[Hamstrung]

looks like the next move is imminent. Creditors want Henry out.

Gibson creditors want new CEO before offering a rescue deal - Bloomberg - gearnews.com

 

[Thornton Davis]

I thought this was going to be a given. Now it appears to be reality.

TD

 

[colchar]

What is worse - Henry's business decisions or his guitar playing?

 

[Player99]

What is worse - Henry's business decisions or his guitar playing?

He plays badly.

 

[Scotty]

He plays badly.

So both then

 

[traynor_garnet]

I don't know why Gibson doesn't just have a line called classic and another called contemporary. The classic line would have all the traditional offerings (LPs, SG 335 etc) and the contemporary line could have new designs. Simple, logical, clean.

Get the prices in line with reality, improve QC, and stop offering 45 versions of the same model (why Gibson why?).

TG

 

[Budda]

Because henry j.

 

[Destropiate]

I don't know why Gibson doesn't just have a line called classic and another called contemporary. The classic line would have all the traditional offerings (LPs, SG 335 etc) and the contemporary line could have new designs. Simple, logical, clean.

Get the prices in line with reality, improve QC, and stop offering 45 versions of the same model (why Gibson why?).

TG

I miss the days when they just had the Studio/classic/standard/custom lines for the Gibson USA flagship models like the LP and SG. It was easy to keep up with what features each had and if you wanted something different they had the custom shop. Now when I see a Les Paul I have no idea what neck profile or pickups or weight relief or push pull pots it might have without getting the spec sheet or playing it. My personal preference leans towards the bare bones so I don't really get excited when I see all the new features. I think the closest thing to my old 86 LP standard now would be a traditional but most of them seem to have the 50's neck and I feel more comfortable on the 60's/slim taper profile that the 86 had.

 

[High/Deaf]

Years ago, Henry should have read the script on the top of his most famous product. Les really is more!

I don't care. With all the bitching I hear about Gibsons now, I know that the Norlin era was far from the worst. Too many famous people making famous music with them to go with the internet myth that they were all clunkers. By some people's estimation, everything Gibson's made since about July of 1960 has been clunkers. The things people say/type to be part of the herd. Would it even be a herd? What do you call a gathering of sheople? I mean, besides 'Facebook'.

 

[colchar]

Years ago, Henry should have read the script on the top of his most famous product. Les really is more!

I don't care. With all the bitching I hear about Gibsons now, I know that the Norlin era was far from the worst. Too many famous people making famous music with them to go with the internet myth that they were all clunkers. By some people's estimation, everything Gibson's made since about July of 1960 has been clunkers. The things people say/type to be part of the herd. Would it even be a herd? What do you call a gathering of sheople? I mean, besides 'Facebook'.

Guitar forums?

 

[Kerry Brown]

Could be the best thing to happen to Gibson. Hopefully they would sell off the still profitable instrument making part of the company to someone that knows guitars and business. If it goes to a predatory VC then all bets are off. From everything I've read the guitar part of the business is still profitable. The problems were mostly caused by expanding to other businesses too fast and greed, trying to keep stock holders happy while taking out huge piles of money by the board.

 

[jdto]

This is a rehash of some news a few weeks ago. Henry himself has already dismissed this in a subsequent interview.

I don't know why Gibson doesn't just have a line called classic and another called contemporary. The classic line would have all the traditional offerings (LPs, SG 335 etc) and the contemporary line could have new designs. Simple, logical, clean.

Get the prices in line with reality, improve QC, and stop offering 45 versions of the same model (why Gibson why?).

TG

You mean something like T vs. HP? And as for 45, they offer 18 different LPs, I think, in 2018.

I miss the days when they just had the Studio/classic/standard/custom lines for the Gibson USA flagship models like the LP and SG. It was easy to keep up with what features each had and if you wanted something different they had the custom shop. Now when I see a Les Paul I have no idea what neck profile or pickups or weight relief or push pull pots it might have without getting the spec sheet or playing it. My personal preference leans towards the bare bones so I don't really get excited when I see all the new features. I think the closest thing to my old 86 LP standard now would be a traditional but most of them seem to have the 50's neck and I feel more comfortable on the 60's/slim taper profile that the 86 had.

They make a lot of different models and specs because people buy them. Sure, it might confuse a few people, but a run through the website will give you a pretty good idea. Guitar players like different specs or we would all tweak and fiddle with our guitars as much as we do. So Gibson tries to give options. Whether they do a good job of it or not is another issue, but if they only had four models of LP, there would be complaints about a lack of variety.

 

[Diablo]

Makes sense to change CEO’s.
After all, if he had the vision to turn it around, he would have already.
Don’t be surprised if you all don’t love the replacement either.

I honestly don’t know what can be done to turn things around. Guitar is dead as a business IMO. I’d love to know which company is thriving these days?

 

[butterknucket]

Funny how he says guitar players are stuck in a time warp, yet no one says that about violin players who want instruments from the 1600's and 1700's.

 

[butterknucket]

Makes sense to change CEO’s.
After all, if he had the vision to turn it around, he would have already.
Don’t be surprised if you all don’t love the replacement either.

I honestly don’t know what can be done to turn things around. Guitar is dead as a business IMO. I’d love to know which company is thriving these days?

When the big boys are in trouble, the small shops and luthiers tend to do very well.

 

[traynor_garnet]

You mean something like T vs. HP? And as for 45, they offer 18 different LPs, I think, in 2018.

Vs S, vs ME, vs. Standard Historic, Vs True Historic, vs New Releases, vs Collectors Choice, vs Custom, vs Artist Models, vs Classic, vs Faded. Each one of these lines has its own options. Just nuts. Not to mention that these lines/model names also change in any give year. Each one more real and Les Paulier than the last.

Then the guy complains that music stores have too many guitars in their shops! The same guy whose company forced stores to place huge orders or lose the the line.

I've owned some nice Gibsons in the past. They are good guitars, not magical. At the end of the day, all guitars are pieces of wood with old technology stuck in them to make sound; that is both awesome and banal. No corporate name stuck on the end changes that, especially a name that is increasingly taking on a negative aura.

 

[Scotty]

Vs S, vs ME, vs. Standard Historic, Vs True Historic, vs New Releases, vs Collectors Choice, vs Custom, vs Artist Models, vs Classic, vs Faded. Each one of these lines has its own options. Just nuts. Not to mention that these lines/model names also change in any give year. Each one more real and Les Paulier than the last.

Then the guy complains that music stores have too many guitars in their shops! The same guy whose company forced stores to place huge orders or lose the the line.

I've owned some nice Gibsons in the past. They are good guitars, not magical. At the end of the day, all guitars are pieces of wood with old technology stuck in them to make sound; that is both awesome and banal. No corporate name stuck on the end changes that, especially a name that is increasingly taking on a negative aura.

Great post!

 

[Diablo]

When the big boys are in trouble, the small shops and luthiers tend to do very well.

like who?
“Small shops”? you mean retailers? They’re all being absorbed by the big chains.

 

[butterknucket]

like who?
“Small shops”? you mean retailers? They’re all being absorbed by the big chains.

Small shops as in builders, like Suhr, Collings, etc.

 

[Diablo]

Small shops as in builders, like Suhr, Collings, etc.

And you have access to their finances in order to determine that they are “doing very well”?