Gibson guitars - Are the negative reviews fair?

Philly_Q

Whitecat said:

You’re right though that “boutique” isn’t as bad as it was. Some examples do better than your average G or F too - World Guitars prices clean Krautster IIs at only about £400 less than new (£3k for a standard spec variant now) - and they sell super fast every time. 

You're absolutely right, I have noticed that WG (in particular) have a lot of "nearly new" boutique stuff which sells for not much less than the original price.  I wonder how that compares with a private sale?

Krautster IIs disappear particularly fast, although they do have one at the moment for £4,195 which has been there a while - it's a lot more than the usual price of just under 3 grand.

TTBZ

I own a Gibson and would love a nice Les Paul Custom, but I'd rather go for a Japanese one (Edwards, Tokai etc) to get a top end model rather than a low end Gibson for the same money.

Babones

I've owned a few Gibsons over the years and the good ones, really are good, ie solid, well made etc. In recent years, I've not appreciated the PCB wiring and strange patchy, rosewood boards on some examples I've seen of the more budget to mid price models.

stickyfiddle

I've had 6, at last count;

Gothic Explorer - faultless except for a switch that went bad, which could happen to anything with a switchcraft.

SG Special, 2003. Ebony fretboard, early faded finish model. Absolutely brilliant guitar and I wish I still had it.

CS-336 - I've had it for 13 years last month and it's still probably the best guitar I own. A couple of file marks on the fretboard around the 20th fret, iirc. I don't care and I question any musician who would choose not to buy a guitar this good because of it.

SG Standard - again brilliant, but did have a snapped headstock at some point (insert @ICBM comment about Gibson necks...). Fixed now, worth bugger all and I'll never sell it. 

Dove - hands down the best dreadnought in the shop on the day. Astoundingly good guitar and completely flawless finish, iirc. Neck profile not quite to my liking, and it turns out I prefer the Martin "thing" but it was amazing. They talk about D18s and D28s as being "cannons" for volume but that thing was WAY louder.

ES-330 - newest addition, still loving it. A couple of spots in the f-hole where the finishing isn't perfect, but as a tool for making music it's great. I suspect this may get switched for a really good Les Paul if & when I find the right one, but right now it's a lovely guitar that was a complete steal. 

That said, these are the ones that I've bought. I've played loads that I wouldn't spend money on. But that's true of Fenders., Grestches, [insert other less interesting guitar brand here]...

simonhpieman

I got a 330L Custom Shop a few years back. That was a really, really quality guitar and only set me back around £1600. For a CUSTOM SHOP GIBSON!

You can't even get the boggest of bog standard 335s second hand for that, now.

Sold it on for some reason... Really liked that.

Also own a 90s LP Studio which has been stellar but Gibsons are just far too expensive now. Walking around Andertons, 2 grand for  335s seems at least £500 too much.

TINMAN82

2011 Flying V- Played and sounded great (after pickup change). Palpable ridge along fingerboard-neck join which I eventually had refinished. Never recovered from falling off a swivel chair and now sadly departed.

2014 Hummingbird- 2 minor-ish cosmetic issues incl tiny spot at bottom corner of fretboard where paint on guitar top chipped or mabye just “missed”. Weird shiny stripe along rosewood fingerboard only really visible when at a tilt in certain light. Didn’t notice either until I got it home. Still not sure if the stripe is glue residue or an oily seam in the wood as one luthier suggested. Plays and sounds good, better than some rivals (incl a 2018 D28 reimagined I tried recently) but nothing life changing. 

2018 ES-335 figured cherry- Plays and sounds exceptional, probably the MHS pickups. Monster figured top. Some finish issues (black paint defects) on the inside surfaces of the f-holes. As with someone else’s ES, the top surface of the headstock isn’t buffed which I find slightly odd but only noticeable up close.

2013 R8- Genuinely perfect in every way. I’ll never sell it. Ironically, bought sight unseen from Thomanne, who I was able to haggle down to £2600 for it.

Freebird

The history of recorded music tells a different story.

FelineGuitars

Freebird said:

The history of recorded music tells a different story.

The history of F1 would suggest McLaren and Williams as winning teams, but last few years hasn’t looked that way.
the world of guitars doesn’t need to stay the way it was 60 years ago,

Fifty9

F1 history also has Mercedes (earlier days) and Ferrari as pre-eminent teams.

digitalscream

Freebird said:

The history of recorded music tells a different story.

For most of that history, there weren't any credible alternatives to Fender and Gibson at the high end.  Now, though, there are instruments available at similar (or cheaper) pricing which are demonstrably better in every way.

TimmyO

FelineGuitars said:

Freebird said:

The history of recorded music tells a different story.

The history of F1 would suggest McLaren and Williams as winning teams, but last few years hasn’t looked that way.
the world of guitars doesn’t need to stay the way it was 60 years ago,

That analogy might work if all guitars were now carbon fibre, midi-enabled, digital-modelling techno masterpieces. But they're not, they are as they ever were 

TINMAN82

Freebird said:

The history of recorded music tells a different story.

Very valid point and slightly tiresome when people keep trying to shout it down.

johnl

TimmyO said:

FelineGuitars said:

Freebird said:

The history of recorded music tells a different story.

The history of F1 would suggest McLaren and Williams as winning teams, but last few years hasn’t looked that way.
the world of guitars doesn’t need to stay the way it was 60 years ago,

That analogy might work if all guitars were now carbon fibre, midi-enabled, digital-modelling techno masterpieces. But they're not, they are as they ever were 

If Henry J had just had a couple more years they might have been....

ESBlonde

I own some nice guitars and one of them is a 2006 ES335N which I bought new. I typically take 3 guitars to each live gig a 76 strat, and AVRI52 Tele and the 335. If anyone compliments me on guitars it's always on the tone of the 335, there is just something about the Gibson that folks like (even drummists)! TBH it's not like non guitarists to comment on guitar tone generally, but the 335 gets those unsolicited compliments regularly. Of course if you use stacked drive/fuzz pedals into an overdriven amp, the subtleties of the guitar and player are somewhat masked and it's a moot point.

My 335 had all the typical 'faults' of the era like tool marks on the fingerboard, orange peel on the side of the headstock etc. I had them sorted by luthier Martyn Booth and set up to my specifications. I changed the loom too and the guitar sings for me in a way that few others do.

Should it be necassary to 'finish' a brand new guitar, no of course not, but if you want a good one thats sometimes what you need to do and the rewards are there. It's been said lots of times, play all the Gibsons you can find and buy the one that speaks to you.

gibby

The negative reviews are not fair...but some might be...and some might not be. There's a tendency for some people to dislike a brand for some reason or other, because of 1 dodgy experience; the whole brand then gets "tared with the same brush". I've owned a lot of Gibsons and almost as many PRS's and many other quality and budget brands. Yep, some have been better than others because they suit my needs (neck size/feel) and tone, but some haven't and I've sold them on. I can't say any of them have been BAD!..just not what I'm after. I should point out my Gibsons over the years have been mainly from 1975 to 1998's and the newest ones being from 2004, 2008 and 2011. The only Gibsons I currently own are all pre-1998..and they are the dogs "bits"..Nothing is perfect; it's always easy to find 1 fault with something and miss the 99 correct bits

Haych

People will often tow a popular line if they feel unsure about a choice from their own personal experience, if they even have one.  So Internet hate regarding Gibson can often be repeated, simply because it's a popular thing to do, without any actual personal basis.

I've owned a few Gibsons over the years. 

A 198? Flying Vee, the nice one with a highly flamed maple top and gorgeous sunburst finish.  Absolutely stunning guitar.  At the time I sold it you couldn't give them away, they were so unfashionable.  Wish I still had it now though, it'd be worth about four times as much.

A 199? Les Paul Standard, not bad, the inlays looked like they were cut by a blind apprentice with a spoon but otherwise no real issues.

After that I had a late 90s Les Paul Special DC, lovely instrument in every way, I couldn't really fault it at all.  Another I wish I still had.

A 2007 Les Paul Standard Premium Plus - the finish was a bit meh, but otherwise I couldn't find anything to complain about, except it felt very light due to having a weight relieved body, nothing bad, just a bit odd it was so light.

The only Gibson I own now is an ES Les Paul Alex Lifeson model. I bought it blind stupidly but just had to have it.  Apart from a substandard set up and a bit of polish residue here and there it's stunning in every way. 

So, my own Gibson experience hasn't been all that bad compared to what the internet says.  That said, I did go Les Paul shopping back in 2015 and every one I tried had issues that stopped me from buying.  Mostly sharp fret ends, bad setups and poor finishes, which could easily be sorted out, but on significantly priced instruments it just shouldn't happen.