Is There a Reason to Worry about Gibson

[GuitarLight]

KsDaddy..........I like your style[thumbup]

 

 

 

I agree..ksdaddy definately has class!

[Smurfbird]

xkimo,

 

As J-200 owner, I assure you, it is the Cadillac of instruments and worth the money. I agree, in this case you are paying for the pure artistry that goes into the instrument. I only wish I had George Harrison/Bob Dylan's J-200 to hear and feel how that Gibson played.

 

Cheers!

[aerohead]

1433566554[/url]' post='1664500']

xkimo,

 

As J-200 owner, I assure you, it is the Cadillac of instruments and worth the money. I agree, in this case you are paying for the pure artistry that goes into the instrument. I only wish I had George Harrison/Bob Dylan's J-200 to hear and feel how that Gibson played.

 

Cheers!

 

I am also an SJ-200 Custom owner that I purchased new in 2012 and I initially felt sick when I dropped that kind of cash on a guitar and had buyers remorse up until the time I brought it home and strummed my first chord. I could not believe how good it sounded. I still get goosebumps when I think of the rush that I felt and still feel knowing that I actually own this beautiful sounding instrument. Buy one if you can afford it and never look back! Is my guitar perfect? Absolutely not. The edges of the pickguard are raising up, I put a strap lock on the underside of the neck that I didn't like the positioning of and filled it with epoxy and haven't yet resealed with lacquer but to me it is as perfect a guitar as I ever could have imagined.

[Dotneck]

I am also an SJ-200 Custom owner that I purchased new in 2012 and I initially felt sick when I dropped that kind of cash on a guitar and had buyers remorse up until the time I brought it home and strummed my first chord. I could not believe how good it sounded. I still get goosebumps when I think of the rush that I felt and still feel knowing that I actually own this beautiful sounding instrument. Buy one if you can afford it and never look back! Is my guitar perfect? Absolutely not. The edges of the pickguard are raising up, I put a strap lock on the underside of the neck that I didn't like the positioning of and filled it with epoxy and haven't yet resealed with lacquer but to me it is as perfect a guitar as I ever could have imagined.

 

I'd like a J200 Western Classic but its a little above my pay grade...

 

:-(

[ponty]

A brand that does not seem to get much of a mention is larrivee. I have never owned one- yet-but compare the specs and prices to Gibson and Martin

They are very well priced and high spec. I am waiting to see what 2015 brings for Gibson Montana before I turn to Larrivee.

[Dotneck]

I've had lots of Larrivees. People seem to love them or hate them. They have a sound of their own.

 

One distinctive feature is their necks...its a kind of thin neck with a flat fretboard. Some people complain about that but I get along quite well with them. High quality guitars though...great woods...body and neck binding. I prefer their higher models with a gloss finish but lots of guys like their satin finishes which can be quite a bargain compared to other makers.

[xkimo]

xkimo,

 

As J-200 owner, I assure you, it is the Cadillac of instruments and worth the money. I agree, in this case you are paying for the pure artistry that goes into the instrument. I only wish I had George Harrison/Bob Dylan's J-200 to hear and feel how that Gibson played.

 

Cheers!

 

 

Guitarlight,Smurfbird,Aero head,

 

Oh brothers;

SJ - 200 IS the pinnacle of Bozeman Craftsmanship.. The thing Is a musical monster...The wife and I watched the 50 year celebration of George Jones last night on AXS channel..

 

Emmylou Harris took the stage to perform ' Jones'es ' One of these days "..

 

Emmy had her beautiful natural SJ - 200..I told the wife that "there is MY guitar " ! She didn't roll those baby blues, just said I KNOW..

 

My SJ - is out there.. Now the question which changes almost daily is will it be Natural, Trans-black or Sweetwater as I learned yesterday has a not yet published ( photoed ) trans-blue ?

The Gallery SJ -200, have you folks looked at that Model ? Jeppers Mr. Wilson...The Vine model is a beaut.. The Montana Gold in Koa..

 

So FEW yet so many choices...

 

I did read someone whom test drove the model ;The " Dylan " while also a beauty, has a muted sound somewhat with the Doubled - up pick guard. That would make sense..

 

Black,Blue,al Naturel...

 

 

BOY what a problem.

 

Later ya'll gotta practice.

Blessed.

 

X

[arlum]

A friend I've known for many years recently purchased an SJ-200 Custom and he simply loves the instrument. He's using it in a recording studio for the acoustic tracks he mixes in with the heavier electric tracks. It has a "robust" voice that doesn't get buried. A great player and great tone. While the pricing of his guitar is a little out of my league I maintain an interest in the Songwriter Deluxe. While the prices have gone up they haven't yet gone up enough to kill my interest.

 

When folks sometimes say don't buy a guitar based on the name the headstock carries I just like to remind them that the resale value that goes with that name adds quite a bit to what you get when you make your purchase. I own both brand name and boutique built instruments and can say with certainty that when you buy a boutique build you know going in that you'll probably never get anywhere close to the purchase price should you ever need to part with it. I've seen many five to ten year old well cared for Gibson guitars sell for close to their original price and in a few cases sell for even more. Purchases of Gibson, Martin and in some cases Taylor guitars can, depending on the model and the interest it generates and holds among players, be looked at as investments.

 

While I don't agree with many of the choices of Gibsons current cadre of decision makers I still maintain a strong interest in their product. Gibson, like most long running businesses, has experiences it's ups and downs. Their current business mindset could hang around for a few years or be gone in 2016. One sure thing time proves is that nothing lasts forever and change is gonna come. For better or worse ..... there's always tomorrow.

[bobouz]

A brand that does not seem to get much of a mention is larrivee.

I've wanted to like Larrivees for many years & have always appreciated their build quality.

 

But for some reason, I've just never felt very inspired by the ones I've tried, and there does seem to be a bit of a neck playability roadblock for me personally.

 

Good thing we have so many fine choices in this day & age.

[Smurfbird]

If I had a ton more cash than I do (I bought my J200 Standard used), I'd look into Kopp and Santa Cruz. Those two boutique brands make some of the finest guitars this world has seen and are still relatively affordable. (Meaning, if you can afford the Dylan J-200, you might find one of their guitars in this range. Especially in the used department where, as was stated boutique brands often take a steeper hit.)

 

Keep in mind, I'm talking about acquiring one of these fine guitars AFTER you own a J-200. There's a romance in owning a guitar you see your heroes play, whether they be Bob Dylan or George Harrison or Emmylou Harris or fill in the blank...

 

As for Larrivee, I admire them and almost bought one once, but for some obscure reason decided to pass.

[Guth]

I was playing my Maple AJ earlier today and was reminded of this forum. So I figured I'd check out what was happening with this place. That's when I found this thread. I can see that things haven't changed all that much around here since I last checked in.

 

I really dig my Gibson acoustics, but I often seemed to run against the grain around here. I'm one of those guys that only found favor with a small percentage of the Gibsons that I played (and I got my hands on a lot of them over the years). That was just my experience. If others didn't happen to experience the same exasperating search to find their respective Gibsons that I did, then more power to them. Maybe I was just looking for something a bit different out of a guitar than many others here.

 

Incredibly, it's now been something like a couple of years since I last stepped foot in a guitar shop. Therefore I can't comment on the current state of quality when it comes to Gibson acoustics. I will say this though: as prices go up for most any given product, then so too do the expectations (and the criticisms) of those interested spending their money on whatever that product might happen to be. Gibson guitars are no different. Given the prices of guitars today, I'm glad that I acquired mine when I did. I doubt that the guitars I own have increased much in value over the past few years, which is fine. I bought them simply to play and enjoy them. In that regard they are doing a great job. Any criticisms that I (or anyone else for that matter) have had of Gibson acoustics over the years in no way puts a damper on that for me.

[merciful-evans]

Guitars are probably the most affordable instruments you could buy.

Take up the cello or the bassoon and see the difference in cost and maintainence.

 

Guitarists have it made. Even the cheap labour far-east guitars have been improving at an astonishing rate. Most of them use good materials and manufacturing methods. So hardware and electrics may need to be replaced, if you want to gig your cheap guitar, but anyone can get kitted out and gigging for very little money.

 

Gibson can only remain viable by offering something extra. Gibson's History and US manufacture is arguably all they have going.

 

I think its great that they are USA made. I think its great that they havnt given up trying to produce budget models for those who aspire to owning a Gibson.

 

I have heard a lot about their business practice. I cannot comment on that.

 

When they become only accessable to the very well heeled, it will be a sad day. Some contend that its pretty much like that now. I disagree.

 

Its likely that day will come one day though, unless labour costs are substantially equalised over the next decade. That probably wont happen.

[Phelonious Ponk]

Sweetwater, this morning:

 

J-35 - $1699 Martin D-18 Stnd - $2249

 

J-45 Stnd - $2199 D-18 Ambertone - $2499

 

J-45 TV - $3499 Martin D-18 GE - $3499

 

Yes, Gibsons like Hummingbirds and SJ 200s are unique, and expensive. On the other hand, you can get a J-15 for $1699, with full gloss and the same bracing, construction, and materials as Gibson's standard models. Entry - level Martins, by contrast, are all about structural and material compromises. You may like them, but they use less expensive bracing and neck joint construction, and less expensive neck, fretboard and bridge materials than they use on the standards and up.

 

So what was the problem again? Because it's not that Gibson acoustics are not competitively priced.

 

P

[Murph]

What problem?

[EuroAussie]

Thats actually a good way of looking at it, when you compare it to Martin.

 

And in fact these are reasonable prices, which no doubt can be negotiated still lower a bit.

 

I took the Euro perspective where the change in pricing has resulted in a 30% increase in Gibbys on this side of the lake, but as pointed out most of that would come from exchange rate.

 

You boys in the good ol' US should not complain as you have a massive used guitar market where you can get absolute bargains and get a used J-46TV for around $2k with a bit of haggling.

 

We Euro types (or Aussies) only dream of that ... as Im EuroAussie I dream double.

 

 

Sweetwater, this morning:

 

J-35 - $1699 Martin D-18 Stnd - $2249

 

J-45 Stnd - $2199 D-18 Ambertone - $2499

 

J-45 TV - $3499 Martin D-18 GE - $3499

 

Yes, Gibsons like Hummingbirds and SJ 200s are unique, and expensive. On the other hand, you can get a J-15 for $1699, with full gloss and the same bracing, construction, and materials as Gibson's standard models. Entry - level Martins, by contrast, are all about structural and material compromises. You may like them, but they use less expensive bracing and neck joint construction, and less expensive neck, fretboard and bridge materials than they use on the standards and up.

 

So what was the problem again? Because it's not that Gibson acoustics are not competitively priced.

 

P

[Phelonious Ponk]

What problem?

 

Exactly. And I think I may have given Martin a break, comparing the TV to the GE. With it's very light build weight, for what that's worth, the TV is probably closer to an Authentic. Those are $5899 at Sweetwater this morning. And the J-45 TVs don't indulge in the pointless "authenticity" of a lack of a truss rod. Of course I don't think the J-45 was ever made without a truss rod, except maybe during the war, so it's no less authentic, just less silly.

 

P

[jasonhoese]

Gibson is not opening new factories, or retooling and revamping to crank out volume. They are still building pretty much hand-built guitars. They are the "boutique guitar maker" of the big name manufacturers. Taylor changed the game. Martin adapted. Gibson has chosen to not go their route. Where am I going with this?

 

If you ran Gibson Acoustic... and you could make only 5,000 guitars a year (or whatever the number is), and there is a healthy supply of middle aged boomers and X-Gens who want,love, and need that sound, and they have INCOME, and you will sell those 5,000 guitars, and use up every ounce of capacity, would you raise price? I would.

 

PS... if Gibson is really the "boutique guitar maker" (hand-built) of the big named acoustic brands, then maybe the yardstick for their pricing should be what SantaCruz and Collings are charging, and not what the Taylor 210 sells for at MusiciansFriend.

I couldn't have said this better, so I won't. Hit the nail on the head my friend.

[fortyearspickn]

1433547190[/url]' post='1664445']

Hey X...Your gonna LOVE that new SJ-200 if you get it! Those guitars are recognized and revered the world over! You can just see the art blend with the music as you play those SJ-200's. Mine was wonderful but sold it off some years back to make room for the new Hummingbird! ...Oh that great Gibson tone!....there's nothing like it in the world now is there?

[/quote

 

"Methinks thou doth protest too much." GuitarLite, one "atta boy" after "99 aw shucks" does not balance out.

[jdd707]

I will tell you what you WON'T hear from me though...... complaints about a guitar on my wall having flaws and us not doing anything about it. If it's our fault, then we admit it (and fix it, discount, whatever). if it came that way then we send it back. or handle it like i mentioned above. but the story about the dealers complaining that their own inventory is garbage and the builder won't help.... stupid, classless, and quite possibly dishonest.

 

-Keith

 

 

 

True that! I had a problem with tape marks "bleeding through" the finish on my 2012 L00-TV. Many owners would have lived with it but I showed it to Keith and he said that's not right and insisted on making it right. Sent it back to the factory at no charge to me and it was returned to me quickly good as new. Gibson will and good dealers will stand be hind their products.

[GuitarLight]

"Methinks thou doth protest too much." GuitarLite, one "atta boy" after "99 aw shucks" does not balance out.

 

Let's hope the leader and your fellow diciples have approved your message of judgment, lest you be immediately cast into the abyss.