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As a response to all the "Gibson Bashing" going on


JuanCarlosVejar

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I was at the namm show this year... At the martin booth as I was looking at the authentic series an older gentleman approaches me with the new 1919 000 30 in hand and aks "does this sound like a guitar you would pay over 10k for?" He then proceeds to strum and I answer "no".

 

He replies "Yeah me either" .While I was there I saw Laurence Juber,George Gruhn and countless other people.Martin is a company that only lives on it's name.The rosewood on their aunthentic models is almost alway underwhelming to look at and does not sound as great as they want you to believe.

 

Diana Ponzio a lady that works at martin was constantly getting pissed at people bumping into her while she was trying to do videos which should not happen.They should be mindful of the people that are there to have a go at the guitars.

 

Chris Martin and Fred Green are nice guys.But though I was at the booth for maybe 2 hours no one approached me to discuss the products or anything.And I have ordered one of their new limited edition ukues ...

 

I checked inside some some their guitars and you could see a drop or two in some of the guitars.

 

 

I went to see Don and the Montana display and I spent a great deal of time talking to him when ever a dealer would need to talk to him he would very politely "Hey J, Can you please excuse me for a few minutes" .Then out of nowhere another gibson staff member approached me (he saw I was a lefty) And he told me he is great friends with Jim Duncan (owner of Southpaw Guitars a lefty only store) and he oversaw everything that went to Jim .He told me a story about how he used to be Elliot Eastons guitar tech.And after the chat he hooked up a lefty goldtop les paul classic and a lefty les paul high performance in Ocean burst (Green) for me to try out and took pictures.

 

 

I played those guitars for a while looked for flaws in the build and could find none.As far as the acoustics I only saw a few extra drops of glue but nothing looked strange or out of place.

 

 

Don was a gent .I asked him about the possibility of getting 2 guitars done in lefty that was on the first day I was there .When Don saw me the next day he told me I got good news the guitar you want the most of the two you mentioned can be done in lefty.I gave him a big hug and said he could expect me to order in the coming months through my dealer of choice.Don was a one man show who talked to me about the products,About how the new HP line came about and about so many other things that I just left feeling much better

 

 

After I went and played the new Masterbilt Century line from Epiphone and Will Jones (Dr.Epiphone) approached me and said "You know I see you are having so much fun playing the new masterbilt line,I just want to let you know those are easily convertible to lefty and even the pickguards can be reversed"

 

I thanked him and told him the company had made a fantastic product

 

 

I would rather buy my guitars from people who care about me as a consumer and engage me than buy a guitar from a bunch of cold heartless people who try to live off their name and stare you off if you bump into their video ...

 

 

Mind you Martin had one lefty to try out which sounded very nice.

Don apologized for not having any lefty bozeman gems but I could care less ...We had a great chat and he knows I will be placing an order for one guitar this year

 

 

 

JC

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As long as I've been associated with guitars, there's been a cult of Gibson bashers hanging around. Often, they're hard core Martin people, but not always. Gibsons and Martins are different critters for certain - pass me the popcorn?

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I am an avid Gibson fan and owner of four of them. I love the guitars, I also really like Taylor and Martin and some of the boutique guitars but I prefer the Gibson line. My only complaints with Gibson is customer relations related I have sent emails asking questions with no answer. I think they should offer more in the line of apparel and collectibles, I like to promote the brand but they offer very little in comparison to other company's, not a deal breaker but still makes them less profit. I do not like the fact that in what clothing they do offer it is all the same color and look. I have taken tours of others and I hate to say it but Gibson's tour of Memphis really kinda sucked in comparison as well. Well those m are just a few examples of where I think they fall short and could improve a lot, I still love the Guitars.

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I was at the namm show this year... At the martin booth as I was looking at the authentic series an older gentleman approaches me with the new 1919 000 30 in hand and aks "does this sound like a guitar you would pay over 10k for?" He then proceeds to strum and I answer "no".

 

He replies "Yeah me either" .While I was there I saw Laurence Juber,George Gruhn and countless other people.Martin is a company that only lives on it's name.The rosewood on their aunthentic models is almost alway underwhelming to look at and does not sound as great as they want you to believe.

 

Diana Ponzio a lady that works at martin was constantly getting pissed at people bumping into her while she was trying to do videos which should not happen.They should be mindful of the people that are there to have a go at the guitars.

 

Chris Martin and Fred Green are nice guys.But though I was at the booth for maybe 2 hours no one approached me to discuss the products or anything.And I have ordered one of their new limited edition ukues ...

 

I checked inside some some their guitars and you could see a drop or two in some of the guitars.

 

 

I went to see Don and the Montana display and I spent a great deal of time talking to him when ever a dealer would need to talk to him he would very politely "Hey J, Can you please excuse me for a few minutes" .Then out of nowhere another gibson staff member approached me (he saw I was a lefty) And he told me he is great friends with Jim Duncan (owner of Southpaw Guitars a lefty only store) and he oversaw everything that went to Jim .He told me a story about how he used to be Elliot Eastons guitar tech.And after the chat he hooked up a lefty goldtop les paul classic and a lefty les paul high performance in Ocean burst (Green) for me to try out and took pictures.

 

 

I played those guitars for a while looked for flaws in the build and could find none.As far as the acoustics I only saw a few extra drops of glue but nothing looked strange or out of place.

 

 

Don was a gent .I asked him about the possibility of getting 2 guitars done in lefty that was on the first day I was there .When Don saw me the next day he told me I got good news the guitar you want the most of the two you mentioned can be done in lefty.I gave him a big hug and said he could expect me to order in the coming months through my dealer of choice.Don was a one man show who talked to me about the products,About how the new HP line came about and about so many other things that I just left feeling much better

 

 

After I went and played the new Masterbilt Century line from Epiphone and Will Jones (Dr.Epiphone) approached me and said "You know I see you are having so much fun playing the new masterbilt line,I just want to let you know those are easily convertible to lefty and even the pickguards can be reversed"

 

I thanked him and told him the company had made a fantastic product

 

 

I would rather buy my guitars from people who care about me as a consumer and engage me than buy a guitar from a bunch of cold heartless people who try to live off their name and stare you off if you bump into their video ...

 

 

Mind you Martin had one lefty to try out which sounded very nice.

Don apologized for not having any lefty bozeman gems but I could care less ...We had a great chat and he knows I will be placing an order for one guitar this year

 

 

 

JC

I find both of the big name companies that you mention equally unwilling to stand behind the products they make, example 1: I purchased an Martin D1 in 2009 (I know,an entry level guitar at an entry level price....but I didn't price it..they did) and within 1 year the top split between the two pieces below the bridge, the wood did not split, the glued seam let go....I contacted the dealer and was told that they don't warrant against that.

 

Example 2.I have a 1994 Gibson J45 which i bought used, with (I found out by adjusting it) a two way truss rod that when adjusted to create more back bow can, and often does push through the back of the neck due to removing too much wood to accommodate the truss rod at the headstock end. A problem known by most Gibson enthusiasts and recognized by Gibson! Which I found out when I contacted them about it. When I asked what, if anything they have done for the owners of these guitars they told me they would replace the neck if I boxed it up and sent it to them, paid shipping both ways and approximately $600.00 dollars for the swap. I realize that I'm the second owner of the guitar and didn't expect they would do anything for me..but WHY didn't they recall the guitars when the flaw was realized and repair them?

I feel that for the price we pay for these instruments, the service is sorely lacking. I have since, sent my Gibson to a repair shop in WV because even though I've had this issue I plan on having the guitar for a very long time. the J45 is still my favorite guitar, I just would like to see these companies get behind their build with as much enthusiasm as the owners have for owning them.

 

I have three other guitars now, and have had some come and go in the past but these two are the only 'problem children' I have had....go figure.

 

I hope to see Gibson around for a very long time to come, as for the other one...I have no opinion.

 

Before you start...this is my opinion based on my experiences...If others have had better, I'd like to hear them...otherwise lets not go off on a tangent. Thanks in advance.

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I find both of the big name companies that you mention equally unwilling to stand behind the products they make, example 1: I purchased an Martin D1 in 2009 (I know,an entry level guitar at an entry level price....but I didn't price it..they did) and within 1 year the top split between the two pieces below the bridge, the wood did not split, the glued seam let go....I contacted the dealer and was told that they don't warrant against that.

 

Example 2.I have a 1994 Gibson J45 which i bought used, with (I found out by adjusting it) a two way truss rod that when adjusted to create more back bow can, and often does push through the back of the neck due to removing too much wood to accommodate the truss rod at the headstock end. A problem known by most Gibson enthusiasts and recognized by Gibson! Which I found out when I contacted them about it. When I asked what, if anything they have done for the owners of these guitars they told me they would replace the neck if I boxed it up and sent it to them, paid shipping both ways and approximately $600.00 dollars for the swap. I realize that I'm the second owner of the guitar and didn't expect they would do anything for me..but WHY didn't they recall the guitars when the flaw was realized and repair them?

I feel that for the price we pay for these instruments, the service is sorely lacking. I have since, sent my Gibson to a repair shop in WV because even though I've had this issue I plan on having the guitar for a very long time. the J45 is still my favorite guitar, I just would like to see these companies get behind their build with as much enthusiasm as the owners have for owning them.

 

I have three other guitars now, and have had some come and go in the past but these two are the only 'problem children' I have had....go figure.

 

I hope to see Gibson around for a very long time to come, as for the other one...I have no opinion.

 

Before you start...this is my opinion based on my experiences...If others have had better, I'd like to hear them...otherwise lets not go off on a tangent. Thanks in advance.

 

I have 4 new Gibson acoustics, I like a very straight neck so I crank up the truss rods regularly. I never thought they were anything but standard truss rods. What more do you know about the current truss rods?

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I find both of the big name companies that you mention equally unwilling to stand behind the products they make, example 1: I purchased an Martin D1 in 2009 (I know,an entry level guitar at an entry level price....but I didn't price it..they did) and within 1 year the top split between the two pieces below the bridge, the wood did not split, the glued seam let go....I contacted the dealer and was told that they don't warrant against that.

 

Example 2.I have a 1994 Gibson J45 which i bought used, with (I found out by adjusting it) a two way truss rod that when adjusted to create more back bow can, and often does push through the back of the neck due to removing too much wood to accommodate the truss rod at the headstock end. A problem known by most Gibson enthusiasts and recognized by Gibson! Which I found out when I contacted them about it. When I asked what, if anything they have done for the owners of these guitars they told me they would replace the neck if I boxed it up and sent it to them, paid shipping both ways and approximately $600.00 dollars for the swap. I realize that I'm the second owner of the guitar and didn't expect they would do anything for me..but WHY didn't they recall the guitars when the flaw was realized and repair them?

I feel that for the price we pay for these instruments, the service is sorely lacking. I have since, sent my Gibson to a repair shop in WV because even though I've had this issue I plan on having the guitar for a very long time. the J45 is still my favorite guitar, I just would like to see these companies get behind their build with as much enthusiasm as the owners have for owning them.

 

I have three other guitars now, and have had some come and go in the past but these two are the only 'problem children' I have had....go figure.

 

I hope to see Gibson around for a very long time to come, as for the other one...I have no opinion.

 

Before you start...this is my opinion based on my experiences...If others have had better, I'd like to hear them...otherwise lets not go off on a tangent. Thanks in advance.

Please provide more detailed instructions as to how others are allowed to respond....

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Be careful! Be VERY careful!! Some of us know what you mean, but we're trying not to get folks riled by suggesting there might be a different perspective - best to stand by for further instructions. BTW, FYI, OCD, BS....

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I am an avid Gibson fan and owner of four of them. I love the guitars, I also really like Taylor and Martin and some of the boutique guitars but I prefer the Gibson line. My only complaints with Gibson is customer relations related I have sent emails asking questions with no answer. I think they should offer more in the line of apparel and collectibles, I like to promote the brand but they offer very little in comparison to other company's, not a deal breaker but still makes them less profit. I do not like the fact that in what clothing they do offer it is all the same color and look. I have taken tours of others and I hate to say it but Gibson's tour of Memphis really kinda sucked in comparison as well. Well those m are just a few examples of where I think they fall short and could improve a lot, I still love the Guitars.

 

Complaining that a guitar company doesn't make enough clothing with their name on it is like complaining that the company that makes my asthma medication doesn't make t-shirts and hoodies! Personally as long as they keep making a product that saves my life (or makes great sounding guitars) I really don't care about the apparel. It's not what they're in business for, and really wouldn't call not having a full apparel line "falling short".

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I'm the happy owner of a lovely hummingbird. No flaw, no glue bub inside, just perfect woods, look and sounding. Ah yes, flubber pickguard lifted and got bubbles, gibson did everything so i could send it back to them safely it was free, got this repaired flawlessly and it looks brand new, cheers to them.

 

Oh right, wrong thread...

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I'm the happy owner of a lovely hummingbird. No flaw, no glue bub inside, just perfect woods, look and sounding. Ah yes, flubber pickguard lifted and got bubbles, gibson did everything so i could send it back to them safely it was free, got this repaired flawlessly and it looks brand new, cheers to them.

 

Oh right, wrong thread...

😒😐😊😄😅

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Complaining that a guitar company doesn't make enough clothing with their name on it is like complaining that the company that makes my asthma medication doesn't make t-shirts and hoodies! Personally as long as they keep making a product that saves my life (or makes great sounding guitars) I really don't care about the apparel. It's not what they're in business for, and really wouldn't call not having a full apparel line "falling short".

 

Yeah I actually prefer it if guitar companies doesn't sell a lot of side crap with their name on it. I love Gibson guitars but I would never buy a Gibson T Shirt. That's too much like when middle aged guys buy a Harley and then everything they own has to have a Harley logo on it. Besides, I don't know if the guy you responded to has looked lately, but there is crap with "Gibson" on it everywhere now.

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Yeah I actually prefer it if guitar companies doesn't sell a lot of side crap with their name on it. I love Gibson guitars but I would never buy a Gibson T Shirt. That's too much like when middle aged guys buy a Harley and then everything they own has to have a Harley logo on it. Besides, I don't know if the guy you responded to has looked lately, but there is crap with "Gibson" on it everywhere now.

Don't really much care what people choose to wear, but there's something a little odd about using a product and then paying the manufacturer so you can become a walking advertisement for them. Seems like logo merchandise should be provided free w/guitar and motorcycle purchase.

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Allie, inspite of (or maybe because of) your caution regarding responses) I have 3 comments: an observation, an opinion, and a statement of my experience.

1. Martin's product failed for no reason, under warranty and they chose not to honor the warranty. While Gibson's was willing to work with you for a guitar that was not under warranty.

2. Gibson's truss rod issue was probably not one which would be considered by most to be so serious as to require they issue a 'recall'.

3. I have had 5 Gibsons in my lifetime. I've not had problems with any.

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gibson is a company that builds things. if people go to a forum to say they dont like something, fine, thats why forums exist, for people to opine, this isnt a gibson "positive opinion" only forum , like some of you have said -if you dont like a post dont read it-or dont reply if that is clearer

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I guess I did not make my point well enough in my original post, I love the guitars and that is what they are in business for I agree. If I had to pick out any complaints it would be the lack of not offering more in the way of collectibles etc, that does turn me off obviously. The lack of attention to emails and questions asked I think can hurt them if they are not careful. Still they are my favorite guitar and I agree that it is no biggie but tried to say that I have no complaints with the instruments themselves. Sometimes I just think they may forget what pays the bills, the customers.

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Don't really much care what people choose to wear, but there's something a little odd about using a product and then paying the manufacturer so you can become a walking advertisement for them. Seems like logo merchandise should be provided free w/guitar and motorcycle purchase.

 

Yeah, I pretty much prefer my clothing logo/brand free unless I think the logo is a cool design in itself. Otherwise I just want it plain.

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