[R Cabrera (Rock On!)]

"Amazing."

[R private (GibsonGuitar_Randy)]

Gibson,"A Henry& Flickoflash company"

[R Reed (HRC)]

[J Hufford (ext1jdh)]

"Gibson - Quality is Job None"
"Gibson - SUCKER!"
"Gibson - You'll never be famous, but you should pay for the attempt"

[J Hufford (ext1jdh)]

"Gibson - When you're serious about guitars, PRS!"

[J Hufford (ext1jdh)]

"Gibson - Where Anyone Can Have a Sig model!"

[P Petiniot (Blues4U)]

We have lost our way to such a degree that we feel threatened by plastic and cardboard toy guitar looking devices that do not resemble our guitars any more than any other makers copies do. We are wrought with incompetence and buffoonery. We have officially "Jumped the Shark"

If you weren't such fools, you would realize the little kids will actually be buying real guitars one day---

My Son (6) wants a Green Explorer and an AC/DC Sg now---He sticks with it, he can have one of each when he gets a little older---

[L B. Setz (Lewis B)]

After a few clicks on slogans I liked, my quota of positive votes for today is done. WTH is that??

[. . (Tightpants)]

"Gibson: Meh, Good Enough."

[D Bighorn (LesPaulNut)]

every now and then, we make a blinder.

[H Lane (H-Bomb)]

I haven't really given this topic a whole lot of thought, but my bass player and one of my fellow SG fanatic friends came up with a couple that I thought were funny...

"Gibson...we sure don't make 'em like we used to "

"Gibson: the expensive Epiphone"

and

"Don't worry, we still make normal Firebirds too!"


Ah, the insanity. I wanted to come up with some SG-related ribbing, but I can't think of anything that I'm proud of.

H

[D Thompson (rockstar232007)]

How 'bout this:

"Gibson - We had a good run, but then we ruined it by trying to be all technologically innovative and futuristic."

[m dailey (milod)]

Y'know...

Maybe I'm just an old guy, but I happen to remember when the LP came around, the SG... and I heard the same, "Gee, Gibson should make 'em the old way. Anything other than a flattop or even an acoustic archtop like Mother Maybelle's is junk modern crap for fake-guitar makers."

Interesting.

m

[D Thompson (rockstar232007)]

m dailey (milod), on 11 June 2011 - 01:05 PM, said:

Y'know...

Maybe I'm just an old guy, but I happen to remember when the LP came around, the SG... and I heard the same, "Gee, Gibson should make 'em the old way. Anything other than a flattop or even an acoustic archtop like Mother Maybelle's is junk modern crap for fake-guitar makers."

Interesting.

m

Don't get me wrong. I don't think there's anything wrong with "innovation" per say, but I am a firm believer in the fact that for innovation to be successful, it has to be used to solve a specific problem.

Yes, the LP, SG, etc weren't accepted right off the bat, but that was due more to design issues rather than their capabilities. Functionally, they were EXACTLY the same, and their respective parts (HB pickups, TOM bridges/TPs, etc) were TRUE innovations, which is why they have continued to last over the past 50+ years. How many years did any of Gibson's other "technological innovations" last?

Also, anyone can program a "computer" to sound like a bunch of different guitars, but when you can do that with some wood, pickups, a chord, and an amp, then that's a whole different story.

[m dailey (milod)]

A lot of "lasting" popularity has not so much to do with the specific qualities of a given instrument but, let's face it, direct and indirect marketing.

The LP wasn't selling until some rock stars showed up using older ones. After a while some of the advantages of the design became more important as electronic enhancements arose.

The SG retained popularity because it's a great solidbody design. Lighter, easy to play standing or sitting and with a wide range of tone even through rudimentary amplification systems and little feedback problem.

Acoustic archtops lost popularity because generally speaking their purpose had gone away.

The robot concept is pretty neat; so is the concept of the Firebird X and some older designs that I see largely as testing the marketplace for some degree of innovation.

If a Firebird X can sound just like a J45, is lighter and playable in different styles and even different tunings thanks to a robot system, what's wrong with the concept? I'd say it's the same thing that has driven a lot of flattop guitar sales in the electric guitar era: Looks and feelings of tradition. Period.

So... the only other concern I'd have about some of the newer tech is simply a matter of longevity; some of that will depend also on replacement parts.

Let's also face the fact that solid state amps are far more reliable, in theory and with the variable of quality of construction, than tube amps.

I'd say you pay your money and take your choice. If I were gigging with a wide range of what I do on guitar, I'd need a jazz box, a flattop with heavier strings, a flattop with lighter strings, a 12 and a nylon string and maybe another of the above with a different tuning. Or... a Firebird X or rough equivalent.

I find it interesting that sans robot tuning the Parkers and updated Variax are doing similar things to the Firebird X but get no criticism but Gibson does. Some even try pure electronic retuning that doesn't yet really make it.

Any innovation program will have false starts. I look just at recording technology and at computer designs and operating systems as several examples. There have been a lotta innovations that even seemed pointless when they began, but ended up being successful while a lotta stuff that seemed successful died.

So I personally think Gibson is headed more or less in the right direction of testing technologies. Some will find uses, some may not - just as the archtop acoustic had its day given available technology and became functionally obsolete with changes in recording and performance tech.

I'd personally hate to think of a company like Gibson not trying to push the envelope a bit.

My objection is that I'm not sure the marketing for the newer stuff worked nearly as well as the guitars.

m

[J Kimble (FLICKOFLASH)]

Wake up Gibson this thread alone has nearly 2 million views