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Major announcement about our beloved Gryphon Stringed Instruments!!!

onewilyfool

By onewilyfool
in Gibson Acoustic

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onewilyfool

onewilyfool

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After a 30 year partnership and a multi- year absence….Gryphon Stringed Instruments, is now once again, a dealer for Gibson Acoustic Guitars……They currently have maybe 5 in stock…..and none advertised on the web, but some things just go full circle, and I'm glad this one did!! Congratulations Gryphon…

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BigKahune

BigKahune

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Never understood Gibsons aversion to on-line store ads...........but the big box shops can show product....why?

 

It's part of the licensing changes Gibson made a few years ago after internet sales got so big and lots of shops sold online. AFAIK, any shop may say they stock Gibson guitars on their webpage, but only shops that have the Gibson license to advertise/sell online can advertise with stock listings and photos, and sell online. And those "online licenses" are hard to get - even a 5 Star shop like Fuller's doesn't one. The online Gibson dealers is a very short list. Gibson must police online sales to justify the cost of those licenses.

 

 

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Hogeye

Hogeye

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Never understood Gibsons aversion to on-line store ads...........but the big box shops can show product....why?

 

 

I will answer this question with the Gibson policy. Gibson is dedicated to keeping the local stores viable.

 

When the internet came into prominence there were many folks that had guitar stores in their garage and didn't have City or State licensing. They just got off work and had a website that would sell anything. They had connections to large stores and bought from guitars at deep discounts and then sold them to the unsuspecting public. If you even got a guitar at all.

 

Gibson needed to weed them out and keep the local stores viable.

 

Gibson's policy is to have dealers in storefronts in the major locations. They discouraged the discount pricing of their product and encouraged customers to go to the local store and get the service they deserved.

 

Gibson understands that every town can't have a Gibson dealer so they placed a new dealer level into the mix for the folks that couldn't get to a dealer near them. .

 

This "new" dealer has strict guidelines to follow to protect the product and the consumer. Gibson demands that the "advertising on line" dealer have every guitar in every color in stock and ready to ship. They demand that the dealer has a big warehouse with staff in place to quickly deliver product. They must maintain their inventory levels in their warehouse at all times.

 

Gibson demands that every online dealer has a liberal return policy. There are plenty of other demands as well.

 

As you can see these demands are for the consumer's protection. You get what you pay for and you get it fast and you can return it if not completely satisfied.

 

It takes a big account to handle these demands and only those that are prepared to make the commitment will qualify. The online dealers have huge warehouses with all of the Gibson product ready to ship so there are no delays. This take a huge staff to operate and a big commitment to the consumer and Gibson.

 

If you order from one of these dealers you will be completely protected by Gibson's policies.

 

Gibson tries to keep the advertised prices at a level that the little guys can compete in.

 

It's just honest business.

 

Gibson is not in the business of price fixing or controlling the market they just want to see that all consumers get a good fair deal and they are safe from online predators.

 

So support your local dealer if possible. If not buy from an online Gibson dealer and feel safe and protected. You will get no bait and switch and very few if any backorders.

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Hogeye

Hogeye

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It's part of the licensing changes Gibson made a few years ago after internet sales got so big and lots of shops sold online. AFAIK, any shop may say they stock Gibson guitars on their webpage, but only shops that have the Gibson license to advertise/sell online can advertise with stock listings and photos, and sell online. And those "online licenses" are hard to get - even a 5 Star shop like Fuller's doesn't one. The online Gibson dealers is a very short list. Gibson must police online sales to justify the cost of those licenses.

 

 

.

 

Gibson has no special licensing fee. Never has. Anyone can be an online dealer. Just make a very serious commitment to the product and the consumer.

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onewilyfool

onewilyfool

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Gryphon told me they are an "acoustic only" dealer for Gibson. The demands on them in the past that made them abandon their dealership, was the heavy requirements to also sell Electrics, and to carry Epiphone products that they couldn't sell, and the demand that they dedicate an entire room or wall for Gibson Guitars only……not a suitable model for their market and for their store layout. They are mostly an acoustic store…..So, rather than bashing other forum members which seems to give some such a thrill….let's just say, happy that a local store found some way to agree with Gibson and it's marketing policy, and is selling some Gibson acoustics again after a long lay-off.

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guitarstrummer

guitarstrummer

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Great explanation, Hogeye. And like you said, Gibson would like you to buy from your local mom and pop store, if you can and if there's one available to you. They have always made a point to mention this to the Gibson Homecoming participants each year.

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Hogeye

Hogeye

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Gryphon told me they are an "acoustic only" dealer for Gibson. The demands on them in the past that made them abandon their dealership, was the heavy requirements to also sell Electrics, and to carry Epiphone products that they couldn't sell, and the demand that they dedicate an entire room or wall for Gibson Guitars only……not a suitable model for their market and for their store layout. They are mostly an acoustic store…..So, rather than bashing other forum members which seems to give some such a thrill….let's just say, happy that a local store found some way to agree with Gibson and it's marketing policy, and is selling some Gibson acoustics again after a long lay-off.

 

Gibson didn't change it's policy. Any store has the option of being a Gibson Acoustic only store. It has always been that way. I'm thrilled that Gryphon is a dealer again. They are the premier dealer for acoustics in the area. Their repair dept. is amazing and they are easy to do business with. So--- hats off to Gryphon.

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BigKahune

BigKahune

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Gibson has no special licensing fee. Never has. Anyone can be an online dealer. Just make a very serious commitment to the product and the consumer.

 

Thanks for commenting, I don't know much about the cost arrangements for obtaining a dealer agreement from Gibson. But it still comes down to cost or very serious commitment to obtain the right to sell Gibson guitars from a store front or online. There's a shop in my area called Elderly Instruments. Back in 2005 Gibson terminated their dealership agreement over a banjo advertising dispute where Elderly was using "Gibson copy" in the advertising copy. That's reasonable. But then Gibson apparently argued that a contract stipulation requires that retailers should not carry any competing brands of banjos and mandolins. To a shop like Elderly that's a very costly demand. I'm curious if Gibson has since pulled back on demands like that.

 

 

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modoc_333

modoc_333

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Thanks for commenting, I don't know much about the cost arrangements for obtaining a dealer agreement from Gibson. But it still comes down to cost or very serious commitment to obtain the right to sell Gibson guitars from a store front or online. There's a shop in my area called Elderly Instruments. Back in 2005 Gibson terminated their dealership agreement over a banjo advertising dispute where Elderly was using "Gibson copy" in the advertising copy. That's reasonable. But then Gibson apparently argued that a contract stipulation requires that retailers should not carry any competing brands of banjos and mandolins. To a shop like Elderly that's a very costly demand. I'm curious if Gibson has since pulled back on demands like that.

 

 

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the contract doesn't say that dealers can't carry competing brands. it says that the dealer can't carry fakes. if it says Gibson, but isn't a Gibson.. then a Gibson dealer needs to stay away from it.

Always tough to get the accurate story when a relationship ends like it did with Elderly. Everyone is trying to save face and then everyone else gets the details mixed up.... then the story gets retold so many times that no one knows what happened! Haha. just a mess. But anyway, competing brands are fine. fakes, etc are not.

 

 

 

-Keith

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