Why is Gibson losing guitar players?

#gibson #playauthentic #guitarplayer
I'm Jeremy Sheppard, the Guitar Hunter. Find great guitars that make you a better player and fill the world with music and friendship.
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[@FEARTHEEER1]

Let's see, ever increasing prices along with ever decreasing quality......what could possibly go wrong?

[@jeremyreid9582]

We do NOT need to be a professional luthier, a Clapton or a Frampton to acknowledge the truth in your statement ! Gibson has forgotten the essential truth of ‘sales’ .... the customer’s requirements are more important than the company’s market strategy. 🤔

[@FEARTHEEER1]

@@jeremyreid9582 Exactly. The Gibson Guitar Co. has been passed around more times than a lit joint at a party over the past few decades, with each successive owner merely ripping off the name. No stability whatsoever.

[@profsteel8217]

Price of LP Standard has dropped well over 1k and quality turned the corner years ago. Get facts right.

[@FEARTHEEER1]

@@profsteel8217 It (the price) had nowhere to go but down and the quality had nowhere to go but up. BTW, I was a Gibson dealer back in the 90s.

[@profsteel8217]

@@FEARTHEEER1 I’ve got 8 from a ‘58 ES 125 (bought new by my dad, rip)to a month old LP Standard and have lived thru the gamut of Gibsons. Have a bad SG that had the robot tuners that has never been right even after changing to Grovers. They are coming out of a dark period and hopefully on track now. Regarding price, made in USA is expensive. Workers are well paid,need health insurance and benefits. Facility, workers comp, taxes and all that it takes. You pay for all that in the price of every guitar. Add quality materials and some profit and everyone feels ripped off.

[@grahamr7756]

I bought a brand new les Paul a few years ago and the thing had faulty electronics in it. Gibson then told me I could only get it fixed at an authorized dealer. Then they gave me the number for their dealer in my city, called the guy and he said they let him go when they went bankrupt. So then they told me to go to Guitar Center. Then it took them a month to send me two parts that took ten minutes to install. They didn’t overnight the parts or anything, which you’d think they’d do after I bought a brand new instrument. Just feels like they don’t care about the customer at all.

[@alexmurphy5289]

This isn't surprising to me. Fender would've treated you like a damn king if you spent that money on their guitars. They even emailed me back within 5 hours to confirm that my used fender was legitimate. I hadn't even bought anything from them yet they replied that afternoon to confirm that a used guitar at a pawn shop was legit. That's customer service.

[@humanbeing2420]

@@alexmurphy5289 I emailed Fender with a couple of random, borderline-annoying questions about my Acoustasonic Junior amplifier, which I’d purchased in 1999. I absolutely did not expect a response, but I got a very helpful one, within the hour.

[@humanbeing2420]

How do you like the guitar otherwise?

[@wafflepotato6633]

Jeez, I sent Alvarez an email about my bone saddle having a hairline crack and they 2 day shipped me a new one and gave me a bunch of stickers to boot. Come on Gibson!

[@grahamr7756]

@@humanbeing2420 the guitar is great. The only problem was the electronics in it. And the customer service haha.

[@facepalmdaily4404]

I can tell you why I left Gibson. While nearly every other manufacturer has been improving quality while lowering price, Gibson has been doing the opposite. Gibson quality has continued to decline while the price skyrockets. It's incredibly odd to see some Epiphones with better attention to detail in the build than the Gibson its emulating.... considering they're the same company, really.

[@dragon7590]

I think you might have sealed my decision on upgrading my Slash Epiphone LP to the Gibson. I bought it used for $550 and it plays amazing. Good neck, good frets and the only thing I want to upgrade is the tuning machines.

[@facepalmdaily4404]

​@@dragon7590 That's the way I do it. I usually ignore hardware when guitar shopping (within reason, of course). I look primarily at the finish on the body and the feel of the neck. If that is spot on, I buy it. Everything else is easy to upgrade cheaper than if you'd bought that higher end model. I have a squier my dad bought me way back in the 90's. Over the years I've basically turned it into a much higher end instrument. I upgraded the tuners, bridge, nut, pickups and the internal electronics. If you know how to solder and have some very basic woodworking skills it's super easy and saves a ton of cash.

Epiphone is more proactive, more diverse in their choice of instruments and offers better quality/price relation. On basses and hollow body guitars, they're way above Gibson right now, IMHO.

[@facepalmdaily4404]

@ The one thing I'll say for Gibson is their pickups are still amazing. I'm not saying they are the greatest ever made or anything.... but Gibson pickups are still leaps and bounds ahead of Epiphone. I own several epiphones. All but one of them I've upgraded to Gibson pickups. The other one is my metal guitar and it's rocking James Hetfield EMG's.

[@donniesavage2051]

Exactly have a brand new Gibson Les Paul Goldtop when I got it home I had to go in and fix the Rhythm switch had to take the back off and tighten it up to where it would work I want a $2,700 guitar when I bought the Epiphone in the same model to standard Les Paul gold top only thing I had to change his lower the action that's it good guitar

[@clanofhousecats8079]

Gibson has Competition. And their competitors are making great gear.

[@brianwexler9207]

Epiphone

[@ViveLeQuebecLibreTabarnak]

@@brianwexler9207 is trash

[@generalawareness101]

@@ViveLeQuebecLibreTabarnak Shill much?

[@brianwexler9207]

@@generalawareness101 8 years. no subscribers. 1 comment.

[@brianwexler9207]

I currently own : an acoustic- no bridge pins. a wildkat royale- awesome p90s. and a LP special/jr - only need that one double coil p'up. & I'm gonna get a casino & epiphone 3 p90 Riviera like the one jimmy vivino plays

[@Chakirisan]

I’ve been saying this for 10 years, and I’m 61 years old. The day they put minimum buy’s on their small dealers, in an effort to recoup revenue, they sealed their fate. Les Paul knew it and told their ownership (at the time) they had ruined his company.

[@paule4696]

As a manufacturer's rep, although not for a guitar company, there is always a push/pull relationship between "dealers" and manufacturers. The old adage that you can't sell from an empty cart comes into play here. Many "dealers" are underfunded and want to be able to sell everything but stock nothing. Inventory ties up capital. The dealers blame the manufacturer if they choose to set up one dealer but not another. Minimum inventory requirements are a normal thing in business. I know that many of you don't like to think of instrument manufacturing as a business but there it is. If a dealer isn't willing to bring in a reasonable representation of the line then why does the manufacturer need dealers at all? They could just sell direct and make a higher margin by cutting out the middle man.

[@ferpirata76]

You are so right. I live in the north of Spain. In my region, this is the biggest town. Well, you can't find a single Gibson dealer here for that reason. I didn't know they were loosing costumers but it's only logical. People in charge are doing an awful job and these are the consequences. Best wishes from Spain!

[@jMOPS1993]

Yep, and it sucks for all involved. Most dealers can’t front 150k for the inventory. So you never see Gibsons in local stores and people just end up buying one used online.

[@ferpirata76]

@@jMOPS1993 that's right. I don't like buying online because I like helping local stores. But I wanted a specific acoustic and there wasn't other way. Too bad. Awful policy.

[@dave9497]

When they moved their manufacturing facility from Kalamazoo Michigan to Nashville Tennessee, and fired all their top craftsmen... That's when their guitars went to shit. Oh yeah... and that other guy... that asshole Obama took away your mahogany

[@filipdemeyst8842]

Reminds me a lot of the Harley Davidson story over the last years.

[@kidthorazine]

Gibson hasnt quite sunk to that level yet, Gibson dealers generally won't try to insult your masculinity for wanting something that didn't go obsolete in the 70s.

[@MarcJBeard]

@@kidthorazine 😹

[@BassOutcast]

Literally came to say the same thing.

[@stringspicksandfiddlestick6388]

PRS is to Gibson what Polaris Indian is to Harley.

[@petroniloluib2772]

Gibson is a great gateway guitar .

[@activemelody]

Excellent points Jeremy. I love old Gibsons, but can’t stand where they are now. You’re absolutely right that they’re a dying brand and totally out of touch with the younger audience.

[@maraviyoso8473]

Younger audience are out of touch with music. Just look at the Billboard charts.

[@canismajoris6733]

@@maraviyoso8473 yeah because people buying high end guitars are the same ones listening to top 100. Are you an idiot or something?

[@_vixen_4504]

That’s not true the people that listen to the top 100 is not buying guitars because they don’t even know What a instrument is

[@macabre2007]

Gibson sales figures please... I think you'll find they might be out of touch, but why care, people still aspire to buy them new, and as an owner of newer Gibson, bought second hand at a reasonable reduced price, with push pull knobs, that give me out of phase options, that's otherwise Custom Shop where you have to have the pickup setup configured as out of phase, it's great to get close to Peter Green or Jimmy Page tones. Anyhow I would wager old Gibson purists are not talking with experience of newer models, and are just making unsubstantiated claims.

[@ArielCardona]

@@macabre2007 this is a clickbait video. Don't expect any data. These people don't really have a clue if Gibson is "losing guitar players" or not. They just read stuff from social media, they might now about Gibson going bankrupt and then KZbinrs do what KZbinrs do. Gibson has NEVER, EVER, been about the guy searching for a guitar at a pawn shop or Facebook Marketplace (which is almost the same thing today). All the big movements in ELECTRIC guitar music have involved Fender guitars which were lost in a basement: the Jazzmasters, Mustangs or Jaguars of the world I could say. Besides, Fender cannot compete with Gibson when it comes to genres like jazz, acoustics, etc. And I've never seen a video about how Fender has destroyed every single acoustic guitar company they purchased like Tacoma and ALMOST did with Ovation, Takamine and Guild.

[@peyotepete4903]

I feel 200% sexier when I hold my LP! Unfortunately at the same time I feel 3000 bucks poorer... Kinda cancels each other out

[@robhenry4197]

Don't forget, also 20 pounds heavier

[@patrickfoster4586]

Especially when the Strat is far sexier at half the price. Sounds better too. And it won't give you scoliosis from hanging that huge dead weight around your neck!

[@thechameleon2636]

@@patrickfoster4586sounds worse and looks worse tbf

[@bimscutney1242]

People are realizing they can get quality instruments for much lower prices than Gibson.

[@caseysmith544]

Yes, that is the problem lots of companies make a similar guitar to a Gibson/Epiphone models with maybe one exception the SG model that Gibson still bullies others to not make. Even flying V designs are made by a few companies. Even Epiphone one can get a Gibson model guitar for same price as a Gibson and get more from the guitar.

[@Fashogun]

Schecter

[@Guitar387]

I think the main issue with Gibson is they are way way over priced , I agree they are for the rich or loaded at least.

[@jaycook2323]

There is always a used Gibson somewhere. I am not wealthy but I won’t hold BMW and Porsche to blame for the crazy prices they ask. Different strokes for different folks

[@jamalabdul2009]

@@jaycook2323 True. I recently bought a 60s Les Paul Standard and it is amazing. Yes it was $2499 plus tax which is not a price point for younger players ( I’m 47) but what I purchased was a perfect guitar. It plays like a dream and I could not find a single flaw with it. I agree with most if not all of the points Jeremy spoke of and Gibson’s public relations is a hot mess. I’ve bought a 2017 Les Paul Tribute and a 2018 Flying V and both those guitars are amazing and at a price closer to an American made Fender. There are plenty of guitars Gibson, as well as Epiphone make that are quality made guitars without the high price.I’m a left handed player and in this day, there are plenty of guitar makers that make great guitars for us. I’ve always wanted a Gibson and when my finances were right, I bought one. I look at it as a tool to create and although we as humans are partial to our biases, any well set up guitar can help launch you to creating your sound and give you the ability to express yourself.

[@bassplaya4196]

I just play heritage now,Gibson is too expensive!! Heritage makes great quality guitars for slightly less!!

[@jimwguitar3002]

PRS, Fender really aren’t inexpensive. All high end companies have lesser priced models that are great. Save your money and buy what you like. I purchased two Gibsons in the last year zero QC issues.

[@BOBANDVEG]

Well , theres definitely the QC issue that comes with archtop guitars. Archtop just creates so many issues

[@eriksantana7249]

“We’re gonna build a Paul. The biggest Paul anyone has ever seen. And we’re going to make Paul Reed Smith pay for it!”

[@ocholoco88]

😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@blitzinstripes3788]

Underrated comment.

[@chuckvt5196]

Spot on assessment! Gibson is to guitars as Harley is to motorcycles, and both are sinking under the weight of their own self-serving hubris. As you said, they want doctors and lawyers...folks who have lots of money and want to relive their youth. You would think Gibson would learn, but they don't.

[@McFeedback1968]

I would say for the time being it's probably a good business model, as bad as it is for guitar in general. Boomers are retiring in record numbers, people like me in Gen x are at the top of our earning power, and combined it is a huge demographic. So they need to make hay now when they have all these boomers with disposable income and gen-xers at the top of their earning game. But their extended forecast does not look good, I don't see them connecting with younger people. They just have too much baggage tied to the boomer generation.

[@deebo1103]

A lot of younger people around where I live love Harleys. Not always the big touring bikes, but the Dyna line is a great bike that a lot of "bikers" balk at as just a sportster with a bigger motor. I love my Dyna. Gibson has made some iconic instruments, but its kinda a love/hate thing with me. I was a fender guy for many years and then bought an LP during the pandemic, but don't really enjoy playing it. It has great sound, but after a couple of decades of playing a strat, I find it clunky as hell to play well. Might be going right back to a strat.

[@mbellizia75]

I think it comes to value. In a world where you have so many reasonably priced alternatives to gibson's products, they aren't offering anything to justify the prices.

[@deblane401]

Mark Agnesi should have stayed with Norman's Rare Guitars

[@nycLPplayer]

He probably can go back afterwards with a full bank account and collectors will still like him

[@TheCaptainsCog]

Agnesi should have stayed inside his douche-bag he crawled out of. I subbed to gibson tv when they were giving away epiphones. Contest over, no more sub.

[@msspi764]

Yeah, he's doing his Norman's Rare Guitars shtick on a larger scale. Not bad, it's fun to watch people with more money than God show off their collections, but very much a "Glory Days" approach. Basically it says we used to make great guitars.

[@TheCaptainsCog]

@@msspi764 yup. My 20 year old Schecter is just as good as one made yesterday.

[@andredegiant3876]

Yeah, he was either exposed for his true nature or the gun-to-head theory holds some water lol. Like milk on a hot day, it was a bad choice 🥛

[@bartdwmusic1212]

‘You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain’

[@geoffwhitemusic]

Another huge issue is QC. I have a $1,200 “Tribute” model that is an extremely bare-bones model. You’d think at this price point, with no binding, no figured top, no trapezoid inlays, it would be a great no-frills rocker. Well, the bridge pickup had to be replaced because it’s crap (neck pup was alright). And the frets are not even well dressed. And I’m one of the lucky ones. I tried a p-90 Les Paul recently, and the frets were so pokey I figured I’d need to buy a box of band-aids to go along with it. If I’m paying over one G, I expect buttery frets and amazing pickups. And there are all sorts of horror stories about their binding on even more expensive models. This QC issue extends beyond just the MIA models. I have a couple of Squiers that were made in the past couple of years. They blow away anything I’ve tried from Gibson, let alone their Epiphone brand. There really is no contest. There has GOT to be a better way of making guitars in America while still delivering value. Their Les Paul Standard seems to occupy a strange No-man’s-Land between the PRS core MIA price point, and the more expensive made-overseas price point. Now, part of me is just fighting against pricing in general. I don’t think any Strat is worth one penny more than $1,000. And even then, it better be the most amazing guitar ever. I’m digressing. But the point is, Gibson’s prices and quality, and the relation between the two (value) just don’t seem to be well-situated in today’s market.

[@THillick]

Gibson realizes that the quickest way to a buck is go after low volume, high price to those of us becoming empty nesters with excess income.... Simple as that.

[@paule4696]

You should take a look around. Not all Gibsons are high-priced.

[@THillick]

@@paule4696 I'm a huge Gibson fan. My parents had Les Paul/Mary Ford records, I knew who Scotty Moore and Chuck Berry were and that they played Gibsons by the time I was 7 or 8 years old. Price high/low is relative. Perceived Value is subjective. I own several Gibson Les Pauls from 'Specials' to Standards and still have the Custom I got as child. Worked and paid for it myself at 14 years old. I also have several Fenders and Epiphones (Not Chinese). and others I have an Epi dot.. factory blemish, gold tone wore off (love it), the 'E' on the pick guard fell off... Got it new in '98 or so.... I've played hundreds of ES335's... only two equaled this Epi (both custom made for their owners). Everyone that hears it or plays it makes an offer... Everyone I've touched is just as good. I'd rather buy American, but can't justify 8 or 10 times the price for a slightly better/prettier wood top or hardware. Especially for something that is so valuable I won't take it out to bar or club gig. Sadly you can walk into GC, pick up the most expensive Les Paul and find flaws... PLEK'd my butt... I usually find the guitars are not intonated correctly. You could say it's GC's crappy environment (Dry, over AC'd.) but all have the same issue.. Tune it up, play the 'a' on the G-string 14th fret and e string 17th fret... flat!!! not like that between 2nd and 5th frets.. Then pick up the cheapest Fender or off shored PRS (not a fan).. and the fit and finish are near perfect as is the intonation. Very few new instruments are investment grade. You're just buying a name and. past glory. Face it Clapton, Page, Beck through Slash, BB. King sold more Gibsons than the great Les Paul himself. When I do strap on a Gibson on stage and announce "This is a political statement"... you can tell the people that get it. (ie. Obama admin abuses, especially Gibson, non-union shop in Red State vs Fender, Union shop, California.) About 3 years ago I was in Nashville. Of course stopped in the Gibson Lounge in the airport. Walls are full of classic Gibsons. All filthy, rusty strings, dust and mold hanging off of them. Zero pride... Their name in on the Entry, the menus, the walls, the napkins and of course one of their factories/museums is in town... I even volunteered to go in after hours and clean and restring the instruments if they would supply the cleaning kits and strings.. I didn't even get a reply.. Was there about six weeks later... No change. I think this is a stupid way to do business , but it's reality. Car Manufacturers do not really care about selling cars to the the individual. The large distributors and dealers are the target market. By the time the car in on the lot the manufacturer has their money.. Short sighted... See what happened in the 70's ;-(... Go into GC, SamAsh, call up ZZsounds et. al. and ask them how much money they have to front Gibson every year to be allowed to carry them and how much flexibility they have in pricing. The only way they get a deal is to get Gibson (and others) to do a special run.. re: color, hardware, features.. that only they have..And they'll still have a handful in stock years later... The small local stores can't afford to play this game. Due to labor, environmental and other regulations, taxes, labor, shipping costs etc. etc. it's getting harder and harder for craftsmen to make a living. Want a 'real' Gibson. Buy a Heritage... 9 out 10 Gibson players I speak to never heard of them and they are next to impossible to find in a retail store. If Gibson is to survive they need to devolve (size wise) into Heritage... or ramp up Chinese child and slave labor to drive costs down as much as possible, maybe they can poach some management from [take your pick, you know who] manufacturing in China and sign up a couple of NBA stars to shill for them. After COVID, IP Theft, buying out our Uni's and one political party and part of another what sane person is buying anything Chinese anymore if there is an alternative?

[@j.dragon651]

@@paule4696 maybe the one in grandmas attic. For most of us, they are way over priced.

[@whssy]

At least until they have all popped their clogs. Then what will they do? They are investing in a dying customer base instead of the customer base of the future. That seems a bit stupid to me.

[@theuserthatishere]

not much money in pricey low volume sales. chevy makes way more $ than ferrari

[@SteveAndrews1]

As someone who's created advertising for that last 24 years, you're spot-on about Gibson's brand storytelling. Very well said.

[@1davejsutdave1]

Yeah but product wise they're selling out and making some of their best stuff? Search KZbin for reviews of the 50s and 60s Les Paul Standards. Gibson knocked it out of the park. Even dividing their lines from Original and Modern was smart. they need younger artists for sure but Fender has always been more about signature models than Gibson, they have one to rule them all the Les Paul.

[@davidreynolds6718]

I couldn't possibly care less about "brand story telling." Either the guitars are good or they are not.

[@brandonboykin5652]

The guitars are not good

[@aidanryan3010]

I agree with this. I’ve been playing for 6 years and I’d always wanted a Les Paul. I saved 100$ a month for 2 years and was going to buy one. I went to go play one and it was comfortable, heavy, and not worth the 2k entry level guitar that was used. I ended up buying a new signature Steve Vai Jem. Couldnt be happier with it. It’s sad how the company is falling. There’s no need to spend 5K in a guitar when you can buy a decent one for the average guy for 500 bucks.

[@davidreynolds6718]

That's great - if "decent" is what you're looking for.

[@random_an0n]

the jem is a good super strat and arguably the most prettiest of the mainstream brands,and more versitile than a LP,well done

[@alexanderstyrlander7991]

I bought a Gibson Midtown Custom brand new for 1.200$ back in 2013. Probably the best and most enjoyable guitar I’ve ever played. It sells for about double the price these days preowned.

[@random_an0n]

@@alexanderstyrlander7991 but whos buying? not kids or young people its boomers and boomers are getting old you think its gonna be as valuable in 20 years? the target demographic will all be gone lol kids aint buying gibsons now,cause they are overpriced and all the young guitar heros aint playing them either...nor do gibson go out of their way to put les pauls in the hands of upstarts,fender do though

[@alexanderstyrlander7991]

@@random_an0n Well probably boomers like myself who’s always dreamt of owning a nice Gibson guitar etc. But I agree the market is probably limited and shrinking. But there will probably always be a market for it.

[@CandorBand]

I was dead set on getting a Gibson Les Paul and played several in my quest for an American made guitar. But compared to my Epi Les Paul, they didn’t feel or sound better to me. Then I picked up an American pro tele with a maple neck and I fell in love. So, in my case... epiphone quality is super good and fender felt so much better.

[@mattsmitchger259]

Love my Epiphone. Don't even want a Gibson anymore. I don't get it.

[@asensibleyoungman2978]

If you want the best quality go for a late 70s/early 80s Japanese guitar.

[@CandorBand]

@@mattsmitchger259 Yeah, like so many, I tend to get caught up in the hype. Like, I'll never be a great player if I don't have a Gibson or a Neve or a Neumann or a $2,000 acoustic guitar or whatever! Truth is nowadays, it's not the gear. It's the performance. It's the player. It's the song. Gear is not holding us back. Get your guitar set up perfectly and it will play better than most new expensive guitars hanging on the rack. Truth. Spread the word.

[@BITESIZEJONES]

The only problem with the Epiphone is resale value.

[@CandorBand]

@@BITESIZEJONES true but that’s not a problem if you don’t sell it

[@jakesmith4506]

Hey Bro, I respect your viewpoint. I've got 18 Gibson guitars and I love them. I've purchased at least three since JC took over. No problem. High quality, great sound and spectacular build quality. Everyone is different and I'm not telling people what they should or should not like. But, when I hit the stage with my Gibson guitars it gives me confidence and a feeling of power. I'm holding 127 years of kick ass in my hands and there's a reason why so many players have chosen Gibson in the past. No...I am NOT telling anyone that their choices are wrong. Indeed, I have other guitars too, but, playing a Gibson is almost a spiritual bliss to me and many others. So...everyone...do your own thing. I'm NOT a guitar dictator. Just keep playing whatever you've got. And...Jeremy...I DO enjoy your channel. A LOT!

[@caseypayne5138]

That's cool, and I'm sure they're wonderful. I certainly wish I could afford one, but for now I'll have to take my Epiphones and Fender Standard/Player Series guitars.

[@FreeUrMindz]

@jake smith...your missing the point entirely. & what he's saying is undeniabley accurate. I have no loyalty to him or his content btw...first time tuning in to his channel. Just sayin.

[@caseypayne5138]

@@VaiRoth I think there's a reason a lot of people say that Epiphone is better than Gibson in a lot of ways now. They may not have Gibson pickups, but Epiphone's construction quality and QA/QC are really good right now

[@jazzcat1056]

LMAO on the Peter Frampton model. He had some good songs and I appreciate him but you are right the model should have come out 30 years ago.

[@jegr3398]

Should cam out like 45 years ago🤣

[@tomothybahamothy]

I think it's made for collectors to buy up and scalp unfortunately

[@jamesn5595]

I feel bad for Peter Frampton. He seems like a nice guy and he's a great guitar player and has great rock and roll stories. When i was a teenager, we considered him soft rock, not guitar rock. Beach music. That's not a criticism. Just wondering. why? What's wrong with just a good guitar. I mean, I like the Sheryl Crow SJ, but do i want her name on my guitar? It is just so teenager. How many teenagers have $3000+ for a guitar? (recently traded up 3 lower end vintage gibson's for a '59 J-45)

[@alexmurphy5289]

I laughed so hard. Seriously, Who at Gibson thought that would be a good idea? I'm 30 and NO ONE at my age is a Peter Frampton fan. Hell, no one I know even cares about the guitar anymore. It's a sad reality

[@caseysmith544]

Yep in the early 1990's with at latest 2000. He has some great music but yeah it was too late.

[@cwmims]

Wow Jeremy, your remarks are very thoughtful and articulate. I appreciate the video!

[@cgavin1]

They are too expensive. That made them aspirational when there were few alternatives that weren't junk. Now you can get a perfectly good guitar for 1/5th the cost of a new Gibson. Kids then start to define "cool" differently.. and more youngsters want their own identity or want a brand less steepd in Blues Lawyer. Also obviously music has changed and rock n roll and blues are no longer mainstream. The cool gay/androgynous kids are playing Duesembergs.. Gibson priced themselves out of relevance to upcoming generations. They forgot the golden rule of marketing: if the only people who aspire to buy your stuff just want to hang it on the wall or are having a mid-life crisis, the brand itself rapidly devalues and becomes irrelevant.

[@paddyc8200]

There quality control is rubbish,I was in the market for an acoustic guitar with only 3000e to spend I was looking at there j45 but everyone I played had some sort of issue so I walked away happy with my new MARTIN D 18 and couldn’t be happier 😁

[@ADHD_collector_in_the_YYJ]

Did the exact same thing late 2019. Had my heart absolutely set on a J45. Wound up with a D18 and very happy lol.

[@markgillespie7591]

@@ADHD_collector_in_the_YYJ you are going to get good & bad in any brand as long as they are mass produced. It’s search & play until you find one that “speaks “ to you. Or you can sell the farm and buy a custom made “boutique “

[@roadapple66]

Last year I was looking at the J45's on a company website that lets you look at the actual pictures of the guitars that they have to sell. They had 6 J45's and every one of them had QC issues that should never have made it out of Gibson's facilities. There were gaps between the fretboard and top on one. 3 of them had the tuning machines installed crooked. This is something that should never pass final inspection. The tuning machines are mounted to the headstock with small screws to keep them from turning. When these tuning machines are reinstalled straight, they leave holes in the wood at the back of the headstock from the screws being installed in the wrong place. There was glue that did not get cleaned off on all of them. Most of it was where the fretboard was glued to the top. The glue was all around the fretboard and on the soundboard. It would have been very visible from across a room. They looked like they were finished by children just learning to put kits together. I guess I shouldn't expect so much for a guitar that I would have to pay $2900.00 for. I wonder if the artists that Gibson sponsors get to choose their instruments from another production facility that is not accessible for the general public? I bought a Martin D-28 instead. I'll just have to wait to get a mahogany and spruce acoustic. It might well be a D-18.

[@spiffyg4939]

It is rubbish. Case in point: I bought a Songwriter acoustic back in '05 that turned out to have a neck defect. I took it to my local Gibson factory-authorized luthier a few weeks later. He said he'd put in the paperwork to Gibson but that I'd have to give him $800 up front because in all likelihood Gibson wouldn't pay for it. He said he'd seen the exact same problem on several of them but that Gibson's usual response was to blame the owner. I took it back and let an unauthorized luthier do the work instead (which turned out great btw and much cheaper). Gibson is going to profit off whatever cachet it still has, but time is running out. When our kids are grown they'll be putting them in Happy Meals as prizes to be thrown away with the box.

[@JohnWilliams-js7pw]

Gibson quality control : sux Artist relations : sux Price point value : r u fuqqin kidding me 🤣

[@tlayland20]

I got my first Gibson less than a few months ago. As a 27 year old who started playing when I was around 10, you can probably guess how beyond excited I was to finally get my own coveted Gibson Les Paul. Not one of those phony bologna epiphone's. A real, $2,800 LP. It came in the mail and after waiting an excruciatingly long 48 hrs for it to acclimate to my home temp I was able to open it. Popped open the case and couldn't believe how beautiful it was. I was shell shocked at this momentous milestone of my life. I ran downstairs with it and put it under better lighting so I could go over it with a fine tooth comb. After all, for $2,800 it had better be perfect. Turns out, there were little cracks in the binding on the top of the neck where they pressed the frets into. I contacted MF's customer service and after a week and a half I received my new new LP. Little dots in the face of the guitar that didn't get any finish. And there were chunks of glue stuck to the nut. Another week and a half later my new new new LP arrives. The flame top is meh, guitar sounds and plays good but it didn't wow me like the first one did, but I decided to settle on this one. Now, myself not knowing much about gibson, in my case I have learned that gibsons quality control is just not where the hype has them at. This whole process has just made me lose hope and admiration for gibson and their future and this video just reiterates that for me. It's so sad to see an iconic brand go down this way but honestly, if they don't want to change, then let them go away. I'll happily play other brands. (I personally love schecters and ibanez)

[@andrewguttry6886]

I recall some years ago (when HJ was CEO), Gibson stating categorically that the dealer was their 'end-user'; the players, you and me, were by implication inconsequential.. That pretty much underscores what your presentation stated. Thank you.

[@bradnelson2637]

Great points! Gibson is yesterday’s guitar at tomorrow’s prices.

[@LaurenceMSchwarz]

Super salient points. I really appreciate how your focus is on the player, and how the guitar is merely the tool. Your observations are really astute.

[@benjaminhawthorne1969]

Very insightful. Good stuff! 👍

[@mirraco323]

I just got a Les Paul standard, and I love it so far. Let me start by saying, I’m not a lawyer, dentist, etc, and I’m certainly not rich or wealthy by ANY estimate. Im just a guy who is happy living pretty barebones and saved for a decent while to buy the thing. Also, I’ve been one of the biggest critics of Gibson for awhile now, so I’m no Gibson fanboy. However, once JC took over, I figured I’d give them another shot. The QC sucked for awhile, but this new LP is fantastic. Sounds great and zero quality control issues. Gibsons earned its reputation during the 2010s, but I think a lot of people who have not played any of the new stuff are talking shit on it. Or even if you get to play a newer Gibson, and you go in with the attitude of “this thing is gonna suck!” You’re clearly gonna think the thing sucks regardless if it actually does or not. The prices have gone down from when Henry was in charge, but I think Gibson would be better suited by getting the Les Paul Standards down to $2000. Also, as far as comparing Gibson to other companies, people throw around double standards ALL the time. I know a guy in a shop who trashed Gibsons for even the slightest thing off with the guitar, yet literally told me “always a good idea to dress the frets on a strat out of the factory” and went on about how fender is the best. As for me, I love Fender too, but this happens all the time. People act like Fender and all other companies put out guitars that are absolutely perfect every time, and that’s just not true. The nut on my Jaguar popped off after only a couple years, and I had to re do all the soldering on all the switches because who ever did it the first time did a legitimately half ass job (still absolutely love my Jaguar though, don’t get me wrong). Point is, if people want to hate Gibson, that’s totally cool. Everyone is entitled to their opinion 100%. However, don’t go around saying the new stock “sucks” when you have never actually played it or given it a chance, and try to have SOME consistency with your criticism of any company. Don’t say company A sucks, and then ignore that company B does the same shit just because you like them more. (Yeah, newsflash, a lot of your favorite companies sue people too)

[@davestephens8033]

The modern Gibson Les Pauls stink. Most of you guys are using high distortion amps, with multiple gain channels and foot pedals and to ad insult to injury, big pedal boards. You're not actually even hearing your guitar, you're hearing artificial noise. Take all that stuff away, plug your guitar into a simple tube amplifier that will only distort if you turn it all the way up, and you quickly find out your guitar can't sound good at all without throwing battery boxes at it. LPs off the production line, are harsh sounding, non-musical unplugged tone that belies how cheaply they are made. A Gibson guitar CAN be fixed, though. Throw away all the hardware, all the harness, get better pickups, and its possible to fix most of its mistakes into something they are incapable of producing themselves.

[@mirraco323]

@@davestephens8033 “foot pedals, and to ad insult to injury, big pedal boards” yeah chief, doesn’t sound like you really know what you’re talking about there. Funny enough I only use one pedal, and it’s a polytune.

[@NotTelling51]

2 things. 1. Sales 101 is about the entity spending the money.. not the entity receiving the money. 2. I have a 1966 Hummingbird my dad used to play The Opry in the 60's and 70's. I called Gibson about possibly doing some work on it... biggest bunch of snobs I've ever talked to. No way would I deal with them unless I absolutely have to.

[@falcongunner33]

Outside of all your points, Gibson doesn’t make a good entry level guitar. Sure you can go Epiphone and get a pretty decent guitar but Fender has a guitar for literally every single price point you can think of. And it doesn’t take half the money to get a great guitar with the full fender name as it does a Gibson. I think Gibson really needs to make a guitar that’s priced at the player series level with the Gibson name on the headstock. It’s silly but people do really want that name on their guitars. Their QC is already a joke so there’s no prestigious name left to tarnish. Get it together Gibson!

[@davman115]

I would love a 335. But I refuse to be ripped off. If Gibson made a Gibson logo 335 at the pricepoint of a Mexican fender. Then I would buy one tomorrow.

[@keithadams812]

People who care about resale value want the Gibson name on their guitar trust me.... I don't care about how you feel about Gibson the company the truth is the name Gibson sells your guitar...

[@michaelrichardson8755]

I have a les paul studio faded only cost $750. I love it.

[@falcongunner33]

@@michaelrichardson8755 right on. You got a good deal.

[@kevinlynch5925]

I'd rather have a high end Epiphone than a low end Gibson.

[@orpheuscult75]

Cobain was perfectly fine with playing on fender squire. And delivered great songs.

[@Broccoli75]

But all he did is play 4 chords. Of course you don't need expensive guitars for that.

[@kiezersosay49]

SRV played a squier live, wilde played an epi live, and cobain liked his squier for live performances too. I think its smart. Just make sure they hold tune fine and leave good stuff at home. I think its for this reason, not because they preferred cheaper shit...

[@777Lateralus]

@@Broccoli75 and how many acclaimed songs and albums have you made with your expensive gear?

[@Broccoli75]

@@777Lateralus I only have a $26 acoustic guitar😢. I lived in a shitty country where the currency is really weak.

[@afrikakorps8362]

He never played a squier....In the early days he played a univox hiflyer later on he played mustangs and Jaguars and he used mexican Strats to destroy at the end

[@tasteapiana]

I'm 48, been playing guitar since 1984, played violin from 1977-1983. My first electric was a Bentley series 10, 2nd was an Epiphone (by Gibson), 3rd was a Gibson Explorer (1991 model with 24 frets, Floyd Rose). I was dead-set on owning Gibson products for life. I've borrowed Ibanez and Martin and Fender Strats, etc over the years to perform, record and instruct on, played just about everything at music stores on 4 continents. I'll play anything, but my heart goes back to Gibson's designs, specifically semi-hollow, that came about in the 1940s-50s. I bought a 1990 Yamaha SA-1100 (es-335 clone) back in 2000 and haven't looked back. At age 4 I first saw a Yamaha grand piano (several of them) at SIUE college in Southern Illinois. It blew my mind how clear it was, the uni had around 20 of them and that stuck with me. Over the years I realized it's about sound and being realistic. Gibson can F itself. It is the GM of guitars, Fender is the Ford. Yes, after GM purposefully, intentionally designed car parts to fail in order to get more repair money which led to 1,000s of deaths and disfigurements, yes, they should have been ''let to fail''. Same with Gibson, we would be better without them. All they are doing is lengthening the death spiral of what has become Boomer nostalgia - which has also hampered record labels' investments in new artists. The last 25 years has felt like a never-ending retirement party for music from the 1960s-1980s. I'm beyond sick of it. Think about all of the groups who've done ''Reunion'' tours. It's sickening. In the 1950s Gibson got super lucky and signed Les Paul to an endorsement deal. Had they not had that they would have died the following decade. In the 1970s Jimmy Page was out there making everyone aware that the Les Paul was the bomb - without an endorsement. All they've been is lucky and that luck rests squarely upon having a hero like Les Paul, Jimmy Page or Slash. It's over. Had they not went down the rabbit hole of making $4,000 guitars for no-talent privileged douchebag white guys to hoard in their man-caves to appease their twisted hangups it COULD have been different. But, that's exactly what they did. I got no problem never touching another Gibson product again. The Japanese do it better, anyway, that's why I'll likely play Yamaha here on out.

[@clydebrown9982]

Ok, Loved your comment! I'm older then you so....the kid knows his stuff! (One of the best in it's time Yamaha 3000) Some real gems "death spiral of what has become Boomer nostalgia" "never-ending retirement party, ''Reunion'' tours. It's sickening. " "no-talent privileged douchebag white guys to hoard in their man-caves to appease their twisted hangups" Thanks for taking the time to comment!

Another Yamaha lover here, but on a diferent instrument (bass).

[@glennevans5824]

They are living off the legacy of the 50’s Les pauls...juniors,sg.....etc....can’t go forward ...

[@andredegiant3876]

Agreed! PRS built a better mousetrap decades ago. Having both feet planted in 1950 is the surest way to become a dinosaur 🦕 ⚰

[@dragonpundit.6443]

@@andredegiant3876 PRS is better than what exactly!? What is better than my Gibsons? I have a MCCarty, a bunch of Hamers...they are all good.

[@dragonpundit.6443]

@@andredegiant3876 Seriously...you never heard of a Corvus or RD or. Gibson has always presented NEW STUFF and gotten whipped for it. Robotuners...oversized Buckethead models...and what sells are...guess...1950s and 60s designs.

[@jimherleva4541]

I had a PRS back in the mid-90s. It was shit.

[@mastermachetier5594]

@@dragonpundit.6443 you have to make good new stuff lol can’t just put out shit and expect people to like it. Robô tuners were horrible and didn’t work

[@rogerd9150]

Hi Jeremy. You mentioned Peter Frampton. I would suggest that no matter how old or young you are, you should listen to Frampton. He was and still is one of the greatest guitar players of this time.

[@vorpalblades]

Just like Gibson, he hasn't been relevant in over 3 decades.

[@1davejsutdave1]

@@vorpalblades Yeah but his guitar is great. I've never listened to a single Les Paul Album, his guitar is great; nay legendary. have YOU played a Frampton model? It's a LP modded buy the guy that gave it him in the 70s, shaved neck different pickups etc. Play the guitar, you don't have to like Frampton to think it's a great guitar, that's so dumb. Like if you're not a fan of H.E.R. I guess you can't use her strat???

[@allensaunders449]

Nobody i know even knows who Frampton is they don't care

[@491ish]

@@allensaunders449 Time to widen your pool of acquaintances. Believe it or not, there was music before Nickleback.

[@iDannyism]

Jeez man, incredibly good video. Just popped up in my feed. Subbed, great stuff. I've said most of this myself many times. Time for voicing it so well.

[@peterpulpitpounder]

Let me give my recent impression of Gibson... Went to a guitar store today, and while I like the sound of Gibson, the fit and finish were clearly lacking compared to similar priced Martins. And this quality control, fit and finish issue was quite obvious. For example, the particular Gibson I played had a poorly sanded, finished sound hole. Now I know this may sound petty, but it was that bad. The s;Martin was beautifully finished. Anyways, that's what turned me off. I want a guitar that is made with care, not something that is quickly pushed through the assembly line.

[@andrewbowen8122]

Who can forget that Agnessi train wreck of a video? In many ways this story is very much in line with the division being pushed by the media and politicians who also think they’re all so far above the average citizens and it speaks of elitism imo.

[@neilbranco9175]

I have a Gibson Southern jumbo which I absolutely love. But your right, I don’t love the way they have been going about things. I recently purchased a D’angelico for the reasoning that I like where they are going and what they are about. That’s exactly why I bought a D’angelico and not a Gibson as my latest guitar.

[@TheOtteroo]

I used to live in Kalamazoo. I can tell you exactly why. There is no doubt to me that these are the highest quality instruments made, BUT, when they cost as much as a CAR or a small HOUSE, not everyone can afford that. When there ARE better choices for less money, I know where I am going to spend mine, money is too hard to come by these days.

[@petemitchell6788]

You made some great points I hadn’t thought about.

[@tomhampton4595]

As usual, you absolutely nailed it with this video. I have forwarded it to our local GIBSON rep. If they would have half a brain they would hire you to help them fix this problem. Great job Jeremy!

[@mitchellhorner1510]

Is it bad that I like seeing the guitar tours that Mark does and the “scene” ones...

[@MattTee1975]

I like them. I don't see anything wrong with checking out Dweezil's guitar collection. Otherwise, Gibson can go pound sand.

[@aaronperrotta7055]

No it's bad you like seeing them. Don't listen to this pathetic comment section, or the content of this horrible video.

[@davidchase-lopes8413]

Really great video. Lot's of interesting ideas.

[@dingohaus]

I really enjoyed your thoughts on this.

[@jessemelendez6305]

Hello Jeremy, I agree with everything you said, especially the part about Fender providing free online lessons and the boutique guitar builders.

[@ryanbloom1738]

I like the acoustics Don running the show in Montana seems genuine. Also i think the use of walnut is cool.

[@charlesbranch4120]

As a Griz from UM, I was really happy to hear my son in law's story about his tour of Gibson while he was living in Bozeman, evidently absorbed in the tour that as he was leaving, he was offered a job. He declined since he wanted to finish his schooling at MSU. He's been stopping by during his paramedic internship here in Coeur d'Alene to play my guitars as I started learning to play this past year. I wonder if he made it home to western WA, since Snoqualmie Pass is closed due to snow and avalanche conditions... Glad I picked up the guitars when I did... Taylor Guitars Primetime Tuesdays 6 p.m. Pacific, 9 p.m. Eastern, Live on KZbin! I think the Gibson acoustics sold through their demo shop and Reverb look great. My son in law dreams for one... I look at Maestro Guitars, and I'm blown away by their voicing, craftsmanship and materials, and then their price is just so affordable.

[@ryanbloom1738]

@Tim Cox cool I'm jealous

[@2musiclover534]

Brilliant analysis. Thanks. Liked.

[@c.p.1589]

Does anyone have any actual sales figures to back up any of this?

[@JP-jy7sk]

I generally agree with you Jeremy. But, for me, as long as Gibson makes a good guitar (up for debate), I don’t care what message their marketing team pumps out. Stop paying attention to their marketing and media, and all the crap falls away. I wanted a Les Paul Standard, so I bought one.

[@gilh3947]

Indeed!

[@jaxn13]

Yeah that’s fine, but the times are showing most people don’t. People are moving away in droves from Gibson. He’s just speculating on why he thinks that is. and he’s pretty spot on in my opinion.

[@thhare]

@@jaxn13 Well said Jax

[@jackmalcic2949]

I agree! I don't care one bit who 'Gibson is trying to sell to'... I love Gibson guitars so I buy Gibson guitars.

[@vaughanmacegan4012]

So you absolutely had to buy a Gibson single cut? Did you look around, did you see that there are many other companies that would have guitar that better suit your needs, like better pickups for your type of music, better tuners, better tuning stability, better neck profile, flatter radius for faster playing, the price? What criteria lead you to think that the Gibson was the superior product? Or did you just buy blindly because the marketing hype has lead you to believe that somehow Gibson is better? Les Paul Standard, hang on, isn't that an Epiphone model?

[@russmangus]

I’ve been poor my entire life. I’m 30. I’m not a boomer doctor or lawyer. I saved money (I know CCRAAZY) and bought a Gibson SG ‘61 reissue. I’ve never been so inspired to play. After spending 20 years playing mostly acoustic and mostly cheap crap I am beyond happy with it. Originally I bought a Fender American Professional which I had to send back 2 models before I got one that didn’t have horrible QC/shipping/wrong color issues. When I spent time with the one that had a really nice fit and finish, I wasn’t happy with it just based on what and how I like to play. And fender actually left me with a bad taste in my mouth. When I got my Gibson, boom right out of the case it was perfect. Did a set up myself and have never been happier. There’s nothing wrong with fender, I still want one, but they blew it! When I was shopping for guitars, one thing I quickly learned was that if you buy a flagship model guitar made in the USA they all cost between $1-$2k. The American Professional I bought was $1500! I was also looking at PRS guitars in the same price range. People can argue all day and all night about value per dollar, but the long winded debating about the price of Gibson USA is ridiculous because people are always talking about the $5-$10k models and pretend Fender custom shop and PRS doesn’t offer the same exact thing. The perspective of the video that oh I don’t see my hipster self fitting in with Gibson, they aren’t speaking to me, they aren’t interested in me, they keep talking about history and dinosaurs and that video of Dweezil Zappa on Gibson TV. Seriously who cares? I hate companies that try and snatch your identity and use it against you. Gibson knows exactly what they are, they’re the guitar that has had a place right along side fender in popular music decade after decade. The whole point of their campaign right now is to say that they aren’t going to change the guitars with robotuners, they’re going to embrace their long and storied history. Sorry you think the new Slash guitar or Peter Frampton or Dave Mustaine guitars are stupid and out of touch with hipsters. It’s not about you. Lol You may not respect that Gibson is going to use Jimmy Page with his les paul burst, or George Harrison with his SG or ES 345, or any of the other dinosaur music to prop themselves up. They're coming out of 30 years of mismanagement. That's what this video is about. You're not covering anything new. I'm sorry you need a giant corporation to make you feel a certain way to buy their product. I don't need Gibson to make me feel special, I need them to make classic guitars that are iconic that have good QC and are made by Americans; it is my opinion they are doing this again. As long as they achieve that, I can handle my own self image and how I fit into things. I don't need their help.

[@paule4696]

Well said!

[@JeremySheppard]

Whoa! Nice work.

[@1davejsutdave1]

Gibson USA have made great guitars this year. I love that 61 reissue and the new Standards, I got a 60s and it's amazing. I will have it for life like my 94 Tele Plus and 97 Tele American Standard. Do it once do it right.

[@1davejsutdave1]

@Jimmy Dean Bolt on neck prices also are always going to be less because they're easier to make, also with a straight headstock you can be more efficient with wood. People still want Les Pauls. When I started playing the 90s many of us were against them because the LP/Marshall cliche but the JCM 900 and Les Pauls were just great. Again I'm agnostic, I don't hang myself to a brand or model guitar like a lot of internet personalities. I go in phases where all I want to play are my LPs only to play my Teles for weeks. They're all great and there's a reason they are still made this day that has noting to do with boomers. Sooner or later every generation will play one and realize why they are so great. Especially live because you can get so many sounds out of a LP by just using the knobs and selector. The only guitar I love more is my 335.

[@mariodriessen9740]

I'm a poor mofo, but I love all 4 of my Gibsons that I worked really hard for. I love my Fenders as well btw. You can say whatever you want, but in my opinion Gibson, since James Curleigh, did EXACTLY what we've all been wanting them to do; provide us with high quality guitars for a price that's nothing more than fair for an American made quality product. The only thing I agreed on is their fear driven policies regarding smaller builders. Apart from that, I don't think I've ever seen a guitar brand regaining the trust of their consumers so quickly. Hats off to Gibson and James Curleigh! 🎩 O and Jimmy Dean, you can kiss my hairy, European socialist butt.

[@fernandoayala2477]

What’s your thought on Martin guitars? Maybe I missed a video on that company

[@JeremySheppard]

I love Martin's and talk about them all the time. I haven't done a video quite like this one...maybe I should.

[@theuserthatishere]

to this day Martin builds great guitars, i'm a blue collar bloke and spent $3k on an hd28 if that means anything

[@Zordid0]

Great video!

[@markmiller7444]

Never could afford new Gibson always had used Gibson's.

[@flashbak01]

I feel you overlooked two additional points, pricing and quality. Their guitars are consistently overpriced with quality that's been hit or miss for the last 10 years! Many alternative brands exist that are far more affordable, offer a much better value, and put Gibson's QC to shame.

[@MadMatter]

This is the real reason why people are _leaving_ rather than them just not attracting _new_ players. And to the latter point - which seemed to be the point of the video in the first place, really - I don't get it, as I never have seen Gibson fitting that role. That is, to me they were always a premium brand - and premium/luxury brands don't ever care about total noobs, regardless of the product, because that's just not their demographic. The abysmal QC is the real issue here, coupled with ever-high prices.

[@scottmckeen3908]

Very well said! Just subbed to the channel.

[@jeffsizemore7055]

Great job!!!

[@biggreenrem]

I have been a Gibson fan since I bought my first one in the 80's. That being said, you nailed it with this video. Gibson has not evolved and is stuck in the corporate world with little or no concern for the arts or the artists who fund them. Fender who is equally as iconic has hit a homerun in my opinion with fender play. Great video, keep up the good work! Glad to have found your channel! Thank you!

[@ViperSRT1008]

I guess I have been really lucky. I have 9 Gibson models from various years from 1987 to 2019 and I have never had an issue with any of them beyond one or two small cosmetic issues. Best guitars I own. I agree with your points though that they need to focus one on the artists and WHO used their tools to make incredible music.

[@michael-herbertjust4195]

He man. You are absolutely right !!! Thank You for Your Channel. love it. Michael form Germany.

[@magpye4212]

Fender: sells functional swiss army knives Gibson: sells big, unwieldy, expensive, outdated swords

[@vrmn11]

They should also stop trying to sue their way back into profitability

[@roymontero4066]

And rightfully so, if you own the patents and original design why not? Some of these boutique brands are just recycled Gibson templates, no innovtions.

[@sc12100]

@@roymontero4066 If you think Gibson should sue everyone who's mimicked their design, then you would also agree CF Martin should sue Gibson for copying the square shouldered dreadnought with their Hummingbird models. And those boutique builders make a better Gibson guitar than Gibson does. Hell, I'll buy a ESP Eclipse for half the price of a LP and its double the quality of a Gibson. Lets also not forget - Gibson has been bought and sold by other "parent" companies and its nothing more than a trademarked name. No one related to Orville Gibson is a part of the current company and hasnt ever been since the days past. They have been run by corporate shills since the late 90s and them suing other brands is nothing more than corporate warfare. And they still cant make a quality LP thats priced right. Gibson is the bully brand of the guitar world. Agnese is and always has been a douche, even back when he was at Norm's. Him and Gibson are a perfect fit.

[@roymontero4066]

@@sc12100 such a long soliloquy yet weak counterpoint. I will clarify my position a bit better as to why I side with Gibson: 1. They invented the shapes and own the patents for Les Paul, SG, Explorer, Flying V, PAF pickups, marauder, Epiphone Coronet, Wiltshire etc. They should be protecting their intellectual rights whether Oriville Gibson’s family owns Gibson or an umbrella corporation do - its beside the point. 2. Gibson markets their brand as “legacy” and “premium” ergo the target consumer is not a bearded hipster who works for starbucks. Why get angry when you’re not the target consumer. Do one get mad a jeweller who sells blinged out grills to rappers, if you’re not a rapper? Please. 3. Wait for the annual sales report whether Gibson has positive or negative net profit, methinks Gibson number this year is black.

[@sc12100]

@@roymontero4066 You do know patents expire right? Thats the reason Fender, Martin, and others aren't sue happy like Gibson - because they know its a waste of money and a losing battle when it comes to their reputation. Gibson hasnt figured that out yet. Again, Gibson’s parent company is the one directing their legal decisions, NOT Gibson. That's something you're failing to realize.

[@charlesbolton8471]

@@roymontero4066 I think you are spot on with your second and third points. Although I don’t disagree that Gibson (or any of company) should do what is necessary to protect their intellectual property the lawsuits do negatively affect the brand and many of their lawsuits have come too late to stop the problem. Gibson has always been a “premium” brand. Even though they are a premium brand it is also worth noting that Gibson offers the least expensive American made guitars of any of the major brands in both electric and acoustic guitars. It might not be the model (models) that most people want or aspire to own, but they need to be given credit for their entry level American made guitars. Like you, I’m fairly sure that Gibson had a pretty good year in 2020. It’s also worth noting that Gibson’s financial issues never had anything to with the guitar portion of the business.

[@pd6262]

After playing for 15 years, never once looked at a Gibson. Always knew they were out of reach. By not engaging me in my teens and twenties, they probably lost a customer for life. I found what works for me (PRS, Classic Vibe Squires, Seagull, etc.) and they won’t ever break the bank. Fun to mod, etc.

[@seancriddle6227]

Prs are more expensive than gibson

[@asensibleyoungman2978]

@@seancriddle6227 That's what I was thinking about PRS guitars. They're mega expensive.

[@rosewoodsteel6656]

@@seancriddle6227 Sean, PRS covers all of the price points, from beginner instruments to their high end and all of them are extremely well made.

[@thejimmichanga2913]

I'm 33 now and having been playing since I was 15. Always wanted a les paul but interestingly enough never played one as none of my local shops stock them and my guitar friends don't play Gibson. Played an SG one time back in HS for the talent show but that's it. Fast forward to Jan 2020 when I was ready to finally buy a $1000-1500 guitar (playing $400 $600 guitars this whole time). Traveled a few hours to closest guitar center to finally play a Gibson les paul studio and left with an LTD Ec1000 burl popular w/ stainless frets, locking tuners, ebony fingerboard, pegasus/sentient pup combo, and fantastic feel and craftsmanship for the money. Couldn't be happier. Felt and sounded like the superior instrument for less money.

[@billsmith3042]

the new acoustic epiphone inspired line is spot on amazing and affordable

[@marcelt7203]

It’s their attitude In general that’s the problem. Somewhere they lost their love for making guitars and started to love making money. Most people don’t want to think about/ be associated with a manager trying to look like a rockstar that is the contradiction of authenticity. The only thing authentic is the bullshit coming out of his(Agnese) mouth.

[@charlesbolton8471]

I completely agree. The unfortunate thing is that this happens time and time again in every type of business when “investment” companies take over a business.

[@marcelt7203]

True, investors smell money, jump on profitable companies and suck them dry making us overpay for everything and downgrade quality processes and materials in order to make investors more money. Just as bad as those collectors horsing guitars and increasing prices so I can’t afford them anymore😥

[@juanvaldez4043]

I agree with you completely, I actually get more excited about the epiphone and kramer series than I do about Gibson.

[@dr.billcortner3433]

I'm a big fan of the Gibson Les Paul, but I must admit your points are very well taken. Very enjoyable clip. Keep 'em coming!

[@drewg3087]

I love how Gibson is “hated.” Makes me buy them more and the 12” radius and 50s style necks.

[@TheBoomtown4]

When they try to add new tech in the LP’s people bitch that “they’re ruining tradition, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.” If they don’t innovate then they get criticized for not innovating. A lot their guitars are expensive because they’re laborious and expensive to make, they use nitro paint, hand wrap the binding with fabric ropes, plek em etc.

[@MiikeyLawless]

Uh nah, they are expensive because they are selling a brand. Literally everyone wraps guitars to install binding. They pidgeonholed themselves by catering to elitists who want a symbol rather than musicians who want a tool.

[@TheBoomtown4]

@@MiikeyLawless $2000 for a les Paul ain’t bad considering the work that goes into it. That’s about the same price as an American strat or tele and it’s way more involved. Strats are poly paint not nitro, no binding, bolt on necks, not plekd. Also, American labor ain’t cheap. Are you talking about the Gibson es line?

[@michaelkeudel8770]

My 79 Les Paul Standard cost me $600 when I bought it, theres no way in hell I'd pay $2K plus for a worse product that's produced today.

[@HegemonWiggi]

@@michaelkeudel8770 $600 in 1979 had the buying power of $2,160 in 2021 USD due to inflation, so.... Pretty spot on then!

[@michaelkeudel8770]

@@HegemonWiggi the wood they use today is less dense and the body is swiss cheese, no thanks. My guitar was made by hand, not by a CNC machine. I have a real rosewood fret board and real abalone inlay, not baked rich lite and plastic inlays. Sorry, their not the same things.

[@kcbluemoon]

I like my Gibson guitars, flaws and all. They definitely have a magic to them. However, they also have supply chain issues, remaining QC issues, pricing issues, etc.. Spot on with this video. It's getting harder and harder to be a Gibson fan and player.

[@diddymies]

this

[@bclmax]

been trying to save for a sg but i might have to go with a yamaha revstar

[@andolf1686]

Great video

[@MeganNisbet]

I hope someone high up in Gibson marketing sees this and does something because Gibson is the only guitar brand I cringe to follow on social media.

[@tumbleweed3866]

Best thing i ever did was trade my les paul for a strat

[@nomojoe8150]

Been playing 38 years and I’ve never found a strat I liked. Now the telecaster is a whole different story.

[@patrickfoster4586]

I do own a few Gibson guitars now, but as a kid in 1981 when my late father saw I was serious about learning guitar he said he'd get me a nice one- any kind I wanted. I didn't hesitate to get a US made Vintage Series '62 Reissue Sunburst Stratocaster. It's been my #1 ever since. A Les Paul did cross my mind but I was soooo into Hendrix the Strat was the no brainer. Today I'm thankful I was into Jimi more than Page back then. I've played a crapload of Strat's but that 1982 '62 Reissue is the finest playing Strat I've ever come across. I like Les Paul's true enough; but I LOVE the Stratocaster!

[@Martos59]

Great video, thanks for telling it straight. I love gibsons and was building a SG and a Les Paul special double cut with some very good upgrades in design that would be great models for them to add to rival PRS and Fender. I was going to make a video of them when finished but now I guess instead of being interested in what I’ve come up with as worthwhile improvements and maybe a couple of worthwhile future models for them I’ll be sued instead for suggesting making changes. I can’t for the life of me wonder why they still churn out 17 degree angle headstocks!! Thanks for the heads up!!

[@scottconnuck3406]

I will be honest by saying that I knew absolutely NOTHING about Gibson before purchasing a Gibson Classical (used) and fell absolutely in love with it. I mean... I am a former guitarist with a master's in performance. I stopped playing years ago, selling my guitar and pledging never to pick up another. However, I found this guitar at a used book store that also sold instruments and fell madly in love with it. For $300, this guitar has a huge, dark, rich sound that I never experienced on my $3,000 dollar instrument back in the day. All I have to say is... I am so grateful to Gibson for having made a product so amazing to compete with the much more expensive rivals. That being said, I am sad that what you are saying is true. The world has changed, and, after doing some research on the company, discovered that Gibson has made problems for itself dating from the 1970's. For example, selecting a family member as CEO with no business experience who allowed their trademarks to expire and not looking toward the future. Many great companies have gone out of business for not keeping up with the times. I mean... Gibson first got a footing at the turn of the last century by selling mandolins and ukuleles. You MUST keep up with the times or die!

[@beatleme2]

Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash talked about the replica Gibson guitar he used on the band's 1987 debut "Appetite for Destruction," and how Gibson then made a replica of his replica. you cant make this tuff up Lol..i never even knew it..wow

[@TeShan-lf7kq]

Thanks so much for making this video! Every point you made was so true. Nice to find folks willing to speak the truth. 🙏🎸☯️

[@josephclarke6770]

When was that quote about Slash’s LP (9:46) from? Because that’s been common knowledge for quite a while now.

[@JeremySheppard]

This was almost 2 years ago now. At that time it wasn't common knowledge and I was a bit concerned saying it publicly

[@josephclarke6770]

@@JeremySheppard Cheers mate. I seem to remember it was in Slash’s autobiography (from 2007) Great video BTW!

[@bonannop]

And Jeremy, if Mark agnesi had one ounce of your genuine style, he might be more appealing, but he comes across as such a tool. They need a new messenger.

[@JohannesLabusch]

Hey! He's got EXPENSIVE leather jackets!

[@danielriccabona-guitar]

@@JohannesLabusch It's so painful watching him scratching those thin old guitar finishes with his zipper at Normans Rare Guitars...

[@rogerd9150]

@@JohannesLabusch ...with metal ornamentation all over them. I always cringed on the Normans Rare Guitar videos when he would pick up a guitar. Sorry Daniel, I missed seeing your comment. I’m just agreeing with you. He was a great guitar player tho

[@1sttvbn]

I bought two 50’s Standards this year. A triple A flamed cherryburst. And a P-90 equipped Gold Top. Both great guitars, with no issues. Any company has a right to protect their patents.

[@graemero5532]

well said

[@bobbyfarrish2477]

My favorite Rosewood guitar is the Bonecrusher the j60 that they make Bozeman Montana at one time was creating great acoustics

[@Mephilis78]

It's not too late for a Frampton guitar. What do expect? A Cardie B signature Gibson Stripper Pole?

[@theuserthatishere]

watch the vid how frampton gets his paul back after 30 years!

[@alanebunce]

This video should be part of an MBA class on branding.

[@JeremySheppard]

That is high praise, thanks, alan.

[@alanebunce]

@@JeremySheppard Seriously. I just posted it on LinkedIn for my network of mostly B2B marketers, because the lessons are so generally applicable. Good stuff.

[@championhairpuller]

My new LG-2 Historic Banner Series says differently. Wow!

[@JeremySheppard]

I'm jealous! Those are awesome. I want to play one!

[@championhairpuller]

@@JeremySheppard They are pretty hard to come by, but so fun to play, and they look killer.

[@joseescobar8807]

Came for the clickbait, stayed for the very well constructed argument. 👏🏽 👏🏽 👏🏽 this is quality content. Thank you so much.

[@anthonycosta2662]

Good points

[@lucabonzani9407]

For me the acoustic side is on another level and it needs to be discussed a part.... They're doing something greats in Montana... (also the cs of jazz guitar is great but it's really luxury)

[@Southernguitar74]

I believe Gibson is making their best acoustics ever these days. I have an advanced jumbo that I will put up against any Martin in terms of volume, clarity, richness, and playability...Plus it looks better. Some folks say looks don't matter, but they do to me. Life's too short to play a boring looking guitar.

[@harryrenner4016]

When it comes to acoustic guitars. Yamaha is the best guitar for the best price. just stay away from the two hundred dollar bundle models. and you won't be sorry.

[@briandedon7033]

This. New Gibson acoustics are really really good. And they do have some at decent price points for what they are. G45 is an incredible deal at $1k

[@rkoblues24]

Gibson's demographic is Lawyers and Doctors that can spend $10K on a guitar they don't know hk to play.

[@sheffieldlane5769]

The Harley Davidson of guitars.

[@guitarprepnplus1]

10 thousand? Really? Your thinking PRS

[@charlesbolton8471]

@@guitarprepnplus1 Gibson makes plenty of $10,000 + guitars, but to be fair the majority of Custom Shop Gibsons are in the $6,000-8,000 range.

[@jaredallen439]

@@charlesbolton8471 the new Chuck Berry signature is $10k. The Tommi Iommi signature is $20k.

[@charlesbolton8471]

@@jaredallen439 I know. I said that made plenty of $10,000 + models. To add to your list Slash Doubleneck $13,000, Tom Petty J-200 $10,000, anything Murphy aged at minimum $10,000. My point was that the majority of Custom Shop Gibsons are less than $10,000. To bring Fender into the conversation they have made at least two Custom Shop guitars that make an original Les Paul Burst look affordable.

[@paulmoore9785]

Ive had many electric guitars over the years from gibsons, fenders, prs, gretch... if i dont jell with a particular guitar i move it on. The only one guitar i can honestly say i will never sell is my 59 reissue les paul standard. its an absolute power house guitar that plays like a dream.

[@robertdenson7121]

I love Gibson.. I've been playing 43 years.. an I love them. Always have always wiill... There the only guitars I own.... GIBSON FOREVER..

[@therealalexchu]

Gibson has been the villain since the Norlin era of the 70s. The culture of arrogance goes beyond the executive team past or present- it’s in their DNA and it’s hard to change.

[@JeremySmith23]

Gibson gained me as a player by continuing to make beautiful nitro finished guitars in the USA.

[@Murphmonster69]

Nitro is tight but it’s kind of an environmental/health risk.

[@richardt9102]

Yup. Me too

[@ArielCardona]

@@Murphmonster69 not for me

[@MSStateBulldawg83]

I have a Les Paul now because I couldn't afford one then. Beautiful instrument! In the case in my music room. I play my Fender Stratocaster...

[@dixiefallas7799]

Just bought my son a Gibson this week. SG he loves it along with his Strat.🇬🇧