J-200 Koa Posted October 21, 2017 Share Posted October 21, 2017 Looks like Gibson's financial woes are getting serious: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortyearspickn Posted October 21, 2017 Share Posted October 21, 2017 Curious. This from a UK YouTube guy that hates Gibson. Sadly most of the commenters are followers - Gibson Haters. Funny - one guy says "No Guitar is worth 3,500. If they'd looked at the link on the actual story this guy was blowing out of proportion - they'd have learned that Gibson Electric isn't shutting down - it's relocating. Been in this location for 18 years. I'm guessing these same people were predicting 'the end is near' when they relocated back then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JuanCarlosVejar Posted October 22, 2017 Share Posted October 22, 2017 I read something about selling that plant because the majority of space is a music venue that hasn't been used in years ... So it could have a financial factor but it looks to be more of "we no longer need a factory that holds a music venue inside it" deal. JC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparquelito Posted October 22, 2017 Share Posted October 22, 2017 I would imagine that the new facility would be on higher ground, and less likely to become flooded when the heavy rains come. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted October 22, 2017 Share Posted October 22, 2017 I would imagine that the new facility would be on higher ground, and less likely to become flooded when the heavy rains come. Nashville flooded. I never heard about the Memphis Flood.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted October 22, 2017 Share Posted October 22, 2017 Gibson has been counted out before. When Piezo bought Gibson they immediately put the musical instrument division up for sale. There were no takers resulting in the cutting of production to the bone. If you have ever stopped by the Memphis Plant it is humongous. Gibson only makes the ES series and other semi-hollow body guitars there. I have heard that Gibson is just looking for a smaller Memphis facility. Plus what I have heard is they intend to stay in the old plant for up to two years while they get a new one up and running. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparquelito Posted October 22, 2017 Share Posted October 22, 2017 Nashville flooded. I never heard about the Memphis Flood.... Oh, sorry. I misread the story. I thought that they were relocating their Nashville factory. My bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pesh Posted October 29, 2017 Share Posted October 29, 2017 It's sad that they've got themselves in the position where, due to debt worries or not, they feel that need to relocate and / or downsize. I can't say that the Custom division have made the best choices recently (my biggest angst is the removal of the Standard Historic and True Historic ranges - some of the better repros IMO). Also seriously don't get all the haters on that video as mentioned above. Fine you don't like Gibson, don't slate for the sake of slating. I don't like PRS, but that's just because they're not my thing. You won't see me *****ing and moaning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin 1940D28 Posted October 29, 2017 Share Posted October 29, 2017 This may be irrelevant to the OP, but I 'gotta say, Gibson in the past has built the highest quality Arc Top and ES models in the world IMWO. I did say "has built" the highest quality. I'm not familiar or owned an ES Gibson built after 1957. I did buy a Gibson Les Paul Deluxe brand new in 1987 for my son and to this day it performs magnificently. I haven't heard too many rants and raves over the past years of Gibson ES or arch top guitars "if'n they still build them". I surely wish Gibson would build their arch tops with half the care and quality as they did in the 1950's. I have 2 Montana built Flat Tops built in the mid '90s that I bought brand new. The workmanship, finish quality are as great as ever, I do admit the tone has a way to go to match those of the '40s and 50's. I do wish they would build comparable arch tops of the '50s. I did buy my Grandson a Heritage ES about 14 years ago, "close, but no cigar". I know Martin has slipped much more than Gibson over the past twenty years. Should Gibson build a Quality arch top again, at my age I wouldn't hesitate. JMOWO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuestionMark Posted October 29, 2017 Share Posted October 29, 2017 There are some obvious market factors that I have to assume Henry is well aware of and I assume figures into what is occurring. One being that Gibson is competing with its own vintage arch tops in the market place of prospective archtop buyers and two, they are also competing with their sister company, Epiphone, who has been putting out some pretty good value oriented archtops made overseas to their specs. Plus, this past year, their Epiphone brand resurrected their historic Olympic, Zenith, and Deluxe archtops under their Masterbuilt line...all made overseas with good high quality. And, I didn’t, of course mention that aechtop demand can be no where near the demand of Gibson Les Pauls and SG models (continuing to be made in Gibson’s Nashville plant as well as their acoustics made in Montana. Not, also to mention, that since the majority of flat-top guitars made in Montana now are acoustic-electrics, something that was once the domain of hollow body archtops. And, with B.B. King now passed away and Gibson tied to his Lucile with their archtop factory tied to Beal Street District it has to have had some effect, along with all the other factors, for an inevitable downsizing of their archtop factory. This, of course, is all just my speculation. I don’t think archtops are going away. Just that there will be less new Gibson ones and more Epiphone ones for economic and market demand reasons. Keeping in mind,the NY Epiphone Company was a market leader along with Gibson during the arctop’s reign. With Epiphone historic models being made overseas, I suspect we’ll see more of those and only a handful of expensive new Gibson archtops competing with the vintage ones in the marketplace. Any one else see it differently. Like to hear your perspectives. QM aka Jazzman Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'Scales Posted October 30, 2017 Share Posted October 30, 2017 Jeff, as I understand it Gibson brands has been making losses on its overall operations from some time and needs to refinance about half a billion in debt come middle of next year, at a time when its credit rating has now been downgraded to not much above junk, so will struggle to get refinanced at low interest rates. Against that backdrop this could be anything along a continuum from trimming a bit of waste and reinvesting in a more profitable means of production through to clearing up 'issues' to make the business a more attractive proposition to a buyer, and anything inbetween....but probably only a handful of people know so anything we think is pure speculation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuestionMark Posted October 30, 2017 Share Posted October 30, 2017 Good information. Makes the downsizing of the archtop factory make even more sense if they are trying to satisfy their creditor(s) while keeping their primary focus intact. I gotta think the creditors and Henry know there is not much growth outlook in high priced archtops. (Note: . I own 5 arch tops in my collection and am an archtop fan. But, realistically, most guitar players these days are Les Paul, SG or Fender solid body or Gibson/Martin/Taylor/Takemine flat-top players. Archtop players are a small specialty niche of overall players these days whether it be vintage archtops or new ones. QM aka Jazzman Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 I have an '07 ES-339 I bought new. It's perfect. ABR-1, Memphis tone, etc. It was the first year, Vintage Burst. Custom Shop logo on the back of the neck, CS serial number. I gigged it about a year or so before I quit drinking and gigging electric. I'll probably sell it, swap it for another acoustic, but it's a sweety. Memphis builds some really nice guitars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willie King Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 Not interested in electrics. Happy to have some top quality Bozeman made acoustics that I won't trade or sell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobouz Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 I have an '07 ES-339 I bought new. It's perfect. ABR-1, Memphis tone, etc. It was the first year, Vintage Burst. Custom Shop logo on the back of the neck, CS serial number. I gigged it about a year or so before I quit drinking and gigging electric. I'll probably sell it, swap it for another acoustic, but it's a sweety. Memphis builds some really nice guitars. Yes, I have one of those from '09 in red, as well as a number of other ES instruments. Memphis has been building some great stuff, with top-notch overall quality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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