Guth Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 As someone with a Ph.D. In logic who teaches graduate-level courses in the subject, imagine my embarrassment! I should have been able to tell. :) --Bob R Anyone here with a Ph.D. in psychology that could explain Bob's insecurity to the rest of us? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParlourMan Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 Anyone here with a Ph.D. in psychology that could explain Bob's insecurity to the rest of us? Haha, ouch !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stein Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 Anyone here with a Ph.D. in psychology that could explain Bob's insecurity to the rest of us? A Doctor would have no choice but to have to be involved in/work with the healthcare industry. Dealing with them as a patient is enough to drive anyone nuts, but actually WORKING for them would have repercussions on an individuals sanity and thought processes that would nessesitate certain changes in personality and/or coping mechanisms. Double ouch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hogeye Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 wasn't there a FEE you had to pay to be able to advertise the gibson stock that had to be paid ??? JC No. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobouz Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 In 2001 when Gibson became an almost exclusive sleeping partner with GC and MF, the majority of loyal and long time dealers in my region of the country, from smaller mom & pops to multi-store operations, were dropped as Gibson dealerships because they could not meet newly imposed financial & stocking demands imposed upon them by the company. At the time, I spoke to the owners of a few of these operations, and their responses echoed very similar disappointment in having been so supportive of Gibson and it's products for so many years, and then being so quickly discarded. What drove Gibson then, and what in large part drives them today, is sales volume. The above comments about Montana production are not a significant part of the equation when it comes to Nashville's decision making process about dealerships. It's much more a matter of how many Les Paul, SGs, and 335s you're willing & able to purchase & stock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted August 1, 2012 Author Share Posted August 1, 2012 The above comments about Montana production are not a significant part of the equation when it comes to Nashville's decision making process about dealerships. It's much more a matter of how many Les Paul, SGs, and 335s you're willing & able to purchase & stock. We sometimes forget--at least I do--that Gibson Acoustic may be a relatively small part of the equation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry K Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 Gibson appears to have a concept of what a Gibson dealer should look like which includes products from several Gibson divisions, including Epiphone and Gibson electric. They have a basic set of requirements with specified proportions for each division's products. I was shown the agreement that dealers make by someone at the factory. I remember making some quick calculations while looking at it and finding that you had to be willing to go into it to the tune of thirty grand or so (somebody correct me if I am remembering wrong). So they are looking for someone who is willing to invest enough to have a representative spread of the products. If I remember right there was also a way to get some product up front and pay as you sell in the next month or two. I have heard it represented on the internet that you have to be a huge dealer to sell Gibson but what I saw in the agreement was you had to commit to a reasonable amount if you are serious about running a store. If you just want a couple Gibsons to stick in the window you can order them but they won't make you a dealer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JuanCarlosVejar Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 Fuller's was awarded 5 star dealer of 2011 : they also got one from Gibson USA for #1 independent dealer of 2011 . so I guess what Bob R stated makes alot more sense ... they don't advertise the stock but people go to the sotre and buy stuff there JC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted August 1, 2012 Author Share Posted August 1, 2012 Fuller's was awarded 5 star dealer of 2011 : they also got one from Gibson USA for #1 independent dealer of 2011 . so I guess what Bob R stated makes alot more sense ... they don't advertise the stock but people go to the sotre and buy stuff there JC It might help a bit that they are the middle of the fourth largest city in the US (2 million+ in the city limits) and the fifth largest metropolitan area in the country (6 million+). I also have no doubt that they give superb customer service, based on their response to the few enquiries I have made there. It would really be nice to see Fuller's Gibson Acoustic stock online, since they do special editions, etc. For those of us who can't get to the store and don't have connections in Bozeman, the only way we know these things even exist is when someone on this forum mentions them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JuanCarlosVejar Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 It might help a bit that they are the middle of the fourth largest city in the US (2 million+ in the city limits) and the fifth largest metropolitan area in the country (6 million+). I also have no doubt that they give superb customer service, based on their response to the few enquiries I have made there. It would really be nice to see Fuller's Gibson Acoustic stock online, since they do special editions, etc. For those of us who can't get to the store and don't have connections in Bozeman, the only way we know these things even exist is when someone on this forum mentions them. Nick , you might want to sign up to Music Villa's Acoustic Letter : http://www.acousticletter.com/ they do some really neat stuff with Martin Taylor and Gibson . they send you emails with photos pricing and the videos I have posted a few times here. I know Fuller's has a few one off gibsons coming up . If I remember correctly Jeremy said Ren was still working on 7 guitars for them. JC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted August 1, 2012 Author Share Posted August 1, 2012 Nick , you might want to sign up to Music Villa's Acoustic Letter : http://www.acousticletter.com/ they do some really neat stuff with Martin Taylor and Gibson . they send you emails with photos pricing and the videos I have posted a few times here. I know Fuller's has a few one off gibsons coming up . If I remember correctly Jeremy said Ren was still working on 7 guitars for them. JC Thanks for that, JC. Music Villa, like Fuller's, is a five-star Gibson dealer, but not a certified Gibson online dealer, so they can't post their Gibson stock on their website. By way of comparison, check out the Wildwood Guitars website. They are a certified online dealer, and have all their new Gibsons--and their prices--posted. This includes their Wildwood special editions. I'm sure Gibson has some valid reason for constraining online dealerships, but it can be pretty frustrating for those of us who like to see everything that's available, and don't have ready access to quality brick and mortar stores. I know other manufacturers (not necessarily guitars) have similar marketing practices, but I do see it as a constraint that limits customer access and knowledge, and as a result, can skew markets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 .... It would really be nice to see Fuller's Gibson Acoustic stock online, since they do special editions, etc. For those of us who can't get to the store and don't have connections in Bozeman, the only way we know these things even exist is when someone on this forum mentions them. This is an excellent point. Even the Gibson website is sadly lacking information on what's being produced, both in acoustic and electric factories. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JuanCarlosVejar Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 This is an excellent point. Even the Gibson website is sadly lacking information on what's being produced, both in acoustic and electric factories. . Big K , the guys on the gibson montana facebook said they are working to renew the acoustic site. I asked if they would reupload the Master Museum Collection gallery that used to be on the old site. so we will see what they come up with JC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JuanCarlosVejar Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 Nick , here is an example of what Music VIlla would send to your email : they don't list them on the site but the do send the info of custom one off gibsons in the emails =D JC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted August 1, 2012 Author Share Posted August 1, 2012 Nick , here is an example of what Music VIlla would send to your email : they don't list them on the site but the do send the info of custom one off gibsons in the emails =D JC Thanks, JC. I've actually been on the Music Villa list for a few months, and find the videos in particular to be useful. Fuller's posts videos on youtube from time to time, but their recording process is not very good, so it doesn't show of the sound of the guitars very well. We all know how difficult it can be to get a decent recording, particularly when you are trying to do A/B comparisons. More often than not, they sound like they are made using a single mic for the instrument and the guy describing it, which to me is sort of like listening to a live concert from the back of the room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 ... the guys on the gibson montana facebook said they are working to renew the acoustic site.I asked if they would reupload the Master Museum Collection gallery that used to be on the old site. ... so we will see what they come up with ... B) . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortyearspickn Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 Smaller brick & mortars can carry dozens of The Competitions models because they produce ten times as many guitars. That makes it impossible for Gibson Acoustic to compete in the store, because they would only have one or two models. So, if you live in places where the population is not concentrate above a couple of million, you are not going to be able to drive a hundred miles and find twenty or so new Gibsons to play with. Supply and demand. Second point - returns are the plague of all who make and sell. Selecting retailers of both types who can handle the issues that can cause returns can have the effect of doubling your sales. It might be convenient to those of us here who live in towns with the proverbial one traffic light, if Gibson were to let Walmart sell their product, but I think we here would all agree it would not only be disastrous to Gibson MT, but to the value of the guitars we already purchased. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 .... but I think we here would all agree it would not only be disastrous to Gibson MT, but to the value of the guitars we already purchased. I bought a J-200 at Best Buy. . B) . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParlourMan Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 .... but to the value of the guitars we already purchased. Which are worth about 55-60% what you just paid as soon as you leave the store you bought it in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted August 2, 2012 Author Share Posted August 2, 2012 Which are worth about 55-60% what you just paid as soon as you leave the store you bought it in. Only if you bought it new. I'm the guy who buys it from you a year or two later when you figure out you aren't playing it enough to justify what you spent. I'm not too proud to buy someone else's hand-me-down L-OO Legend or SJ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedzep Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 Kinda' sad I guess. My little Mom & Pop music shop in business for over 40 years where you won't see any Gibson guitars, unless they're used on consignment or at the end of the rack where the owner keeps her 'retirement fund' vintage Gibson collection. Here you get all the other services...lessons, fine luthier service, piano tuning and sales, as well as all the musician accessories. It would be nice if Gibson and Martin would front a guitar or two for the discriminating guitar buyer who likes to walk in and see a gem hanging among all the student and weekend strummer models. My Mayberry mindset just can't accept reality, I guess. Where else though can you get a price for a neck reset, full rebrace and reglued bridge on my '36 L0 for between $5-700 done by an ace repairman/builder? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted August 2, 2012 Author Share Posted August 2, 2012 Where else though can you get a price for a neck reset, full rebrace and reglued bridge on my '36 L0 for between $5-700 done by an ace repairman/builder? Actually, that price sounds about right to me, although I'm not sure what a "full re-brace" is in this context. Are you talking about checking and re-gluing all the back and top braces, or literally replacing them? I've never seen a guitar that was in one piece that needed more than a few replaced, if the originals are still there. Don't think you would even want to consider replacing an original brace under most circumstances. I paid about $400 for each of two neck re-sets last year, and about $200 for re-gluing all loose braces on one guitar (and there were several). The cost of regluing a bridge depends on the condition of the bridge and its means of attachment. Sounds to me like the luthier is giving you a good price, and I hope he stays in business. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedzep Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 Actually, that price sounds about right to me, although I'm not sure what a "full re-brace" is in this context. Are you talking about checking and re-gluing all the back and top braces, or literally replacing them? I've never seen a guitar that was in one piece that needed more than a few replaced, if the originals are still there. Don't think you would even want to consider replacing an original brace under most circumstances. I paid about $400 for each of two neck re-sets last year, and about $200 for re-gluing all loose braces on one guitar (and there were several). The cost of regluing a bridge depends on the condition of the bridge and its means of attachment. Sounds to me like the luthier is giving you a good price, and I hope he stays in business. Yep..except that a framing carpenter completely ruined the X-brace using a piece of cove base and ballister to shore up the sagging top. When you drop a mirror inside it's like a bad dream. The bottom and top back brace is all that's left there and the X needs complete replacement. The back has to be removed to do it right so it looks like quite a venture. Miraculously, it has retained it's fine tone. A higher end luthier that shall remain nameless as he is a subscriber to this forum gave me an estimate that was double the $700 price. His eyes opened up wide when he played it and confirmed how great it sounded. He suggested not to touch it 'til something goes awry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted August 3, 2012 Author Share Posted August 3, 2012 His eyes opened up wide when he played it and confirmed how great it sounded. He suggested not to touch it 'til something goes awry. That sounds like good advice. If it ain't broke........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modoc_333 Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 Smaller brick & mortars can carry dozens of The Competitions models because they produce ten times as many guitars. That makes it impossible for Gibson Acoustic to compete in the store, because they would only have one or two models. So, if you live in places where the population is not concentrate above a couple of million, you are not going to be able to drive a hundred miles and find twenty or so new Gibsons to play with. Supply and demand. Not always true. I think the outdated attitude of most music store owners contributes. The market exists. The supply is low (obviously, that's what we are talking about). It just takes someone to step up and do it right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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