Limited production run guitars

#1 C Thaeler (fly7hotel)

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Posted 27 August 2010 - 07:29 AM

A question for the Gibson plant folks. For limited production run guitars are all of them built at the same time or are they scattered amongst other production?

#2 p carlino (jimihendrix)

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Posted 02 October 2010 - 10:06 PM

Bumpity bump...inquiring minds wanna know...

"Only cowboys wanna stay in tune anyways" - Jimi Hendrix

#3 P Petiniot (Blues4U)

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Posted 06 October 2010 - 12:31 PM

I too am currious--

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- Mark Twain's Notebook

#4 J Weedon (Space pup)

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Posted 21 October 2010 - 07:39 AM

On a tour of the Gibson Acoustic plant they told us that a guitar is built only after an order is placed for it. This includes all custom and limited edition runs. I would guess that the electric guitar plants are run the same.

-1

#5 S Sill (Scott Sill)

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Posted 22 October 2010 - 11:49 AM

I wonder if anyone from Gibson will say anything on this topic. If they do I would also be curious why Gibson keeps their production numbers under wrap? Maybe they could release numbers from 5 years ago and beyond that way; they feel their secrets are still kept long enough to not affect their business. Or maybe they could release production numbers after a model is discontinued or something. Just a few ideas.

1965 Gibson 355
1966 335 Gibson
1994 Les Paul Studio
1995 Nighthawk standard, 3 pickup with Floyd Rose
2005 Gibson Custom Koa 12 String
2005 Epiphone Masterbuilt Acoustic
1974 Guild Starfire VI
1991 Fender Stratocaster
2004 Fender Telecaster
2005 Fender SRV Stratocaster
2006 Gretsch White Falcon
2006 Gretsch Nashville doubleneck
2007 Gretsch Chet Atkins
1998 Tacoma JKC-50
2003 Musicman 5 string Stingray

#6 p carlino (jimihendrix)

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Posted 22 October 2010 - 04:30 PM

I would guess that limited run guitars would be run in batches to help maintain consistent quality levels...and it would be easier to keep track of stock for special types of parts etc used for the limited runs...

"Only cowboys wanna stay in tune anyways" - Jimi Hendrix

#7 K Bolas (lespaul1963)

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Posted 23 October 2010 - 08:45 AM

S Sill (Scott Sill), on 22 October 2010 - 10:49 AM, said:

Once in a while, you'll see a "Limited Edition" something where the add copy will announce that only "X" number are being made. Maybe Gibson feels that's enough information.

#8 r ferrell (raven999)

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Posted 23 October 2010 - 10:21 PM

Well, from the horses mouth, the Studio 50's Tribute was 400,(posted on here somewhere) and from a former employee they run in batches, I'm guessing, as each guitar is ordered, not in batches of type.

#9 F Shrimer (J185-4Me)

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Posted 24 October 2010 - 08:26 PM

J Weedon (Space pup), on 21 October 2010 - 05:39 AM, said:

That's right, Jack -- but for very small runs, say 6 guitars or so, maybe 10-12, they might make them all about the same time, such that they might be shipped within a few days of each other. Bigger "limited runs", say 25, 50 or 100, would almsot for sure be spread out over a number of weeks, months or even longer.

I assume that would hold for electrics and semi-hollows as well as the acoustics.

Fred