kevinT Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 I thought that NAMM was supposed to be a showcase of companies showing off their new instruments for the coming year. I have been watching Gibson all weekend trying to find out what thier new stuff is going to be and all I see is info on the Darkfire and Gibson's endorsees. I know that Dean shows off thier new stuff, Schecter, ESP,..etc... Is Gibson different in the way they handle their NAMM appearance and releasing info on new products? For example, I still don't know whether they're going to have the Guitar of the Month Program. And I still don't know if they're releasing new models. I've been checking the press releases on Harmony-central....and nothing. Am I missing something here? Does Gibson do something different than the rest of the companies? Please shed some light. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichCI Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 I'll speculate... Aside from a few products like the Darkfire, Gibson isn't a very innovative company and really sells most of their products based on past, "classic" designs and a few "limited edition" releases. As such, they probably don't feel the need to make a big presentation as their brand name alone carries a lot of weight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thundergod Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 I dont know... maybe they just decided to go with what they have... I think between the many signatures they are producing right now and the darkfire fiasco they have their hands full at this time. If you check their web page you'll notice they are taking down some models (a lot of them actually), so maybe later this year they will have new stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DamienAzrael Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 I'll speculate... Aside from a few products like the Darkfire' date=' Gibson isn't a very innovative company and really sells most of their products based on past, "classic" designs and a few "limited edition" releases. As such, they probably don't feel the need to make a big presentation as their brand name alone carries a lot of weight. [/quote'] +1 .....I went to their room at NAMM last year, and aside from a few artist models and Guitar Of The Month models it's all the same stuff you'd expect from them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cvansickle Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 Gibson doesn't need NAMM. They'll get the business without it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinT Posted January 19, 2009 Author Share Posted January 19, 2009 Yeah, I noticed too that they took a lot of stuff down from their website. It looks like I might have gotton one of their last 08 Flying V Customs which they've been producing since 2002. They're probably going to stop production if its not shown on the site. They took this section down from their "Custom" site. I'm going to speculate...being a big company with a lot of models and plenty of demand, I just think they're running behind just like other big companies and NAMM isn't a big deal for them. They're probably going to release stuff slowly throughout the year. Gibson issues new stuff each year...look at their flying V models...you can pretty much count on something new....when? .....is the only question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichCI Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 The other thing is, every time Gibson tries to introduce anything new, people ***** about it and say something like "Well, all I need is my Les Paul! Not some new fangled thing! And we liked it! (Dana Carvey)" So, why should they bother introducing anything too radical when their meat and potatoes comes from their old designs and nerds like us sit here trying to figure out which one model is the closest to the same guitars they built 50 years ago? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinT Posted January 19, 2009 Author Share Posted January 19, 2009 Variations and themes work best....I'm not looking for anything new, just "thinking out of the box" variations and designs of their current products. New finishes, guitars with floyd rose tremelos...etc... For example, many months ago I contacted their customer service/marketing office and suggested that they produce a BFG Flying V. I think they would sell like hotcakes...I also suggested a Darkfire V. A BFG Flying V with a Floyd Rose Tremelo would be total bad ***. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichCI Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 I agree, Kevin. A Les Paul is a Les Paul and some variations of them are good. I'd like to see Gibson offer something really cool and different but the reality is that there are other companies who do that better than Gibson ever could and still sell their products. What I'd like to see from Gibson is a Flying V with a cherry finish - not faded - with a nice wood grain that shows through and a black pickguard. Throw in some nice pickups (choose whatever you like) with nickel covers and I think that would be a really sweet looking V. Nothing radical, but just putting a new coat of paint on a classic design. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Plains Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 HALLO!! 2009 '59 reissues!! Gibson is releasing several Inspired By reissues this year. More than what was shown at NAMM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichCI Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 Link? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Plains Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 Link? Me? There is no link. You won't see this on Gibson's website for a few months possibly. Hopefully sooner, but you never know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichCI Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 Cool. Looking forward to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thundergod Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 The other thing is' date=' every time Gibson tries to introduce anything new, people ***** about it and say something like "Well, all I need is my Les Paul!" [/quote'] ...and here I was going to ask "what, you think there's something wrong with les pauls? dont you like them?" hehehe](*,) As the others have said, gibson hardly needs to show their products at NAMM. When Gibson is about to start selling a new product it shows on every newspaper in the world anyway (I am not exagerating... the release of the robot was covered by 4 local newspapers! and the release of the darkfire by 3, so if thye make the news in this hellhole, they dont need NAMM at all). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RudyH Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 I disagree that Gibson is not an innovative company. Most of what they sell is the result of pioneering innovation done by them. There just aren't many niches for great guitars. Gibson, I believe, is a leader in most of the niches where quality counts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichCI Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 When it comes to the Robot and Darkfire, I agree. But how many other new or innovative guitars has Gibson put out over the past 20 or 30 years, especially ones that didn't end up being a flop in the market? Of the most part, they're basically redressing the same designs that they've been using for the past 50 years. When I think of innovative guitars, I think of Parker, Steinberger, Ovation, RainSong, Taylor and, occasionally, Fender. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Plains Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 I don't know, 9 holes in the body of a Les Paul to lessen weight seems pretty innovative...and its been around for close to 30 years. So is chambering, really...if you think about it. They've had a few cool and also uncool designs in the past little while. I love the look on that Longhorn. The reverse Explorer, on the other hand, was just a mess and I think the jury's still out on the SG/V thing. Think about it, through...how many more designs can they come up with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djroge1 Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 Here is a good example of what I consider innovative J. Backlund Designs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRV-Zeppelin Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 The other thing is' date=' every time Gibson tries to introduce anything new, people ***** about it and say something like "Well, all I need is my Les Paul! Not some new fangled thing! And we liked it! (Dana Carvey)" [/quote'] We liked it! We loved it! Hallelujah, look at me! I've got a Les Paul, and there's nothing you can do about it! And that's the way it was, and we loved it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinT Posted January 19, 2009 Author Share Posted January 19, 2009 What I'd like to see from Gibson is a Flying V with a cherry finish - not faded - with a nice wood grain that shows through and a black pickguard. Throw in some nice pickups (choose whatever you like) with nickel covers and I think that would be a really sweet looking V. Nothing radical' date=' but just putting a new coat of paint on a classic design. [/quote'] Maybe this is what you're looking for.....Hamer is making one similar to what you're describing. http://willcuttguitars.com/_product_31252/Vector_Cherry_Translucent_Flametop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solacematt Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 The other thing is' date=' every time Gibson tries to introduce anything new, people ***** about it and say something like "Well, all I need is my Les Paul! Not some new fangled thing! And we liked it! (Dana Carvey)" So, why should they bother introducing anything too radical when their meat and potatoes comes from their old designs and nerds like us sit here trying to figure out which one model is the closest to the same guitars they built 50 years ago? [/quote'] This is true, people do ***** and complain, and we see it here on this board too as proof positive of it. if you want to take a look at a 'chance' Gibson took, the original RD model released in '77 is a good example. It featured onboard electronics via the MOOG company and it only lasted five years. During the late 70's-early 80's they also released models like the Marauder and the Sonnex which also only lasted a few short years before being discontinued. Funny thing is, Gibson tried a similar thing with Epiphone with the Demon, Beast and Slasher as part of their 'E' Series which featured on-board effects (chorus and distortion, etc). It only lasted that season before being discontinued. Obviously they thought it was a cool idea so they brought it back, but still the more popular Epiphone models are also the same one's that sell through Gibson, the Les Paul, SG, V, and Explorer models. P.S. Don't forget that there's also the NAMM in June as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichCI Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 Maybe this is what you're looking for.....Hamer is making one similar to what you're describing. http://willcuttguitars.com/_product_31252/Vector_Cherry_Translucent_Flametop That's really sharp and very close. I'd like it with a non-flamed top and a black pickguard though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MReynolds Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Me? There is no link. You won't see this on Gibson's website for a few months possibly. Hopefully sooner' date=' but you never know.[/quote'] Bother to try the main Gibson site?...it's been on there about a week now... http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/spotlight-on-the-50th-annivers/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichCI Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Bother to try the main Gibson site?...it's been on there about a week now... http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/spotlight-on-the-50th-annivers/ There is no mention of NAMM in that link and we already discussed it last week: http://forums.gibson.com/Default.aspx?g=posts&t=12147 You'll see where Are Nine weight in at the fifth post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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