Gibson Guitars Facing Bankruptcy

[dj_patm]

https://consequenceofsound.net/2018/...-years-report/

Not much of a surprise really. Rock is a dying genre and while guitars are still featured in all sorts of music, you simply don't have any rockstars left that make kids want to go pick up learning guitar for a year or two before getting bored. There is no kid convincing their dad to buy them a guitar so they can be like Slash anymore. They're all DJ's now

As a someone who plays but has mostly stopped listening to guitar-based music, it's kinda sad to see and be a part of.

[The_Penguin]

Sad news. I've always been a fan. Love my 335 and LP.

[ExtraSlow]

Can we blame millennials for this one too?

[dj_patm]

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Can we blame millennials for this one too?

Wouldn't it be Gen-X for not giving Millennials good rock music to listen to?

[Disoblige]

Pretty sure millennials think guitars are super cool. Look at all the popular music artists who play guitar that have a huge millennial fan base. They're just too lazy to spend the time to learn and give up after a month lol.

[dj_patm]

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Pretty sure millennials think guitars are super cool. Look at all the popular music artists who play guitar that have a huge millennial fan base. They're just too lazy to spend the time to learn and give up after a month lol.

I think those are the people you want. That's the issue.

Someone who keeps playing might buy 3 or 4 guitars a decade? You need to pump out those kids that try it for a month and give up.

[rage2]

The bigger problem is Gibson management. Gibson has seriously gone downhill in the last 1/2 decade or so, from working conditions to quality of product. From the product perspective, they've increased prices, lowered standard features, and made customizations a massive PITA. Try replacing a pickup on a new Les Paul. Unless you buy Gibson quick connect pickups, which adds unnecessary complexity purely to lock in aftermarket sales, it's more expensive to the end user but saves on soldering. That complexity has also added more failures, poorer quality control. Take a look at the entry level LP Studios (now rebranded as faded), 30% more expensive, completely butchered with the cheapest parts. It just looks and plays like shit.

Rock might be dead, but the guitar market is still relatively strong, especially on the acoustics side. Gibson's failure has nothing to do with market conditions.

On the bright side, vintage Les Pauls are going nuts in pricing. Even shit as new as 2000's are going up in price and selling more than original purchase price. Unintended profits for my LP collection haha.

[rage2]

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Can we blame millennials for this one too?

For electric guitars, yes. There's no point in trying to be a rock star anymore. The rock star lifestyle isn't acceptable in today's PC environment. Can't even interact with a groupie in fears that some day she might metoo the shit outta you.

[89coupe]

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Can we blame millennials for this one too?

My son is 7 and is learning electric guitar. He loves playing.

[firebane]

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Wouldn't it be Gen-X for not giving Millennials good rock music to listen to?

Good music stopped in 1999 then went to shit. Gen-X provided a ton of good music for generations but the generations don't like the music and would rather harp on Friends.

[JRSC00LUDE]

Agree with Rage, my musician buddies (them, not me. I can't play anything) have been posting on about this and about how Gibson quality went to shit and no one wants one anymore.

[Seth1968]

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Unless you buy Gibson quick connect pickups, which adds unnecessary complexity purely to lock in aftermarket sales,

Kind of like Apple.

[Hallowed_point]

Gibson has survived on nostalgia only. The quality has taken a major nose dive for easily 30 years. I've picked up more than one USA Gibson and
the level of fret buzz and overall fit and finish was pretty glaring compared to a modern Korean BC Rich, Schecter etc. Good riddance.

[rage2]

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Agree with Rage, my musician buddies (them, not me. I can't play anything) have been posting on about this and about how Gibson quality went to shit and no one wants one anymore.

Yea, for anyone that plays guitar that wants to see how shitty current Gibsons are, go to your favorite guitar store, pick up a $3000+ Les Paul Standard, and run your hands over the frets. They're uneven, sharp edges ready to slice your fingers apart. Play with the tuners and see how cheap they feel and how much play it has. It's brutal.

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Kind of like Apple.

Knew this would come up. There's a huge difference here. Apple has legitimate use cases in their walled garden approach. Security, functionality, ease of use, efficiency, the list goes on. Gibson is doing it for the sake of doing it, with next to no consumer tangible benefits. It's not like replacement Gibson quick connect pickups are even close to the real aftermarket pickups in quality or performance. The only advantage is how long it takes to swap a pickup, which isn't something that's done all the time.

[msommers]

If this means I can pick up a Les Paul Black Beauty and acoustic Gibson on clearance, I'm all for this

Sadly I think it'll go the other way. It's an investment....right?!

[dj_patm]

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For electric guitars, yes. There's no point in trying to be a rock star anymore. The rock star lifestyle isn't acceptable in today's PC environment. Can't even interact with a groupie in fears that some day she might metoo the shit outta you.

DJ's live that lifestyle now.

[Hallowed_point]

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Good music stopped in 1999 then went to shit. Gen-X provided a ton of good music for generations but the generations don't like the music and would rather harp on Friends.

I blame Limp Biz, KoRn, Papa Roach and other crap nu metal music. They took thrash metal and dumbed it down enough for suzie house maker to feel like a badass in her Sienna.

[msommers]

That's gold right there!

[BerserkerCatSplat]

Gibson going bankrupt, and yet somehow the dessicated corpse of Rickenbacker lives on.

[Hallowed_point]

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Gibson going bankrupt, and yet somehow the dessicated corpse of Rickenbacker lives on.

Simple. Lemmy played Rick's and he lived longer than should be possible given his lifestyle.