Gibson Guitars Under investigation

[Coda]

Gibson CEO

 

Investigation is just beginning.

 

Edited November 19, 2009 by Coda

[Fridge]

Well, that's all quite interesting, but I'm not sure what it has to do with Rush

[Coda]

Alex uses Gibson doesn't he?

If it turns out bad, I was just wondering if that might change.

 

And there are aspiring guitarists here.

Edited November 19, 2009 by Coda

[1-0-0-1-0-0-1]

QUOTE (Fridge @ Nov 19 2009, 06:14 PM)

Well, that's all quite interesting, but I'm not sure what it has to do with Rush

Aside from the fact that Alex uses Gibsons, not much. Moving to MMM.

[1-0-0-1-0-0-1]

Gibson CEO Henry Juszkiewicz is turning this iconic company into a laughingstock. He's more into trying to reinvent the guitar with all kinds of crazy ideas (robot guitars, reverse Flying Vs, etc.) than sticking to making good Les Pauls and other classics. Les Pauls are $3000+ now probably because Juszkiewicz is trying to recoup all the money he's dumped into the R&D of these outlandish new guitars that nobody is buying.

 

Anyway. not surprised they're involved in a controversy like this.

[CygnusX-1Bk2]

[ChroniclesOfRush]

Gibson guitars completely suck anyway. I hope they get shut down.*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*unless they would like to send me an early 80's Howard Roberts Fusion which I hear tale was made with elephant tusks and polished with baby seal tears by a 6 year old asian girl. All that said I think I'll get over it. Make it two.

[CygnusX-1Bk2]

Gibson CEO leaves rainforest group after raid

November 19, 2009 06:37 EST

 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- The top executive of Gibson Guitar Corp. is taking a leave of absence from the board of an environmental group amid concerns about the source of the harvested wood used for instruments.

 

Federal agents on Tuesday raided a Gibson guitar manufacturing plant and seized guitars, but no one was arrested.

 

The Tennessean reported that the Rainforest Alliance announced on Wednesday that Gibson CEO and chairman Henry Juszkiewicz will not rejoin the board until the investigation has concluded.

 

Guitars and other musical instruments are often built from tropical hardwoods. Amid rainforest depletion, such woods are increasingly the focus of tight controls.

[CygnusX-1Bk2]

Juszkiewicz is responsible for turning Gibson around. The late 70's and 80's were terrible for Gibson and thei quality had declined severely. When Juszkiewicz took over they found old spec sheets and brought in old guitars and measured them then applied all that data to the guitars they make now. The quality has gone back up and surpassed easily. the Les Pauls made now are superior to the ones many are modeled after, just by consistency. I read an article from not long after he took over and I remember it stating that guitars made in 57, 58, 59 and 60 were measured and there were so many minor differences among like models that a 59 Les Paul, let's say, could vary greatly from another guitar made on the same day. So then the specs of the 50's Les Pauls are very loose and modern made Les Pauls meet those specs somewhere in the middle but are consistent from piece to piece.

[invisibleairwaves]

Yay, another reason not to buy a Gibson. *adds to list*

[jdouglas]

It's starting to make sense...

 

When the AL355s were delayed in shipping there were rumors that the slim 60s neck design AL used were snapping on the replicas.

Fast forward, after production there are pages of AL355 owners in the gibson forum who say the neck "volute" was moved from behind the nut to mid first fret (the volute is the small hump for the top your hand underneath the neck).

 

Anywho, The AL355 owners received no good answer as to why the design was changed....and I suspected that this was the solution to the snapping necks. A total guess on my part.

 

There is only so much very top quality wood on earth (which is why people love vintage guitars over new)...and I'm guessing todays wood can't perform like the wood of the 60s. Gibson of course doesn't want people to think this or who would buy a new guitar? you would go for vintage, right?

 

This is all just a guess on my part after reading all those pages of AL355 volute complaints, but it makes sense. Gibson is searching the ends of the earth for wood that can stand the strain of a heavy set-neck design. Perhaps they are running out / there is a shortage....and the AL355 with it's extreme design in this case is the first sign of this problem.

Edited November 20, 2009 by jdouglas

[CygnusX-1Bk2]

Seems like the problem is with the wood seller not the buyer.

[invisibleairwaves]

QUOTE (CygnusX-1Bk2 @ Nov 20 2009, 12:32 AM)

Seems like the problem is with the wood seller not the buyer.

Yes, but it also sounds like the buyer wasn't being careful enough, which is inexcusable considering what Gibson charges for their guitars.

[CygnusX-1Bk2]

QUOTE (invisibleairwaves @ Nov 20 2009, 01:15 AM)

QUOTE (CygnusX-1Bk2 @ Nov 20 2009, 12:32 AM) Seems like the problem is with the wood seller not the buyer. Yes, but it also sounds like the buyer wasn't being careful enough, which is inexcusable considering what Gibson charges for their guitars. "Although previously banned in Madagascar, the harvesting of rosewood was re-established recently on the island off the southeastern coast of Africa by a new government that took power after a coup in March. The government there contends it is allowing only limited harvesting of rosewood, but critics that include Greenpeace and other environmental activists complain that the wood is being cut to near extinction."   Tell me how Gibson is responsible for a governmental coup. This could have easily happened to Martin or Taylor as well. If you don't like how much Gibsons sell for don't buy one and stop crying about it. It is what it is. Gibsons are made in the US (as are Martins, Taylors, PRS and some Fenders) where labor is very expensive. Also craftsmanship is considerably higher. Price is relative and you get what you pay for. I have both a Gibson and an Epiphone Les Paul. Yes the Epi is nice, but is nowhere near the quality of the Gibson. I do professional audio for a living. The microphones I use at work range from $1800 to $5000 and speaker from anywhere around $800-$2500 a piece. So a guitar that sells for $2k or $3k is well within the range of high end equipment. These are not toys for consumers. They are high quality instruments made by expert craftsman in a specialized field. A Fender is a different story, it's a plank with a neck. A strat for $2k is a ripoff, but not a Les Paul or a 335. They are as much a work of art as it is an instrument.   50's Gibsons can fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars. Stradivarius violins go for millions. It's all relative.

[invisibleairwaves]

QUOTE (CygnusX-1Bk2 @ Nov 20 2009, 02:19 AM)

QUOTE (invisibleairwaves @ Nov 20 2009, 01:15 AM) QUOTE (CygnusX-1Bk2 @ Nov 20 2009, 12:32 AM) Seems like the problem is with the wood seller not the buyer. Yes, but it also sounds like the buyer wasn't being careful enough, which is inexcusable considering what Gibson charges for their guitars. "Although previously banned in Madagascar, the harvesting of rosewood was re-established recently on the island off the southeastern coast of Africa by a new government that took power after a coup in March. The government there contends it is allowing only limited harvesting of rosewood, but critics that include Greenpeace and other environmental activists complain that the wood is being cut to near extinction."   Tell me how Gibson is responsible for a governmental coup. This could have easily happened to Martin or Taylor as well. If you don't like how much Gibsons sell for don't buy one and stop crying about it. It is what it is. Gibsons are made in the US (as are Martins, Taylors, PRS and some Fenders) where labor is very expensive. Also craftsmanship is considerably higher. Price is relative and you get what you pay for. I have both a Gibson and an Epiphone Les Paul. Yes the Epi is nice, but is nowhere near the quality of the Gibson. I do professional audio for a living. The microphones I use at work range from $1800 to $5000 and speaker from anywhere around $800-$2500 a piece. So a guitar that sells for $2k or $3k is well within the range of high end equipment. These are not toys for consumers. They are high quality instruments made by expert craftsman in a specialized field. A Fender is a different story, it's a plank with a neck. A strat for $2k is a ripoff, but not a Les Paul or a 335. They are as much a work of art as it is an instrument.   50's Gibsons can fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars. Stradivarius violins go for millions. It's all relative. Obviously a $3k Gibson is far better than a $500 Epiphone or a MIM Strat, but for $3k, there's just too many better guitars out there. Even the higher-end Gibsons are plagued with issues like the neck design problem that jdouglas mentioned, and I've heard plenty of QC horror stories. For $3k I could get a PRS that doesn't have these problems, and on top of that, looks better, plays better, is far more tonally versatile, and sounds just as good (although most of those things are fairly subjective). Hell, for $3k I could get TWO American-made Strats or Teles, and those guitars aren't anything to scoff at. When you compare Gibsons with cheaper guitars, yeah, of course they're better, but when you compare them to similarly-priced instruments they just don't compete IMO.

[Don Quixote]

As much as I love the design / look of the PRS stuff, the necks just don't feel right to me. For some reason they feel wider than the SG or Strat / Tele necks.

[Soni]

I have 2 1/2 gibsons (that's a high en epiphone ).

While I agree they're great instruments, nothing justifies the prices... I'm sure I could find a better guitar for less money.

[1-0-0-1-0-0-1]

QUOTE (Don Quixote @ Nov 20 2009, 11:32 AM)

As much as I love the design / look of the PRS stuff, the necks just don't feel right to me. For some reason they feel wider than the SG or Strat / Tele necks.

I agree with that. I've tried a few, and love how they sound, but they had what I would call a shredder guitar's neck. Never liked the feel of those.

 

One of these days I'm going to build a PRS-style guitar from Warmoth parts. It'll have a PRS body with a Strat neck (Strat scale length, width, fretboard radius, but with a PRS-ish headstock).

[SignatureAurora75]

Get a Signature, those are quality woods right there.

[tangy]

considering its many contributions to rock and roll, has anyone ever made a guitar out of hemp?

[hammer.2112]

I'm almost positive Alex used a tobacco sun burst Les Paul during ATWAS;and an ES335 - white. Dont quote me.

[1-0-0-1-0-0-1]

QUOTE (hammer.2112 @ Nov 21 2009, 11:36 AM)

I'm almost positive Alex used a tobacco sun burst Les Paul during ATWAS;and an ES335 - white. Dont quote me.

Okay, I won't quot-.......oops.

[CygnusX-1Bk2]

Actually it was a cherry sunburst in the pictures I've seen.

 

Has anyone seen the price of a PRS? They are as much or more than Les Pauls!

[_pete_]

Read these reviews on Gibson. These are reviews by the employees on what it is like at the company.

I have friends that worked there and they told me the same things.

It's horrendous. Henry J is a lunatic and an egomaniac. He's ruining a fine company with a proud heritage.

 

http://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Gibson-Gu...views-E6869.htm

 

I just bought a Gibson. A Les Paul Axcess (yep, just like Alex's new favorite guitar).

I will say that it is flawless. It's a very, very good instrument and I hope to keep it for a long time. I do think it's overpriced but there was nothing on the market that compared to it.

 

If they are found guilty of the charges, I hope Henry is forced out. The company should be run by someone more like Paul Reed Smith. He is a guitar guy and a musician and cares about the products they sell.

 

Actually, I would take the Gibson CEO job. I know I could do better than Henry. I'm officially throwing my hat in the ring...

[1-0-0-1-0-0-1]

Pete, I was going to post the same Glassdoor link. Someone had posted it on another guitar board last month. Those anonymous employee reviews plus the STUPID guitars Gibson has been churning out the past couple of years tells me the company has totally lost its focus, and it comes from their CEO.

 

Just look at these monstrosities. Why waste all that money on designing and producing guitars that no one will buy (except maybe collectors)? They're hideous.

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v318/1001001/Guitars/Zakk-Wylde-Buzz-Saw2.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v318/1001001/Guitars/122245.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v318/1001001/Guitars/44caa865-b5c8-4c89-9517-0eda0bc4a86.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v318/1001001/Guitars/eye-gtr-1-1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v318/1001001/Guitars/holy-x_main.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v318/1001001/Guitars/1eff6c11c48ec9677261fb4c8b6387a3.jpg

 

One of those Glassdoor reviews said it pretty well:

 

"Henry likes to pretend that he runs a tech company. Unfortunately, he doesn't seem to realize that he holds the greatest guitar brand in the history of the world in the palm of his hand. Instead of making guitars that his customers want - the Les Pauls, SGs, Flying Vs, etc; guitars with historic value and instant charisma, he'd rather try to reinvent the wheel by producing guitars that tune themselves (that is, for about five minutes... then they break and the customer is forced to begin the convoluted customer return process)."