I need to buy a guitar within the next few days: Which GIBSON? (jazz, metal)

GuitarBizarre · 04-04-2008, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr dave

yeah, but like i said it's how very large corporations function in today's economy. what you're getting at has little to do with the actual product. the difference between gibson and the companies you list is scale. it's not an excuse, it's just why. at this point i think you're right in stating that the best thing about a gibson is it's name and little else. but i'm also positive that if ESP/LTD tried to accommodate as much of the market as gibson does their guitars would be just as messy if not way worse.

the thing is, much in the same way that the vast majority of guitarists are illiterate when it comes to reading actual music; most guitar players are ignorant to the gear they use. gibson knows this, and the public accepts it. it's the same logic i use to validate britney spears and her ilk's 'careers'. it's a buyer beware market, always has, always will be.

Sadly you're right, but I don't think scale can be the only issue with Gibson. Maybe with fender, who are arguably as big or bigger, and while they do have their share of lemons they still by and large produce quality equivalent to price, with maybe a little extra tacked on for brand recognition.

On the other hand we have Gibson, who have produced signature models for guitarists who no longer play Gibson or are dead, (Judas priest, Hendrix), who have produced signature models to exacting specifications costing thousands, which the artist themselves hate. (Jimmy Page, Slash models)

And when it comes to such a large segment of the market, maybe in terms of physical size, yes, but Ibanez and ESP both produce far more varied products, including double locking trems, fixed bridges, hollow bodies, semi hollow, jazz boxes, acoustics, electrics in a range of styles from conservative to the extreme, multiple exhaustive finishing options, set necks bolt ons and neckthroughs available at most if not all pricepoints, a TRUE CUSTOM SHOP as opposed to Gibsons 'We'll make you a guitar with your choice of colour but we're not changin anything else for you' excuse for a custom shop, etc etc.

As you say, the only difference is scale, but its not like Ibby or Fender are tiny companies...hell, Ibanez is big enough to invest serious time and money into the development of a single finish, let alone the vast numbers of completely self made bridges and other hardware, and the only complaints I hear about recent Ibanez guitars is that they're not using the original wizard neck anymore, which is more preference than flaw.