Not sure if you guys have heard about this: http://sixstringsamurai.co.nz/2014/09/24/i...ourite-guitars/

Gibson are expected to raise prices by ~15% and drastically change the whole of the 2015 product line... not for the better, mind you. If you were thinking of buying a current model Gibson... now is the time.

I read somewhere that they also changed almost all their pickup spec.s in a not so subtle way but never announced it. What do you think are they shrinking to go boutique?

I think I wrote this before but someone from Epiphone and Gibson should change places. Gibson has been doing so stupid things over the years it pisses me off while I'm loving every Epiphone I get to play these days...

Buy our super expensive guitars now, before they get even more expensiiiivee!!!!

They probably have some misguided idea that by shrinking the line and hiking the prices, they will restore/increase the "premium" factor of their branding. ESP attempted a similar thing when they cut out most of the ESP Standard Series and rebranded it as E-II. Look how that turned out for them... a fucking disaster. ESP still hasn't recovered from it.

Shared the link on a local Turkish forum where most members play blues, they didn't freak out as they're so used to crappy changes Gibson makes

Interesting thing is only a few of those guy have Gibson's and almost all are custom shop or top of the line models, LP standard budget guys go for heritage or make their Fender's sound thicker...people think twice here as the prices are double compared to the U.S. so I found this important.

Something I also noticed is people give so many suggestions for Gibson alternatives but not as much as Fender. Shame really, I'll always play a nice LP when I have a chance but seems I won't be as time passes.

IThanks for sharing, it's always interesting to hear what the gear scene is like in different countries.

it seems like quite a crazy move. The people I know who are really into buying and playing gibsons tend not to favour change at all. Doesnt sound like the greatest strategy to leave those guys.

I did hear that the guy calling the shots at gibson just now has some crazy ideas, although I thought the forced mini tune systems was bad enough! I heard they wont be doing any more black LPs because this guy doesnt like them....... so my black LP just increased in coolness

Im sure there are plenty of builders happy to step into to get gibsons pissed off customers though. Maybe my next Gibson LP will be a Yamaha SG

Yeah thats totally going to help their fight against knock offs

They started uploading to website;

http://www2.gibson.com/Gibson-USA-2015.aspx

actually....... I kinda like the sound of this Zero Fret Nut they have. Ive not seen it obviously but the idea of being able to change string gauge without any issues with potentially filling the nut seems cool.
The removable pick guard is also good. Ive never liked the hole along from the pickup that is left if you ditch the guard.
The wider neck sounds interesting. Ive really got into the neck on my 70s tribute which is mega wide compared to my standard. The neck on the SG is wider than my Standard as well and it's also really nice to play.
They really need to ditch this tuner on the head thing though..... that sucks big time imo.

****
man, I just seen that they have put all these new features on the 'Traditional' models That's not right. By definition should they not kinda aim to be a little bit ...... traditional?
I would get an LP traditional but not one of of these models.

This post has been edited by bleez: Sep 25 2014, 05:30 PM

That's not a healthy trade policy. I think this will affect the second hand market as well. What I predict to happen is to see used LP being sold for the price of current new one. How can they change something that became a legend? They have a customers who love them for what they've been doing for years. Trying to fit modern market is nothing that could bring them any good...

Up to this point, all my Gibson playing friends are scouring the eBay after second hand models, as they are talking about the more and more decreasing quality of the newer models. Sad, but true.. I think we've had this discussion before, in respect to the availability of wood and resources in general. The more we advance through time, the scarcer they become... The outcome? Decreased quality and increased prices. I hope PRS won't do that anytime soon..

Yes ! Epiphone has great innovations. My favorite is the Prophecy Les Paul Custom Plus. Its amazing. A Les Paul with 24 frets and bigger radius If I could one day afford a Gibson Les Paul with my own specs, it would be a compound radius neck, access heel, 24 frets, passive pickups, locking tuners and locking bridge. And almost everything will remain like what's on today's Standard Les Pauls.



Yes.. but they'll get even more expensive on the second hand market



I am not a fan of the E-II series to be honest. Checked a few models out on their website



I hope so too. But, it's probably inevitable in the long run Guitar companies - Start growing lots of Mahogany, Alder, Maple, Poplar, Ash, Walnut, Ebony (lots of Ebony), Rosewood, and Brazilian Rosewood and... well, basically all guitar woods

I'll start this off by saying that I'm not personally into Gibson guitars, but I do understand their appeal...

Much like Fender, Gibson has a built-in base of those looking for a "classic" instrument of a certain style, namely the Les Paul.

I understand embracing a more modern approach to manufacturing and technology, but so many of the things that they've done, while not bad ideas or execution, just don't seem to fit in with their target audience.

I have a marketing background, and to me, it seems that Gibson should continue to play to their strengths... Whenever you have things like Robot Guitars, built in tuners, and straying from the LP/SG types of guitars, they crash and burn...

I find it hard to believe that their market research teams are finding out that there's a real demand for these things, but what do I know?

It seems that Gibson wants a bigger piece of the market, when in reality, they would probably do better financially and image wise if they dropped all the "bells and whistles" models, and stuck to their core product. Leave it to other companies, and what you save in all of these failed products, put back into improved quality control.

With the acquisition of so many other companies, it seems like Gibson is losing its focus as a guitar builder...

I wish them luck, but I don't think they're headed in the right direction...

totally. Have they just gone with the ' We're Gibson and people will like what we tell them to like '
just seems crazy.
I dont know why the didnt just introduce one model with these changes and see how it went.
Although, personally I'd drop a lot of the LP models anyway.

Yes, I'll agree that Gibson seems to have completely lost it's marbles at this point.
They've made some odd choices in the past - Flying V, Explorer, low impedance Les Paul, Corvus, etc. but none of those sunk the company (the V and Explorer even became iconic). Re-designing most of the LP line seems particularly unwise to me.

Is it possible that they are just adding all those models for the Les Paul 100 year anniversary? I noticed the commemorative sig on the headstocks of most of the LPs and SGs.

I recognize this...it's the usual storm when you change a monument. But after reading the total package i can't see why this
needs to be so horribly bad.
Playablility wise it seems to improve,if G force is reliable i have no complaint..zero frets do work well.
It's just the word change that scares more then the actual changes..

let's hope some open minded people will judge when they tried it ..it's just innovation and development.
Ofcours they're expensive ..nothing new there

Well, I guess that folks are really used to the idea that Gibson and Fender are classics and they will stay classics and keep the flag up as classics it's normal that people judge things as long as this is the basic idea that Gibson and Fender have promoted throughout time in general. Wouldn't you agree?

Fender and Gibson are like the Gucci and Louis Vuitton of the guitar market in my opinion. They have a solid reputation, make great quality products, and have due to the brand loyalty that people have towards them, they can raise prices and still sell because 'it's a Gibson'.

Personally I'm not a fan of either. Find they are disgustingly over priced for what they are. A fender from a design point of view was from the very start meant to be made cheaply and affordable but now charge way too much just because of a logo. And Gibson arn't much better. Sure the design does take more work but my god the price tag now for one is pretty damn silly and now its going up.

Just my point of view but I'm not a fan of American guitars. Most mine are Korean or Japanese built. For me personally I've always prefer have 2-3 really well built imported guitars to the one overpriced American one.

If I'm going to spend over 3k on a guitar then I would want it hand built to me exact specs, to my exact styling. 3k for a off the shelf guitar is crazy.

Take in account American guitars in in the land of Oz are crazy expensive.