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Gibson files for bankruptcy
 

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daddy-o
Joined: 12 Apr 2004
Posts: 3307
Location: Springfield

5/1/18 3:13 PM

Gibson files for bankruptcy

I thought I followed this story but I'm still kind of surprised. Have they been leaning on reputation, letting the build quality go while maintaining prices? Is it unsustainable sourced wood?

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dfcas
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 2815
Location: hillbilly heaven

5/1/18 4:11 PM

I worked in the industry for some years. Gibson had the worst dealer relations and eroded their dealer base decades ago. its very hard to find a dealer if you don't live in a good sized city.

they put their eggs in the large mail order dealer basket and it seems to not have worked out. Most people want to try out a $3k guitar but thats hard to do now.

They kinda did what litespeed did-load up the dealers and then go mailorder at lower prices.

They also went off the price sheet to lower wholesales and offered better terms to large mailorder dealers. Eventually the small dealers all quit.

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

5/1/18 5:04 PM

Chapter 11 to be clear.

One would think at the price point they'd have a lot of black ink considering sale volume.

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13ollocks
Joined: 12 Jan 2004
Posts: 413
Location: Chapel Hill, NC

5/4/18 11:15 PM

Gibson

My understanding (although I don't recall where I heard it) was that Gibson management was horrible to work for/with. In the same way that a fish rots from the head, so does a company. Here's a link [/url]http://gawker.com/gibson-guitar-is-a-remarkably-unpopular-company-1713072808[url] to a Gawker article from 2015. Granted, it's Gawker, but it's pretty damning, painting a picture of lousy management and declining quality
I have a ~$350 Epiphone Dot guitar, a "cheap" version of the ~$3500 Gibson ES-335. It's really well built (ie, made by Gibson) and plays well - 99% of the guitar for 10% of the price. Why on earth would I buy a Gibson?

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

5/5/18 12:03 AM

"I have a ~$350 Epiphone Dot guitar, a "cheap" version of the ~$3500 Gibson ES-335. It's really well built (ie, made by Gibson) and plays well - 99% of the guitar for 10% of the price. Why on earth would I buy a Gibson?"

Mostly for it saying Gibson on the head stock if you gig I'd say.

Some of the Korean made 335 Epiphones are great cheap and with some pickups and Gibson level harness/Pots/Switch are excellent IMO.

I currently have a 1988 Epiphone 335. [rewired, upgraded pickups] It was one I did not let go after I traded for it. It is rare in that it does not have the usual long headstock.

Also have a 2008 Studio Les Paul VM and 1984 The Paul Firebrand. Just some guitars that in particular are just good enough to not trade/sell. Not because they are Gibson particularly. The 84 has the late 70s Gibson Humbuckers I pulled circa 1978-9 to put in Dimarzio Super Distortion Humbuckers, LesPaul Custom. Now I hate hot Humbuckers mostly. ;)

I have had a 1967 Gibson ES-345 100 years back, a few Les Paul Customs, and a Epiphone Historic series Revolution John Lennon Casino made in Japan.

The 345 and even a little more so the Historic Series Revolution were both the best guitars I have played out of dozens over decades.

I can strongly suggest and Historic Series Epiphone is well made and worth it. but not cheap, nor as much as the Gibson counter parts.

I made a 900.00 profit on selling the Revolution Casino, and the guy that bought it saved about the same VS new, it was discontinued then. Not to mention they came with a relic job to look like Lennons used guitar. I got the finished body pre-production mint new at a Gibson factory sell off clean out event. I installed the rest of the parts/pickups/wiring/etc myself.

1988 335 EPI:


Revolution Casino


And As sold:

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