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Gibson scrape the barrel.


LarryUK

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYTPqC2GQCM&feature=youtu.be jump to 3.45.

I came across this video tonight. The quality of this guitar is unbelievable. It's a piece of s**t. Look at the paintwork. Probably the worst I've ever seen and even the logo is just a piece of plastic stuck on. There are other videos saying how bad this model is too. Why are Gibson doing this? I thought Epiphone were the budget models. The prices go up and the quality comes down. But that's life now. Everything is profit, profit and the quality doesn't matter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCxJyOMXT80&t=4sThis is another video that shows the poor standard coming from the factory.

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The new low end Gibsons have been getting pretty consistently bad reviews it seems. As the one guy said they are just diluting the brand name. The M2 looks like it could be a fun platform for modification and abuse if it has a good neck. Then again, at the point where you've replaced enough parts to make a good guitar, you might as well have just bought something nicer to begin with

 

I guess all in all I might buy something like that for my nephew to bang around or something but it's not impressive from a brand that is supposed to be high end professional quality

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It's just their modern day versions of how they used to make the Melody Maker - cheap, basic guitars for young people or for a bit of fun, it's just that they are making them in a variety of body styles nowadays. Just as a Melody Maker was never supposed to be a Les Paul or an SG, neither are these, and they only cost a fraction of the price of the 'real' Gibsons.

 

Basically gives you the choice of a mid-high range Epiphone or a budget basic Gibson for around the same money - some will choose one, some the other. They are like the Kalamazoo brand they had back in the day.

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It's just their modern day versions of how they used to make the Melody Maker - cheap, basic guitars for young people or for a bit of fun, it's just that they are making them in a variety of body styles nowadays. Just as a Melody Maker was never supposed to be a Les Paul or an SG, neither are these, and they only cost a fraction of the price of the 'real' Gibsons.

 

Basically gives you the choice of a mid-high range Epiphone or a budget basic Gibson for around the same money - some will choose one, some the other. They are like the Kalamazoo brand they had back in the day.

I agree but I feel like the functionality and quality of the wood, bridge, tuners, and electronics on the melody maker was way better. The one complaint you keep hearing about these is that the bridge can't be set low enough and the tuners are garbage. The melody maker is at least actually kindof a badass guitar just stripped down

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Maybe Dub, but I have a very early MM,and if you call a body about an inch thick, cutdown headstock, God-awful neck joint, unsealed plastic buttoned tuners, a single scrawny blade pickup with no power and cheap paint job bad-***, well...ok (I do quite like it though [biggrin] ) - it is made of mahogany with a Brazil rosewood board, but only because that was just what companies used those back then for making pretty much any guitar.

 

...and the early Les Paul gold tops had a bridge that you couldn't even palm mute on so.... [scared]

 

I think maybe owners of a LP Custom back in 1958 might have looked down on the old MM in similar ways.

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There is a small market for this level of budget Gibson.

 

There are a few players who are undemanding in both their own 'modest' skill level & their expectations of an instrument. They would however, like a guitar with Gibson on the headstock. Such players may have Chibsons, or Epiphones with modified headstocks and Gibson decals. At least this way there is less pretence.

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I couldn't give a rat's fart if I found out that, say, my LP Junior had some cosmetic flaws as long as it had 'The Sound' and played beautifully.

I've never once checked over any of my guitars to assure myself they were cosmetically perfect. I really don't care. It's simply not important.

 

Pip.

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I couldn't give a rat's fart if I found out that, say, my LP Junior had some cosmetic flaws as long as it had 'The Sound' and played beautifully.

I've never once checked over any of my guitars to assure myself they were cosmetically perfect. I really don't care. It's simply not important.

 

Pip.

 

Yeah, I remember getting my (2004) TV Yellow "Faded Series" Double Cut LP Special, new. The finish was "bargain basement," BUT...

the Tone/Sound, and playability, was/IS Awesome. It's still one of my favorite Gibson's, and probably the least expensive Gibson (at that time),

I've ever owned. I did some "cosmetic" upgrades, a'59 TRC, and 5 layer pickguard, and Grover tuners...but, only for my own fancy! There was

nothing functionally wrong, with any of the stock items.

 

CB

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If you shop around - and actually play them first there you might be surprised. I'm assuming anyone who b!tches about the paint on their guitar didn't actually play it first. :rolleyes:

 

I think you just have to be careful. I bought a Faded SG Special for $599 and it's awesome. In fact it's the only guitar I haven't changed much on - just knobs and pickup covers I think. Best $599 I've ever spent I imagine.

 

IMG_6503.jpg

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My first guitar was a 2002 Gibson Les Paul Faded Special (490R/498T pickups) for $599.00. I still have it and other than a half-hearted attempt to sell it a couple of years ago to offset the purchase price of my 7 string (to keep the wife happy...lol), I have no plans to part with it. Plays and sounds great. Lightweight. The only issues I've had was needing to shim the nut early on and to have the fret ends filed down. (Most likely because I was living in Arizona at the time and with the extremely low humidity, those sorts of problems seemed pretty routine.). I've never had an issue with the faded finish. In fact, my Ltd bass and Ltd 7 string guitars are both satin poly finishes and I really like both of them. I haven't missed a gloss finish on any of them.

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I couldn't give a rat's fart if I found out that, say, my LP Junior had some cosmetic flaws as long as it had 'The Sound' and played beautifully.

I've never once checked over any of my guitars to assure myself they were cosmetically perfect. I really don't care. It's simply not important.

 

Pip.

 

Yep - I've got a couple of "B" stock guitars that I bought for the way the play and sound, Who cares if they have a few imperfections if they sound great?

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I couldn't give a rat's fart if I found out that, say, my LP Junior had some cosmetic flaws as long as it had 'The Sound' and played beautifully.

I've never once checked over any of my guitars to assure myself they were cosmetically perfect. I really don't care. It's simply not important.

 

Pip.

..But this reviewer says the action can't be lowered to a decent level and there are clearly other faults with the cheap hardware.

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I have a Gibson M2 and a Firebird Zero and I bought them because I collect Gibsons. The Firebird Zero, if the neck angle is right, can be had with decent enough action without swapping out the bridge. I did swap out the bridge on the M2 and it plays better now. The Firebird Zero, after a good setup is actually a fun guitar to play and sounds decent. It is super light and the fit and finish is actually pretty decent. The guitar stays in tune quite well. The M2 is pretty decorative in the strawberry milk finish.

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I think the problem is, the bridge tilts forward, so no matter what you try to do setup wise, the bridge just isn't going to be reliable.

 

Gibson would be better to leave the lower priced models to Epi. I think the kid is right, they are diluting their brand.

 

it would be better if they would knock these off, stop offering, and fix the QA in the other line ups they already have their fair share of issues with.

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Gibson owners are/have OCD! Therefore, NOTHING Gibson does, will be right! [flapper][biggrin]

 

Most everything discussed here, and in other threads on like topics, simply

proves that the customer should "look/play" BEFORE you buy! Most of the

problems discussed, could be avoided...unless, of course, they crop up later.

 

IMHO, as always... [biggrin]

 

CB

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Gibson owners are/have OCD! Therefore, NOTHING Gibson does, will be right! [flapper][biggrin]

 

Most everything discussed here, and in other threads on like topics, simply

proves that the customer should "look/play" BEFORE you buy! Most of the

problems discussed, could be avoided...unless, of course, they crop up later.

 

IMHO, as always... [biggrin]

 

CB

But buying from Amazon is so much fun because you never know if you will get a lemon or a gem. My M2 was an Amazon Warehouse Deal and it was under $300. I bought that to see if it sucked or not (it does). I kept it as a loaner guitar for my band's singer since he never brings his guitar. I put a new bridge on it and set it up and it plays fine. Our singer is a big guy, about 6'3" and he looks divine with a strawberry milk M2 in his hands.

 

On a serious note though, I agree with you on trying before buying. I have been burnt by Amazon many times but have gotten some great guitars and basses too. Musicians Friend has sent me a few lemons too. I have never gotten a lemon when I went to the store and tried it out first.

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AMAZON? Oh he11 no...!!!

 

 

I would think if you worked with a place like Sweetwater, your chances are a bit better of not getting totally hosed. Musicains Friend aint what it used to be. Sweetwater annihilates them IMHO.

 

at least for me, the last 4 guitars I've purchased from Sweetwater (J200, SG Standard, Sheraton, Swingster) have all been just about dead on right out of the shipping box..

 

while I have no idea what these low end gibsons are like I still stand by the notion that if you're going in the 500 dollar price break, you're better off with an import for now.

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I think that some of these issues just a good or bad day at the factory with a good/skilled or bad/unskilled worker when they get some of these flaws. Many of us know of that one or five employees that don't care about their job nor take pride in what they do. It's just a place they go to make money and that's all they care about.

 

What I do agree with is that QC should find these problems and correct it or scrap it. I want a Gibson for quality, not a roulette wheel of taking my chances. But, these examples of a low end guitar that isn't 100% perfect to the owner's eye is just a few among thousands produced. We certainly hear lots about the ones that are junk and not nearly enough about the ones that are great. Poor QC, unmotivated or unskilled workers that don't care about their job and poor design all contribute to these kinds of problems. The man or woman who signs the QC card should be questioned and reported both for great work and poor work.

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