Gibson Rant Pt. 1

[BLOOD SPLATTER]

So you're saying you've never had a friend or met a person who even when they buy a guitar if it's a dog won't admit it because they like the Company name so much. I have at least three friends who have a myriad of guitars from different companies that are pure garbage and they still won't admit they bought a piece of shit because they like the players who use them and the name on the head stock. One friend in particular has a 2009 Gibson Les Paul Custom that he payed almost $4000.00 dollars for after taxes. Every time we jam the thing drops out of tune in less than ten minutes of playing and the the finish is checking as well. It also sounds like shit and he has a Mesa Triple rectifier so it's not the amp. He has taken it to countless repair guys and they've all told hiom the same thing; "You got a lemon!" But he still refuses to sell it or recognize that it's a piece of pure shit because Zakk Wylde plays a Les Paul. I don't know what you call that maybe stupidity, but I see it as Blind Brand Loyalty. Also in the spirit of being objective I have to say My 1976 Les Paul standard is awesome and not all of the friends I have who have bought dogs have Gibsons. I just see a lot more really expensive Gibby's that are crap than say Fender or Jackson.

Uhhmm....no....not really sure how you got that from my post but....I'm saying "gotta dig but they can be found"....meaning not ALL Gibsons are "great" & not ALL GIbsons are "shit"....if you look you can find a great guitar from Gibsons standard line & not spend "huge $$" !!


Re: "the finish is checking as well"....that'd be nitro....nitro "checks"....many players prefer nitro!!

& re: "sounds like shit"...."sounds like" is 100% subjective....MANY Gibson "snobs" would say your 1976 LP is "shit" simply because it came from the "Norlin era"....again: not ALL guitars from Gibson are "great" nor are they ALL "shit" !!

[leftykingv2]

Uhhmm....no....not really sure how you got that from my post but....I'm saying "gotta dig but they can be found"....meaning not ALL Gibsons are "great" & not ALL GIbsons are "shit"....if you look you can find a great guitar from Gibsons standard line & not spend "huge $$" !!


Re: "the finish is checking as well"....that'd be nitro....nitro "checks"....many players prefer nitro!!

& re: "sounds like shit"...."sounds like" is 100% subjective....MANY Gibson "snobs" would say your 1976 LP is "shit" simply because it came from the "Norlin era"....again: not ALL guitars from Gibson are "great" nor are they ALL "shit" !!

I can agree with that. If you look at any guitar company extensively enogh you'll find dogs and Jems within all of them.

[Green Pro Am]

I have had a number of Historics, and never had a dog quality wise. I did have one 68 Custom RI that was a bit of a boat anchor, so I moved it. But I also had a DK1 that had ragged fret edges and frets lifting from the fret board when I bought it new (that one went back for a refund). Generally speaking, I have found that the Gibsons sound bigger than the PRS, Andersons, Suhrs, and Jacksons I have had by quite a wide margin. Nothing that tweaking of the EQ can't take care of, but all else equal the LPs have delivered for me tone wise.

At the end of the day it is all subjective. Get what works for you. We are lucky to have so many great builders around these days.

[leftykingv2]

I've heard people talk about a "gentleman's agreement" in recent years. In other words, they mutually respect each others' designs and agree to not copy, but it is in a nonlegal/unofficial capacity. ESP doesn't really make Les Paul copies in the U.S. I don't think they make roundhorns either. They do for the Japan market, but that's because the U.S. copyright laws don't hold there. At least that's the way I understand it. I don't know much about GMP, but I'm guessing their output is small enough so as to not matter a whole lot.

So much for the gentleman's agreement! I've seen some bold face rip offs but this ESP takes the cake http://www.mattsmusic.com/GUSGNT-prod.html

[Shawn Lutz]

So much for the gentleman's agreement! I've seen some bold face rip offs but this ESP takes the cake http://www.mattsmusic.com/GUSGNT-prod.html

3999 for a ESP star?

I'd take a Gibson USA Custom

[toejam]

So much for the gentleman's agreement! I've seen some bold face rip offs but this ESP takes the cake http://www.mattsmusic.com/GUSGNT-prod.html

ESP rips everbody off. ESP has been making Star bodies since the '80s, but the shape is slightly different, though. They also ripped off their pointy headstock from one that Washburn used in the '80s.

[leftykingv2]

It could just be the American in me but if I was going to pay $4K for a guitar it would be American made not Japanese or any other country of origin. Don't get me wrong I have some killer Japanese Made Ibanez Guitars but I didn't even pay half that price tag for them. The Ibanez J. Custom doesn't even cost that much and they're way better built than any ESP I've ever seen or played.

[roodyrocker]

It's a good thing I don't listen to you guys on here regarding other brands. If I did then I would have missed out on all the great Les Pauls and ESPs I got

[leftykingv2]

It's a good thing I don't listen to you guys on here regarding other brands. If I did then I would have missed out on all the great Les Pauls and ESPs I got

"Great" is a relative term bro. One mans garbage is another mans gold. I am glad to hear that you've had good experiences with these brands. I have never had a problem with ESP. They're just not for me. I do have problems with Gibson's upper management, price gouging, horrible R&D, poor customer service and poor quality control. I could tell you horror stories about things that have happened to some of my friends. But I digress.

[toejam]

I don't mind Les Pauls or ESPs. I've got a faded LP Studio and an LTD Alex Wade 7-string, and they both sound and play great.

[leftykingv2]

3999 for a ESP star?

I'd take a Gibson USA Custom

I'd buy a Custom Shop Jackson.....

[Chad]

So much for the gentleman's agreement! I've seen some bold face rip offs but this ESP takes the cake http://www.mattsmusic.com/GUSGNT-prod.html

The "gentleman's agreement" referred to was in reference to Gibson and Fender (FMIC who owns Jackson). ESP doesn't really follow any "gentleman's agreements" that I'm aware of.....ESPECIALLY in the Japan market.

I can see how the post in itself is a little confusing, but it was pulled out of context and not coupled with the post it was replying too.

[leftykingv2]

I was just quoting you, not trying to disprove anything you were saying. ESP is among the worst offenders when it comes to being rip off artists. I don't know about you guys but every time I see an Eclipse model all I think is Les Paul rip off.

[roodyrocker]

"Great" is a relative term bro. One mans garbage is another mans gold. I am glad to hear that you've had good experiences with these brands. I have never had a problem with ESP. They're just not for me. I do have problems with Gibson's upper management, price gouging, horrible R&D, poor customer service and poor quality control. I could tell you horror stories about things that have happened to some of my friends. But I digress.

I agree with you on some things, such as the less than stellar ideas like the Firebird X or even the Robot guitars. But Gibson does still produce the timeless classics like the Les Paul, SG, Explorer, Flying V. As far as price gouging, yeah I think they're way too expensive but then again Gibson knows at what price point they'll sell. They seem to be on track to having a record year of sales on the R9. My experience with customer service has been good with them. On my Les Paul Custom Randy Rhoads, they apparently shipped out the first 10 guitars with a regular case instead of the Rhoads silk screened sig case. They promptly sent out the correct case AND I got to keep the standard case. On my Ace Budokan Les Paul Custom the pickup selector switch was poking up into the case lid leaving an outward indentation. They issued an RMA number and the case went back for a new one. A quick e-mail to customer service also verified the year/serial number on another guitar for me. So far I have no complaints about their customer service. The big one I disagree with you on is quality control. No one is as consistent at it as Jackson IMO but the couple issues I've experienced on my Les Pauls were relatively minor a required no further action than something I could do myself. These included a filing excess casting flash on a bridge to allow the low E string saddle to seat fully as well as one guitar having low neck pickup volume (a wiring issue). This is out of over 20 Les Pauls ranging in production from 1974 through the present.
Nothing above and beyond any other manufacturer. What issues have you encountered?

[markD]

roody - you buy all the high-end shit. some of the "lower" priced gibsons, like my $2199 LP traditional had paint runs on the the back of the neck and orange peel around the knobs. it was quickly exchanged for another, which had paint so soft that it dented when i looked at it. it was traded in for a $599 LP special that has paint that flakes off when the strap hits the body - but, at least that guitar was only $599.

now, my SG standard with the mini tune crap works great, looks great, sounds great and is a MORE than stellar example of gibson quality.