Gibson in 'Chucked Together' Shocker!

[Sir Axeman]

It all looked ok to me...its a factory! What did you expect? The Gibson i've played in the last few yrs have all been good. Can't remember a bad un since about 2003. Not saying there's no lemons out there but i've not come across any personally. I think the LP Traditional is a beautiful guitar.

[rdmf48]

It does make you think twice about coughing up for an LP standard when you could have something proper handmade like a Feline for a few quid more.

I realised this a while back. Particularly if there's the odd thing you'd rather a particular guitar either did, or didn't have. Either get someone to make one for you, or, as I have come to really really enjoying, make the guitar yourself - I love going on Mark Bailey's Courses. I obviously accept that I'm not getting paid to make my guitar, but the end result is fabulous.

[meltedbuzzbox]

I found this on youtube:

The guy from "Prem-Ear" Guitar having a tour around the Gibson factory. Now is it me or is this the WORST advert for Gibson ever? The staff just seem to be chucking them together like they are making bits of cheap furniture.

It's put me RIGHT off.

I'm going to seek out some of our talented UK builders in future, someone who takes time to craft an instrument!

I know what you mean. The way the blocks are thrown from machine to machine like luggage at a greek airport.
I thought the handling might be a bit more lovingly done. I was shocked, such a soulless process for such an expensive object.

I kind of dont want to see the fender tour in case it is the same

I was impressed with the Godin tour. The owner seems to really live and breath his product.

Shame the audio is a bit naff on this video though

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ker5s2tAKU

The parker guitars are worth a watch too

[ICBM]

The real problem with Gibson is that they still do make a proportion of truly great guitars, so it's not as simple as saying "just buy something else, they're better". I find that when they get it right, there's nothing quite like a real Gibson. There are also a fair number that are great guitars, but with quite serious cosmetic flaws that you have to decide whether to live with, or try to get another one that might be perfectly finished but might also not be such a good guitar. And then there are a lot of pretty average ones and a proportion of dogs too. More than any other brand, I would always try before you buy.

But if you're lucky enough to come across one of the spectacularly good ones that's also well-finished, it could be a lifetime keeper - my Dove acoustic is. I've never played a better acoustic guitar in 25 years. I also have a PRS like that, but I fully accept that while they're much more consistent, they often lack the 'magic' of Gibsons too. I don't know why.

[TheGuitarWeasel]

I also have a PRS like that, but I fully accept that while they're much more consistent, they often lack the 'magic' of Gibsons too. I don't know why.

Uninspired pickups ... uninspired styling, an over reliance in pointless bling. Simply followers in a race where Gibson once were the leaders ... oh, and so many of the people who buy them are supremely irritating about how superior they consider their instruments.

[octatonic]

I have great respect for the history of Gibson but they way they make their current guitars just doesn't impress me.

Henry has said several times that he considers Gibson to be a lifestyle brand akin to Harley Davidson.
My personal opinion is he isn't in selling professional instruments to professional working musicians as much as he is to selling them to hobbyists.
Buying a Gibson is a total gamble- the level of workmanship is sketchy and unpredictable.
Some are great, some look like they have been thrown together quickly.

They need to massively overhaul their quality control IMO.

Has anyone played a BFG Les Paul?
Man alive they are a pile of shit.

[richardhomer]

Uninspired pickups ... uninspired styling, an over reliance in pointless bling. Simply followers in a race where Gibson once were the leaders ... oh, and so many of the people who buy them are supremely irritating about how superior they consider their instruments.

Massively wide of the mark, IMHO! I own a genuine '64 335, which is a fantastic sounding guitar. The neck pick-up of my 2011 PRS McCarty sounds as good. The bridge pick-up sounds better... Sorry if that makes me supremely irritating...

[meltedbuzzbox]

Massively wide of the mark, IMHO! I own a genuine '64 335, which is a fantastic sounding guitar. The neck pick-up of my 2011 PRS McCarty sounds as good. The bridge pick-up sounds better... Sorry if that makes me supremely irritating...

Not to throw a spanner in the works but can you compare pickups in different guitars?
Wouldn't you need to try both pickups in the same guitar?

[ICBM]

Uninspired pickups ... uninspired styling, an over reliance in pointless bling. Simply followers in a race where Gibson once were the leaders ... oh, and so many of the people who buy them are supremely irritating about how superior they consider their instruments.

I own a PRS Standard 22, which is about as far from bling as it's possible to imagine. It's a plain dark translucent purple (looks black in a lot of lights) with no binding and moon inlays. The styling is as close to perfection as any electric guitar I've ever played, too - it's the most comfortable, playable guitar I have ever held. Whether or not this has anything to do with it being also the most resonant, toneful PRS I've ever played, I also have no idea!

I agree to some extent about the pickups, I changed them. I also agree there are too many fancy bling models, but Gibson makes those as well, with even less taste usually. There's no PRS with as much pointless plastic all over it as a Les Paul Custom for example. And I like Les Paul Customs! Black ones, anyway. I still think a '56 LP Custom I borrowed for a while many years ago is the best-sounding electric I've ever played, and there have been others nearly as good.

By and large I would say PRS makes almost all its guitars very consistently in the 8/10-9/10 range, whereas Gibson seems to cover about the 3/10-10/10 range entirely at random .

[richardhomer]

Not to throw a spanner in the works but can you compare pickups in different guitars?
Wouldn't you need to try both pickups in the same guitar?

I'm not comparing the pick-ups; I'm comparing the sound of the guitars...