Whats up with Gibson?

[toejam]

Re: Whats up with Gibson?

I wish GC would just up and close its doors. F*ck that place!!

[yogadork]

Re: Whats up with Gibson?

What Gibson is doing has nothing to do with the "good old days" lol. They get away with it just like any corporation is getting away with murder is because of the political climate and the fact that between the 2 of them have bought out almost every major brand name from the last 50 years. I would love to see how much their contributions to political campaings to what party lol. They are already dictating prices.Gibson doing this for the people [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]. What a joke.

[Boxcar Willie 84]

Re: Whats up with Gibson?

[ QUOTE ]
Boxcar, you work at GC, so maybe you can answer my question. Is GC making some sort of move to carry mainly Fender / Gibson? Every GC in my area has a huge wall of Fenders and Gibby's and then maybe 5 Ibanez, 5 Jacksons and a couple of assorted Schecters

[/ QUOTE ]

Not really. The one I work at has a buttload of Schecters and Ibanez guitars. It really depends on what sells most in the store-the more of something GC sells, the more they send to the store. Some stores even carry brands that other stores don't-for example, I'd really love for us to drop BC Rich and pick up Dean or Hamer, but there are other GCs that DO carry Dean and Hamer. It's sort of a regionalized thing.

[Jim Shine]

Re: Whats up with Gibson?

The catalog policy isn't changed as far as I know. Catalogs these days are teasers trying to get you to check out the websites. The included Gibson paperwork shows the more extensive product line. This letter is legit and has been circulated all over. Dealers I know said from the start that MF and GC will likely break the rules and get away with breaking them as they are Gibsons highest volume dealers. Gibson may say something, but I doubt they will pull their product from GC/MF.

You guys who were getting catalogs in the late 80's and 90's probably remember when for a brief time Fender tried to ban their dealers from advertising in catalogs. Dealers would use pics of Clapton, Hendrix or Malmsteen with a note "We carry other popular brands of guitars. Call us with your needs". It didn't last long, but soon after that was when they started prohibiting sale prices to be published.

[DTP]

Re: Whats up with Gibson?

This is the same thing that Taylor does and has been doing for ever, according to them they sold more guitars in the past year than any previous year. So it works for them.

We'll just have to see how it goes for Gibson.

Jason

[speed monkey]

Re: Whats up with Gibson?

[ QUOTE ]
What they're trying to do is go old-school and make buying a Gibson a more personal experience, kinda like in the old days I guess. Maybe the higher-ups at Gibson think that internet dealing is too impersonal, and when I had my Gibson training, there was a big emphasis on all the stuff that they do at the factory that's supposed to reflect quality and old-school craftsmanship. Works good for me since I get paid on commision, but I don't think that it's gonna make for a very fair market. Personally I'd buy another PRS or a Hamer before I bought a Gibson though.

[/ QUOTE ]

Bwahahahaha....kind of like the kid in the GC in Clackamas, Or. telling me the other day that $1150 was the absolute best price you'll ever find on a used Gibson Classic...I took the bait - and asked "well, tell me about the Gibson Story..." his response, "they make Les Pauls, what other story is there?" niiiiice [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] So, then I say I can buy that guitar all over for between $900 - 1000 and he asks "where?" - I tell him private parties and several internet sites as well as ebay...he gives me the whole shpiel about not being able to play the instrument online, but you can come right here and play this one, and the guitar in question is the best one they have and probably worth more than the price tag....I pull the guitar down to look at it - notice the <font color="red">BROKEN HEADSTOCK </font>that looks like a third grader repaired it - and he just says, well it's stronger than it was before....that particular guitar is currently on ebay, showing a chip on the side, but no mention of the repaired headstock.

Same guy tried to convince me that F-Spaced pickups were for guitars with F Holes because the space between the holes was narrow [img]/images/graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

GC is a comedy show at best...I appreciate the fact that you've got a job there, but I won't be at all suprised if somehwere down the road GC purchases Gibson and all this is just a grease up for the ultimate circle jerk.

Steve E

[Chuckracer]

Re: Whats up with Gibson?

[ QUOTE ]
GC is a comedy show at best...I appreciate the fact that you've got a job there, but I won't be at all suprised if somehwere down the road GC purchases Gibson and all this is just a grease up for the ultimate circle jerk.


[/ QUOTE ]


[img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/headbang.gif[/img]
Steve, you are my hero! Thank you for making my afternoon!

[sully]

Re: Whats up with Gibson?

this isn't just gibson that's doing this; FMIC has similar policies with their internet dealers. you're gonna see a lot more of this stuff with other companies as well.

sully

[mattsmusiccenter]

Re: Whats up with Gibson?

The reason this is happening is because manufacturers need their independant dealers to stay in business. If GC, Sam Ash, Musicians Friend and a handful of other dealers put all the small guys out of business, then all of a sudden the manufacturers (Gibson, Fender etc...) will only have a few customers instead of 2500. If I only had one customer who kept me in business, I'd bow to their every whim. I'd have to because I wouldn't have any other customers to buy from me. If I wanted to stay in business I'd basically allow that customer to dictate how I ran my business. My customer would have control over my prices, my products etc... Of course I could tell them to screw, but wait a second... all of my other customers have gone out of business.

This subject has been a topic of debate for a few years and as an independant retailer, Gibsons move is good news. And I'm not even a Gibson dealer! The fact that Gibson is allowing MF to mail out catalogs with a full line Gibson insert is totally contradictory to what their letter says, but hey, it's a start I suppose.

[Boxcar Willie 84]

Re: Whats up with Gibson?

Well Steve E, it sounds like you got a salesman who didn't know what he was doing. He should've mentioned the price matching and the 30-day satisfaction period which includes the policy of matching advertised prices 30 days after you buy your stuff. You might think my job is a joke, and for some guys who work at GCs everywhere it is, but I work my ass off all day long to make people like you happy.

[tonemonster]

Re: Whats up with Gibson?

Sully I hear ya on that note. I saw that happen with Alesis. I was checking out some synthsizers on their website and looked at their dealer list on line. well, the listed their internet dealers on there. I went back in a few weeks and all the links to internet dealers were gone.... only actual "stores" remained on the dealers list. No internet sites there. interesting for sure now that I am reading everyones input here.

[tonemonster]

Re: Whats up with Gibson?

NOw that I stop and think about it, Mesa/Boogie has a similar idea. They are strong about their dealer policies. They dont sell on websites and It works for them.Plus, the have their "pro net pricing" that everyone pays list prices with no discounts too. It will be interesting to see how the guitar companies do with this idea. I guess I see it as being good to not allow monopolies to happen.

[speed monkey]

Re: Whats up with Gibson?

[ QUOTE ]
Well Steve E, it sounds like you got a salesman who didn't know what he was doing. He should've mentioned the price matching and the 30-day satisfaction period which includes the policy of matching advertised prices 30 days after you buy your stuff. You might think my job is a joke, and for some guys who work at GCs everywhere it is, but I work my ass off all day long to make people like you happy.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, having worked in music retail for 10 + years, I can say wholeheartedly that GC is basically viewed as the Devil in every community they open a store - their entire goal is to put everybody else out of business....While that may be overstating it - it's more often than not the end result. And it's not becuase of killer customer service and guitars that are set up awesome - it's because of a WalMart marketing mentality and buying power... For every one GC employee like yourself that actually cares or knows anything about intruments, theres's 21 who don't know ****, just worthless...your job is not a joke - the company you work for is unfortunately.

And Matt of Mattsmusiccenter - I totally disagree with you about Gibson as far as it being a good thing...Would it really help you if FMIC developed a similiar policy and you couldn't advertise the Jackson or Fender products on your website that are in stock in your brick and mortar??? Are you really so sure that your local clientel will support you? I mean - I can't tell you how much I appreciate you sending me pics of the NAMM camo soloist, but if FMIC had the same policy as Gibson you realize that you couldn't even mention here or on your site that those guitars were actually in stock? I would've never even known they were there, and certainly wouldn't have picked up the phone to call a store 2000 miles away from me and said "hey man, what do you have in stock?" - no offense, but it just wouldn't happen. By eliminating the small shops ability to post a pic of their stock - Gibson has efectively rendered their ability to compete with somebody like GC useless...I firmly believe this all came about from MF realizing they could only post a stock thumbnail of a guitar, and the mom &amp; pops had glorious full color pics of the actual guitar for sale. MF more than likely entered into an agreement with Gibson that says "we will buy an obscene amount of guitars guaranteed, in exchange for you shutting down the web availablity of guitars sold by our competition...."

I don't believe for a minute that the decision Gibson made was based on anything more that an opportunity to make more money. The whole get close to our customer grass roots tell the Gibson story is total complete bullshit....I'm totally on the hunt for another Les Paul - but will buy from a private party or small store before I spend a dime at GC.

[img]/images/graemlins/rant.gif[/img]

Steve E

[hippietim]

Re: Whats up with Gibson?

[ QUOTE ]
What they're trying to do is go old-school and make buying a Gibson a more personal experience, kinda like in the old days I guess. Maybe the higher-ups at Gibson think that internet dealing is too impersonal, and when I had my Gibson training, there was a big emphasis on all the stuff that they do at the factory that's supposed to reflect quality and old-school craftsmanship. Works good for me since I get paid on commision, but I don't think that it's gonna make for a very fair market. Personally I'd buy another PRS or a Hamer before I bought a Gibson though.

[/ QUOTE ]

It's like Sony saying that Walmart is the place to go for an old school VCR shopping experience.

I'd been shopping for a gold top for a while before buying a few months back and I had 5 Guitar Centers in my area to choose from and they were a complete fuckin' joke. They were the least informed and had the least diverse inventory. Oh, and they had the worst prices too. I did buy a Les Paul and it WAS an old school shopping experience - I discovered the store on the Internet and drove 3 hours each way to play guitars for hours to select "the one". There wasn't even a GC in the state of Washington that had the guitar I wanted - the place I bought from had over a dozen in stock. If I wanted a $99 Epiphone starter guitar GC would be able to hook me up [img]/images/graemlins/brow.gif[/img]

Unfortunately GC/Fry's/Walmart/Circuit City/Best Buy will continue to thrive as long as they continue to look impressive at first glance, their prices aren't too high, and the service doesn't get too pitiful. Let's face it, people are willing to put up with mediocrity in exchange for convienience. If I want a product that is among the lowest common denominator items then these sorts of stores are adequate.

[speed monkey]

Re: Whats up with Gibson?

[ QUOTE ]
It's like Sony saying that Walmart is the place to go for an old school VCR shopping experience.

[/ QUOTE ]

Tim -

Couldn't have said it better [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] And FWIW - I'm taking that three hour trip to Kennewick as well, and look through a staggering stock of Les Pauls to find my own special one...A Gold Top like yours is high on my list [img]/images/graemlins/notworthy.gif[/img] Those guys are super cool and know their sh*t backwards and forwards.

Steve E