. that didn't absolutely _*blow me away*_ in terms of fit, finish, and playability... All at around a grand or two less than a top-tier Gibson. That said, I've got a buddy who owns several top-tier Gibsons _(some of which he's paid upwards of $5k for)_ and I've never been anything but _*utterly underwhelmed*_ by them with the exception of a much older LP Custom that just has a ton of mojo around it. In fact, and this might just be me, but I find most Gib's aside from an SG to be _*immensely uncomfortable*_ to play. The only set I even enjoyed were their Jr. series as I genuinely felt these were well-worth the money for USA-made quality aside from the inevitable realization that almost half of the ones made were unplayable with warped necks, shoddy fretwork, low-quality electronics aside from the pups. So, the argument that purchasing a top-tier instrument from ESP, Ibanez, Jackson, and/or Fender is the same regarding you're still paying into a fanbase is a bit misconstrued in that at least I'm getting something worth my money and not just a _*wallet-busting nostalgia*_.



So basically you don't like how Gibsons play, so you will be underwhelmed by them no matter what. The fanboy crowds are no different for Ibanez, Fender and other brands and I've played plenty of high end guitars by various manufacturers that didn't blow me away. It really sounds like you're trying to justify your own personal preferences and make them into something objective when they're not.

I like Gibsons, as well as lots of other guitars, but if I'm dropping $4k on something it will not be a Gibson. Their prices have just gotten out of control.


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## Fathand (Sep 11, 2014)

Oh the irony.. got a trade offer for a Gibson Midtown Kalamazoo, which fills a nice missing niche (semi-hollow + short scale) in my collection. It's a f2f trade so I'll get to inspect it first. 

But the timing.. I guess I'll be wtf'ing Gibson the company with a Gibson guitar on my lap.


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## aneurysm (Sep 11, 2014)

Won´t imagine what the Lzzy Hale Explorer will go for, if the they will ever release it ?
Problem is, no other Company makes such a beautiful Explorer !


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## Journey (Sep 11, 2014)

TedEH said:


> This comment evokes the image of old people claiming that you should never waste your time on anything but Fender, Gibson and Marshall because everything else is terrible. That or someone who works in market trying to sell me on something.



Nah son, stereotypes are meaningless.


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## TedEH (Sep 11, 2014)

Journey said:


> Nah son, stereotypes are meaningless.



No worries, my joke was bad and I should feel bad.

More seriously though, the part about Gibson being historical I think is on point. When it gets to the point where one might spend >$3k on a Gibson, I don't imagine they'd be doing it because it's the "technically superior instrument", on paper or otherwise- you're spending the extra money for the status of the instrument, the history behind its design, the knowledge that it's a very similar instrument to what was used in a lot of significant recordings and performances, the small aesthetic details, etc.

I think comparable points were made in the thread about that LACS that someone spent $7k on because it was owned by his hero or something like that. The value of the instrument is going to be at least in part dictated by what people are willing to claim it's worth to them. The status increases the value and the value in turn increases the status, and so forth.


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## HurrDurr (Sep 11, 2014)

All the brands I mentioned in my assessment have radically different aesthetics, feel, playability, tone, etc. from one another and I was genuinely impressed by the QC they maintain at their top levels because it's something you or I would expect. Basically, based on that alone my preferences can only be described as being _in favor of anything that's well-put-together_ and certainly not any sort of elitist brand loyalty. I'm just not that kind of person, to be honest. The closest thing I'd have to admit is my love for Fender, but in my defense, I had gone through just about every major brand here in North America prior and something about Fenders just sit right with me in that I genuinely like all their offerings without exception based on an overall assessment of the quality and design of their instruments. Of course, that doesn't in any way rule out the several models I absolutely love from many other brands and manufacturers, but again if it isn't a well-made instrument, aesthetics and playability maintain their irrelevancy to me yet my opinions will reflect heavily on it's construction. Gibson just hasn't had a QC that I've been at all impressed with being in their niche/price-range and in all honestly my opinion stands that their designs just don't seem attractive to me in terms of practicality and function, regardless of just purely aesthetics.

And just to clarify, I don't feel my opinion is representative of an attack against anyone who really likes Gibson and their instruments. I'm just not that guy they must be marketing it towards and even then from outside that market I just don't understand Gibson's appeal as _anything_ but a nostalgic novelty. Again, maybe I just don't get it because Gibson just isn't for me and I see nothing wrong in that those who are all about them get it. I fully respect that.


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## Journey (Sep 11, 2014)

TedEH said:


> No worries, my joke was bad and I should feel bad.
> 
> More seriously though, the part about Gibson being historical I think is on point. When it gets to the point where one might spend >$3k on a Gibson, I don't imagine they'd be doing it because it's the "technically superior instrument", on paper or otherwise- you're spending the extra money for the status of the instrument, the history behind its design, the knowledge that it's a very similar instrument to what was used in a lot of significant recordings and performances, the small aesthetic details, etc.



lol

Yeah exactly. A guitar isn't all practicality otherwise we wouldn't paint them or design them. And an instrument being technically superior is a bit abstract too.


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## JD27 (Sep 11, 2014)

technomancer said:


> Cool. If you go for a QM make sure you see the actual guitar, as I've seen some of those that were amazing and others that were downright awful. I really wish they would do one of the higher end rosewood boarded ones without relic'ing or that god-awful yellow "cream" binding



Good Advice. That sucks, I really like the Tobacco Burst LP-130, but I don't need it to come relic'd. I don't like relic'd guitars much. The only relic'd guitar I've seen recently that I though was cool, was the ESP Will Adler Warbird.


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## ESPImperium (Sep 11, 2014)

I knew there was a reason i bought my Les Paul Standard faded when i did. eBay prices are now for that model putting me in a profit, and i only bought it in 2010!!!

Also really glad I'm more or less switching to a wholly PRS operation as well, my Les Paul and ESP LTD EC-1000 will likely be the only ones to survive my kull of equipment and making everything i want/need guitar wise.

Im looking at quality over quality, and on that fact, not many recent date manufacture Gibsons make it now, however many of the guitars I've played in the £500-£1000 range that are not Gibsons do now and they are made in Asia or Mexico.


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## yingmin (Sep 11, 2014)

ESPImperium said:


> my Les Paul and ESP LTD EC-1000 will likely be the only ones to survive my kull of equipment


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## Zugster (Sep 11, 2014)

Holy crap, a new Gibson is just not an option anymore. And these crazy high prices are bound to affect the used market. Good thing I got my SG in 2006 (can't believe it's been 8 years). I was at a Guitar Center and found a used 61 Reissue for $900. The quality was excellent. One piece body. Lovely neck. I did a bunch of upgrades on it but that was a choice not a necessity. It's a classic cherry red gorgeous Gibson. A great guitar. Probably it'll be the only Gibson I ever own.

A year or 2 later, I grabbed an old Orville Les Paul on ebay . It's one of those Japanese made LPs that Gibson actually licensed. A black beauty with all gold hardware. I think I paid $600. It needed a little work: fret leveling and better pickups but it's an amazing guitar that I'd put up against any real Gibson. Seems to me Gibson Les Pauls have always been too expensive.


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## BucketheadRules (Sep 11, 2014)

possumkiller said:


> So I guess an R9 will now cost $10k?



And the Citation jazz guitar will run something like $30,000 


Also, I managed to play a new Flying V "History" the other day - a 70s-style model with a volute, blunt headstock and pickup rings on the pickguard. I own a 2009 Flying V in Faded Cherry, which I bought in 2010 for £520. My V, despite only being cheap, is one of my favourite guitars, light, resonant, loud, great neck - so I was keen to see how this new one compared... and the History was probably two pounds heavier, with a sticky, thick-feeling gloss finish all over it, nowhere near as resonant, didn't play anywhere near as well as mine, and was double the price. I hope they're not all like that...


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## 3074326 (Sep 12, 2014)

I frequently defend Gibson's quality on here, but this is absolutely stupid. There is no reason for them to stop selling the satin finish LPs. Those are their biggest sellers, since they put the min-e-tune on Standards. 

Forcing the min-e-tune on people is also changing traditional Gibson supporters' minds about the brand and where it's headed.

The price increase is expected, but they're pricing themselves out of the market they've created. Working at a Gibson dealer, I've noticed Gibson electric sales are down this year. I can directly point to price and the min-e-tune as reasons why. They've finally reached the absurd price level and they're adding things people don't want.

I've been considering a different line of work for many reasons, and this is one of them. This will directly affect my income. It has this year. 

Probably done defending them. Not worth it anymore. Quality is good. They're making good stuff. That's all.

I will still stand behind their acoustics, however..

Also, OP, if this hasn't been addressed, MAP is minimum advertised price. These will be almost $4k to buy. That's how much a Les Paul Custom was only just last year. They're $3k now.


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## warpedsoul (Sep 12, 2014)

Musiscience said:


> So much this. Gibson mojo fangirls make me want to sell my les paul and buy something else.



I thought I was crazy, but the elitist Gibson mentality was one of the deciding factors when I traded my Silverburst Studio for a Washburn Idol USA Custom Shop. I asked some people on a Gibson based forum their opinion on the trade, much like I did here, and was basically ridiculed and laughed at for even considering trading a Gibson. Long story short, I own the Washburn and couldn't be happier with it.

I grew up always wanting to own a Gibson, thought Gibson was the end-all-be-all, but it would take a lot for me to consider another one.


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## Musiscience (Sep 12, 2014)

warpedsoul said:


> I thought I was crazy, but the elitist Gibson mentality was one of the deciding factors when I traded my Silverburst Studio for a Washburn Idol USA Custom Shop. I asked some people on a Gibson based forum their opinion on the trade, much like I did here, and was basically ridiculed and laughed at for even considering trading a Gibson. Long story short, I own the Washburn and couldn't be happier with it.
> 
> I grew up always wanting to own a Gibson, thought Gibson was the end-all-be-all, but it would take a lot for me to consider another one.



I grew up the same way and ended up buying one of the top of the line overly expensive models. It's an excellent guitar that gave me years of fun playing, but in the end my Ibanez prestige is just as good for less than half the price tag.


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## rikomaru (Sep 12, 2014)

Wait.....will this push the Explorers and Vs into the 'undeniably Gibson' price range? D:<


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## Andromalia (Sep 12, 2014)

Well, they don't make the regular Vs and explorers any longer, for now. It's special series only.
Some funny thing though is that for all lots of people here sneer on Gibson, that goes to 5 pages pretty quick. Some of you are playing them when nobody's watching. 

That said, I do suppose that their "lots of affordable models" business plan they've had for 2 or three years now didn't work so well if they switch gears like this.


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## Zugster (Sep 12, 2014)

I didn't realize they're not making explorers anymore. An explorer in natural finish has been on my gas list for a long time.... used. I wonder if anyone make a 25.5 or longer scale explorer in standard 6 or a 7 string flavor...?


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## Leuchty (Sep 12, 2014)

Something tells me chibson will be getting the sales now...


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## Tom Drinkwater (Sep 12, 2014)

Gibson should have never tried to be affordable in the first place, that's what Epiphone is for. I'm actually glad they raised the prices on the instruments. Raising prices will mean lower volume and that could result in better quality. Of course this is Gibson we're talking about here and they'll do their best to screw it up.


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## Fathand (Sep 13, 2014)

My my, this (new to me) Midtown Kalamazoo is awesome. The QC mostly did their job on this one. 

And yes - I will admit that it being a Gibson gives it some extra mojo. I also know this is purely psychological, but who cares.


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## 3074326 (Sep 13, 2014)

Tom Drinkwater said:


> Gibson should have never tried to be affordable in the first place, that's what Epiphone is for. I'm actually glad they raised the prices on the instruments. Raising prices will mean lower volume and that could result in better quality. Of course this is Gibson we're talking about here and they'll do their best to screw it up.



Their quality was fine. I read about their quality being horrible so much, and never really see any problems with the hundreds that we stock at work. Haven't seen a problem with a Gibson for over year.


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## 3074326 (Sep 13, 2014)

Andromalia said:


> That said, I do suppose that their "lots of affordable models" business plan they've had for 2 or three years now didn't work so well if they switch gears like this.



I don't know, seemed to be working really well from a sales guy's perspective.



Tom Drinkwater said:


> Gibson should have never tried to be affordable in the first place, that's what Epiphone is for. I'm actually glad they raised the prices on the instruments. Raising prices will mean lower volume and that could result in better quality. Of course this is Gibson we're talking about here and they'll do their best to screw it up.



Their quality was fine. I read about their quality being horrible so much, and never really see any problems with the hundreds that we stock at work. Haven't seen a problem with a Gibson for over year. Far more problems with SS.org's beloved Ibanez, ESP/LTD, Fender (ESPECIALLY Fender amps), etc. Gibson, Martin and Taylor are the three brands that quality is never my concern when unboxing them.

EDIT: Add PRS to that rarely a problem list.


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## cwhitey2 (Sep 13, 2014)

Well they just made room for another company to take over the $1000-2000 Les Paul range


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## Tom Drinkwater (Sep 13, 2014)

I've only handled one new Gibson this year and it had a bad nut but then again the thousands of guitars that I didn't see were probably nearly perfect. My experience is mainly with the Gibson company of the 80s and 90s including $10k + Art and Historic Division instruments, some of which had very poorly done finishes. I'm talking about eggshell worse than any I'd seen on a guitar. I'll have to check out some of the new stuff when it starts coming into the store where my tech works.


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## Wizard of Ozz (Sep 13, 2014)

When I saw the price of a new 1959 Reissue at $6200, I definitely decided no more Gibsons for me.

I remember when you could buy a new LP Standard for under $1500 (street price) NEW.


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## Tom Drinkwater (Sep 13, 2014)

The 2014 LP Standard is still a pretty good value when you consider the difference in labor costs between us and parts of Asia. Average factory workers labor rates are somewhere around 17x higher here than mainland China depending on the report you look at. Given the difference in price between a 2014 Epiphone LP and a similarly spec'd Gibson you're only lookin at something like a $1000 to $1500 difference in street price. I am assuming that the Gibson factory makes fewer units per year than many of the Asian factories so that will also contribute to the higher price of the American product. I'm not surprised by the reaction to the price increase but honestly, how many of you guys that posted were actually planning on buying a new Gibson this year?


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## 3074326 (Sep 13, 2014)

cwhitey2 said:


> Well they just made room for another company to take over the $1000-2000 Les Paul range



They'll still be making Studios. Just not the satin finish ones.


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## ShredWizard (Sep 13, 2014)

Last year I played a $5k+ gibson custom shop hollowbody (the mini 355 looking one, cant remember the exact model) the stain and top were amazing but the fret finishing was hilariously bad. It was like an entire stage had been skipped, they werent sanded down at all, and many were not even flush against the side of the neck! I then played a $500 mexican fender telecaster...laser perfect finishing on the neck and a much more solid feel.

I like gibson and want them to succeed but damn...they need to pull it together.


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## porknchili (Sep 13, 2014)

I was brought up thinking Gibson and Fender were super amazing guitars and I got a Gibson SG as my 2nd guitar. Although I kept it for like 6 years, it was by far the worst guitar I've ever owned. 

Hopefully this price increase just makes Gibson's less common, but I have a feeling that the average player will be like, "Oh, they're more expensive, so they must be better AND they're made in the USA, not cheap places like Japan or the UK."


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## Toxin (Sep 14, 2014)

Looks like they just think of themselves as an Apple in guitar world
"We can do whatever we want, and you'll buy it, be sure"


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## Fathand (Sep 14, 2014)

Toxin said:


> Looks like they just think of themselves as an Apple in guitar world
> "We can do whatever we want, and you'll buy it, be sure"



I'd say it's more like: "As long as we make what you want (LP's etc), you'll buy them no matter what the price".

But I've been thinking about this a bit after my last post. There's two sides to this: On the other hand Gibson will always have e.g "the LP", and all the legendary players that played them - people will always want to buy that stuff no matter the price. But on the other hand, they've also got the baggage of those legendary players and "the LP" - it's hard to innovate and try to make something new in that atmosphere. I'll approach this through economics: If your sales are 99% LP's, SG's & ES's you don't want to waste too much resources on to something else. 

And when they've done it, IMO they haven't really hit the mark on many oocations. When you think about the seven strings they've put out.. I'm still baffeled why they didn't just slap an LP or SG standard one string more, and maybe tweaked the scale a bit (how about 25,75", if they're allergic to the "fender" scale). Keep the "iconic" look, add one string = win.

But in regards to their relative successes, I still think I need that baritone LP to my collection, though.


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## Ænima (Sep 15, 2014)

gibson lost me years ago, when i ordered a epiphone lp custom, it was set up flawlessly out of the box and only needed pups and pot upgrades, not a single loose or uneven fret? on an epiphone? you're extremely lucky today to find a gibson LP that does not need a fret job out of the box, gibson quality control is non existent.


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## GuitaristOfHell (Sep 15, 2014)

I love Les Pauls, but I could build a Warmoth for cheaper and better. Or better yet PRS


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## Ænima (Sep 16, 2014)

GuitaristOfHell said:


> I love Les Pauls, but I could build a Warmoth for cheaper and better. Or better yet PRS




warmoth's are ....ing awesome!


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## Zugster (Sep 16, 2014)

Ænima;4162422 said:


> warmoth's are ....ing awesome!



Maybe but I'd rather have a Carvin, PRS (SE with mods), or one of the older Japanese made brands (with mods).


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## metalvince333 (Sep 16, 2014)

Got my 1988 LP and i'm good for now. Never was interested in newer Gibsons exept maybe the LPJ or a Supreme but now with the increase...eff no! Used market or Heritage guitars will do the trick.


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## Shimme (Sep 16, 2014)

Warmoths are cool 

One of the better ways to go absolutely crazy on Fender styled instruments without breaking the bank, and very good quality.


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## Dooky (Sep 16, 2014)

I love Gibson. But the new Ibanez Prestige ARZ6UC is looking more and more like a top contender for me.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Sep 16, 2014)

^You spelled E-II Eclipse wrong. 










Or Edwards


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## asher (Sep 16, 2014)

That first Edwards is really hot (well, they all are).

Too bad I have irrational GAS for a vintage 80s Silverburst >.>


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## Zalbu (Sep 16, 2014)

What I still don't understand is how Gibson gets away with 6k USD serial produced guitars? What do they offer that cheaper Gibsons don't? Not even a guitar like the j.customs that are limited edition, have boutique pickups and exotic woods gets close to that price tag.


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## JoshuaVonFlash (Sep 16, 2014)

Zalbu said:


> What I still don't understand is how Gibson gets away with 6k USD serial produced guitars? What do they offer that cheaper Gibsons don't? Not even a guitar like the j.customs that are limited edition, have boutique pickups and exotic woods gets close to that price tag.


Those are usually CS runs, not mass produced guitars. Fender, PRS, Jackson and a bunch of other companies do it. And also they do use exotic woods on certain models when they're built to VOS (vintage original specification) like this:

http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/standard-guitars/279749-ngd-gibson-2013-r9-lemonburst.html


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## Zugster (Sep 16, 2014)

My Orville black beauty. Gibson licensed a Japanese shop under this name as part of their "if you can't beat 'em join 'em" campaign in the late 90s. Mahogany carved top, long neck tenon, nice binding. Got it for around $600 on ebay a few years ago. A tad beat up but rock solid. I replaced the bridge and tail with tonepros locking hardware. Had my local shop make up a bone nut and level the frets so it plays like buttah. Swapped out the pups too. I tried Gibson burstbucker pros and hated them. A hot bloody muddy mess. Sold those and went with BKP painkillers which are the sh!t. I wouldn't trade this guitar for a real Gibson under any circumstances.


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## 3074326 (Sep 16, 2014)

Ænima;4161745 said:


> gibson lost me years ago, when i ordered a epiphone lp custom, it was set up flawlessly out of the box and only needed pups and pot upgrades, not a single loose or uneven fret? on an epiphone? you're extremely lucky today to find a gibson LP that does not need a fret job out of the box, gibson quality control is non existent.



This is hot garbage. Where are you guys going to play these Gibsons? Go to stores that know how to take care of their guitars if this is what you're seeing. It's extremely rare to find a Gibson that needs a fret job right out of the box. Such ridiculous hatred for this brand, when clearly some of you have barely put your hands on their guitars. 

Listen.. Their pricing is a problem, and them cutting back on models and forcing the Min-E-Tune are stupid. But their QC is fine. I will gladly photograph every Gibson that I open this holiday season if you guys want me to back it up, because I would love to see your guys comments proven. I mean, comments like the one I quoted are ****ing absurd and simply trash. Find a better guitar store if that is actually what you're seeing. To think a company like Gibson, or ANY company that big, is letting literal shit out the door is ignorant.


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## yingmin (Sep 17, 2014)

3074326 said:


> This is hot garbage. Where are you guys going to play these Gibsons? Go to stores that know how to take care of their guitars if this is what you're seeing. It's extremely rare to find a Gibson that needs a fret job right out of the box. Such ridiculous hatred for this brand, when clearly some of you have barely put your hands on their guitars.
> 
> Listen.. Their pricing is a problem, and them cutting back on models and forcing the Min-E-Tune are stupid. But their QC is fine. I will gladly photograph every Gibson that I open this holiday season if you guys want me to back it up, because I would love to see your guys comments proven. I mean, comments like the one I quoted are ****ing absurd and simply trash. Find a better guitar store if that is actually what you're seeing. To think a company like Gibson, or ANY company that big, is letting literal shit out the door is ignorant.



I'm not going to say that cases like the horror stories people constantly describe of Gibson QC DON'T happen, but they certainly don't reflect my experiences. I've never personally held a Gibson with horrific, glaring flaws in the craftsmanship. My local GC recently got in a batch of Rickenbackers that had worse QC issues than I've personally seen on a Gibson. Again, I can't say with any authority that the stories people tell about Gibsons aren't true, but in my own experience, the problems with Gibsons have never been as bad nor as consistent as people would have you believe.


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## 3074326 (Sep 17, 2014)

yingmin said:


> I'm not going to say that cases like the horror stories people constantly describe of Gibson QC DON'T happen, but they certainly don't reflect my experiences. I've never personally held a Gibson with horrific, glaring flaws in the craftsmanship. My local GC recently got in a batch of Rickenbackers that had worse QC issues than I've personally seen on a Gibson. Again, I can't say with any authority that the stories people tell about Gibsons aren't true, but in my own experience, the problems with Gibsons have never been as bad nor as consistent as people would have you believe.



I've said it a million times on SS.org, including once in this thread, and I'll say it again. I run a guitar department for a large chain. We carry 75-100 Gibsons at any given time. We've sent less than five back to the factory with issues. None of those issues were frets. All finish, and it was because they weren't left to dry long enough before hardware was installed. The finish bubbled. I've worked there over three years. 

Unless they're only sending my guitar department the good Gibsons, the QC issue is way overblown on the internet. Pretty sure Gibson isn't just sending me the nice guitars they're building. If they're bad at local shops, point the finger at the shop for not keeping proper care of the instruments, or more likely, humidity.

I don't particularly care for the way most of them feel, but they're built just fine.


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## 1b4n3z (Sep 17, 2014)

JoshuaVonFlash said:


> Those are usually CS runs, not mass produced guitars. Fender, PRS, Jackson and a bunch of other companies do it. And also they do use exotic woods on certain models when they're built to VOS (vintage original specification) like this:
> 
> http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/standard-guitars/279749-ngd-gibson-2013-r9-lemonburst.html



Well that depends on what 'mass produced' actually means. Gibson Custom division is a factory just like the Gibson USA is, albeit the volume is somewhat smaller. The factory still churns out thousands per year, and the small runs priced at $5000 or above might consist of several hundred guitars. A hundred at least (CC's). Quality stuff for sure, but a far cry from boutique hand-crafted pieces of art they no doubt wish to infer with the "Custom Division" moniker.


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## Edika (Sep 17, 2014)

Not a big LP fan but wouldn't mind one. A big Explorer fan however that is really disappointed that they are not produced currently. I won't comment Gibson quality or QC as I haven't played many of them. The models I tried played well and sounded good but the finish and attention to detail just left somethings to be desired for the price.

I wasn't going to buy a Gibson this year but I was hoping for a more modern looking production Explorer at some point, like the Gothic or the Voodoo. With the price increase however (and the Explorers not being produced) that is going to be pushed back even further.

I believe a drop in sale will make them reconsider their current plans.


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## Black Mamba (Sep 17, 2014)

3074326 said:


> This is hot garbage. Where are you guys going to play these Gibsons? Go to stores that know how to take care of their guitars if this is what you're seeing. It's extremely rare to find a Gibson that needs a fret job right out of the box. Such ridiculous hatred for this brand, when clearly some of you have barely put your hands on their guitars.
> 
> Listen.. Their pricing is a problem, and them cutting back on models and forcing the Min-E-Tune are stupid. But their QC is fine. I will gladly photograph every Gibson that I open this holiday season if you guys want me to back it up, because I would love to see your guys comments proven. I mean, comments like the one I quoted are ****ing absurd and simply trash. Find a better guitar store if that is actually what you're seeing. To think a company like Gibson, or ANY company that big, is letting literal shit out the door is ignorant.



QFT


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## Andromalia (Sep 17, 2014)

Well, the thing about stores is, the good guitars don't stay there long. All that you see are the ones people _didn't buy_. Usually because they bought the best ones already when given the choice.
Same as ebay deals: you don't see them, because they're gone already.


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## spawnofthesith (Sep 17, 2014)

Terrible, although I'm more annoyed about the lp headstocks than the price hike. Glad my gibby is a '13



Oh well, a standard is still cheaper than what an ESP costs now


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## TedEH (Sep 17, 2014)

3074326 said:


> This is hot garbage.



I haven't played many Gibsons so I can't make any real judgement regarding their quality, but I think it's fair that an exaggerated price warrants exaggerated criticism.

It's very possible that the average Gibson is constructed well, generally speaking, but some flaws that would be passable for a $1k guitar are unacceptable to some in a $3k+ instrument.


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## Andromalia (Sep 17, 2014)

Well, most Gibson guitars *are* $1K guitars or close. Explorers, Vs, and LPs studios aren't overpriced at all. The expenssive gibsons are not all they sell. My LP studio only has the fault fo being a LP, it is otherwise a very nice sounding and playing guitar. I might ask a luthier to make me an arm contour for it because it's the only bad thing about it.


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## Pikka Bird (Sep 17, 2014)

TedEH said:


> It's very possible that the average Gibson is constructed well, generally speaking, but some flaws that would be passable for a $1k guitar are unacceptable to some in a $3k+ instrument.



True, true. But you also have to take into account that some of the things that people sometimes list as "flaws" are simply tradition. Like the top being visible under the binding in the cutaway, the neck tenon going into the body not being P*S*T*88***. Some people on the Les Paul forum would lose their crap if they discovered Gibson had changed their CNCs to a tighter tolerance, because apparently so much of the mojo is in that exact amount of slop in the neck/body joint.


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## Dooky (Sep 17, 2014)

3074326 said:


> This is hot garbage. Where are you guys going to play these Gibsons? Go to stores that know how to take care of their guitars if this is what you're seeing. It's extremely rare to find a Gibson that needs a fret job right out of the box. Such ridiculous hatred for this brand, when clearly some of you have barely put your hands on their guitars.
> 
> Listen.. Their pricing is a problem, and them cutting back on models and forcing the Min-E-Tune are stupid. But their QC is fine. I will gladly photograph every Gibson that I open this holiday season if you guys want me to back it up, because I would love to see your guys comments proven. I mean, comments like the one I quoted are ****ing absurd and simply trash. Find a better guitar store if that is actually what you're seeing. To think a company like Gibson, or ANY company that big, is letting literal shit out the door is ignorant.



This is so true. It seems quite a few people have jumped on the bandwagon of ragging on Gibsons quality. Kinda like when the cool thing to do was rag on Basswood - but now that Misha uses it that seems to have lessened.

But I digress. All the Gibson LPs I have played have been fantastic. I own a 1986 Les Paul Custom that is flawless and apparentely some source will say that the 80's wasn't a good year for Gibson. 
So anyway, awhile back after reading comments about Gibson QC issues I thought that maybe this was a recent thing with LPs made post-2010 or something. So I decided to go to my friends guitar shop, who at the time had 12 Les Pauls ranging from Studios up to a '59 reissue, and play all of them. I did this after closing so got to spend a reasonable amount of time with each. The only issue I could pick on any of them was on the binding on underside of one of the Les Paul Standards had a very small black mark on it, perhaps from not being buffed out properly or something.


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## tian (Sep 23, 2014)

Gibson 2015 Les Paul Standard Electric Guitar | Musician&#39;s Friend

$3,759... Ouch.


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## Jack Secret (Sep 23, 2014)

tian said:


> Gibson 2015 Les Paul Standard Electric Guitar | Musician's Friend
> 
> $3,759... Ouch.



But you SAVE $2500!


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## Andromalia (Sep 23, 2014)

Standards were too expensive already anyway.


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## HurrDurr (Sep 23, 2014)

I'm all for anything _'Made in USA'_, and I understand the costs of labor here are much higher than overseas, and I'm totally in favor. I just don't think Gibsons lately have had the quality to warrant their prices. That and, in a perfect world, our wages here in the US would actually mean we're able to afford any of these. I mean, if your own folks can't afford to buy your domestic products, then what's the point? They're lucky they've got a massive rep the world over and probably sell more than enough outside the US alone to stay afloat, along with your average well-off old guy shopping for a new case queen to feed the nostalgia.


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## ben_hurt (Sep 23, 2014)

I've had really good luck with the three Gibsons I own. That said, one is an acoustic (different manufacturing plant), one is a 2013 and the other is a 2011, none are Les Pauls. Made in the USA will cost more, but it seems like they need to step up the quality to justify this.


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## tian (Sep 23, 2014)

Apparently these are starting to roll out to stores already but even if I was holding one in my hands I don't think I'd be able to believe they want $5k for a prettied up standard... or that that signature is really happening on the headstock.







EDIT: And some more. Seems like aside some 2014 blowout stock, the sub $1K Gibson is no more.


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## Nile (Sep 23, 2014)

What the fvck that price hike for a quilt.


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## Nag (Sep 24, 2014)

Andromalia said:


> Standards were too expensive already anyway.



Yes but we love MORE too expensive


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## Jack Secret (Sep 24, 2014)

HurrDurr said:


> I'm all for anything _'Made in USA'_, and I understand the costs of labor here are much higher than overseas, and I'm totally in favor. I just don't think Gibsons lately have had the quality to warrant their prices. That and, in a perfect world, our wages here in the US would actually mean we're able to afford any of these. I mean, if your own folks can't afford to buy your domestic products, then what's the point? They're lucky they've got a massive rep the world over and probably sell more than enough outside the US alone to stay afloat, along with your average well-off old guy shopping for a new case queen to feed the nostalgia.



Is it they think the name makes the guitars "worth" so much more? That's Apple & Sony marketing. "Hey, it's worth it when people see the name and they'll think you're trendy."


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## HurrDurr (Sep 24, 2014)

I hope they have a plan to offset the gap with quality Epiphones and maybe even a Steinberger comeback. That would be OK, since all I want are decent quality guitars at decent (working mans) prices, not Gibsons.


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## Valnob (Sep 24, 2014)

replace 'standards' by 'prices' and there you go !


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## HurrDurr (Sep 24, 2014)

Valnob said:


> replace 'standards' by 'prices' and there you go !



That gave me a good laugh or two


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## yingmin (Sep 24, 2014)

With any luck, this will be like the Fender price increase of a couple years ago, where they quickly realize they made a terrible mistake and prices drop back down to a sensible level.


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## jwade (Sep 24, 2014)

You're a real son of a bitch, you know that, right?




HeHasTheJazzHands said:


>


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## craigny (Sep 24, 2014)

I thought they finally hit a good mark with the faded series and the latest J models wich esentially replaced them...no frills yes but us made gibsons at low prices...now it seems that those are going away, makes perfect sense for them....like others have said, they were way overpriced before this....WTF, plus if its true that the new min e tune or whatever they are calling it now is going to be forced on all models it will piss more people off....those new prices are F***in crazy...glad i got my '14 SGJ..


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## Church2224 (Sep 25, 2014)

2875 for a Les Paul Traditional?

Weren't they about 2k-2,200 this past year? What is Gibson Smoking?


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Sep 25, 2014)

jwade said:


> You're a real son of a bitch, you know that, right?



I only do it because I love you. 

no homo i swear


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## craigny (Sep 25, 2014)

Church2224 said:


> 2875 for a Les Paul Traditional?
> 
> Weren't they about 2k-2,200 this past year? What is Gibson Smoking?


I got my Trad for $1800 a few years ago.....that price is downright crazy....I have never had a problem on QC for any Gibson ive had but, even the Studios and other non LP standards models are like $1100 and up......


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## JoshuaVonFlash (Sep 25, 2014)

This is the only LP they got right this year: 

Gibson 2015 LPM Electric Guitar | GuitarCenter

Traditional weight relief
Good looking tops(not great but it's a great LP for a little over $1,000)
Brass nut
Comes with a hardshell case

I don't care for the "100" or the minitune but for what it is, it's definitely the best option IMO im the 2015 lineup.


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## tian (Sep 25, 2014)

^ Totally dig that and glad it's an option but it further confuses me how Gibson is going to differentiate the Standard. $2600 extra is a lot of money for binding haha


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## Zugster (Sep 25, 2014)

JoshuaVonFlash said:


> This is the only LP they got right this year:
> 
> Gibson 2015 LPM Electric Guitar | GuitarCenter
> 
> ...



I'd like one of those with a 26.5" scale please. Oh, and maybe another B string.


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## Seanthesheep (Sep 26, 2014)

TBH I can see why they are jacking up the prices and cutting the lower end models. It looks like they are trying to reestablish themselves as a prestige brand with high quality guitars. That being said if this is the plan the guitars do need a kick up in quality and consistency but it means the Gibson Les Paul will be a guitar people dream of owning again and not something you can get for 500$ new with shitty fretwork


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## Given To Fly (Sep 26, 2014)

Given To Fly said:


> I have no love for Gibson.
> 
> With that said, I think these changes have the potential to be a good decision. A local store is a Gibson dealer which is not an easy feat for a "mom and pop/brick and mortar" guitar store. They have to sell $1,000,000 worth of Gibson inventory a year to maintain dealership status. Needless to say, I've seen a lot of Gibson's go through the store and here are a few observations.
> 
> ...





Seanthesheep said:


> TBH I can see why they are jacking up the prices and cutting the lower end models. It looks like they are trying to reestablish themselves as a prestige brand with high quality guitars. That being said if this is the plan the guitars do need a kick up in quality and consistency but it means the Gibson Les Paul will be a guitar people dream of owning again and not something you can get for 500$ new with shitty fretwork



I agreed with you on page two.


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## tommychains (Sep 26, 2014)

Gibson; F&#9734;ck the working class.


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## Grand Moff Tim (Sep 28, 2014)

tommychains said:


> Gibson; F&#9734;ck the working class.



Yeah! Also:

Blackmachine; F&#9734;ck the working class.

Strandberg; F&#9734;ck the working class.

Daemoness; F&#9734;ck the working class.

In fact...

Every brand with nothing but $2k+ guitars; F&#9734;ck the working class!


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Sep 28, 2014)

Grand Moff Tim said:


> Blackmachine; F&#9734;ck the working class.
> 
> Strandberg; F&#9734;ck the working class.
> 
> Daemoness; F&#9734;ck the working class.



You're a brave one for comparing those brands to Gibson on this forum.


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## The Q (Sep 28, 2014)

Though a daemoness and the other *customs* mentioned here are probably a better value for money than a *standard* "Less Paul" is (with apologies to Les).

I like Les Pauls too, but if I were to spend that kind of money, Gibson wouldn't get any of it.


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## Grand Moff Tim (Sep 28, 2014)

The new prices are absurd, I agree, but no more a fvck you to the middle class than any other expensive brand, custom or not.


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## Black Mamba (Sep 28, 2014)

AAA Flame Top Special: $1,199 with case.






2015 Studio: $1,229 with case.






2015 LPM: $1,149 with case.






2015 Junior: $899 with case.






2015 DC Special: $1,099 with case.






2015 SG Special: $1,079 with case.






Why does everyone think Gibson only came out with a $4999 Standard?


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## IbbyAddict (Sep 29, 2014)

Hopefully Gibson at some point will realize their mistake and bring back the LPJ and SGJ models. Those guitars IMO were the best bang for buck guitars ever


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## potatohead (Sep 30, 2014)

Just get one of these;


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## unclejemima218 (Sep 30, 2014)

aaaaand now I will never be affording one!


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## Shimme (Sep 30, 2014)

Grand Moff Tim said:


> Yeah! Also:
> 
> Blackmachine; F&#9734;ck the working class.
> 
> ...



How exactly are Gibson and those small custom shops comparable?


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Sep 30, 2014)

Shimme said:


> How exactly are Gibson and those small custom shops comparable?



They make guitars most people can't afford.

Which is true, poor QC or not.


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## canuck brian (Sep 30, 2014)

3074326 said:


> This is hot garbage. Where are you guys going to play these Gibsons? Go to stores that know how to take care of their guitars if this is what you're seeing. It's extremely rare to find a Gibson that needs a fret job right out of the box. Such ridiculous hatred for this brand, when clearly some of you have barely put your hands on their guitars.
> 
> .



You want nice high res photos of the shitplanks I encountered at their factory showrooms in both Memphis and Nashville? 

I got to see exactly how these guitars were made. I would not give them money.


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## TemjinStrife (Sep 30, 2014)

Those Juniors look like fun. Too bad about the headstock logo, robotic tuners, and the fact that I'll probably have to play a dozen to find one that's not a shitpile.


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## spawnofthesith (Oct 1, 2014)

Grand Moff Tim said:


> Yeah! Also:
> 
> Blackmachine; F&#9734;ck the working class.
> 
> ...




Add ESP to that list too, Gibson don't got shit on the price hikes they just did


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Oct 1, 2014)

spawnofthesith said:


> Add ESP to that list too, Gibson don't got shit on the price hikes they just did



In ESP's defense, they still kept their older line, just with a name change. They even lowered the price on a few of their models, too. 

Gibson gave us the middle finger by discontinuing a lot of their cheaper stuff.


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## Aranglol (Oct 1, 2014)

canuck brian said:


> You want nice high res photos of the shitplanks I encountered at their factory showrooms in both Memphis and Nashville?
> 
> I got to see exactly how these guitars were made. I would not give them money.


would like to see these not because i don't believe you but because i am genuinely curious.


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## Le Jeff (Oct 1, 2014)

I had to play close to 60 Standards to find the _one_. It was worth looking for, but the vast majority of what I encountered along the way made sure my first Gibson will be my last.


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## Dooky (Oct 2, 2014)

canuck brian said:


> You want nice high res photos of the shitplanks I encountered at their factory showrooms in both Memphis and Nashville?



Yes please.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Oct 2, 2014)

Aranglol said:


> would like to see these not because i don't believe you but because i am genuinely curious.



He did post them in a previous thread. 
They were pretty bad. I remember seeing a 7-string with one of the EMGs backwards.


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## Aranglol (Oct 2, 2014)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> He did post them in a previous thread.
> They were pretty bad. I remember seeing a 7-string with one of the EMGs backwards.


Link?

I searched and couldn't find anything relevant.


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## guitarfan85 (Oct 3, 2014)

Thank goodness for eBay so we can buy GOOD Gibson guitars. I myself prefer ultra stripped down models like the older LP specials with the dot inlays and gloss finish and flat top. I'll stick with those. I don't care fore carved top binding and pickgaurd.

On a side note., I went to guitar center the other day. I don't know what it is lately, but every single guitar on the wall looks cheap nowadays. Everything looks cheap!!


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Oct 3, 2014)

Aranglol said:


> Link?
> 
> I searched and couldn't find anything relevant.



Tried finding it. No luck. I could have sworn he posted them before.


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## spawnofthesith (Oct 3, 2014)

Even if they did a price decrease, I wouldn't be interested, 2014 and 2015 = the years Gibson really shot itself in the foot. 


Pre-'14 Gibson ftw \m/


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## tian (Oct 3, 2014)

Well I had to drive into West Hollywood yesterday anyway for some errands so I stopped into the Guitar Center on Sunset to try out some of the 2015 models. I'll been following the chatter about these all over the internet and have heard tons of complaints about pretty much every aspect of the guitar so I was really curious to see how that translated on the guitar in person.

Walking into the store and to the little Gibson alcove they have setup, the first thing that jumped out to me has how tucked away they were. It's not a big space and they were hidden but they also weren't prominently on display like you'd expect the newest releases to be which makes me assume the GC employees have gotten an earful from lots of people already.

And with all that said, my overall impression after trying out a Goldtop Deluxe and a Standard... they're damn good. There's no denying the headstock script is butt ugly, pretty stupid and somehow manages to look worse in person than it does online but it really isn't prominent and I forgot about it once I started playing. Same thing goes for the holograph sticker on the hack of the headstock. Ugly, stupid and I'd prefer it without but I don't spend a whole lot of time staring at the back of a guitar's headstock *shrug*.

The G-Tune is odd looking but it works and really isn't that invasive. I can understand why purists are pissed off that Gibson put it on every model even the Traditional which makes no sense, but it does what it's supposed to and can be removed and replaced with regular tuners without any marks so meh.

The brass "zero fret" nut is another oddity this year and again, it's odd looking and kind of ugly because it's visually very different than a standard nut, but becomes a non issue really quickly.

Now the biggie, the neck. I went in expecting the worse and was really pleased. Granted my playing on Les Pauls is pretty limited and I'm used to all sorts of different profiles but isn't some horrible unplayable mess like a lot of guys have been stating. There is some shoulder but it's not nearly as pronounced as something like a Wizard II which I absolutely loathe. The extra width didn't bug me at all but admittedly felt odd for a Les Paul. 

Fit and finish on both was very high but at that price it damn well better be haha. Last time I was in the same shop they had a few ES-335 studios that were a disaster (orange peel, lazy fret work, etc) but these looked and felt high quality in pretty much every way.

So tldr, the guitars are great but at their current price point, Gibson can go .... themselves. Seeing them in person sitting next to last year's models really drove home how goofy the price hike is. The guitars play well but so do the GC exclusive Tradtionals that you can get for $1800 new and having them sitting side by side makes the new models laughable and doubly so for the $4200 Standard with a mediocre "plus" top they have behind glass.


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