Are all the Elitist series gone?

[stan 58]

I want to hear some props for the moderater, on this topic, because he's letting you guys get away with Epi murder here! Stan.

[JefferySmith]

I want to hear some props for the moderater' date=' on this topic, because he's letting you guys get away with Epi murder there! Stan.[/quote']

Maybe the mods agree with our sentiments. I doubt that the mods are the bean counters at Gibson who are concerned about Epiphone's success.

 

Gibson took over Epiphone in the 50's because Epiphone was Gibson's most serious competitor. When a takeover such as that happens, it usually means that the competitor gets squashed. I guess we should be happy that Gibson has let Epiphone exist for so long.

 

I do admit that I don't know if the Elitist line is making money for Epiphone and Gibson. If it wasn't, then they had no choice. I wish they would tell us what is prompting their decision. I suspect that the Elitist line is cutting into Gibson profits. I have thought more than once that Epiphone Elitists are too good to be true.

[stan 58]

In Tom Wheelers book American Guitars it states that it the time Gibson took over Epiphone guitars in 1957 they were only making Bass guitars and not much more. They bought the company, For the basses ,and when the Jigs for ALL epi models were found they decided to make more then just basses. Not really there biggest competiter at that time. Stan.

[TheX]

I seriously doubt that Elitists are cutting into profits AT ALL. Most store didn't carry them, most people that aren't specifically aware of the value won't look at a + $1000 Epiphone. Without marketing (which gets expensive) the Elitist line is not going to sell a lot of guitars.

[Just Strum]

They are probably the best value out there' date=' especially for Les Paul models. They are sold only by www.rondomusic.com in the USA. I have the top of the line Les Paul in root beer. Very nice. I'm pretty sure they are MIK.

 

[img']http://www.rondomusic.net/photos/electric/al3000rootbeer1.jpg[/img]

 

Is that the AL3100 or the slimline? Or neither?

 

I think you are right about MIK, most of their higher end LP's seem to be MIK. Never owned any of the equipment, but I've read good reviews all the way down to their $89 guitars.

[charlie brown]

I seriously doubt that Elitists are cutting into profits AT ALL. Most store didn't carry them' date=' most people that aren't specifically aware of the value won't look at a + $1000 Epiphone. Without marketing (which gets expensive) the Elitist line is not going to sell a lot of guitars. [/quote']

 

Exactly....where WAS the "Marketing," for those guitars??? Only on their website? I sure didn't

see much "push" even from Epiphone, much less Gibson, on the Elitist line! That's really unfortunate

for guitar players, who want excellent quality, but can't afford "Gibson!" I guess word of mouth,

was the only thing that kept Elitist's "alive," as long as it did. Some of us, would still

like to at least buy guitars, that are made by an American company, even if the plant is in Japan or

China. But, that's becoming more difficult, every day...seemingly.

Really SAD, IMHO.

CB

[Just Strum]

To be honest, I knew nothing about the line until I joined this forum and I already have two Epi's, and sold a third, so it's not that I'm not familiar with the brand.

 

But to be fair, I live in a cave.

[Red 333]

Maybe the mods agree with our sentiments. I doubt that the mods are the bean counters at Gibson who are concerned about Epiphone's success.

 

Gibson took over Epiphone in the 50's because Epiphone was Gibson's most serious competitor. When a takeover such as that happens' date=' it usually means that the competitor gets squashed. I guess we should be happy that Gibson has let Epiphone exist for so long.

 

I do admit that I don't know if the Elitist line is making money for Epiphone and Gibson. If it wasn't, then they had no choice. I wish they would tell us what is prompting their decision. I suspect that the Elitist line is cutting into Gibson profits. I have thought more than once that Epiphone Elitists are too good to be true.[/quote']

 

Gibson bought Epiphone (in the late 50's) because they were going out of business. They wanted the leftover raw materials, parts, and equiptment Epiphone had--not because they were a serious competitor. They were no kind of competitor at that time, and were closing their doors.

 

Gibson kept the Epiphone name because it allowed them to distribute guitars into markets that had been closed to them, as they had agreements to distribute Gibson models in certain markets exclsively. That is why so many Gibson models had Epiphone counterparts in the late 50's and '60s (ES 330 = Casino, Sheraton = ES 355, etc). A shop that previously could not sell Gibsons because another had the exclusive distribution contract for the area could now offer a similarly featured and quailty instrument, because it had a different name.

 

The reason the Elitists are being discontinued is that they have the name Epiphone on them. Few people are willing to pay two to six times the price of a standard Epiphone for one, because they can't get past the mind-set that Epiphone is a only a budget brand of guitars that look like Gibsons, but does not perform like them. Their loss. And ours, now.

 

Elitists simply do not sell well. It's as simple as that. If they sold well, there'd be no reason for Gibson to increase the number of Gibson-branded lower cost models. If the Elitists sold at the clip they would like, they would already have the share of that market that they want. Gibson wouldn't have to issue so many low cost (and sometimes derided models), which puts them at risk of diluting their brand, which is based on a heritgae of high (if not the highest) quality.

 

I'm a huge Elitist fan. I have 11 of them. I hate to see them go, and feel bad for the many of you who haven't got a chance to get one or more. I hope Gibson and Epiphone will continue to offer high quality models in similar pricepoints. Epiphone obviously doesn't have trouble selling guitars at those pricepoints whan marketed the right way (i.e., as a limited edition artist signature, like the Slash models), so let's see what happens. Whatever they come up with finally may not be as good as the Terada or FujiGen Elitists made in Japan (that would be a TOUGH act to follow), but they will have features and benefits someone looking for a higher quality guitar will appreciate. Maybe they'll enlist Peerless to make some nice archtops (thier own brand is quite nice), if that makes more sense econmically than having them built in Japan.

 

In the meantime FQMS has some Elitists in stock at the old prices (Sweetwater has raised theirs). Musician's Friend has a few models in stock. Get 'em while you can.

 

Red 333

 

Epiphone Elitists: ES 335 Dot; Byrdland; Casino; '65 Lennon Casino; Revolution Casino; '61 SG; Les Paul Standard Honeyburst; Les Paul Standatd Vintage Sunburst; Texan; McCartney Texan; J200

Gibson: ES 335; ES 333; ES 339; Advanced Jumbo; J35; J160E

[Just Strum]

Red,

 

Nice post. So without any insider information (assumption on my part), do you think Gibson will fill the void with their headstock, but at or near the previous Elitist pricing? My concern is that they fill the void with lower quality guitars at the same price as where the Elitist left off, or they fill the void by maintaining quality, but tacking on a price increase for the Gibson headstock.

 

All assumptions at the moment.

[JefferySmith]

 

Is that the AL3100 or the slimline? Or neither?

 

I think you are right about MIK' date=' most of their higher end LP's seem to be MIK. Never owned any of the equipment, but I've read good reviews all the way down to their $89 guitars.[/quote']

The one pictured is a slim line, but mine is just a 3100.

[djroge1]

As for adverts for the Elitist series... The only place I recall seeing them advertised is in Guitar player magazine and fairly often. Also two of them received their awards - editors pick or something like that (Sheraton and another). So there was some advertisment.

 

I don't recall ever seeing them in a local music store though?

[Just Strum]

The one pictured is a slim line' date=' but mine is [b']just[/b] a 3100.

 

I certainly wouldn't say "just", they're the same guitar, just different necks.

[JefferySmith]

 

I certainly wouldn't say "just"' date=' they're the same guitar, just different necks.[/quote']

Hey, YOU used "just".

 

I would like the one with the slimmer neck. I was thinking of getting one in black.

[JefferySmith]

I paid a visit to the local GC, and they don't have any Elitists in stock. One of the salesmen told me that he wasn't surprised that they were discontinued as that particular GC hasn't received any in months.

 

One odd thing I noticed...they had two Gibson Les Paul Doublecuts (one in black and one in sunburst). I asked they they had been discontinued, and he seemed to think that they are now being made for GC only. Those two had just arrived (and were already dented up) and were not NOS.

[djroge1]

It seems to me that they ended this line because it wasn't making the money they wanted. If the Elitist were selling like hot cakes they would keep making them.

 

After reading this thread it made me curious - How many here own an Elitist?

 

I have one - elitist dot

[Svet]

I don't know what kind of numbers the Elitist's were putting up. Most Elitist owners have purchased multiple guitars from the Elitist catalog. I have owned 7 and as of now 6 stand. Those six will not be leaving anytime soon.

Svet

[charlie brown]

Well, as I mentioned previously, I never saw any real "marketing" of the Elitist guitars.

In fact, I can't remember seeing ANY, in stores, at least not very often. So, what was

everyone doing, "special ordering" them? I guess Sam Ash or GC had them, in small

numbers, but I never really saw any...they were always "sold out," or "on order." LOL!

Some models are (seemingly) constantly back-ordered, or have an "expected arrival" date,

that keeps changing...being pushed back. And that was before, we knew anything about

them possibly being discontinued, much less now. So...???

 

CB

[judybat]

 

After reading this thread it made me curious - How many here own an Elitist?

 

I have one - elitist dot

 

I have a 61 SG faded brown, Goldtop, and an 04 plain top. They're all awesome. BTW, I noticed Sweetwater has some black customs in stock now.

 

I wonder if the demand just outstrips supply of them. That would explain why they're so often backordered, etc. Epi may have an agreement with the Japanese plant to supply x guitars per month/year/etc, and the plant may not be able to supply more....

[Mr. E]

Screw Gibson and Epiphone.

I'm just going keep the Special 2 I have because I need a guitar, but next time i'm going to get a fender or squier or yamaha or ibanez or washburn or michael kelly, etc.

 

I loved the way Elitist Les Paul looked in cherryburst... so jimmy page-ish and I was hoping to get enough money in about a year to get it, but now i can't.

I was hoping to go for a standard epiphone les paul, but damm the prices went up since last time i checked... i remember when they were about 400 (i think)

 

Gibson is just taking advantage of their name... Gibson could start making the most crappy guitars in the world and still have alot of people say a gibson guitar is the best when they haven't even tried it, just because it's Gibson.

 

I don't really think i'm not buying from them or epiphone. I'm sticking to my epi special 2, cause thats the only guitar i have, but the next one is not going to be epiphone or gibson.

[Henry Mars]

I paid a visit to the local GC' date=' and they don't have any Elitists in stock. One of the salesmen told me that he wasn't surprised that they were discontinued as that particular GC hasn't received any in months.

 

One odd thing I noticed...they had two Gibson Les Paul Doublecuts (one in black and one in sunburst). I asked they they had been discontinued, and he seemed to think that they are now being made for GC only. Those two had just arrived (and were already dented up) and were not NOS.[/quote']

 

I looked all over the pace until I found one store that had one (Casino ) and it was a fluke. It seems that Elitists are and have been special order items. I believe it is because Gibson is trying to protect it's ES_3xx line. After playing a Sheraton and Casino Elitist I saw no reason to empty my bank account on an ES-xxx.

 

I never really gave Heritage a thought. Do they make an ax like the Casino with p90 pick ups?

[JefferySmith]

 

I looked all over the pace until I found one store that had one (Casino ) and it was a fluke. It seems that Elitists are and have been special order items. I believe it is because Gibson is trying to protect it's ES_3xx line. After playing a Sheraton and Casino Elitist I saw no reason to empty my bank account on an ES-xxx.

 

I never really gave Heritage a thought. Do they make an ax like the Casino with p90 pick ups?

I don't think so. I've never seen one and don't remember seeing them in the catalog.

[Svet]

The last time I stopped at my dealer they had several Elitists in stock. A Sheraton in VS, a Byrdland in Nat, a Casino in VS and a TS LP. All of them were out on display and in the same climate controlled room where all of their higher end guitars are; Rightfully so.

Svet

[charlie brown]

Well, whatever Gibson/Epiphone's reasons, it's just a shame the Elitist's are history.

Glad they did retain the Casino, but there are lots of others, that would have been

nice to keep, too. The Sheraton, to name just one. Was hoping (for a time) they

would bring back the Riviera, as well.

 

CB

[Dennis G]

 

Back in the '60s one of my band mates used a Guild Starfire. I don't know if they still make them but they played and sounded sweet.

 

 

I played a red Starfire in the band I was in in the '60's also. Of all the guitars I've parted ways with over the years, I still kick myself for letting that one go. I'd love to get my hands on one again.

[JefferySmith]

SW has Elitists Sheratons in stock again...I think that will be the last of them. Apparently MF hasn't received their shipment yet.