The Future of Gibson Guitars: LA Times article

Frank Freniere · From: The First Coast

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-ms-gibson-brands-guitar-henry-juszkiewicz-20170618-htmlstory.html

Joachim Kettner · From: Germany

As if Jimi Hendrix or the Beatles weren't elaborate. Does he want to make the ultimate guitar (as in the first chapter) so that it fits the modern chart crap?
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Fender Kingman, Sierra Crown D-10, Evans Amplifier, Soup Cube.

Mark Eaton · Posted 16 Jun 2017 12:08 pm

If one can give out points for trying, I guess Henry J should get a basketful. He doesn't seem to be afraid to go out on a limb.

But the limb can bend and sometimes even break.

Like a couple years ago when Gibson changed nearly every guitar model in the electric line to be equipped with the the automatic tuning device. I was speaking with a Gibson sales rep about this several months ago. He said that move damn near put the company under.

I recall one model that did not include the electronic tuning keys was the Derek Trucks signature SG. I guess Derek did not want it on a guitar sporting his signature.
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Mark

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

Instead of becoming another Nike, Gibson might wind up being another K Mart! Whoa!

Dave Mudgett · From: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee

I think he has completely missed the point that the entire raison d'etre for the Gibson brand is that it represents a really high-quality guitar, old-school with old-school values.

He did great in his early days at Gibson from the late-80s to early 2000s when the point was to breathe new life into a declining company that had lost their way. This was going on with the most of the other big guitar companies also.

But I think a lot of them have lost their way again by trying to do too much. It's really sad to me that we seem to be heading down that road again.

Ben Elder · From: La Crescenta, California, USA

I guess I've spent 50+ years building a musical lifestyle collection.

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

Gibson "Brands" acquired Cakewalk Sonar (recording studio software) a couple of years ago. They also hired music electronics guru Craig Anderton as some type of "VP". He is a promoter of Gibson electronic brands and has contributed and is active with Sonar and the Sonar forum.

Jeff Garden · From: Center Sandwich, New Hampshire, USA

I haven't heard many positive comments about Gibson's quality control over the past 10-15 years. I agree with Dave M - there's a lot of history and pride in the "old school" Gibson name. At the very least they could have a separate division with a different name mass produce the 21st century "techno" version. What next? "player" guitars like player pianos that play themselves? A driverless car could drop it off to play the gig.

Frank Freniere · From: The First Coast

Randy Schneider · From: SW New Mexico, USA

Dennis Olearchik · From: Newtown, PA

For years, I've read on-line complaints about John Hall not making Rickenbacker guitars more easy to play (among other things), even though he sells every guitar made. Granted, he purposely keeps their guitar production at levels to insure all the guitars are sold.

And on the other hand, long-time Gibson guitar enthusiasts want their new Gibson guitars to look-like, sound-like and perform-like the guitars of Gibson's golden years. But they complain Henry Juszkiewicz has done more over the past decade to hurt the company than to help it because of the odd changes and erratic quality-control he's allowed.

And then you have the Fender guitar company, that makes a guitar at just about every price point, but in some ways, is still competing with the Fender guitars made in the '50s and early '60s.

Ben Elder · From: La Crescenta, California, USA

If nothing else, H.J. murdered the Dobro brand name and drove it into utter obscurity and irrelevance in the marketplace.

Musical death-style.

Skip Edwards · From: LA,CA

Player guitars? These days they would be called "Autonomous" guitars.
And yes, that would be just wrong...

Jeff Garden · From: Center Sandwich, New Hampshire, USA

There I am showing my age again, Skip Smile

I was trying to explain life before cellphones and answering machines to a teenager the other day...she was incredulous

ajm · From: Los Angeles

Recording: In addition to Cakewalk, unless I'm wrong Gibson also acquired Tascam several years ago.

FWIW, Tascam (or whomever) has just about killed the home portastudio line, at least for guys like me.

Their biggest blunder? They no longer make a home studio of any size that has either MIDI (for driving a drum machine) or a CD player/burner.

The head scratcher is that up until too long ago their studios came in two versions: One with CD/MIDI and one without. They scaled back the line, and guess which version they got rid of?

I don't get it. The technology was there and implemented. It was manufactured and built. And they got rid of it.

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

Here's a link to a page on their website showing brands they own, such as KRK studio monitors, Stanton, etc. There is no mention of Tascam but I thought they bought them too.
http://www.gibson.com/Products/Pro-Audio.aspx

Jeff Garden · From: Center Sandwich, New Hampshire, USA

I don't understand all of the business/stock/etc terminology here but per this article it looks like as of April 2013 Gibson bought a controlling interest in TEAC which owns TASCAM
https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/gibson-buys-majority-stake-in-teac/

Herb Steiner · From: Spicewood TX 78669

It's happened before. Maybe some of us remember that Gibson took a nosedive quality-wise when the company... with many old-time luthiers who'd been with Gibson for decades... was acquired by Norlin back in '69. Quality and pride of craftsmanship dropped at that time.
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My rig: Infinity and Telonics.

Son, we live in a world with walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with steel guitars. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinberg?

Joachim Kettner · From: Germany

Not that it looks bad at all, but can you imagine a SG as a 12-string?
I believe the only guitar made into a twelve string before was the ES- 335.

_________________
Fender Kingman, Sierra Crown D-10, Evans Amplifier, Soup Cube.

Herb Steiner · From: Spicewood TX 78669

How the neck attached to the body was the weak spot on the SG. I wonder how they braced it for 12 strings.
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My rig: Infinity and Telonics.

Son, we live in a world with walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with steel guitars. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinberg?

Joachim Kettner · From: Germany

Herb is the neck glued or bolted on, I imagine it was glued?
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Fender Kingman, Sierra Crown D-10, Evans Amplifier, Soup Cube.

Frank Freniere · From: The First Coast

My old SG Jr. was glued on.

Herb Steiner · From: Spicewood TX 78669

Glued on, and with a very small surface. The neck was very easily moved and intonation could be screwy.
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My rig: Infinity and Telonics.

Son, we live in a world with walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with steel guitars. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinberg?

Bruce Meyer · From: Thompson's Station, TN

From the article describing the special Gibson guitar "Consider: Advanced sampling technology allows it to sound like any one of dozens of vintage electric or acoustic guitars at the touch of a button. " And it's $5,000

Huh? I've got a Line 6 James Tyler Variax that does this fantastically. It cost me $600 used.

And it came with software that lets me change string pitch, intonation, and pickups on any of the guitar models.