Gibson Guitars closing it's doors ?

sumdood
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Edited Date/Time 2/26/2018 7:58pm
After 116 years in business Gibson may be forced to close it's doors due to bureaucratic bs.

https://www.mrctv.org/blog/hallowed-gibson-guitars-could-face-bankruptc…
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borg
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2/22/2018 8:05pm
What I have to say about this would probably get me clicked.
wreckitrandy
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2/22/2018 8:26pm
I remember some years ago that there was an issue over some wood they weren't supposed to have. It seemed a bit of a witch hunt if I'm remembering correctly.
JRT812
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2/22/2018 8:32pm
I remember some years ago that there was an issue over some wood they weren't supposed to have. It seemed a bit of a witch hunt...
I remember some years ago that there was an issue over some wood they weren't supposed to have. It seemed a bit of a witch hunt if I'm remembering correctly.
I believe you’re correct. I bought some Smith & Wesson wooden grips from the same type of wood. I can’t recall the type, but I remember the story being said from the gun store in Nashville

The Shop

IWreckALot
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2/23/2018 7:13am
I remember some years ago that there was an issue over some wood they weren't supposed to have. It seemed a bit of a witch hunt...
I remember some years ago that there was an issue over some wood they weren't supposed to have. It seemed a bit of a witch hunt if I'm remembering correctly.
JRT812 wrote:
I believe you’re correct. I bought some Smith & Wesson wooden grips from the same type of wood. I can’t recall the type, but I remember...
I believe you’re correct. I bought some Smith & Wesson wooden grips from the same type of wood. I can’t recall the type, but I remember the story being said from the gun store in Nashville
Ebony and rosewood are the woods they're in trouble for. They're both common wood that is used for fretboards. It has a really high hardness rating (janga hardness) that resist cracking and scratching from strings and slides. I don't know how they determined the origin and I don't know why Gibson would take a chance getting the wood from restricted origins. You can still get Ebony and Rosewood from other countries but the wood tone and probably the hardness differ from region to region although it's usually pretty minimal differences.
IWreckALot
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2/23/2018 7:20am Edited Date/Time 2/23/2018 7:22am
This video is part of a 16 video series this guy explains how to build a neckthrough bass. Concepts would probably carry through to building a guitar but this episode he talks about how different kinds of wood affect tone. He does a drop test of several kinds of wood at the 4:14 part of this video.

markit
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2/23/2018 8:00am
Hopefully Trump will step in and crush the Fed heads, I hope so, HATE THEM BASTARDS!!!
lestat
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2/23/2018 8:34am
Gibson’s quality has dropped way down in the last few years . The 2015 Les Pauls were junk .
Donovan759
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2/23/2018 9:00am
I remember some years ago that there was an issue over some wood they weren't supposed to have. It seemed a bit of a witch hunt...
I remember some years ago that there was an issue over some wood they weren't supposed to have. It seemed a bit of a witch hunt if I'm remembering correctly.
It was definitely a witch hunt and a shame. If this is true, and this actually happens, its going to be a real shame.
ProKawi24
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2/23/2018 4:28pm
The higher-end Epiphone guitars are much better IMO. I've been playing about 15 years, owned a few Gibsons and a handful of Epiphones. It seems like all the recent Gibsons I've played are pretty awful in quality. Definitely NOT worth the price tag. If you want the Gibson look/feel and very similar tone, you'd be much happier buying a top shelf Epiphone for a fraction of the price. I end up playing my Epiphone Zakk Wylde Custom (with EMG 81/85 installed) way more than any of my Gibsons.
sende
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2/24/2018 3:21am Edited Date/Time 2/24/2018 3:22am
ProKawi24 wrote:
The higher-end Epiphone guitars are much better IMO. I've been playing about 15 years, owned a few Gibsons and a handful of Epiphones. It seems like...
The higher-end Epiphone guitars are much better IMO. I've been playing about 15 years, owned a few Gibsons and a handful of Epiphones. It seems like all the recent Gibsons I've played are pretty awful in quality. Definitely NOT worth the price tag. If you want the Gibson look/feel and very similar tone, you'd be much happier buying a top shelf Epiphone for a fraction of the price. I end up playing my Epiphone Zakk Wylde Custom (with EMG 81/85 installed) way more than any of my Gibsons.
Low price Epiphones are very poor and low price Gibsons are pretty poor quality. But to get a good one is much much cheaper to buy Epiphone. I have more experience from acoustic guitars but anyways. I know what you are on about.

But still, bad news. Such a shame.
borg
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2/24/2018 7:07am
Being an experienced guitar builder myself (1), I can safely say that it's a product that does not lend itself well to mass production. It can be done but the odds are against repeated high quality guitars. A friend of mine asked me if a home made guitar could be as good as a factory Gibson or Fender. I told him that depending on the builder, it would probably be better. He gave me a puzzled look and said how's that? He works in a factory that makes medical products. He constantly complains about the employees on the line how incompetent they are. I told him that the same people also work at Gibson and Fender.
borg
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2/24/2018 8:14am
I doubt they will actually shut down btw. If they are unable to refinance the debt they would probably go Chapter 11 which would buy them considerable time.
davis224
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2/24/2018 8:19am
I believe the woods that got taken were from restricted regions in Africa. I heard it took them a long time to recover from the sting, but everything I've heard about their guitars since has not been good, driven by what sounds like batshit crazy CEO. With the Memphis factory for sale, I'll be hanging onto my ES 137 custom and watch the value increase. My next 2 planned guitars will be custom made/from parts. I have had my eye on a 2011 Les Paul custom (the year before the fretboard wood fiasco) though, but for the price, no thanks. I just wish they'd tweak their headstock design to keep the G and B strings from binding in the nut so bad.
ATKpilot99
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2/24/2018 8:36am
davis224 wrote:
[img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2018/02/24/245816/s1200_IMG_20180106_152249_797.jpg[/img]


That's a beautiful guitar.
davis224
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2/24/2018 9:08am
davis224 wrote:
[img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2018/02/24/245816/s1200_IMG_20180106_152249_797.jpg[/img]


ATKpilot99 wrote:
That's a beautiful guitar.

She's my baby. Have an '08 Les Paul studio too.
Falcon
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2/26/2018 1:35pm
My dad's '58 ES125 just went way up in value. Of course, I want it someday and I'll never sell. Cool

2/26/2018 7:56pm Edited Date/Time 2/26/2018 7:58pm
That might explain why the quality has dropped in the last few years, to squeeze ever dime out of the customers.

I have a '99 limited edition explorer and v, both are great plugged in my Mesa Dual rec.

My dad bought a Heritage, a spin off of gibson in michigan when they moved to tenessee. Amazing guitar, he had it custom ordered. Light years better than a similar priced gibson nowadays.

Esp seems to have been getting better quality in the recent years. That may be my next guitar as i need a cheaper/lighter one that i don't really care if it gets beer spilled on it.

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