New boss at Gibson

[egoidealmusic]

https://www.premierguitar.com/gibson-guitar-ceo-transition

 

Thoughts?

[J185cat]

He is a guitar guy. I think this has good potential for the future if the board will actually let him lead the Co.

[zombywoof]

I always wondered about that last guy whose claim to fame was that while with Levis he was going to "save" jeans by making them more like yoga pants.  This new guy though seems to have already proven himself a wiz when it comes to lining up endorsers.

But a "guitar guy" to me is somebody who understands the business of building guitars like a Guy Hart or a Ted McCarty.  The Gibson shop under those two guys gave us virtually every acoustic and electric guitar model which remain in the catalog today.  

Edited May 3, 2023 by zombywoof

[zombywoof]

4 hours ago, Little Feat said:

Don't forget he was a big wig with candy bars too,  and worked in the UK for the M & M - Mars Company.  

We had a Mars factory open up in Topeka, KS when I lived there.  My dream job would have been head of M&M quality control.

[QuestionMark]

Anyone know what actually happened to JC?

 

QM aka “Jazzman” Jeff

[QuestionMark]

I wonder what all of your feelings are about JC, although this string already shows a handful of opinions.  In my opinion, since Gibson’s owner is a turnaround company, I think JC did a pretty good job in his role.  Gibson was at a crossroads after the Henry era, and here we all are, today, and Gibson is still around, hasn’t been sold to a Chinese company, and still has a pretty good reputation as a quality guitar making company headquartered in the US.  Plus, he brought guitar dealers back into the fold!     For sure he capitalized on the J-45 name from an acoustic perspective, but if it helped keep them in business, that’s a small price to have paid.  I thought he tried to balance the traditional and the new pretty good.  Or, at least he tried.  Plus, he portrayed himself as a guitar fan in his public personna.  We can all joke about his Levi’s experience, but Levi’s is also still around.

I hope the new person keeps building on what JC did and keeps Gibson a US company and a quality guitar maker.

 

Just my opinion, whether you agree or disagree.

 

QM aka “Jazzman” Jeff

 

 

Edited May 4, 2023 by QuestionMark

[zombywoof]

If there is one thing you can thank Henry J for it is the Gibson name not being sold off to the highest bidder.  Norlin had been acquired in a hostile takeover in 1985 and the first thing the new owners did was to put the music division up for grabs.  

[fortyearspickn]

Funny - in OP's link to the article   it gives another link to click on for more info.  And that just brings you to Gibson's Home Page - where you go to shop basically.  No sub section to click on for 'News', let alone the article or a reference to leadership.

Who knows what goes on behind the scenes?   Maybe JC got an offer he couldn't refuse from M&M to rescue them from their decision to get rid of their animated spokescandypeople.   I do't think you have to have a guitar guru as CEO.  That's not his job - though I certainly think it should be someone who plays and loves guitars !   Wouldn't want the head of the FAA to  dislike planes and only travel by train. 

[cunningham26]

With no new design work in the business model, and JC having fulfilled the mission aided by a big pandemic-era boom, Gibson has moved to being mostly a brand rather than an instrument pioneer or diving into guitar R&D. Cesar has made some good investments into brand creation that will keep folks buying les pauls. 

[jt]

Ceasar, of course, has been number 2 since JC ascended to the Gibson throne in 2018. I've no idea why the decision now, but I credit both with embracing the story of the Kalamazoo Gals and appearing in my January 2022 virtual celebration of the last surviving Gals' 100th birthday (she's still going strong a year later). They appear at the 22:30 mark:

 

[Murph]

Keeping Gibson a quality American brand, with American manufacturing, must have been a tough endeavor for the last several years.

Kudos to everyone involved, including the floor sweepers.

[QuestionMark]

3 hours ago, Murph said:

Keeping Gibson a quality American brand, with American manufacturing, must have been a tough endeavor for the last several years.

Kudos to everyone involved, including the floor sweepers.

Well said!

 

QM aka “ Jazzman” Jeff

[Twang Gang]

Everyone keeps referring to Cesar at the "new" guy, but he isn't really new to Gibson at all.  He came in at the same time as JC, and was President while JC was CEO.  Now he has moved up with JC departing so it only seems logical.  I don't know the inner working of Gibson, but generally the top executives at a large company are more about balance sheets, and profit/loss statements and big picture decisions.  The actual guitar stuff happens further down the pecking order, so I wouldn't worry to much about this change effecting the guitars.

[kidblast]

On 5/3/2023 at 9:53 PM, QuestionMark said:

I wonder what all of your feelings are about JC, although this string already shows a handful of opinions.  In my opinion, since Gibson’s owner is a turnaround company, I think JC did a pretty good job in his role.  Gibson was at a crossroads after the Henry era, and here we all are, today, and Gibson is still around, hasn’t been sold to a Chinese company, and still has a pretty good reputation as a quality guitar making company headquartered in the US.  Plus, he brought guitar dealers back into the fold!     For sure he capitalized on the J-45 name from an acoustic perspective, but if it helped keep them in business, that’s a small price to have paid.  I thought he tried to balance the traditional and the new pretty good.  Or, at least he tried.  Plus, he portrayed himself as a guitar fan in his public personna.  We can all joke about his Levi’s experience, but Levi’s is also still around.

I hope the new person keeps building on what JC did and keeps Gibson a US company and a quality guitar maker.

 

Just my opinion, whether you agree or disagree.

 

QM aka “Jazzman” Jeff

 

 

at the "executive" level, I guess it's a world grunts like us don't know much about 

(or for me, don't want to know about)

however, that said I think just anyone who swims in that shark tank could have probably out shined the last guy before JC.

It's not REALLY about the guitars,  is it..

[BK777]

 

Got his free Les Paul and Hummingbird and flown the coop, eh? 😄

 Anyone know where he went?

 

BluesKing777.

 

 

[Holiday Hoser]

Enough said

[Murph]

Very cool, HH.

[slimt]

Well Im sure Gibson will have a Great future with the New CEO in charge.   Cool video 

Nice seeing a actual Guitar guy explaining the comparisons.  Of Old to New.