Eracer_Team Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 and then around the lower bout or cutaway where the binding goes around and separates the top finish from the back finish, it was almost as if someone came up behind the person that was applying the binding and bumped their arm, because there was like a semi circle reveal that clearly showed the paint seam, where on the rest of the guitar the seam was covere 3 guitars all same "flaw"???? Highly unlikely. I think you're seeing the binding is the same thickness all the was around and the maple cap comes out between the binding and the mahogany. But hey enjoy your next guitar 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norcalpiper Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 I agree with the poster....Gibson Quality control is shite. I have bought 12 gibsons over the past 3 years, and the never come without the need of a setup, some small defect, etc. my Firebird fiasco almost put me off of Gibson for good. You can search my threads for that one. My music buddy is fantaical about PRS in the same way as I am about Gibson. I have seen time after time him pull another model out of the box setup and sounding perfect with no flaws. Fit and finish as well. But as a legacy Gibson player (4 generations including my son), I will always play Gibson. One thing I have Noticed is that while I have to spend some money getting my Gibson sounding and looking 100%, they always break in after some playing time and they just get sweeter as time goes by. I tend to notice my friend begins to tire of his PRS sounds and starts the pickup swaps, the string gauge change, etc.... A guitar that costs 4k should arrive with a flawless fit and finish. Even a $700. In that sense, Gibson gets low marks, but with your own initiative, you can coax the glorious beast out of it that you will never want to part with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 "Gibson Quality Control is Shite!" Well, they have their moments, that's for sure! But, overall, considering the vast volume their factories produce, I really don't think it's as bad as some let on. There are, and have been QC problems, now and then, but I'd be interested in the true/accurate percentage, compared to total output. In a perfect world, there wouldn't be ANY problems. But, we hardly live in such a world, and never have. CB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 On second thoughts he's not worth it. P. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 And, he's (no doubt), never seen YOUR Les Paul's! I love them all, but that (so called) "Plain top" is Killer! IMHO, as always! Well, thanks as always for the nice sentiments, CB, and as you already know we form, pretty much, a mutual appreciation society together. Much as I like my own Gibsons (and I know how much you like yours) I currently own guitars made over a period of several decades from the '40s to the present day; crafted by nine separate manufacturers and made in seven different countries so, as they say about 'fallen women', I have "put myself around a bit" and am not simply a Gibson Fanboy. I've also been playing for over 40 years and therefore have a reasonable amount of experience on which to draw so the message I'd most like the OP to take to heart is "Bugger Off". There's really quite a lot more to be said on this topic. So I won't say it. Pip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted July 20, 2017 Share Posted July 20, 2017 Well, Pip...anyone that knows you (personally, or from years on this forum) knows you're not anyone's "Fanboy!" LOL I own my fair share of Gibby's too, and am delighted with ALL of them, regardless of their initial price point, or (so called) perfection, or lack thereof! But, I also love my Fender's, Gretsch's, Rickenbacker's, Epiphone's (vintage and newer), and my "Cheapo's" (Danelectro 12-string, and Squire Bass VI). Otherwise, I wouldn't have purchase them, in the first place, much less kept them for as long as I have...with some of them, that's been from 35+, to over 50 years! Anyway, as always, whatever trips one's trigger, is fine! Troll's be damned! CB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Farnsbarns Posted July 20, 2017 Share Posted July 20, 2017 Look you guy's can think what you want I didn't come in here to argue, just to relay my previous mishap with Gibson, Tell us then, why have you consistently started contentious threads and then disappeared. with the hopes that similar flawed guitars don't end up in your hands, like they did mine. I've owned Gibson's in the past and yes some of them were Les Paul Standards or Classics, but they all cut corners somewhere, with either weight relief, or fretboard and inlay materials...somewhere. How is weight relief cutting corners? The inlays are as they have always been. I have no hatred for Gibson, in fact it infuriates me that they don't make them like they used to. My older brother has an absolutely flawless 1984 Black Gibson SG Standard, and it is perfection itself, the build quality, the feel, the sound, it's phenomenal, and I loved playing it...when he let me. Made in Gibson's worst period? However that quality is now non existent, I can say that because of my past 20 some odd years trying and buying and unfortunately returning Gibson's, their just not what they used to be, that's all. Used to be when? They've been through some bad times but they seem to be the times you think we're good. Hey who knows maybe in 20 to 30 years PRS, Fender or other guitar makers will get lax in their manufacturing, I don't know. All I'm saying is as for today PRS is taking the time and effort to do it right, and for whatever reason Gibson has stopped doing that, or at least have stopped doing it to a certain degree. So I hope they change for the better for the sake of all us players, and hopefully my bad experiences with Gibson is not the majority of their customer experiences, I truly hope all of you are thrilled with whatever Gibson you may have, it just did not work out so well for me, and I mean no disrespect to current or future Gibson owners. You still haven't addressed the binding/cuttaway/maple cap thing. Surely all those other Les Pauls you've tried had the same. They all do. Did you not notice? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted July 20, 2017 Share Posted July 20, 2017 Tell us then, why have you consistently started contentious threads and then disappeared... Because he is a troll. How is weight relief cutting corners?... Well, of course, it isn't. It's more costly to machine a weight-relieved body than a solid body-blank. But why let facts get in the way of ignorance and stupidity? The inlays are as they have always been.... Yup. Pretty much. Used to be when? They've been through some bad times but they seem to be the times you think we're good... Yup. Pretty much. By and large the instruments built since Henry took over have been amongst the finest in the history of the company. Pip. P.S. Farns; your inbox is full... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Farnsbarns Posted July 20, 2017 Share Posted July 20, 2017 Farns; your inbox is full... Sorted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparquelito Posted July 20, 2017 Share Posted July 20, 2017 Some random thoughts; * If you order a guitar, whether it be from a retailer, or from Sweetwater or one of the other music supply houses, you can't be assured of getting exactly what you wanted. * If, on the other hand, you purchase a guitar that you took the time to hold with your own hands, in person, and checked out thoroughly before laying the money down, there are no unexpected surprises or disappointments. I myself am attracted to Gibsons and Fenders, but I am wide-open to nearly every other brand of guitar. But I won't mail-order them, I'll travel to hold them and check them out in person before I spend the cash. For some reason, I am NOT attracted to PRS guitars. I know they are well-reviewed, and many headlining artists swear by them. But they have just never turned me on. Same with most Dean guitars. And Squiers. And the sleek Floyd Rose shred machines. And the only Epiphones that will generally turn my head are the Casino and the Dot. In the end, and no insult to the original poster, I find it counterproductive to take a stance that 'this is the only brand I'll ever own, and I reject all Gibsons because I had some bad experiences with mail-order'. It just seems kind of knee-jerk and overly-restricting. Can I say definitively that I will never own a PRS or Dean? Heck no. A guitar addict never says never. :unsure: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Golden Posted July 20, 2017 Share Posted July 20, 2017 Some random thoughts; * If you order a guitar, whether it be from a retailer, or from Sweetwater or one of the other music supply houses, you can't be assured of getting exactly what you wanted. * If, on the other hand, you purchase a guitar that you took the time to hold with your own hands, in person, and checked out thoroughly before laying the money down, there are no unexpected surprises or disappointments. I myself am attracted to Gibsons and Fenders, but I am wide-open to nearly every other brand of guitar. But I won't mail-order them, I'll travel to hold them and check them out in person before I spend the cash. Pretty much my thinking. Further I think the issue here comes down to QC vs QC in overall "opinion" I dont see no sense to debate opinion without the facts its based on which is "practical experience" in this case. Its simply one of those points that in comparison appears to me as true but logical fallacy. Why would I stand on some claim like that without empirical evidence, what we have is opinion. I dont even know how many each build a year, let alone where, and then the price-ratio in comparison to a assumed perfection no-one agreed on? lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Golden Posted July 20, 2017 Share Posted July 20, 2017 But with PRS 2012 revenues of $43.5 million, it's difficult to be heard over bigger rivals Fender Musical Instruments ($350 million) and Gibson Guitar Corp. ($325 million). Paul Reed Smith- "My company survives only if there are ten guitars on the wall of a music shop and the customer likes the one we made the best," says Smith, who founded PRS Guitars back in 1985. "So I see it as survival." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewBirdDude Posted July 20, 2017 Share Posted July 20, 2017 Here is the link to the post the OP made on the PRS forum. The OP is just trying to incite a division between PRS and Gibson. Most of you guys seem happy to reinforce the division and say PRS are anemic or generic sounding or whatever cliches have been repeated for years about PRS. Personally, I think pitting Gibson vs. PRS is bologna. I'd love to have both and throw in a Fender or two. I like Gibson a lot, especially the Les Paul. Although I want one really bad, I am terrified of buying a really nice one because of the headstock. I'm worried I'd drop it and lose my investment. I love PRS and have a few PRSi. The PRS forum seems a bit more friendly to Gibson. Not sure why there is so much PRS hate here. Obviously, PRS makes some good ****. https://forums.prsguitars.com/threads/just-left-this-in-gibsons-forum-3-strikes-your-out-prs-blows-you-away-gibson.25192/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rct Posted July 20, 2017 Share Posted July 20, 2017 ...I like Gibson a lot, especially the Les Paul. Although I want one really bad, I am terrified of buying a really nice one because of the headstock. I'm worried I'd drop it and lose my investment... That's like walking 11 miles to work because buying a car means you might hit something. rct 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Farnsbarns Posted July 20, 2017 Share Posted July 20, 2017 I haven't seen any PRS hate. I've never tried one, can't get past the looks, that's clearly personal and subjective though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelT Posted July 20, 2017 Share Posted July 20, 2017 I haven't seen any PRS hate. I've never tried one, can't get past the looks, that's clearly personal and subjective though. I'd be interested in playing one to check it out. I don't care a lot for the looks either but I'm willing to give it a chance. I don't think it's going to compare to any of my Gibsons but that's just speculation at this point. Edited: I just went to the PRS site and I'm not liking the looks either. If I want a guitar that looks like a Gibson, I'll get a Gibson. If I want a guitar that looks like a Fender Strat, I'll get a Fender Strat. But, I hope to play some this weekend and see what I think. I drive my wife crazy when I take a guitar off the rack, touch it, hold it, then put it back without playing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
american cheez Posted July 20, 2017 Share Posted July 20, 2017 i don't see evidence of the bad QC that the internet suggests. that doesn't mean it isn't there. just not my experience. however, when they employ people full-time who's job is strictly QC , there should be very, very few bad ones going out the door. i bought mine sight unseen and had confidence doing so. i was not disappointed in any way. i dont consider a guitar neededin set up adjustments to be a defect. wood moves when moved around to different climates. minor adjustments are to be expected. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted July 20, 2017 Share Posted July 20, 2017 I've a friend who plays and he has a few custom 22s, and had a McCarty, (he's had a # of PRS over the years. he loves them) They were nice to look at, and no there is no doubt the fit and finish work is impeccable. we traded off axes for a few weeks, I let him use one of my Gibby's.. so I had a nice custom 22 here, for about a month. I played it a lot for the first few days, but then I grabbed my 95 LP Standard and realized, "ah.. I'm back home.." So never got attached to the tone and response of the one I had here. (it was gorgeous, dark grey with some beautiful figuring on top and gold hard ware..) I know what a Les Paul, Strat, Tele, 335, sound like because they have a "Voice" that separates them from others.... When I hear something I can't put my finger on these days, I sort of assume I'm hearing a PRS... It may be just me (based on the replies here tho, I don't think it's JUST me..) They really have no characteristic tone wise that catches my ear separates them apart from others... more or less... kind of "generic.." sounding. But that's just my take, everyone goes for what they like. Nothing wrong with wanting liking something way different from me. (I know many guys who rave about Parker Flys.. I wouldn't touch one with a pole.) I know they (PRS) usually make their own pickups, and they have some tone options they offer with various configs.. But, they are just not something I have ever been drawn to the hunt for. I've another bud who has one of their tube amps, and that's a pretty good sounding rig. Not cheap though, I think he paid over 2k for a 50w 1x12 combo w/2 channels. The build work and craftsman ship again, were second to none. Very clean inside and out. the point really is, with this thread... it's kind of childish to come here and RANT like what has gone on here, just because one doesn't like one aspect of how Gibson decided to do the finish work on a product line. that's really all there is to it for this tread. life is full of pissing contests, we don't really need them here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewBirdDude Posted July 20, 2017 Share Posted July 20, 2017 That's like walking 11 miles to work because buying a car means you might hit something. rct More like buying a 3k guitar that has a headstock that's relatively more likely to break than other 3k guitars, but I'm not a statistician. I'll buy one someday when I have a little more financial stability and I can afford to really enjoy it without worrying about losing my money/guitar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rct Posted July 20, 2017 Share Posted July 20, 2017 More like buying a 3k guitar that has a headstock that's relatively more likely to break than other 3k guitars, but I'm not a statistician. I'll buy one someday when I have a little more financial stability and I can afford to really enjoy it without worrying about losing my money/guitar. Jesus dude I've been playing since 1971 and have used multiple dozens of all kindsa Gibsons. It's not like they're snapping off in the middle of Bad Moon Rising or something. That wouldn't even enter my list of cons of a Gibson, any Gibson. rct 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewBirdDude Posted July 20, 2017 Share Posted July 20, 2017 I've a friend who plays and he has a few custom 22s, and had a McCarty, (he's had a # of PRS over the years. he loves them) They were nice to look at, and no there is no doubt the fit and finish work is impeccable. we traded off axes for a few weeks, I let him use one of my Gibby's.. so I had a nice custom 22 here, for about a month. I played it a lot for the first few days, but then I grabbed my 95 LP Standard and realized, "ah.. I'm back home.." So never got attached to the tone and response of the one I had here. (it was gorgeous, dark grey with some beautiful figuring on top and gold hard ware..) I know what a Les Paul, Strat, Tele, 335, sound like because they have a "Voice" that separates them from others.... When I hear something I can't put my finger on these days, I sort of assume I'm hearing a PRS... It may be just me (based on the replies here tho, I don't think it's JUST me..) They really have no characteristic tone wise that catches my ear separates them apart from others... more or less... kind of "generic.." sounding. But that's just my take, everyone goes for what they like. Nothing wrong with wanting liking some I Disagree but that's ok. We all have our own tastes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted July 20, 2017 Share Posted July 20, 2017 Here is the link to the post the OP made on the PRS forum. The OP is just trying to incite a division between PRS and Gibson. Most of you guys seem happy to reinforce the division and say PRS are anemic or generic sounding or whatever cliches have been repeated for years about PRS... With respect, NewBirdDude, I haven't seen anyone here say anything negative about PRS guitars as instruments at all. No-one has said they are anaemic; no-one has said they sound generic. Some have said they wouldn't choose a PRS over a Gibson - which, considering we're on a Gibson forum might be as expected - but no-one here has derided PRS guitars. We all know them to be very well crafted, beautifully executed instruments. A great many forumites own PRS guitars; some, indeed, own several and share their PRS-Love with us on a regular basis and we, in turn, enjoy their generosity in the sharing. I'm sure the vast majority of us have a healthy respect for the very high manufacturing qualities targeted - and achieved - by the PRS brand both in the USA and otherwise. To assume the majority of Gibson owners to consider PRS guitars to be somehow 'below-par' is erroneous. If I may be so bold as to make a comment on Mr. P. R. Smith on a personal note? Anyone who can become such a good friend of, and be so closely advised by, Ted McCarty is clearly a gentleman of the first order in my book. The OP, just in case it has escaped anyone's notice, had been a member of the PRS forum for over two years before he signed-up here so there seems little doubt as to his motives for 'joining' the forum nor where his primary allegiances lie. As you, yourself, said earlier; the OP is trying to incite a division between PRS and Gibson. He has failed. Pip. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eracer_Team Posted July 20, 2017 Share Posted July 20, 2017 Cheers 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted July 20, 2017 Share Posted July 20, 2017 More like buying a 3k guitar that has a headstock that's relatively more likely to break than other 3k guitars, but I'm not a statistician. I'll buy one someday when I have a little more financial stability and I can afford to really enjoy it without worrying about losing my money/guitar. The head stock breaks are real there's no doubting that. it's common but not an absolute. I've had misshaps, I've been lucky and I'm not going to even say how many years I've had Gibbies, nor how many I have currently, and certainly not going to say I have never had one break... nope.. not, gonna do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdgm Posted July 20, 2017 Share Posted July 20, 2017 Can I say definitively that I will never own a PRS or Dean? Heck no. A guitar addict never says never. I don't sense that much PRS hate going on - from educated individuals that is. They are like comparing apples to oranges IMHO. If musician likes something, then continue doing so. Don't bash another instrument brand because "you" don't like it. Agreed that "pitting" PRS vs Gibson is ridiculous. Also, no need to write a thread in Gibson forum explaining contempt for Gibson and using PRS to validate your reason... Use your time to play your PRS, not writing novels on how you lost your love for the LP. Move on man! 2 very good posts IMO. Both Carlos Santana and John McLaughlin play PRS at the moment. Both have played many Gibsons in the past and no doubt still own a few. The things the OP complained about (as he says in his 1st post) are part of the traditional finish. But he doesn't "give a rat's a**". Missed the point a bit....didn't matter whether the guitar was any good or not did it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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