Rhett Shull - Why New Bands Don't Play Gibson Guitars
- Thread starter LPCM
- Start date
Sapient
Ambassador of Vocal Inspiration
Face it, Gibson's and Fenders are grampa guitars. Kids even think a nice crunchy gain is grampa tone too.
We all get old, I suppose. Especially the new metal kids think this.
I have many Lesters and Teles, myself. Ramo secretly asks to buy all my Teles all the time. He gets on my nerves sometimes.
We all get old, I suppose. Especially the new metal kids think this.
I have many Lesters and Teles, myself. Ramo secretly asks to buy all my Teles all the time. He gets on my nerves sometimes.
eSGEe
Ferengi Ambassador of Trade
love what he says 5:50 in .... "SLASH" made the les paul popular again 
shame it wasnt a REAL ONE !!!
HEy Hey Hey -- before yall start the hate mail I have .... er 6 Les pauls (gibson or epi) and multiple OTHER Gibbos -- so dont brand me a GIBBO HATER .... or do I really dont care-- I just think what he said is funny!
shame it wasnt a REAL ONE !!! HEy Hey Hey -- before yall start the hate mail I have .... er 6 Les pauls (gibson or epi) and multiple OTHER Gibbos -- so dont brand me a GIBBO HATER .... or do I really dont care-- I just think what he said is funny!
Slash is very humble in person. A real class act. never has a negative thing to say about anyone or anything....
SG John
Ambassador of Cool Guitars and Amps.
He makes some valid points. Some of which, Java and I discussed today without seeing the video first.
First of all, you will never see Gibson match Fender in price for base models. Two reasons. Fenders are cheap ass guitars to make compared to a Gibson. Both the manufacturing process, and the basic economics. You can get a Mexican, Japanese, Indonesian, or Chinese guitar that will still say Fender. You will only see American made Gibson paid to manufacture with American labor scales, EPA rules, and many other factors.
The other big factor is how dismal it is to make money in the music industry these days. If I, or anyone with half a brain needed to go on tour to promote a record that you were able to find a distribution deal for, you’re not going to tour with a $2000.00 guitar. You will get a cheap Fender, Schecter, Ibanez, or other make that you will not be heartbroken if if it’s stolen or damaged. Those are the two biggest obstacles for any indy touring band.
Gibson does have the Epiphone brand to try to compete. They’ve finally made some aesthetic improvements live the ‘62 style headstock. But, other than young players, many people who have worked in manufacturing and grew up during the Cold War (like me) have a big issue with sending money to China.
What do they need to do? Maybe come up with some of the base models that were no frills as they did in the past. People playing Fenders means they’re still happy with 60-70 year old designs, they just play what they can afford. So, come up with an aesthetics pleasing, easy playing SG, Les Paul, or various other traditional models that are short on the labor intensive process of building a Gibson.
First of all, you will never see Gibson match Fender in price for base models. Two reasons. Fenders are cheap ass guitars to make compared to a Gibson. Both the manufacturing process, and the basic economics. You can get a Mexican, Japanese, Indonesian, or Chinese guitar that will still say Fender. You will only see American made Gibson paid to manufacture with American labor scales, EPA rules, and many other factors.
The other big factor is how dismal it is to make money in the music industry these days. If I, or anyone with half a brain needed to go on tour to promote a record that you were able to find a distribution deal for, you’re not going to tour with a $2000.00 guitar. You will get a cheap Fender, Schecter, Ibanez, or other make that you will not be heartbroken if if it’s stolen or damaged. Those are the two biggest obstacles for any indy touring band.
Gibson does have the Epiphone brand to try to compete. They’ve finally made some aesthetic improvements live the ‘62 style headstock. But, other than young players, many people who have worked in manufacturing and grew up during the Cold War (like me) have a big issue with sending money to China.
What do they need to do? Maybe come up with some of the base models that were no frills as they did in the past. People playing Fenders means they’re still happy with 60-70 year old designs, they just play what they can afford. So, come up with an aesthetics pleasing, easy playing SG, Les Paul, or various other traditional models that are short on the labor intensive process of building a Gibson.
The Fenders are so prevalent because of the sponsorship program, their relatively low cost and the current (worldwide) mentality of cheaper is better.
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Fender has an absolutely brilliant marketing department. It's a smart way to approach the guitar playing community. It's current. Its relevant....and it's paying off.
The PRS Silver Sky is a joke. It's a Strat with a PRS headstock. Absolutely zero originality being passed off as 'special.'
But, TBTH, you really don't have 'guitar players' anymore.
It started with Cobain and Nirvana. Not being able to play articulate solos suddenly became 'en vogue.'
SG John
Ambassador of Cool Guitars and Amps.
I’m sure Gibson does too. They had a Dave Grohl signature model, along with many others. Both are actually “Lifestyle Brands.” Just like Harley Davidson, Ducati, and Ferrari. They probably make just as much money in T-shirt, ball cap, and bar stool sales as they do guitars. And require their dealers to carry $XXXXXX.XX worth of lifestyle product as the guitars and amps.
As you know, @SG John , the labor involved in building a Les Paul is otherworldly when compared to a Fender. I'm not sure they can make it cheaper. The Epiphones seem to have a "Chinese Stigma" that the China made Fender's do not.
Why do you think that is????
I'm becoming kind of jaded I suppose. I'm not the builder you are, @SG John , but the things I have built are better than my $2,908.00 2021 Gibson les Paul 50's Standard Gold Top...and, TBTH, I suppose they SHOULD be better, considering I have unlimited time to build these guitars in comparison to the time limit placed on a Gibson line worker.
I mean, let's be frank here....
Tell me truly that a Hess is not better in every respect than a production line guitar....
SG John
Ambassador of Cool Guitars and Amps.
A Chinese Epiphone is made by a fifteen year old child with a gun to her head in a country with a totalitarian regime, that you need to sign a certain percentage of ownership over to that regime to do business there. Old news, and still true. Corporate profits at the top end are more important than anything else. Even if it means human rights abuses.
Far Rider
Ambassador Of The Cataverse
SG John
Ambassador of Cool Guitars and Amps.
And now that you changed this post, it happened many years before Cobain. Look at Steve Jones, Johnny Ramone, and many others fro ‘75 onwards.
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I'll tell you what I think.....
I need to open a guitar shop that does setups and winds custom pickups..
I might go broke, but what a way to go!
I need to open a guitar shop that does setups and winds custom pickups..
I might go broke, but what a way to go!
I mean, Cobain was iconic and he really contributed to the genre, but I never wanted to learn to play Nirvana, if that makes sense.
I respect your opinion, but having met the artist, not once, but several times, I can say that he has always been a humble and likeable dude. I've never heard him say anything bad about anyone.
You know who else is a class act in this regard???
John 5.
SG John
Ambassador of Cool Guitars and Amps.
I thought you have other people build them.
I was just with the owner of one of the SGs I made. The two I made are both here in London. It’s his favorite guitar, and he uses it at every gig. Didn’t get a chance to meet with the other owner, but I was assured that the love affair has not worn off.
I will never make another guitar for anyone else, unless they can cough up $10k. Because they are hand made, I would never be able to make money doing it.
Instead, I’ll just enjoy it as a hobby, and let my wife deal with them when I croak.
To a degree, and that's never been a secret.
I had all my woods cut and shaped by B.Hefner, had the fret slots cut by them, tuner holes drilled, binding slots routed and bridge posts placed by them. Those are operations that I do not have the tools for here. Even after having all that done, the assembly took much longer than I ever considered possible
I would never resort to cutting out my own bodies and laying out my own frets - as you do - when i can pay a local shop to do it for me.
Working full time in the industry, gives me very, very limited time, so I 'adjust" what I want to do to fit my available 'time slot,' so to speak.
I've learned to set/align my own necks and recently i even got into headstock repair, so I feel more confident with the upcoming SG build....
Although I have the help of one of our master builders, I will do a lot of the work myself on this project.....But I will still use a pre slotted fretboard
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eSGEe
Ferengi Ambassador of Trade
You know you can still get a USA MADE "vintage" instrument (that doesnt suck) for less than an Epiphone or Squire in most cases..........
made by real 'Mericans ... in Meridian Ms.
just a few examples
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Here's one you don't see too often in this good a condition; Made in the USPeavey Falcon electric guitar in very good cosmetic and electronic condition.No scratchy pots or switches,frets have only light wear, beautiful flamed maple neck. Plays and sounds fantastic! No case but will be packa...
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