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Is quality slipping?

Minimig

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Jul 30, 2019
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I don't mean to make my 1st post here too controversial, but after 40 years of strictly acoustic playing (out of 55 total playing) I'm looking to go electric again. Of course, I'm thinking LP as my last lamented electric was a gold top Standard from around '69. So, go to Guitar Center to check out the lineup. After a quick session with the defibrillator after seeing the prices, I had the quite helpful young lady pull a couple of axes off the wall so I could check them out. Looked at a Tribute ($1100), and a couple of others in the $1500 range. Quite honestly, I was stunned by the lack of apparent quality and the evident manufacturing defects in all 3 - the best being the cheapest, if $1100 is cheap. I own several relatively high end Asian built acoustics and they stand head and shoulders above the Gibsons in terms of fit and finish. All 3 had frets sticking out with sharp edges, flaws in the neck binding, screws on the pickups semi-stripped, and obvious finish flaws. My electric technique is too rudimentary at this juncture, and coupled with my unfamiliarity with the Marshall amp I was plugged into sort of precluded from really testing out the tones available - I can only assume that they were lovely - but I just couldn't stomach the idea of spending that kind of money on goods of such poor apparent quality. Dejected, I wandered around the store, and on the advice of a friend picked up a PRS singlecut from Indonesia and was blown away! Perfect fit and finish, fabulous action, seemingly similar tones to the Gibsons, and half the price. Did I just pick the wrong 3 guitars off the wall? Was this symptomatic of a bad week at the factory? Or is American manufacturing just too expensive to devote the time and effort to properly finishing the job correctly. The clerk opined that to really get the quality guitars one had to get up into the $2500 range. So, $1500 is chicken feed? I didn't buy anything today, but I have to say that in every empirical criterion that I was able to judge the 2 brands the PRS came out on top.

Someone please tell me I'm wrong about this - I have a huge history with Gibson (1st guitar - L7!) and really wanted a Les Paul, but I'd have to take the 3 I played today apart and rebuild them to really enjoy them. Am I just too cheap to throw the kind of money Gibson wants to get something really sweet? Probably...
 

Trans-Am

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Ahahah!:laugh2::laugh2::laugh2: Welcome aboard on your first intro to the Gibson's. Yes and No...Not all stores will have that quality issue you are talking about. Matter of fact I doubt the place you went to were pushing 2nd's and or B stocks and it is still out there. Every store will have different variants/stocks as well as so called taking care of business attitude/process as in from time to time or once a month to twice is that the store will check out their stocks for any fit and finish changes in regards to temperature changes and or tuning them from time to time as lots of hands will be trying it out in time and test driving them poor suckers off the wall.

The Gibson's are well consistent when it comes from the factory all spec'd out etc. It's the stores from mom and pop to big name carriers that looks after them really.
If they want to sell they would make sure they are clean and tuned/adjusted to playing specs, else the customer will walk away.
Maybe it's been hanging around too long not getting looked after etc.:hmm

Sometimes it s the crappy looking out of tune or adjustments that are the gem, just give it time and ask them to cleaner up a bit and adjust/tweak.
Heck I've purchased Gibson's that you would barf on when looking and playing only to find out it's a beast after all once it's been tweaked and adjusted etc....and it's on clearance because of this and that. Even a better deal:dude:

Lots of factors here and there so give it a chance and maybe go to another store. Negligence of the store at the end of the day!

Good Luck! You'll get one i believe......................soon!!:salude
 

Minimig

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Jul 30, 2019
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Thanks for the answer - however, do you really think that a Guitar Center franchise in an affluent part of San Diego County is getting somehow lower quality product than, well, anybody? They HAVE to have buying power over virtually any other seller with all their locations. I'm in the exotic car business, and I do everything I can to make the experience seamless, but there's a limit. All 3 guitars were super close on tune and had Q tags from this year, at least. Are you saying that they should side file the frets to get them to spec? I've had to re-setup several fairly high end guitars in the past, but I expected more from Gibson.

Still not completely off the quest...
 

El Gringo

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The way that I would respond to your post is that you have to shop around because Guitar Center does not get Gibson's best stock because they are the 7 Eleven of retailers .
 

sonar

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Jan 10, 2003
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Guitar Center's idea of a guitar setup is, "take out of box, hang on wall." That has a lot to do with it. They might do a little more with premium priced or vintage, but in the past I've played a couple high-end pieces at GC that were marginal at best.

The Tribute series can be a mixed bag and opinions are all over the place. There's a certain raw feeling to them that players might construe as feeling "unfinished."

Fretwork from the factory and fret sprout (caused by climate, often developing months after the guitar left the factory) are two different things. Even high-end guitars are not immune to the sprout phenomena. Again, it's on the store (or owner) to take care of things like that.
 

soniccj7

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Jul 16, 2019
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I bought a 2019 60s Standard from Guitar Center last month. They did not have the one I wanted in stock, so we had to order it. When I picked it up it was still in the shipping box from Gibson, so I was the first person to open the case since it left the factory. Went over the guitar before I left and could not find any problems with it.

Been playing it for the past month without any issues. :dude:
 

Minimig

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Sonic - I guess that's my problem. List on a '60 standard is $6500??? For that kind of dough I'd expect it to be perfect! And have an ebony fretboard... I guess time has passed me by, but I think $1500 (interestingly, also the difference in list between the '58 reissue and the '60 reissue???) for a guitar is a lot of money.

Still not off the chase...
 

brandtkronholm

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PRS guitars are perfect - always. Shopping for a PRS is easy.
However, PRS is not Gibson. We love our Les Pauls in spite of and perhaps because of the flaws.

Gibson shopping requires a good effort and some time to find one that speaks to you.
A $1500 Gibson can, with time, molded into exactly the Gibson you want and expect.
A $6500 Gibson will be much closer to what you'd expect and want.
If shopping for a used instrument, one could spend about $2700-$3500 for a top notch Reissue or Custom Shop Gibson.

For example: https://www.lespaulforum.com/forum/showthread.php?212363-1998-R8-for-2700
 
Last edited:

CatManDoo88

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Sonic - I guess that's my problem. List on a '60 standard is $6500??? For that kind of dough I'd expect it to be perfect! And have an ebony fretboard... I guess time has passed me by, but I think $1500 (interestingly, also the difference in list between the '58 reissue and the '60 reissue???) for a guitar is a lot of money.

Still not off the chase...

Sonic was talking about the new 2019 Gibson USA Les Paul Standard (which comes in 50s or 60s based on your choice of neck profile), it's list price is only $2500. You are thinking of a Custom Shop 1960 Reissue with the $6500 price tag. If you only want to spend $1500, you are better off trying out one of the new Original Collection Juniors or Specials.

The new ownership is investing a lot in quality control, but it will be some before those investments take full effect. The models you tried out like the tribute are holdovers from the old product line from the previous ownership before the bankruptcy.
 

soniccj7

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Correct, the one I purchased was $2,500 not $6,500.

I hope you find a good one within your budget.
 

El Gringo

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PRS guitars are perfect - always. Shopping for a PRS is easy.
However, PRS is not Gibson. We love our Les Pauls in spite of and perhaps because of the flaws.

Gibson shopping requires a good effort and some time to find one that speaks to you.
A $1500 Gibson can, with time, molded into exactly the Gibson you want and expect.
A $6500 Gibson will be much closer to what you'd expect and want.
If shopping for a used instrument, one could spend about $2700-$3500 for a top notch Reissue or Custom Shop Gibson.

For example: https://www.lespaulforum.com/forum/showthread.php?212363-1998-R8-for-2700
I agree with you and I will add that if you are buying a used Gibson Please by from an Authorized Gibson Dealer who is legit and avoid the nightmare that I am going thru and save yourself trouble and money (so far $ 1400 in the hole on top of the purchase price , beginning with the squealing Burstbucker 1 & 3 pickups and the guitar will not stay in tune and it's make it or break it time and I hope the truss rod is not trashed or the neck because the wood chipper is waiting in the on deck circle ) purchase from an AUTHORIZED GIBSON DEALER .
 

Trans-Am

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................at the end of the day? There has got to be a hidden preference as to which one gets a better selection depending on the demographic rural areas where there is a customer target for a more enticing models and such for more choices.
This is of course besides the treatment they get when it lands and in the door for display and such.
 

Big Al

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It's not geographic, imagined allotments or falling quality. It is buyers ignorance and assumptions based on not knowing so it must be quality, right?:hmm
 

Trans-Am

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It's not geographic, imagined allotments or falling quality. It is buyers ignorance and assumptions based on not knowing so it must be quality, right?:hmm



Hmmm:hmm Hard to say really Big Al, in fairness it could be across the board yes. What are the chance of you going back to a Gibson dealer that has more choices than another who is just trying to sell what is hanging in their shop for the longest time w/o no movements but a lot of dust and fingerprints. I could be wrong but here up North you would know which stores you will hit first before you take a chance that the smaller shops that could and might have at least to the slightest model you are looking for.

I'd say it differ's from place to place really!
 

Big Al

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Hmmm:hmm Hard to say really Big Al, in fairness it could be across the board yes. What are the chance of you going back to a Gibson dealer that has more choices than another who is just trying to sell what is hanging in their shop for the longest time w/o no movements but a lot of dust and fingerprints. I could be wrong but here up North you would know which stores you will hit first before you take a chance that the smaller shops that could and might have at least to the slightest model you are looking for.

I'd say it differ's from place to place really!

More choices and quality dealers are huge plus'. Good Retailers take care of their inventory. I have seen amazing Gibsons at the HOG as well as equally amazing ones at GC and smaller Retailers. They are not dumping low quality guitars at certain stores. They are not sorting out rejects to send GC and they aren't making a second line of cheaper crappy guitars to sell at retailers some have a hard on for. It's bullshit.
 

Trans-Am

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More choices and quality dealers are huge plus'. Good Retailers take care of their inventory. I have seen amazing Gibson's at the HOG as well as equally amazing ones at GC and smaller Retailers. They are not dumping low quality guitars at certain stores. They are not sorting out rejects to send GC and they aren't making a second line of cheaper crappy guitars to sell at retailers some have a hard on for. It's bullshit.

You maybe right Big Al, it all depends where you go and comfortable with it. With my experience up here (not everywhere will have or do) there are better dealers and sellers as opposed to the one that just happened to buy a whole slew of " B " stock let alone seconds and are still around if that is the route you want to go to, heck even big retailers do still carry them here. Nonetheless hard to say who gets the first pick of the crop.
It is after all a hit and miss it seems and we don't really know how they go about the spread.:peace2
 

one

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There are threads like this all over the web, and Gibson-bashing has become commonplace. IMO, this has been somewhat deserved, particularly under the widely-disliked, now-departed ownership regime that made numerous unpopular design and production decisions. But the reports about current production are much more positive, and buyers report much higher levels of satisfaction with the 2019 Gibsons. We'll see if this holds up long-term. Certainly, other makers, led by PRS, have set high standards for fit and finish. As for Guitar Center, I have gone to a large number in the Southern CA region, and for whatever reason, my experience matches that of the OP, and I, too, have wondered why GC ends up with recognizably lame versions of the Gibsons they stock. I'm not saying they're seconds or actual rejects, but they're really undistinguished examples. I like to try guitars before I buy them, and I never found a LP that I would even consider buying in a GC. In fact, virtually every one I encountered was pretty lame.
 

Big Al

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You maybe right Big Al, it all depends where you go and comfortable with it. With my experience up here (not everywhere will have or do) there are better dealers and sellers as opposed to the one that just happened to buy a whole slew of " B " stock let alone seconds and are still around if that is the route you want to go to, heck even big retailers do still carry them here. Nonetheless hard to say who gets the first pick of the crop.
It is after all a hit and miss it seems and we don't really know how they go about the spread.:peace2

It's like you said, better dealers. I can't see wasting my time with careless ignorant dealers in hopes of saving a few bucks. I choose to support quality dealers with my dollars and appreciate their service and professionalism.
 

Trans-Am

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It's like you said, better dealers. I can't see wasting my time with careless ignorant dealers in hopes of saving a few bucks. I choose to support quality dealers with my dollars and appreciate their service and professionalism.

At the end of the day Al? There is nothing priceless than getting the best customer service and value to the hardware you are walking out the door with and leaving a big smile on your face that you are taken care of, and not just an attitude " Well you gonna buy this shit or what look ". We've all been there, some of us are anal about finding the right gear (nothing wrong with that) and some just knows what they have in store once they get that wanted player they have been looking for or watching out for in the used rack that you know its a winner by just one feel or strum and lick.

I'm glad that his dealer I go to since from the get go stayed the same as just like family they treat you, and that is special as you can always come back and hang out look at stuff try em/ off the wall plug er/ in, borrow them as a loaner for a couple of days no questions asked so you can really get a feel of what your buying or looking for. They have customer appreciation month when they trivia quiz you easy music and guitar maker questions we all know and so forth and you get a Fender/Gibson swag etc. Free hot dogs and burgers and pop while you watch the staff rig up along with the manager jam and play some of your requested tunes. Yup still around and that is great customer service practice that keeps you coming back let alone checking their website if you cant come in and just feel at home browsing what in and new etc.

...............and then you get a place where you get a look like you cant afford this man an dos forth just total worker with no training whatsoever and just there to sit and walk around not caring if they sell or not.

I know where to go is where it's at.
 
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