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Gibson just emerged from a nasty bankruptcy and the 1st thing they do is sue Dean for making replica Gibson guitars manly their V Model that Dean has been making since 1977. WTF ? Shouldn’t Gibson had sued in 1977 ? Then they have Mark Agnesi make a threatening YT video warning all guitar makers as well as boutique builders basically saying we are coming after you and you have been warned.
I don’t know but shouldn’t Gibson’s no.1 priority be making high quality guitars again and building back their customers faith and base ?
Also no more archtops like the 175. At least HJ knew the importance of the iconic Gibson jazz boxes.
I am am sorry but out of the shoot JC and the new Gibson is not making me warm and fuzzy.
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06-29-2019 08:09 PM
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OTH where would Gibson be if they had been as aggressive as someone like Rickenbacher? I'm not suggesting that Rickenbacher is some model of success but definitely a different philosophy, and I do detect a shift in the last 10-or-so years around investors/owners defending intellectual property (right or wrong).
It does seem a little "overripe" for litigation, but maybe they think climate is right for taking another kick at the can?
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42 years though to go after the little guy for copyright infringement ?
The best way to beat the competition is to build the very best mousetrap.
Take modern day cars. They all look pretty much close to the same these days. Toyota sells more than Chevy because their quality is better.
IMO being the bully on the block could hurt their grand comeback plan.
It is human nature for people to support the underdog.
I found the Mark Agnesi video to be too threatening. Those should have been private threats to the guitar makers in private not put out on social media for all to see and judge. Hey I love Gibson. Wrong call at this time IMO.
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I am missing Henry J. already.....
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Well, they pulled the video after a couple of days. That speaks volumes.
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Looks like their sales figures are lower than expected since the takeover. But where's the L5 in the row of iconic Gibsons in that Agnesi Video? How can he talk about protecting their legacy without showing an L5? What a fail!
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I miss the early 90s Henry J....
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no so coincidentally, i'm actually looking at some dean guitars now.
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Anyone play an Eastman 59SB? I played a 56SB GD this weekend.
Damn!
MA better put on his leather jacket and get snarky about that one.
Nice guitar.
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To be noted they already lost their V trademark case in Europe at least:
Gibson loses Flying V trademark case in EU court - gearnews.com
Gibson's Flying V Body Shape Trademark Appeal | Reverb News
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Dont underestimate the power of Vinnyv1k..
Originally Posted by Dedalus
Well, they pulled the video after a couple of days. That speaks volumes.
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Marco I never thought I would be in 100% agreement with that comment. Some of the best archtop guitars ever made were under his watch. I got the very last one. Originally Posted by Stringswinger
A 2018 TF and it is magnificent.
Just because you wear Levi’s, Converse, and a leather jacket doesn’t make you the Cool Cat that knows what is right for a iconic guitar company.
Cutting the 175 immediately from their lineup is proof of that.
I actually called the custom shop and they said they have no plans of ever bringing it back. Also to get a new L5 now you must preorder at MAP price.
How many different variants of LP’s and SG’s do you need ?
HJ was smart enough to know that though archtop sales were small they were still sales that added to the bottom line of company profit.
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And it's more than just that. The archtops raise the level of art and prestige associated with the company . Ibanez realizes this even though they sell very few LGB-300 and PM200 guitars. Originally Posted by vinnyv1k
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To repeat myself, it is a sad day when a Company whose reputation was built on the production of Archtop guitars , L5’s L4’s Es175’s etc resorts to thin line and solid bodied . guitars. Does the CEO not comprehend that most players have experienced the Les Paul and derivatives and moved on.?
its akin to selling one flavour of ice cream .
There are almost 60,000 members here , of which
most have owned or own a good Archtop or aspire to own one .
It is a very different proposition marketing Mars Bars & Levi jeans.
to producing quality instruments . Wake up Gibson before your boat sails into the Sunset off the edge of your flat Earth.
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Through out the years here their has been countless Gibson posts. I had always hoped that the higher ups at Gibson read them. We are all the guys that buy their highest price models.
2 guys walk into the Chevy dealer. One wants a stripped down Cruz and one wants a loaded Corvette. Who is the the one the salesman wants to make happy first ?
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Are we seeing Norlin 2.0?
When you have a brand that has value, there should be a balance between seeking short term profit and sustaining long term value to the brand.
Ceasing production of the very guitar type that was responsible for the success of Gibson guitars in the first place (archtops) would be akin to Harley-Davidson dropping the V-Twin motor.
The bankers who now control Gibson just want to get their money back that they lent Henry J. to finance his failed ventures. A great company needs to be led by those with pride in the history of that company. Not by those whose only interest is the almighty dollar.
The sooner Gibson is sold to a more "interested" owner, the better, IMO.
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If Guitar Center cannot sell overpriced archtops, overpriced archtops will not be made. However there should be a lively used market for years to come. And yea.. hate to see litigation becoming central to the new Gibson's business plan. However, I suspect they have a limited number of trademarks to enforce. I'm sure there are exceptions and maybe the 'V' is one, but usually you can only trademark your headstock and logo.
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That's hard to believe. Should demand ever rise again, they will build it again. Until then I expect a few Limited Editions, NAMM models etc. popping up from time to time. Originally Posted by vinnyv1k
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Originally Posted by vinnyv1k
I don't own anywhere near the quantity or quality of archtop guitars that many members of our forum are fortunate enough to own. But I believe I can say with certainty that regardless of Gibson's current or future stance on the manufacture of archtops, we're blessed to already have a massive pool of guitars from which to pick and choose: both years-gone-by, "play authentic" Gibsons, and the rest; a multitude of, ehem...inauthentic, trademark-infringing, copyright-copying copycats, many of whom happen to produce exceptional guitars. I know Gibson has their acolytes, but I for one couldn't care less about train-wreck of a viedo, simply because I feel warm and fuzzy in the knowledge that even if I absolutely, positively have to "play authentic", I can do so without putting a single cent into this-iteration-of-the-company's coffers. Just my 2c...which I think I'll put towards my (hopefully) soon-to-be Heritage.
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Back during the lawsuit era didn’t they not win anything except for the headstock inlay? I don’t see how they will somehow now win similar cases on body shapes. Very odd decision to put time and money into this when they should be focusing on making the company stronger, arguably by letting people know that they are focusing on their guitars.
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Are you SURE about that? Originally Posted by Stringswinger
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To be a little contrary, with a company of this size and reputation I don't see any problem with trying to protect their patents and trademarks. Companies do it all the time: Apple vs Samsung for instance. The legal fees are chump change. Originally Posted by rio
My issue is that I don't think they have a very good case based on their history of litigation--in fact they just lost a case regarding the V in Europe. See the previous cases referenced in recent threads.
It generates a bit of ill will from fans, as witnessed here, which would likely quickly be forgotten in the unlikely event they actually win their case.
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I'm pretty sure about that. Originally Posted by Woody Sound
Are you SURE about that?
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The less Gibson says about this whole public relations disaster lawsuits thing the better. It's really driving their new company face and all to the ground.. Just work on QC and trying to bring your prices back to where they make sense to the average serious player and musician.
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Couple of entry level arch tops
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