Gibson Bashing ?

ShredAstaire · December 16, 2010

People get bent outta shape when someone bashes Gibson (especially here) because of the amount of money they have pumped into the company through their guitar purchases. They feel like they are a part of the company and need to defend their purchases.

Look at how many Gibby's our forum members own....what do you think the average is? To take a guess i'd say the average would be around 3-4. Has a thread like that been created? "How many Gibson's do you own?"

Brand loyalty usually comes from perceived quality and when there is perceived quality (there are Epi fanboys too right?), there is investment in the form of purchases. When there is investment, there is a sense of ownership and the need to defend.

Andy R · December 16, 2010

Are you talking about the products or the company itself?

Good Question... I gues this should be defined at some point.

Why does this all read like the same tired old "here's why I love Gibson" and "here's why I hate Gibson" rhetoric that I've read everywhere else on this Forum? Oh wait...

Yes I am sorry about that. I really wasn't intending for this to be that type of Topic.

People get bent outta shape when someone bashes Gibson (especially here) because of the amount of money they have pumped into the company through their guitar purchases. They feel like they are a part of the company and need to defend their purchases.

Brand loyalty usually comes from perceived quality and when there is perceived quality (there are Epi fanboys too right?), there is investment in the form of purchases. When there is investment, there is a sense of ownership and the need to defend.

Thanks and good point but let me turn this around a little bit in the form of another question. Are you getting upset, miffed, angry, pissed off, (whatever level) because the person "bashing" has challenged your decision making? Is it also possible that you get angry because it makes you think maybe I didn't get a good deal or that this guitar isn't as nice as I thought? So when you respond are you trying to convince them or yourself? Stick with me here. I can hear your head shaking back and fourth in a "No" fashion from here....

Allow me to anologize (Like that?) Let's say I bought a 1967 Shelby Mustang GT500. Let's say i spent $60,000.00 on it and it's green. Anyone who knows anything about cars would know that for that price and that car you got a deal.

So say now Chevy fan or (Insert brand here) or former ford owner, or current ford owner etc... Walks by your car and says "man! what a POS! you got ripped off" "Ford makes terrible cars" blah, blah, blah,

I could approach this in a couple of different ways.

One approach would be just ignore them. They are obviously ignorant and I know for a fact that I got a great car and got a great deal. Why do I need to justify this to this person? Why should I bother getting mad? Am I going to change their mind ( probably not and why would you even bother?)

Another approach would be to turn it around on them ( non defensivley) by asking them questions that makes them justify their comment. For example: "Wow man that is a pretty brash comment" "You must have had some bad experience with Ford for you to feel that way?"

At which time you might either hear something like "No Ford just sucks and Chevy is better. "You should have bought a vette" At this point you can again pretty much safely assume the person is an idiot and not worth your time. Arguing with this person is just going to make you look like an idiot because you're not going to make them any smarter regardless of what you say.

Or maybe the person tells you about some bad experience they had with a 67 Shelby or Ford or Dealership etc... Maybe it's justified??? Maybe the one they got was a complete clunker, or the dealership screwed them over whatever the reason. Does that make what you have any less of a value or good car? Nope, could you try to convince them to change their mind? If you feel so inclined. You might be able to have a reasonable conversation with this person and maybe you both learn something. Maybe you just agree to disagree?

Or you could get pissed off and defensive which will inevitably turn ugly as everyone else piles on with their opinions and rants... Who wins? The guy that pissed you off.

Just a thought....

Also, neo made me think of another question. When does voicing your opinion become "Bashing"? Also, what are you railing against? The particular guitar, the price, the company, the store that sold it?

If I say "I think that a Gibson Les Paul Deluxe is a great guitar but are too expensive" a Bash?

If I say "I bought a Les Paul and a week after I got it all the Binding fell off so I don't think Gibson is a good guitar or company" a bash?

If I say " I think Gibson is a terrible company and the CEO is a kook and they make terrible products" a bash?

Etc... and so forth....

Man thinking makes my brain hurt...

Thanks for hanging in there.

Andy

ShredAstaire · December 16, 2010

*shrug* I just got my first Gibby and i can't play it til Christmas hehehe...

It doesn't bother me at all when someone "bashes" Gibson...i was hypothesizing with my initial response and YES i think to a point it is because people feel like the bashers are challenging their decisions (indirectly and non-intentionally i'm sure in most cases).

I'll know more once i get my fingers on that Flying V thats all wrapped up for me! [cursing]

damian · December 16, 2010

So I see a lot of people get pretty riled up when someone has a negative or contrary opinion about Gibson. Just wondering why people seem to get so mad about it. I mean I like the brand, I like a lot of other brands too. Some people love some of the same things I do some people don't. I just look at it like people are welcome to their opinions and even voice them if they feel they must. I don't have to agree or disagree but pretty much as long as no one is disparaging my mother's honor I could care less yet alone get mad about it.

Just tossing it out there....

Just kidding !!!!!!! Interesting thread,,,hmmmmm.......I love my Gibbies......none of them are perfect, should they be ??? No.....

I see no point in bashing Gibson.....

charlie brown · December 16, 2010

Well, Gibson has had a pretty "challenging" year, this year.

Some of it, was their own doing, and the bigger one, was "Mother Nature's"

doing. Karma??? Maybe, or just one of life's little challenges.

I've felt for years, their products were (by in large) Great, but

seriously overpriced...rediculously so, in some instances. Especially,

in light of the quality, that their major competitors enjoy. Is that

"Bashing" or just "my opinion?" (Smile) But then, Fender's pricing on

too many of their USA Strat's & Tele's is crazy, too...IMHO. My feeling has

always been, that the Custom Shop (in both companies) should be for

made to order/special order=1 of a kind, or very limited runs, as opposed

to making the quality an issue, over what their "normal" is. Aside

from particular spec's that are intrinsic to the originals, regarding Re-issues,

for those certain years, THAT kind of quality should be present, and no

different, than their normal USA line. Again, IMHO. But...as long as we,

as consumer's, continue to buy them, at those prices, and put up with less

than (realistically) perfect quality, as well...I dare say nothing will change. ;>b