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Suggestion box for the production guys at Gibson....


onewilyfool

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Setting up a real "suggestion box" that would actually be monitored and those suggestions be considered would be a great start.

 

Getting the teardrop pickguard placement historically correct would be a huge plus, but if you really want to place them inside of the rosette, then at least have the courtesy to redesign the freakin' guard so that the inner arc of the guard is concentric with the soundhole and the inside of the rosette.

 

Scrap all of the different variations of the various models. Instead, offer one each of the L-00, J-185, J-35, J-45, J-50, J-200, Hummingbird, so on, and so forth. Perhaps offer a few other models at various price points. Then, instead of offering countless variations of each model, simply make each one of those models to the best of your abilities. If someone wants a built-in pickup, offer it as for an additional cost. Same goes for the cases that ship with the guitars.

 

Bottom line: Divert some of the money going to the marketing folks and invest it in the people actually building the guitars. Allow customers to pay extra for a pickup or for a certain case, or other extra's — if they choose to. But at the end of the day, people should just be relishing the fact that they purchased a Gibson "Insert Model Name Here" and that guitar represents the best that Gibson is capable of producing for that particular price point. Non of this TV vs Standard vs Legend vs Signature model crap. In the end, just make them all simply "Gibsons" and do the best that you can with them so that down the road they are all "legends" the way that vintage Gibsons are viewed now.

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Scrap all of the different variations of the various models. Instead, offer one each of the L-00, J-185, J-35, J-45, J-50, J-200, Hummingbird, so on, and so forth. Perhaps offer a few other models at various price points. Then, instead of offering countless variations of each model, simply make each one of those models to the best of your abilities. If someone wants a built-in pickup, offer it as for an additional cost. Same goes for the cases that ship with the guitars.

 

How about instead of sig models, and taking into account Gibsons love of historical reissue, a set of specs, nut widths, neck profiles could be set for:

 

40's, 50's, 60's specs... then applied to the various models, so that if someone wants a fat neck they choose the one that offers that....

 

The concept would still keep the historical nod, would drop the daft artists connections, would be much easier to standardise and it would cover the fact that all variations are usually within these parameters anyway, take the CS stuff back to the overly ornate stuff and the truly 'custom' orders. I really can't see how that model couldn't work, it also offers increased capacity to set procedures for it and it's easier to set a QC base too. I'd maybe lose my job over it, but if I worked there it's a model I'd fight tooth & nail to get implemented.

 

* yes it does draw up idiosyncrasies such as "how can you have a 40's dove? or a 50's hummingbird?" well, historically you cant, under this model, you can have a Dove or a H'bird with preferred specs though... everyone's a winner baby!

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Don't refer to a guitar as a "signature" model (i.e. Jackson Browne Model 1) and leave off the signature so you can force me to pay an extra $1500 to install a $600 pickup system (Model A)if I want the signature.

 

Just been looking at the JB model..and was wondering what the difference was between Model 1 and Model A... short attention span this morning..

 

I really like the look of the specs on that guitar...and would prefer it with out the signature..and pup... expensive geetar either way !

 

oh yeah..suggestions

 

just send me a few Gibsons to look after.

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Just been looking at the JB model..and was wondering what the difference was between Model 1 and Model A... short attention span this morning..

 

I really like the look of the specs on that guitar...and would prefer it with out the signature..and pup... expensive geetar either way !

 

Model A has the Trance Audio Stereo Amulet, Model 1 without. Except for a select few with an actual signature on the label, there is no sig mark anywhere on the guitar. The difference in rack price, new, between the two is about $1,500. I bought the Model 1, then bought the Trance and had it installed, all in cost me about $700, and I'm very pleased with the result. No suggestions for Gibson. To quoteChuck Yeager "I fly 'em, I don't build 'em".

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Model A has the Trance Audio Stereo Amulet, Model 1 without. Except for a select few with an actual signature on the label, there is no sig mark anywhere on the guitar. The difference in rack price, new, between the two is about $1,500. I bought the Model 1, then bought the Trance and had it installed, all in cost me about $700, and I'm very pleased with the result. No suggestions for Gibson. To quoteChuck Yeager "I fly 'em, I don't build 'em".

 

Oh yeah,

 

i forgot you had one of the JB's Dan..and I know you love that Amulet [thumbup]

 

So the only difference between the two models is the installed pup..and $1500......? and the Trance cost about $600..well....

 

I suppose it shows how much time is worth on the shop floor of Bozeman ...[scared]... ( not a dig..but say an hour of two maybe ? to fit the pups...that is an hour off actually producing guitars !!! :-k )

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Hld on there a mo Zomby

 

 

I think Gibson is at their best when they do not attempt to re-create the past but are inpsired by it and use it to develop something which is at once got a traditional vibe but is also in a way new and different. Good examples would be the Jackson Browne Signature and Keb Mo guitars. Both are anchored in the past but presented in a fresh way. Lawdy, it is good to see the old style French Heel neck back.

 

 

 

What made ya change ya mind ? [biggrin]

 

Just fire the marketers or whomever comes up with those signature guitars ideas. Based on the posts here it appears that would make more than a few of us happy.

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The JB guitar intrigues the heck out of me and I agree that when an individual is actively involved in designing the instrument it is cool and traditional to attach their name to it.

 

What I think is just plain silly is attaching a name to a guitar simply because somebody played that model (or in the case of Robert Johnson was just photographed with it). And more often as not, the version Gibson comes out with is not even close to being a reproduction of that particular guitar - just one of their standard guitars with some different cosmetics. If not we would get something like the Kristofferson SJ with non-scallop bracing.

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The thing wih the JB is, it took a notoriously long time, a endless amount of development back & forth, reputed to be one of the longest projects they had etc... so all those dev costs based on the musings of one picky fella are directly passed on, with probably little reflection of the worth of materials or the unit build cost... rolling these out in less limited numbers minus the sig would probably dramatically reduce the cost, but that's not the decision taken, relatively small total run numbers and the R&D is what you're buying here.

 

Like many the JB intrigues me, I totally want one, but I'm not willing to fork out well over the odds for what it's actually worth... at the root of it, it's a 12 fret, deep body slope with a larger nut width and sustainable materials, I don't see why it couldn't have been sold in the same region (give or take for the material upcharge) as a J-45. Ok the amulet option should have added the 600, plus install, so say 700-750, but 600 cost to 1500 customer cost is beyond the realms of taking the micky. The model1 price alone is about the upper limit of what the modelA should have cost. Scandalous price really.... well in the region of the bling-bling models where the cost is absorbed by the understanding of the craft that goes into producing such inlay work etc... by comparison the JB is austere looking (which I prefer) but the cost certainly ain't.

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Those who want a JB , PLEASE try it first. The wide nut, the position of the sound hole and bridge, how you hold the guitar, where you place your arms and hands are all way different from, say, a J-45, and take some getting used to. Also, 12 frets is limiting in some ways, and I find it more so on a larger guitar, although I don't know why, but it did when I played it.

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Those who want a JB , PLEASE try it first. The wide nut, the position of the sound hole and bridge, how you hold the guitar, where you place your arms and hands are all way different from, say, a J-45, and take some getting used to. Also, 12 frets is limiting in some ways, and I find it more so on a larger guitar, although I don't know why, but it did when I played it.

 

It's just a fat parlour really, isn't it? I love the 12-fretters, if my singer wasn't a capo freak I'd roll with 12-fretters all the time, but I need 14's for my wee band as we're often capo'd up past the 5th etc... I'm on the 9th for one song that doesn't particularly work transposed to a different key and played lower. That would be unusable on a 12-fretter.

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They could always do what Eastman does and include the unattached pickguard with the guitar when purchased. That way you can put it on however you want, or even not at all.

 

I am not sure why but when I bought my CJ-165 about 4 years ago it came with the unattached pick guard in the case. I had initially thought this was SOP and a great idea. I have the pick guard and at some point may decide to put it on, but it is so purdy with out I haven't even been tempted so far.

 

Oh and even though I have mine....I still think they should bring back the CJ-165 ...it is a great little guitar!!

 

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