Gibson Guitars in trouble

[chalkpie]

http://variety.com/2018/biz/news/gib...202704143/amp/

[Scrotum Scissor]

But we don't need guitars anymore, Frankieboy. Not now that we have digital apps. In fact, we don't need musicians at all anymore, just as with chess-players, real-life actors, builders, engineers etc.

We can be content with sitting quietly at home, doing nothing. We don't have to leave home for work, and work doesn't have to come to us either. Work does itself through apps now. We can administer and control the apps automatically from underneath the sheets while playing light-the-dark-games. Actually, there's little point in getting out of bed at all - and come to think of it, there's not much worth in being born to begin with. Humanity can exist in a cloud.

[chalkpie]

^Yes. Remastered.

[rcarlberg]

Maybe Harley Davidson can buy them.

Any company with $1 billion in annual revenues that is "nearing bankruptcy" is poorly run, that's undeniable. Get some management that knows their assets from their f-holes.

[Yodelgoat]

Thist will only make the Gibson guitars in existence worth more. too bad I dont own any Gibsons. I may need to pick up an SG just so I have one. Sad that guitars are not that in demand any more, but its inevitable that music has moved on. Perhaps 2112 had it right. Some guy 1000 years from now finds one in a cave....

[Zeuhlmate]

There must be some idiots in that company.
Such a brand, and they can't sell the guitars ?

[markwoll]

All You Need Is Debt, Dah Dah Dah, All You Need Is Debt, Debt, Debt Is All You Need

[Supersonic Scientist]

Henry Juszkiewicz is the BIGGEST DOUCHE BAG EVER to run a company that he knows NOTHING ABOUT!!!!....egocentric asshole to the nth degree.

...the stories about him are legendary!! (Check out some guitar forums to see for yourself)

Quality control is out of control

New designs are pathetic

Prices are astronomical

The only real plus is their Custom Shop reissues (but again, pricy as phucc)...I have a Custom Shop ES-Switchmaster and it's the best deep body Jazz GTR I've ever owned (and I've owned several both new and old)


It's really sad that such an iconic brand/company could fall this low.

[chalkpie]

Shocking, really.

[Scott Bails]

Henry Juszkiewicz is the BIGGEST DOUCHE BAG EVER to run a company that he knows NOTHING ABOUT!!!!....egocentric asshole to the nth degree.

...the stories about him are legendary!! (Check out some guitar forums to see for yourself)

Quality control is out of control

New designs are pathetic

Prices are astronomical

The only real plus is their Custom Shop reissues (but again, pricy as phucc)...I have a Custom Shop ES-Switchmaster and it's the best deep body Jazz GTR I've ever owned (and I've owned several both new and old)


It's really sad that such an iconic brand/company could fall this low.

And I'm sure he has some golden parachute that keeps him protected from his own incompetence.

[Zeuhlmate]

And I'm sure he has some golden parachute that keeps him protected from his own incompetence.

Most probably it says in his contract that he should have 20 mill $ when he retires for no matter any reason.

[kid_runningfox]

As others have suggested above, Gibson have really brought this on themselves - they have one of the most storied brands in musical history, their guitars are still amongst the biggest sellers (despite being shoddily-assembled, overpriced pieces of crap these days), but yet they find it impossible to make money. Then there was also the PR disaster of the company being pursued by US federal authorities for using illegally-logged timber. That said, you have to wonder why Gibson is struggling so seriously when other guitar companies seem to be doing OK, despite falling sales of guitars as a whole.

[Dan Roth]

That said, you have to wonder why Gibson is struggling so seriously when other guitar companies seem to be doing OK, despite falling sales of guitars as a whole.

According to that article, ”its main competitor, Fender, has kept itself above water by introducing budget lines in recent years, a move Gibson only recently embraced.”

[Baribrotzer]

According to that article, ”its main competitor, Fender, has kept itself above water by introducing budget lines in recent years, a move Gibson only recently embraced.”

And Epiphone isn't a budget Gibson line? Those (the recent junior-Gibson ones, not the old time Epiphones) have been around for at least thirty years. And Henry Juszkiewicz sounds like a typical case of MBA-itis - he would have been decent at designing door handles for Chevy Cobalts, but he's totally out of his depth at any business where quality matters. I wouldn't be surprised if he was constantly throwing in his oar with "cost-cutting" measures: Drop the quality by a few percentage points, lose customers by the same percentage, but cut costs by a few more points, so it all comes out more profitable on paper. But you don't get those customers back, and the ones you lose may be the ones who count.

[Trane]

As others have suggested above, Gibson have really brought this on themselves - they have one of the most storied brands in musical history, their guitars are still amongst the biggest sellers (despite being shoddily-assembled, overpriced pieces of crap these days), but yet they find it impossible to make money. Then there was also the PR disaster of the company being pursued by US federal authorities for using illegally-logged timber. That said, you have to wonder why Gibson is struggling so seriously when other guitar companies seem to be doing OK, despite falling sales of guitars as a whole.

According to that article, ”its main competitor, Fender, has kept itself above water by introducing budget lines in recent years, a move Gibson only recently embraced.”

Guitar Geek has explained that most Fender and Gibson guitars have been crappy since the 70's, especially for the prices asked.

For decades, Fender has had inferior brands (like Squire) to sell bigger amounts of guitars.

Hasn't Gibson relied on Epiphone for decades??

[Supersonic Scientist]

Guitar Geek has explained that most Fender and Gibson guitars have been crappy since the 70's, especially for the prices asked.

For decades, Fender has had inferior brands (like Squire) to sell bigger amounts of guitars.

Hasn't Gibson relied on Epiphone for decades??

FWIW: I have a '60's re-issue Squier Strat that PLAYS/SOUNDS/FEELS better than my '75 Fender Strat. The 75 has a sweet-spot in the middle-range with weak-sounding treble...the Squier "Chimes" like a Tele in the treble and is just more "Strat-sounding" than the Real-Deal.

...on the other hand....I have an Epi Les Paul that is a total piece of crap. Strap knob stripped out of the wood, 1/2 the pots are scratchy, the PU selector likes to "pop out" of the Lead position and goes back to the middle position......My GIBSON Les Paul (2011 Traditional) is an absolute DREAM to play.

Go figure??

[rcarlberg]

Some businesses are just businesses, all about dollars and cents. Making musical instruments, or anything involving art and craftsmanship, is not one of those businesses.

Just another bean counter who doesn't understand the business he bought (and ran it into the ground by violating first principles). Same thing happened to Moog. And Apple. If there's a board of directors I hope they wake up and fire Juszkiewicz before it's too late.

[strawberrybrick]

Henry Juszkiewicz is the BIGGEST DOUCHE BAG EVER to run a company that he knows NOTHING ABOUT!!!!....egocentric asshole to the nth degree.

...the stories about him are legendary!! (Check out some guitar forums to see for yourself)

+1. This is the REAL story behind the demise. Awful culture, awful company.

[Zeuhlmate]

FWIW: I have a '60's re-issue Squier Strat that PLAYS/SOUNDS/FEELS better than my '75 Fender Strat. The 75 has a sweet-spot in the middle-range with weak-sounding treble...the Squier "Chimes" like a Tele in the treble and is just more "Strat-sounding" than the Real-Deal.

...on the other hand....I have an Epi Les Paul that is a total piece of crap. Strap knob stripped out of the wood, 1/2 the pots are scratchy, the PU selector likes to "pop out" of the Lead position and goes back to the middle position......My GIBSON Les Paul (2011 Traditional) is an absolute DREAM to play.

Go figure??

But there are Epiphones that are very good and therefore also quite expensive.
Like this one and others http://www.epiphone.com/Products/Des...-Wilshire.aspx
and http://www.epiphone.com/Products/Ele...ino-Coupe.aspx
The expensive ones are usually not copies of Gibsons.

[Koreabruce]

Here's the Epiphone I own: a Les Paul 12-string. Check out the headstock:
Epiphone Les Paul 12-string.jpg

(Note: the photo is from ebay, but my guitar is exactly the same)

[rcarlberg]

Les Paul 12-string? Are those rare? Don't believe I've ever seen one before.

[Koreabruce]

I don't really know. I believe there is a Gibson version of this as well. The Epiphone model was produced from 1998-2002. The ebay seller whose photo this is wants $750.

[Guitarplyrjvb]

I don't know the CEO's tenure, but the only time I've bought a new Gibson was in 2004 when I bought a Steve Howe model ES-175. The first one arrived with a disassembled pickup selector that was actually missing parts so it couldn't be installed properly. I sent it back, and got another one where the nut was not seated properly. After sending this one back, a third one arrived. The finish was still sticky! I just gave up and got my money back. How can they release such shoddy merchandise and charge so much? The ES-175 in question was selling for around $3,000. Ebay is your friend if you want a Gibson.

[Mister Triscuits]

Ebay is your friend if you want a Gibson.

...or if you want to sell a Gibson. I got almost $1,400 for my 1979 Les Paul Deluxe (not considered a great year) a while back; it had cost me $525 new.

[Zappathustra]

In fact, we don't need musicians at all anymore, just as with chess-players

Try tell that to your Magnus. He won't like it. At all.