Gibson Goes Bankrupt

[shreddermon]

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-05-01/gibson-files-for-bankruptcy-with-deal-to-renew-guitar-business

[Codex]

[buzzsaww]

[Sephiroth]

1. They make it painfully difficult to find a good LP with slim fast neck and large frets. ESP has stolen milllions from Gibson making their Eclipse exactly that way. They got it stuck in their heads that everyone wants 50s thick necks with medium frets.

2. Their prices. Bend over.

3. Why is it so hard to make a black or white (or even nice trans maple finishes) explorer that's rear-routed, bound fretboard, slim neck, large frets, and inlays besides frickin dots? Seriously I want to know. It's not rocket science to figure out what a million metal-heads would buy in the blink of an eye.

4. There's money in metal. A goth Epiphone does not fill that demand. They don't care. They'd rather have that shitstain from Green Day get a sig model than some guy from a Norwegian death metal band.

5. 490R/496T pup set. It's fine in the studios and SGs, but to also use the exact same thing in the $4000 customs? If you want people to pay Oprah-money on the high-end models then how about stepping up what you get on those models? There's Burstbucker pros, dirty fingers, and several other great pups that Gibson rarely uses while Epiphone does use regularly.


It's like Gibson doesn't like money.

[clifffclaven]

I'm a Gibson guy and have been since I got my first LP at 15.. a 78 standard that I bought in 85, mint, for $400. Still have it, along with a couple others.. the latest being a 93. Henry j can fuck off. Not glad that Gibson is filing, but it's 100% his fault. A venture capitalist that only cared about $$ and not product, who will im sure escape with a $200 million golden parachute, to help buy another company to ruin.

[catzodellamarina]

I have always thought Gibsons were cool when guys like Page, Frampton, Richrath, Slash slung them over their shoulders. But I was never crazy about playing them. From time to time I played my singer's LP Studio live. Made me look cool but I was always uncomfortable playing it. I have no speed on a LP. My hands are used to resting on a strat style with a trem. The LP broke it's angled back headstock 3 times. The final time we mended it, we sold it to a store. I bet it is a clock today. I currently own a gothic (I think) SG from a friend who died. Guess where it is at? My singers house. He uses it for that rock smith? guitar game. Or at least said he may get around to using it.

I don't miss the Gibson's in my life. Wouldn't miss the company either.

[Sephiroth]

Isn't Gibson having sourcing issues that it's been struggling with ever since the "totally not political and totally not related to openly-liberal Martin guitars buddying up with the Obama administration" raid on Gibson?

Aren't they using weird stuff for fretboards now due to those sourcing issues?

[clifffclaven]

Isn't Gibson having sourcing issues that it's been struggling with ever since the "totally not political and totally not related to openly-liberal Martin guitars buddying up with the Obama administration" raid on Gibson?

Aren't they using weird stuff for fretboards now due to those sourcing issues?

’Sourcing issues”... thats what they claim. However, it’s not the case. They’re using richlite, essentially a combo of paper and glue, in place of ebony on $5000 LP customs. Plastic inlays on everything unless you go custom shop. It’s really sad. And the reason is 100% Henry’s fault, because he only cares about himself.

[shreddermon]

I wish Gibson the best, hope they can pull it off through the restructuring. Love the guitars but I could never get along with their short scale necks, so I've never actually owned one. Classic stuff, though. A huge part of rock and roll, and a true American institution.

That said, I agree it's time for Henry to go. He has run the business into the ground with bad product designs, sticking with old processes, poor quality control, bad side businesses, taking on too much debt, burning bridges with dealers, etc. He's literally bad for the business. And it's clear that creditors and investors agree, as they've been trying to ditch him during the course of negotiations. Plus, by everything I've been able to see, he just seems to be a grade-A douche.

To survive and thrive again, Gibson needs to restructure and modernize. And the only way that's truly going to happen is under new leadership.

[Sephiroth]

I wish Gibson the best, hope they can pull it off through the restructuring. Love the guitars but I could never get along with their short scale necks, so I've never actually owned one. Classic stuff, though. A huge part of rock and roll, and a true American institution.

That said, I agree it's time for Henry to go. He has run the business into the ground with bad product designs, sticking with old processes, poor quality control, bad side businesses, taking on too much debt, burning bridges with dealers, etc. He's literally bad for the business. And it's clear that creditors and investors agree, as they've been trying to ditch him during the course of negotiations. Plus, by everything I've been able to see, he just seems to be a grade-A douche.

To survive and thrive again, Gibson needs to restructure and modernize. And the only way that's truly going to happen is under new leadership.

They need to cut back on the 1,000 differing versions of the LP every year, focus on a select core selection of them, and start caring about more genres of music besides rock and country.

Plus some QC fixes wouldn't hurt either.

[SEEGERMANY]

The last Gibson I bought was a 2001 Custom Shop Explorer. I would type my fingers to nubs describing all the issues I had with that guitar. Dealing with the custom shop was like trying to beat a rattlesnake to death with a Twinkie! I did finally get the guitar back after several months of making payments without anything to show for them. Issues fixed, but so was my attitude towards Gibson.

[xenophobe]

1. They make it painfully difficult to find a good LP with slim fast neck and large frets. ESP has stolen milllions from Gibson making their Eclipse exactly that way. They got it stuck in their heads that everyone wants 50s thick necks with medium frets.

I think stolen is harsh. They've provided a much better product. Compare an ESP branded Eclipse with a CS Gibson. The ESP has amazing fretwork and QC is impeccable. Then add features that players really want, thinner necks, jumbo frets and Floyded models.

ESP just straight out makes a better LP than Gibson.

[Hellbat]

WMI should buy them up. Official Gibsons with WMI build quality would sell like hotcakes.

[Sephiroth]

ESP just straight out makes a better LP than Gibson.

I know it, and so do you. The only ones who don't seem to know that are the people at Gibson.

[shreddermon]

Of course they know it. It’s actually a conscious choice, but one they’ll never admit to. Specifically, Henry knows it but just doesn’t care. He thinks it’s more profitable for him to build guitars at a lower manufacturing point with shoddy or inconsistent quality, while charging higher prices that are justified by Gibson’s prestige and heritage. He’s been riding the company’s legacy like that for many years. Henry doesn’t care about trying to compete with other companies on product quality. And that’s why folks like PRS, ESP and others have been eating Gibson’s lunch for years on quality and features. It’s a failing business model by bad management and, hence, one of several reasons why Gibson is where it’s at right now.