EvanPC Posted December 15, 2010 Share Posted December 15, 2010 Just left a local retailer who badgered Gibson a bit, and unprovoked, I might add. I asked about a Heritage guitar they had and whether there is any affiliation to Gibson besides being an upstart of what Gibson left behind in Kalamazoo. He went on to say he didn't like Gibsons at all, that their quality sucks since moving to Nashville, and that the Heritage guitars are plain better. I realize everyone's got their opinions, but I'm wondering...I've heard that Gibson is "selective" or very exclusive with their chosen dealers. Could this guy be a product of bitter resentment that his store is not a Gibson dealer? I mean, to go as far as he did with his anti-Gibby sentiment, it just made me wonder why someone would go that far out of their way to spread his negative opinion. Or...is this some kind of somewhat common attitude towards Gibson within the industry? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enmitygauged Posted December 16, 2010 Share Posted December 16, 2010 Just left a local retailer who badgered Gibson a bit, and unprovoked, I might add. I asked about a Heritage guitar they had and whether there is any affiliation to Gibson besides being an upstart of what Gibson left behind in Kalamazoo. He went on to say he didn't like Gibsons at all, that their quality sucks since moving to Nashville, and that the Heritage guitars are plain better. I realize everyone's got their opinions, but I'm wondering...I've heard that Gibson is "selective" or very exclusive with their chosen dealers. Could this guy be a product of bitter resentment that his store is not a Gibson dealer? I mean, to go as far as he did with his anti-Gibby sentiment, it just made me wonder why someone would go that far out of their way to spread his negative opinion. Or...is this some kind of somewhat common attitude towards Gibson within the industry? He's selling one brand not two I am sure its just one guy who cant sell a brand so he bags it. I went to a place named after a Japanese guitar here in Adelaide once who bagged Fender and Gibson. Three years later he is now a Gibson and Fender dealer and strangely enough he's changed his tune. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy R Posted December 16, 2010 Share Posted December 16, 2010 Just left a local retailer who badgered Gibson a bit, and unprovoked, I might add. I asked about a Heritage guitar they had and whether there is any affiliation to Gibson besides being an upstart of what Gibson left behind in Kalamazoo. He went on to say he didn't like Gibsons at all, that their quality sucks since moving to Nashville, and that the Heritage guitars are plain better. I realize everyone's got their opinions, but I'm wondering...I've heard that Gibson is "selective" or very exclusive with their chosen dealers. Could this guy be a product of bitter resentment that his store is not a Gibson dealer? I mean, to go as far as he did with his anti-Gibby sentiment, it just made me wonder why someone would go that far out of their way to spread his negative opinion. Or...is this some kind of somewhat common attitude towards Gibson within the industry? IMHO it is probably a little of both. Gibson is a hard guitar to get as a dealer and usually costs a fortune to maintain required stock levels required initially and annually. So for a smaller store unless there isn't another dealer for 300 miles around you don't stand much of a chance. The second part of this is that a lot of the original Gibson employees that made all the great vintage Gibsons did stay in Kalamazoo and continued to make instruments the "old" way with the original machinery. So in some ways you could say that if you want more of a vintage made "Gibson" made buy the people who actually built them and still are using the same basic methods then a Heritage is some what more of a Gibson than an actual Gibson. Depends on how you look at it and if you're a heritage dealer that is probably the story to stick with.... There was also a period of time during the "Transition" when some of the Gibsons weren't all that great. I believe this has been resolved over the past 20 some years since the move. I think Heritage makes some nice stuff too... In some ways I agree about Gibsons being Kalamazoo but that's my opinion and more related to Kalamazoo made Gibson guitars not necessarily the Heritage guitars. I am more into old stuff so as I have said in previous posts I would be more into spending my cash on an older Kalamazoo made Gibson. I guess the way I look at it is if you had the choice to buy a Marshall that was actually built by Jim Marshall or one that was built by the factory which one would you pick?? I know what I'd pick for sure. To be fair It's not like all the talent stayed in kalamazoo either so there again it's a matter of opinion. Long story long. If I were a Heritage dealer in this economy I would be a Gibson hater too! Take what he says with a pound of salt. Regards, Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvanPC Posted December 16, 2010 Author Share Posted December 16, 2010 Well, they're also a Fender dealer and he was admittedly a Fender guy. Their selection is awful. If you want an American Strat, I think they had 2 to chose from, and I don't mean models, I mean just 2 guitars. His attitude sucked, and that's about the 5th or 6th time I've been in there in the last 6 months where I've walked out disappointed. Either because they have nothing I'm looking for, or because the customer service is awful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SG FAN Posted December 16, 2010 Share Posted December 16, 2010 He was mainly telling you that to sell the brand he carries, but he is somewhat correct. The LPs and Semi hollows Heritage makes are closer to original spec than Gibson USA makes today. But you can't just say ALL Heritage guitars are better than Gibsons, some Gibsons are truly exquisite guitars. In closing, there has been a pandemic of Gibson hating lately, but the bottom line is if you own a Gibby and you are pleased with it F the haters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChanMan Posted December 16, 2010 Share Posted December 16, 2010 Atl least the local dealer dealer around here is honest. He simply can't afford the $$$$ it takes to be an official dealer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andre S Posted December 16, 2010 Share Posted December 16, 2010 People can say what they want but I think I will be a Gibson owner and fan.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted December 16, 2010 Share Posted December 16, 2010 . Yet another clown in the vein of Ed Roman - http://www.edroman.com/rants/les_paul_necks.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MojoRedFoot Posted December 16, 2010 Share Posted December 16, 2010 He can't afford one of his own. He needs to learn variety is the spice of life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WahKeen Posted December 16, 2010 Share Posted December 16, 2010 Drinkin' Hatorade makes you say some dumb stuff.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wendyw Posted December 16, 2010 Share Posted December 16, 2010 . Yet another clown in the vein of Ed Roman - http://www.edroman.com/rants/les_paul_necks.htm Is that site a joke? Please say that site's a joke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeoConMan Posted December 16, 2010 Share Posted December 16, 2010 Oh no.... Ed Roman is VERY REAL. I've met him. Anybody who has can tell you stories. That guy is hilarious - and pathetic. And to the original post - Gibson d!cks their independent dealers around something fierce. Guitar Center - much less so. In bed with them as far as I'm concerned. See the thread elsewhere about corporate ******baggery... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrNylon Posted December 16, 2010 Share Posted December 16, 2010 People don't live forever, and neither do manufacturing plants. One of the guys that made my 1969 EB0 in Kalamazoo probably isn't around any more. Neither is the plant. Fenders aren't manufactured the original plant in California. Marshalls, at least the ones made in England, not in Vietnam, are in their third or fourth plant. If the instrument is made the way it should be, it doesn't matter Kalamazoo or Nashville. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy R Posted December 16, 2010 Share Posted December 16, 2010 People don't live forever, and neither do manufacturing plants. One of the guys that made my 1969 EB0 in Kalamazoo probably isn't around any more. Neither is the plant. Fenders aren't manufactured the original plant in California. Marshalls, at least the ones made in England, not in Vietnam, are in their third or fourth plant. If the instrument is made the way it should be, it doesn't matter Kalamazoo or Nashville. Yeah and I haven't liked a "New" Marshall since the early JCM 800 Except my new little class 5. It's so cute and fuzzy!!!! And actually you be surprised by how many of the old Gibson guys actually are still there and working. Yes the plant is still there and When I spoke to Rendal Wall a couple of weeks ago ( who still works there although retired) I was telling him about my E2's and he said the 2 guys behind the design of them were still working there. Surprised me too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChanMan Posted December 16, 2010 Share Posted December 16, 2010 Sam Ash Nashville just got their dealership within the last couple of years. They were hella excited about the prospect, and now stock some sweet Les Pauls. The local dealer here figured even if he could afford to pony up the cash he'd need, he'd never make the minimum sales required to keep it for long. He's probably right, in the town we live in. At least they were up front with the expectations so he'd be able to make an informed business decision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wendyw Posted December 16, 2010 Share Posted December 16, 2010 Oh no.... Ed Roman is VERY REAL. I've met him. Anybody who has can tell you stories. That guy is hilarious - and pathetic. I moderate a webcomic forum and that site is reminding me a lot of some of the, um, interesting characters that surface in the webcomic scene. He's self contradictory, ranty and slips into third person mid-paragraph in a disturbing manner. In a way it's kind of reassuring that that kind of attitude exists elsewhere and it's not just the medium being a crazy magnet. On the other hand that means there's more of them out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaxson50 Posted December 16, 2010 Share Posted December 16, 2010 I moderate a webcomic forum and that site is reminding me a lot of some of the, um, interesting characters that surface in the webcomic scene. He's self contradictory, ranty and slips into third person mid-paragraph in a disturbing manner. In a way it's kind of reassuring that that kind of attitude exists elsewhere and it's not just the medium being a crazy magnet. On the other hand that means there's more of them out there. He is the Rush Limbaugh of guitar shop owners.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted December 16, 2010 Share Posted December 16, 2010 I would just "Consider the Source" and forget about it. Some people are just "cranky" individuals, who aren't happy unless they trash something, or someone. Gibson, like any other company, that produces a product, has their up's and down's...quality wise, from time to time. The "old" Gibson's, had their share of problems, too...believe me! Nostalgia, or selective memory and/or astute marketing, to the contrary, tends to (conveniently) forget that, at times. CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowdiddley Posted December 16, 2010 Share Posted December 16, 2010 He is the Rush Limbaugh of guitar shop owners.. So he's always right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zigzag Posted December 16, 2010 Share Posted December 16, 2010 The store who employs the luthier I use for all my set-ups used to distribute Gibson stuff. They hate Gibson. I took my LP Studio in there for work, and one of the salesmen told me that he had an LP just like mine. He said that the two best days of his life were when he got it and when he gave it away. Didn't stop them from doing a killer job setting it up, but you can't mention Gibson around that place without hearing all kinds of negativity. Once bitten, twice shy, I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted December 16, 2010 Share Posted December 16, 2010 Just left a local retailer who badgered Gibson a bit, and unprovoked, I might add. I asked about a Heritage guitar they had and whether there is any affiliation to Gibson besides being an upstart of what Gibson left behind in Kalamazoo. He went on to say he didn't like Gibsons at all, that their quality sucks since moving to Nashville, and that the Heritage guitars are plain better. I realize everyone's got their opinions, but I'm wondering...I've heard that Gibson is "selective" or very exclusive with their chosen dealers. Could this guy be a product of bitter resentment that his store is not a Gibson dealer? I mean, to go as far as he did with his anti-Gibby sentiment, it just made me wonder why someone would go that far out of their way to spread his negative opinion. Or...is this some kind of somewhat common attitude towards Gibson within the industry? He is the typical salesman "Don't see what you can sell, sell what you can see." He can see he has a Heritage to sell and no Gibsons. To add to his lack of knowledge of the instruments he sells he bashes that which he does not see. If he knew what he was selling, he would sell you on why YOU should buy the Heritage. It is possible he was or wanted to be a Gibson dealer. I had a former dealer tell me that at some point Gibson wanted a certain amount of wall space which he was unwilling to commit to Gibson exclusivity. He lost the dealership over it. Your Gibson bashing dealership may be expressing sour grapes, in a fashion that does not help his integrity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brundaddy Posted December 16, 2010 Share Posted December 16, 2010 It may not be sour grapes. Not all Gibsons are manna from heaven. I can't fault somebody's reasoning that if X company makes consistently nice guitars with good QC, then X guitars are (as a whole) better than Gibsons. Believe it or not, some guitar makers don't generally send lemons out into the market. Gibsons comprise the vast majority of my collection, but I will be the 1st to say they are overrated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brundaddy Posted December 16, 2010 Share Posted December 16, 2010 It may not be sour grapes. Not all Gibsons are manna from heaven. I can't fault somebody's reasoning that if X company makes consistently nice guitars with good QC, then X guitars are (as a whole) better than Gibsons. Believe it or not, some guitar makers don't generally send lemons out into the market. Gibsons comprise the vast majority of my collection, but I will be the 1st to say they are overrated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Natural Posted December 17, 2010 Share Posted December 17, 2010 Just left a local retailer who badgered Gibson a bit, and unprovoked, I might add. I asked about a Heritage guitar they had and whether there is any affiliation to Gibson besides being an upstart of what Gibson left behind in Kalamazoo. He went on to say he didn't like Gibsons at all, that their quality sucks since moving to Nashville, and that the Heritage guitars are plain better. I realize everyone's got their opinions, but I'm wondering...I've heard that Gibson is "selective" or very exclusive with their chosen dealers. Could this guy be a product of bitter resentment that his store is not a Gibson dealer? I mean, to go as far as he did with his anti-Gibby sentiment, it just made me wonder why someone would go that far out of their way to spread his negative opinion. Or...is this some kind of somewhat common attitude towards Gibson within the industry? If I were you, I'd go back in that store, tell that guy to go **** himself, and then leave, and never go back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeoConMan Posted December 17, 2010 Share Posted December 17, 2010 So he's always right? "With half my brain tied behind my back - just to make it fair." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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