Were you happy with the QC on your new Gibson ?

[Gitfiddler]

I don't buy new Gibbys. I let someone else take the resale hit.

This!

Speaking of Gibson QC...I just got a nice 2014 LP 120th Anniversary model (Memphis USA) that was a straight swap deal. The guitar was darn near perfect...except for the frets. The fret ends were so sharp that they could draw blood if you slid up or down the neck to quickly. One trip to my local guitar tech solved the problem. Now it's a fantastic guitar!



And this 60th Anniversary Goldtop (USA Memphis) bought used, was perfection!



Every Gibson "Custom Shop" guitar I've ever bought new or used was darn near perfect right out of the box. Gibson USA was more of a risk...luck of the draw...but with minimal set up or other tweaking, still a low risk purchase. So, yes, I've been relatively happy with the QC.

[BigMikeinNJ]

I haven't purchased too many new Gibsons, I DID get what seemed brand new 2004 Crimson Custom Shop Byrdland (overseen by T. Hutchins) and then I got this beast, a 2002 NOS Gibson Citation back in October, what can I say

[TedBPhx]

Do the CMEs count as new? Mine is new to me and never previously owned by a human, only a corporation. The QC could have been better I guess. Got this figured maple Memphis 175 back from the luthier yesterday. He was able to buff out those red streaks from the cutaway binding, yay, but then his far more experienced eye spotted a couple of more areas that he could not remove, oh well. He agreed the factory fret job is perfect and set the relief, lowered and recut the nut, dialed in the intonation and brought to life a guitar that is a dream to play. So Gibson’s QC was good enough for me.

[wmachine]

I don't buy new Gibbys. I let someone else take the resale hit.

First of all, you're in the wrong thread.
Second, I buy new Gibbys at prices less than the same used ones are selling for. New, and no hit.

[BigMikeinNJ]

First of all, you're in the wrong thread.
Second, I buy new Gibbys at prices less than the same used ones are selling for. New, and no hit.

a real freakin’ shame.
this B.B. is becoming more like TGP or the Les Paul forum all the time.

[Thumpalumpacus]

First of all, you're in the wrong thread.

Nah.

Second, I buy new Gibbys at prices less than the same used ones are selling for. New, and no hit.

Where's this?! Used prices with a warranty, I'd be on that like white on rice.

[christianm77]

First of all, you're in the wrong thread.
Second, I buy new Gibbys at prices less than the same used ones are selling for. New, and no hit.

Well TBH you are still getting ripped off....

*Lights blue touch paper and retires*

[GNAPPI]

Well TBH you are still getting ripped off....

?? Meaning that anyone who buys a Gibson is getting ripped off?

Just because someone has a preference for and buys a premium product that may or may not have issues like Gibson or even Rolex means that's their preference, and needs no justification or approval. In many cases products like Rolex and Gibson in the long term resale value is generally positive where most other products cannot say the same.

If I misunderstood your reply, mea culpa.

[Stringswinger]

?? Meaning that anyone who buys a Gibson is getting ripped off?

Just because someone has a preference for and buys a premium product that may or may not have issues like Gibson or even Rolex means that's their preference, and needs no justification or approval. In many cases products like Rolex and Gibson in the long term resale value is generally positive where most other products cannot say the same.

If I misunderstood your reply, mea culpa.

When it comes to jazz guitar, most of the greats played Gibson guitars. Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass, Charlie Christian. Barney Kessel, Kenny Burell, Tal Farlow, Herb Ellis, Larry Coryell, Johnny Smith, Pat Martino, Jim Hall, Howard Alden, Eddie lang, Bireli Lagrene Grant Green etc. etc. etc. ......

An argument can be made that those who fail to use the same tools as the masters are the ones making a bad decision.

[christianm77]

?? Meaning that anyone who buys a Gibson is getting ripped off?

Just because someone has a preference for and buys a premium product that may or may not have issues like Gibson or even Rolex means that's their preference, and needs no justification or approval. In many cases products like Rolex and Gibson in the long term resale value is generally positive where most other products cannot say the same.

If I misunderstood your reply, mea culpa.

You didn't misunderstand, but my motivation for doing this was to be a bit of a troublemaker, because the thread is very boring. As usual it was taken in a completely po-faced way, which is why it's funny to me to wind up the Gibson crowd.

I'm not a Gibson hater. I've tried a few modern Gibsons, and found them to generally quite good. Nothing that really fired me up - I like the old ones, lighter, more resonant.

I did try an L5 that I couldn't really see the point of... Was an acoustic guitar with no acoustic tone, built like an electric archtop... Didn't really see the point of it. Would have been fine with a pickup, but it was 8,000GBP, so not sure if it was intended as a performance instrument, more a wall decoration. For that money I would probably buy an L5 with a pickup?

Where was the L5, the flagship acoustic archtop? It's like they made an electric L5 and forgot to put the pickup on. Bizarre.

But TBH, they aren't really seeing professional musicians as their main customer. That's fair enough - they want people with money who buy several instruments - collectors, amateurs with day jobs and so on. A top level NY jazz guitarist buys one expensive instrument (often vintage, used or custom made) because they have no room for several in their tiny apartment and sells records to a few hundred people worldwide. That's completely useless to them in bald economic terms.

A friend of mine who is a leading UK jazz guitarist once had an endorsement deal with Gibson (he plays a D'Angelico now. I wonder why?) He went to their UK HQ to pick up his guitar, took it out and tried it out. The receptionist commented how nice it was to hear a guitar actually being played. Tells me all I need to know about the brand.

And of course, it is ALL about the Les Pauls. An instrument that is all about a particular generation. Archtops etc? No-one really cares that much. The money (I think) is to be made in selling high end repro Les Pauls - selling the dream of music, rather than its actuality. No ordinary person can afford an original 50's LP, now, so that's obviously the niche to exploit. It's missing a trick to do otherwise.

It's a good business model in the short term, but long term there may well be a generation who are no longer inspired by the brand as fewer and fewer players openly endorse the brand. Jazzers seem as likely to choose different makers these days.

Also the fact the Gibson are at the same time devaluing the brand by producing things like the M2 and the cheaper Les Paul models, seems pretty perverse if they are meant to be a luxury brand. Not quite sure what they are thinking.

[GNAPPI]

>>SNIP<<

Also the fact the Gibson are at the same time devaluing the brand by producing things like the M2 and the cheaper Les Paul models, seems pretty perverse if they are meant to be a luxury brand. Not quite sure what they are thinking.

I don't really think Gibson is, wants to be or ever was an exclusive luxury brand. They ALWAYS (since the 50's anyway) had the cheapo models like Les Paul juniors, SG's, Melody maker, Sonex and even the ES line had cheapies like the ES-125. So that's BROAD stroke you paint with because if Gibson only sold the premium models, they'd likely have gone the way of the dodo a long time ago... IMO that is.

[viccortes285]

I own two older Gibson Les Paul Standard which have the tone that's me. On all my guitars I make them suit me. My Carvin of 22years is maybe my best playing and sounding guitars. I play out of a DRRI 68 and use the GT-100, for my main gear.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[El Fundo]

My 2012 VOS ‘59 ES175 is perfect in every way. OTOH, I had an ‘06 335 for a minute that was almost perfect except that the f-holes appeared to have been tooled by a very hungover bloke with a serious case of the DTs.

[pilotony]

Well, here is my two cents.

I purchased new Gibsons in: 1966, ES345TDC-SV; 1988, L4; 2007, Les Paul Supreme; 2014, L5 and ES175.

No QC issues on any of them.

Tony D.

[ptchristopher3]

Could not resist the real (after you talk to them some) CME price on a 275.

The thing arrived and was quite a mess. Torn up screw heads, chipped nut, various cosmetic problems in the lacquer, all survivable and I was even planning to just deal with the problems. But one brace was never attached to the top for the upper 6 inches. I mean they splooged glue all over everything but seemingly did not clamp the braces in place well at all.

These are the dumbed-down “kerfed” braces (I suppose you could write it as kerfed “braces”), so pretty much any idiot can get them fitted.

I would have even considered just fixing this, but the Titebond had puddled in the spot where the brace became no longer attached - thus holding the brace away from the top and preventing just simply gluing the brace in place.

The other brace was attached along its full length, but with glue-filled gaps in places. Remarkable really.

CME was fine about sending a return label. We will see if they are equally enthusiastic about me not wanting a replacement.

The guitar sounded quite good.

[bohemian46]

Why not ask:

Who did not buy a Gibson because of the sloppy fit, finish, quality control and obscene pricing considering the sloppy fit, finish. quality control and obscene pricing.

[teleman3726]

Interesting. That's the same quote my Dad gave me when I inquired about his new wife (#4).

You can buy insurance, though: a solid prenup.

[GNAPPI]

Could not resist the real (after you talk to them some) CME price on a 275.

The thing arrived and was quite a mess. Torn up screw heads, chipped nut, various cosmetic problems in the lacquer, all survivable and I was even planning to just deal with the problems. But one brace was never attached to the top for the upper 6 inches. I mean they splooged glue all over everything but seemingly did not clamp the braces in place well at all.

These are the dumbed-down “kerfed” braces (I suppose you could write it as kerfed “braces”), so pretty much any idiot can get them fitted.

I would have even considered just fixing this, but the Titebond had puddled in the spot where the brace became no longer attached - thus holding the brace away from the top and preventing just simply gluing the brace in place.

The other brace was attached along its full length, but with glue-filled gaps in places. Remarkable really.

CME was fine about sending a return label. We will see if they are equally enthusiastic about me not wanting a replacement.

The guitar sounded quite good.

AAKKKkkk!!! maybe you can post the last four digits of the serial number so others won't get stuck with it?

Be sure to tell us "the rest of the story" if they balk at a refund.

[GNAPPI]

You can buy insurance, though: a solid prenup.

In Florida (not legal advice nor am I an attorney) I was advised that a prenup can be set aside under certain conditions like withholding assets (even if minimal and inadvertently not reported) listed on the prenup, and if the "other" party became disabled in a way that they would be dependent on the State. There may be others but for me marriage a second time is a no no. Then life is easy, what's mine is mine, and then my heirs.

[ptchristopher3]

AAKKKkkk!!! maybe you can post the last four digits of the serial number so others won't get stuck with it?

Be sure to tell us "the rest of the story" if they balk at a refund.

I checked the shipping notice/invoice and there is no serial number on there. Sorry i did not note the s/n.

They responded and will happily refund in full. So not even the slightest problem from CME.

After seeing what an extreme oversight this was in manufacture, I would suggest pulling the PU’s on any Memphis build and checking the braces for continuous attachment to the top.