kalamazoo vs nashville

[silverburst420]

is there any difference in the quality of the guitars from each plant thanks for your time and info

 

[ElfinMagic]

Kalamazoo is in Michigan. Michigan is a northern state. Henry Ford started his company there, as did General Motors...and Ted Nugent lives there. The Gibson plant was there from the early 1900's up until the 80's. Gibsons' were damn-near handmade during most of that time period.

Nashville is in Tennesee, which is in the South. Al Gore is from there and he claimed to have invented the internet. He also tries to live a "carbon neutral" lifestyle. There are more mobile homes in Tennesee than Michigan. The Gibson plant has been there since the 80's and utilizes ultra-modern machinery and low-dollar labor to give you an instrument with virtually no soul.

Now, with only the facts I have given you, do you REALLY need to ask this question?

 

[CR9]

Having owned Les Paul Customs from both plants manufactured in the same year, 1979, I say that the Kalamazoo "craftsmen" were better than the Nashville "carpenters" at that time. Nashville has come a long way, but I love some of those old Kalamazoo Les Pauls.

 

[LesterP]

ElfinMagic stated:

Kalamazoo is in Michigan. Michigan is a northern state. Henry Ford started his company there, as did General Motors...and Ted Nugent lives there. The Gibson plant was there from the early 1900's up until the 80's. Gibsons' were damn-near handmade during most of that time period.

Nashville is in Tennesee, which is in the South. Al Gore is from there and he claimed to have invented the internet. He also tries to live a "carbon neutral" lifestyle. There are more mobile homes in Tennesee than Michigan. The Gibson plant has been there since the 80's and utilizes ultra-modern machinery and low-dollar labor to give you an instrument with virtually no soul.

LOL..... You Rule.

 

[kitchen]

q

 

[kitchen]

Kalamazoo is where it started and I will always think more of my les paul that was made there. Why do I think that. Don't have to have a reason, just the the way it is. There are making a lot more of the Nashville ones but I don't think they are making more from Kalamazoo.

Steve

 

[Bluedawg]

I have 74 LP custom made in Kalamazoo and an 03 R9 made in Nashville. They are both great guitars.

If I had to chose which is better I'd have to go with my Nashville guitar.

Now if I had a Kalamazoo Gibson made before the Norlin era it might be a different story.

:hmm

 

[DonP]

Who was making Les Paul's in the 50's and 60's?

End of discussion.

 

[Oldrocker]

Kalamazoo is in Michigan. Michigan is a northern state. Henry Ford started his company there, as did General Motors...and Ted Nugent lives there. The Gibson plant was there from the early 1900's up until the 80's. Gibsons' were damn-near handmade during most of that time period.

Nashville is in Tennesee, which is in the South. Al Gore is from there and he claimed to have invented the internet. He also tries to live a "carbon neutral" lifestyle. There are more mobile homes in Tennesee than Michigan. The Gibson plant has been there since the 80's and utilizes ultra-modern machinery and low-dollar labor to give you an instrument with virtually no soul.

Now, with only the facts I have given you, do you REALLY need to ask this question?

Nashville has one of the most happening music scenes right now in the USA. Tennessee is also home to more musicians than probably any other state. Michigan is the home to EMINEM and Kid Rock. If you want to call that music... well... to each his own I guess. Speaking of Al Gore, he LOST his own home state. He WON in Michigan. And I would suggest you take a tour of the Gibson factory in Nashville. Sure they use modern machinery there, but why not? I bet you don't churn your own butter or plow your field with a mule do you? And what low dollar labor are you talking about? These people are paid pretty good, or at least most of them are. It was probably the over paid and under performing union workers that was putting Gibson under in the first place! And the most important part is that the people that work there enjoy their work. And there is nothing better than enjoying what you do for a living.

 

[RiverRatt]

I don't think mobile homes enter into it... I don't know where Elfin's census data comes from, but the ratio of mobile homes in the Nashville area is probably not greater than that in Michigan. The old manufacturing techniques are simply too costly for an affordable production-line guitar. If you want top-of-the-line handmade quality, buy an R9 and don't insult Tennesseeans because of some deluded politician and poor corporate decisions.

 

[ajchance]

Ted lives in Waco, Tx. He just visits Michigan now. It's easier to shoot animals in Texas than in Detroit!

 

[RiverRatt]

Who was making Les Paul's in the 50's and 60's?

People who are dead now, who were employed by CMI, who couldn't make the model profitable at the time, who sold out to Norlin, who moved the plant to Nashville, and started the long process of renewing trust in the Gibson name. I remember a Pete Townshend interview where he stated that he would not endorse Gibson (Kalamazoo) until they could consistently produce a decent guitar. He said that he had to go through six guitars to find one decent one. Personally, I have NEVER met a Les Paul I didn't like. I bought the ones I loved (and could afford).

Edit - Here's an excerpt from the Pete interview:
"The thing I’ve had the most trouble with on my Les Pauls is the quality of the wood in the neck. It’s kiln dried and a lot of the resin gets dried out with the moisture and under the rough treatment I give them they don’t seem to last very long. I remember once an old mate of mine who used to work for Sunn became a representative for Gibson and he came to see me and asked why I didn’t do a deal with Gibson. I said, ‘The day you can bring me a Gibson off the end of the production line like this kid is going to save up his money for and it’s good then I’ll put my name on it.’ And he said he’d make me anything I’d like and he’d get me special instruments and I said that’s not the point. If I’m putting my name on it I’m putting my name on something somebody is going to go out and buy. And if I pick up a guitar in a store and there are six there and every one of the six are good then maybe I’d consider putting my name on it. But I’ve never really done any deals on guitars. For a long time Gibson wouldn’t do it and when I could have afforded some help they didn’t want to give it. So now I’m very touchy about doing it."

End of discussion.

Sounds fine to me. Stupid thread anyway.

 

[Oldrocker]

I don't think mobile homes enter into it... I don't know where Elfin's census data comes from, but the ratio of mobile homes in the Nashville area is probably not greater than that in Michigan. The old manufacturing techniques are simply too costly for an affordable production-line guitar. If you want top-of-the-line handmade quality, buy an R9 and don't insult Tennesseeans because of some deluded politician and poor corporate decisions.

The whole thing about cutting down the south could be just to show how much of a bigot he is, a lack of intellegence, ignorance about the subject, or just a tired joke.

 

[R.D.]

I had an aunt that worked for Gibson in Kalamazoo for over 30 years. I actually got to tour the plant on a number of occaisions.

They did update ( automate ) some of the processes, but I don't think it would surprise anyone with just how much of the guitars were still handmade right up until Gibson moved out.

I can't speak for the Nashville plant, but I don't think it's a huge assumption to make that when that plant was built, they outfitted it with whatever machinery was "state of the art" at the time !

IMHO - the more state of the art the manufacturing facility, the harder it is to put "heart and soul" into whatever is being manufactured there ! It's not impossible ( John Suhr ), it's just way more difficult.

And all you have to do is look at The Heritage for proof. They're making some pretty nice guitars even today ! Most made in the same way, and on the same machinery that the old Gibsons used to be made on.

just my 0.02 ....

 

[PremiumPlus]

I had a 1970 LP Black Beauty for 16 years, and swore by it. I now have a 2003 LP Premium Plus and even though it cost 4X as much, I'd rather have it than the '70 any day. Acoustically, and by extension amplified, the '70 sounded 'dead' for lack of a better word. I tried aftermarket pups like diMarzio and SD. The '03 sings and rings like no guitar I've ever played. I've currently got Gibson P-94's in it and it really rocks. +1 for the South!

 

[ElfinMagic]

The whole thing about cutting down the south could be just to show how much of a bigot he is, a lack of intellegence, ignorance about the subject, or just a tired joke.

Pulling out the RACE CARD, huh?

"Tired joke" is about the closest you came in your quest of trying to look superior.

As far as "cutting down" The South goes, whatever, I actually like that area.

BTW... It's spelled INTELLIGENCE.

 

[bluespckr]

is there any difference in the quality of the guitars from each plant thanks for your time and info

I'd say there were/are some goods one and some dogs from each plant. I have a '75 LP Standard (my signature guitar) that I bought new out of the shoot 31 years ago. It's a Kalamazoo-made Gibby and has more soul than the Pope. I have an '05 Standard that also is an exceptional guitar. Both are keepers.

But, man, oh man, I've played a lot of Kalamamazoo and Nashville Gibsons that were crap, too. I can't say I like one of mine more than the other.

 

[Oldrocker]

Pulling out the RACE CARD, huh?

"Tired joke" is about the closest you came in your quest of trying to look superior.

As far as "cutting down" The South goes, whatever, I actually like that area.

BTW... It's spelled INTELLIGENCE.

What race card? Nowhere did I mention race at all. I just mentioned that you statement was bigoted, which it is. From the dictionary,
big•ot

Pronunciation: (big'ut), [key]
—n.
a person who is intolerant of any differing creed, belief, or opinion. To me this definition fits the statement that you made. And I have no need to feel superior. I could care less what part of the world people come from. I've met some fine people all over this world, and I've found there are plenty of A-holes too.

 

[rays44]

segway:
Yeah, how about that weather out there. Sure is hot.

drift back to topic:
Speaking of weather.
The classic years are long gone as is Kalamazoo. I think there plenty of good guitars comming out of Nashville and there are some dogs. Just as there was through the '70's.

 

[mazjr]

i live in west virginia. we have tons of trailers. hardly anybody makes guitars in 'em though. we do have a lot of meth...

anyway, my '85 les paul is as sweet a guitar as any. dished top, small headstock, one piece mahogany neck, proper neck angle. whoever made it knew something about guitars.

my '76 les paul is totally different, but still very cool. huge headstock, three piece maple neck, three piece top, HEAVY.

there is something cool about the last norlin gibsons that reeks of late 70's overblown glam-stadium-corporate-greed rock.

every era has stinkers (except '58-'60, i hear!)

let your eyes and ears be the judge.