The Official Letter from Gibson ( no internet pics )

Randy Combs · Aug 18, 2004

I love looking at Gibson Les Paul guitars on gbase.com and davesguitars.com and other sites. This really bites. I bought my Les Paul new in 1976 and I am proud it's Norlin and not the "NEW" Gibson.

Nowhereman · Aug 18, 2004

This is going after the Mom and Pop stores to cut them out of any customers outside their "territory". They were probably cutting into MF and GC sales. Less competition = less selection, more hassle and higher prices - short term.

If Gibson wanted to go after the Mom and Pop stores, they could simply stop giving them dealerships. I'm not saying that I agree with this policy, not at ALL... I am saying that I think this is one policy that may have been made to aid Mom and Pop stores. This is going to hurt MF far more than it will hurt a local shop that relies on local customers.

DEVILBAT · Aug 18, 2004

Like I said. Guitar Center is making a strong pitch to purchase the Gibson Company. Sam Ash are no longer Gibson dealers, and this is probably another step towards a deal with Enron Guitars,oops, I mean Guitar Center.

Cogswell · Aug 18, 2004

Don't you get it? The reason Guitar Center pushed Gibson into this policy is because NOBODY BUYS GIBSON STUFF FROM THAT CRAPPY STORE ONLINE! They don't hardly buy it on a "walk in" either, but the reason for that is their outrageous prices on instruments, not anything else. They want to blame the other guy because they can't sell stuff. And I guess they sell enough Faded LP Specials & Gothic SGs to have some clout. This is GREED; that's the bottom line.

rmconner80 · Aug 18, 2004

This move cuts down on competition. This raises the price of guitars. When you are limited to one local dealer (if you are lucky enough to have one) and your local GC, then you basically pay the price they charge, end of story. There's a lot of leeway in pricing between dealers, as we all know.

Normally, I would not buy locally. The Dealers in my locale are on the pricier side, last time I checked, and they don't carry the same selection as the best of the best. Assuming the same amount of Gibsons are sold each year, it essentially means that the average price paid for each guitar is going to rise. Those fabulous dealers with the best prices and selection (the ones we know and love) will move less guitars because they won't get the same volume of internet/out of state sales.

The dealers and GCs in each region with the higher prices will not have to compete with the cheaper dealers 1000 miles away, and will make more money selling their higher priced Gibsons to pick up the slack in demand. Theoretically.

So the consumer loses on price and selection. It seems to be a move to protect the dealers and GC who do not have the lowest prices, though it's obviously hurting MF et al. That's how I see it.

1954Gold · Aug 18, 2004

I think a couple of sharp lawyers could make Gibson eat those words. You can't sell new Gibsons at a trade show?? Come on, the little guys should get together and test it in court.

Idge · Aug 18, 2004

Everywhere you look :ahem it's greed, greed, greed. :nay Quick, look behind ya. :duke The world has forever changed. WE ARE :idot S!

Nowhereman · Aug 18, 2004

Don't you get it? The reason Guitar Center pushed Gibson into this policy is because NOBODY BUYS GIBSON STUFF FROM THAT CRAPPY STORE ONLINE!

First off, how do you know GC pushed them into it? And I think many more people purchase Gibsons online from MF than you might be willing to admit. It isn't just historics that are involved, it's all Gibson/Epiphone products. I'm sure that MF (MF is GC - same company) sells a ton of cheap Epiphones online. Common sense tell me that this policy will hurt MF/GC far more than it does a local small or medium sized shop. The letter says -

Internet sales of all new Gibson Brand instruments and products, including Gibson USA, Gibson Montana, Gibson Memphis, Gibson OAI, Slingerland, Tobias, Gibson Custom/Historic, Epiphone, Valley Arts, Gibson Strings and Accessories are to cease immediately.

That means everything! ... Who gets hurt worse - MF/GC or the small or medium dealer that relies mostly on local sales? ... If I owned MF, I'd be screaming about this policy.

TBird · Aug 18, 2004

Did a quick check at MM and noted the lester pic's are mostly '01-03, and lot's of them for most categorys. Also note the threads on product glut's along with the abundance of NOS on the web, local shops, etc. My guess is this is an inventory mgmt./depletion move that will be appreciated by all dealers if it works. If they keep on selling the new/best stuff, they will never get rid of the other. I deal a good bit with inventory issues at work and it is an expensive, pain in the neck to address old, slow turning, expensive inventory. It's like looking at cash laying around the office for months/years on end that you can't touch, but really need to use somewhere else. Otherwise, wouldn't we be hearing some hell raising from the dealers by now? Of course, I could be totally wrong.

hoss · Aug 18, 2004

They are all there, with price and pictures.
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=guitar/search/d=tp?q=gibson+les+paul

Nowhereman · Aug 18, 2004

I am no fan of GC... as a matter of fact, I refuse to buy any guitars there. But people who are pointing the finger at GC need to realize that Guitar Center and Musicians Friend are the same company.

EC1000 · Aug 18, 2004

Tele-Tubby said:
"The Gibson story be told?" By a kid at GC who doesn't know a P90 from a guitar case?

TT

yeah , no shit. one time I was speaking to a guy at sam ash and he became baffled when I started throwing around terms like "studio" and "standard" when discussing les pauls..he had no idea.

this is complete bullshit. All of the millions of people who don't live near a good store are fucked and everyone else is limited to whatever shitty selection is available to them locally. My local place usually has two studios and a classic thats kept way up high like its an original burst or something

ShawnRT · Aug 18, 2004

rmconner80 said:
It looks like this means that MF, zzounds, etc. can not sell Gibson guitars online, and can not advertise Gibson models in their print catalogs (aside from saying "call us for Gibson guitars") except in the region of their brick and mortar stores. Interesting.

That's what one would think, but it isnt the case. This was done to line the pockets of the big guys and to eliminate the competitive playing field that the internet provided to the mom and pops (like our forum dealers). A little bird told me that this rule might not apply to EVERY Gibson dealer.... :dead:

First person to shoot me a link of Musicians Friend's website when they pull thier Gibson stock wins..... *cough* *cough*

:dead:

ShawnRT · Aug 18, 2004

Nowhereman said:
I am no fan of GC... as a matter of fact, I refuse to buy any guitars there. But people who are pointing the finger at GC need to realize that Guitar Center and Musicians Friend are the same company.

BINGO!

Cogswell · Aug 18, 2004

I know Musician's Friend & Guitar Center are the same company. And it doesn't take a brain scientist to see who exactly benifits from this move. GC & MF & other mega-stores. And it seems that somehow they have convinced the suits at Gibson that because of the volume of sales in other areas (low end stuff) that they can increase it into the high dollar items by eliminating competition.

TT100 · Aug 18, 2004

Pics and internet ads work. I just lost a nut over pics of a new Cloud 9 "54" burst at Dave's site. P90s, wraptail etc. Now I'm lusting after one. Am I going to jump in the car and see if GC has one in stock and haggle with those kids over the scratches and "the case cost extra" BS? Not a chance. If I really want one I'll call or email Dave's and work it out.

This whole thing might have a bright side for shops like Dave's. Without GAS inducing pics he'll likely have a lot fewer internet tire-kickers wasting his time. It will be harder for them to attract new customers without the visual bait though.

As far as this helping the mom & pop stores, I don't know. M & P couldn't compete with the local mega stores anyway. When I walking into a local M & P shop and asked about a couple of guitars, their best offer was "12 months same as cash", (on an R9) no discount on the standard MAP. When I mentioned I could get the other one, a faded SG, $180 cheaper in town (GC) he went ballistic and followed me out of the shop yelling about how it's not fair and "they'll lose their franchise!!!"

TT

brobillard · Aug 18, 2004

That's one more reason for buying used Gibsons now... no more new Les Paul for me if this stupid decision makes the already pricey prices go up. This is sooo stupid.

Lets see what kinda products Fender has to offer these days... What's their www. address again?

BarrKord · Aug 18, 2004

If the guitar buying public is turned off by Gibson as a company they will fail.

I hope they reconsider. I can't understand a company that wants to sell less products...

Johnnytone · Aug 18, 2004

They lost me as a customer as well. They are getting SO FUCKIN' STUPID that I hope they go under.

Henry, what's the opposite of "above me?"

EC1000 · Aug 18, 2004

everyone should write gibson an email saying that they were going to buy online since they live far away from a store but since they can't buy gibson now, they are going to get a PRS instead

The Official Letter from Gibson ( no internet pics )

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