This article published in 2017, do you think some of the reasons in this article, is why Gibson is reaching out with lawsuits, because they are losing market share..I believe it is. Now here we are a few years later, with all the new changes in the organization, have things changed for the better. Not so sure they have.
A company like Gibson - or Fender for that matter - do not see market changes on the same level as we do. The perspective is different.
The people who would buy a Les Paul Replica, do so because they are either unwilling - or unable - to purchase the genuine article, and therefore, they would never be considered in this equation anyways.
This is, i believe, to be a universal truth and a byproduct of consumerism. You can apply this logic to all manner of products in the modern marketplace.
Gibson has its niche, as does Fender. Some buyers subscribe to a doctrine of blind brand loyalty. Others, shop strictly on the premise of trying to find the cheapest - playable - guitar they can possibly find.
Still fewer, i think, regard the USA Made Gibsons as the last holdout of American made quality, notwithstanding just how many of your guitar heroes have played them.
Modern artists, like Machine Gun Kelly, have popularized the pink Schecter, Cobain popularized a Mustang, Robbin Crosby popularized the Jacksons, and Eric Johnson, SRV and Hendrix the Stratocaster.
The funny part is, nobody realizes how the "replicas" of these artist's guitars are in no way even close to the ones played by the artist, except in appearance. I have seen this firsthand in my time working at Fender in artist relations.
Its all about marketing. Its all about sponsorship. Its about influencing a purchase based on appealing to your influences, whomever and whatever those might be.
I paid $1,200.00 for a pre-release Ibanez DT-555 in 1983, mostly because i saw Phil Collen playing it on Def Leppard's video of 'Photograph.'
Now, i have evolved to a point where scale length, neck radius, fret longevity, tone and reliability - along with American manufacturing - has become much more important to me.
I've owned imported guitars that were playable. I had two very good Schecters and a MIK Squire, the latter of which i gigged with for 28 years. But, none of them can match the $3,000 2021 Gibson Les Paul 50's Standard Gold Top for feel, recirded tone and overall quality.
None of the $800 to $1,000 Gibsons were even close in terms of fit, finish and quality - and you cannot expect them to be - when you see the labor that goes into a Gibson build. To make them cheap requires significant cuts.
Play whatever you like....
I turned the sound off to read Mike’s comment. Reminded me of an old saying my dad had:
”Consider the source; then ignore it”
Or call in an air strike.