What the hell is going on here - Gibson destruction

monofin

I believe the footage is from a few years ago and has been released by an ex employee. 
What I don't understand is the method. It seems a huge length to go to rather than cutting them up/shredding them etc. 
Can only think it was part of a PR stunt they later thought better of releasing 

Yes, yhe waste is dreadful whatever the method or reason 

LastMantra

They were probably going to landfill anyway but they wanted to put people off trying to dig them up? Seems a little more sensible to use the tools you have I suppose. 

prlgmnr

paul_c2 said:

How is this any different to a vintage guitar that hangs on a wall and is never played?

How is crushing something different from looking after it and keeping it in a good condition? I don't know, it sounds like those are basically the exact same thing.

I thought about getting some nice wall hangers for my favourite guitars but then instead I just drove over them with a tractor, a quicker route to the same result.

Philly_Q

JayGee said:

My understanding is that this was a bunch of non-functioning examples with dead electronics.

That takes the long-standing cliché about Gibson quality control to a whole new level.  They were all non-functioning?  There are hundreds of the fuckers in that clip.

Jetsam1

This has indefinately cooled any interest I had in Gibson. After the last few years shenanigans if I have money to spend on a guitar it certainly won`t be "Teh Authentics"............

It is really disgusting in this day and age. Just the wood itself......... Jeez.

RichardT

"How is this any different to a vintage guitar that hangs on a wall and is never played?"

Did someone actually post that?

LastMantra

Tbh it's really a drop in the ocean. Not saying it's right but look at all the food we through away each year. At least they're not that toxic.

scrumhalf

The vehicle crushing them looks like a fake to me. Gibson had better watch out.

poopot

Just goes to show how little actual monetary value there must be in their guitars!

economy of scale n all that!... 

Wolfetone

It happens everywhere. The motor industry destroy hundreds of pre-production cars or cars that have been lent to the press for evaluation. After the war, they were flying aircraft straight from the factory to the desert for scrapping. Lancaster bombers were de-engined and flattened with wrecking balls and used as hard-core for field drainage.

Waste is a first world disease and has to stop whatever the product.

Wolfetone

It's like watching puppies and kittens going through a shredder.....

Rabs

This is an official response from Gibson about this video

https://i.imgur.com/9s2EJ5R.png

Schnozz

At what point does a 'custom shop' become a production line? That's all I think when someone talks about their CS Gibson/Fender. Even the 'Collector's Choice' was 300+ guitars per no. and there's was about 20 of em lol.

EDIT: Actually there's closer to 50 different 'Collector's Choice' models...Classic B.S.

Flanging_Fred

They should have buried them in the desert next to the containers full of E.T. Game cartridges.

DrJazzTap

It's like they are trying to actively piss people off. How much positive publicity would they have generated from donating them?

tony99

DrJazzTap said:

It's like they are trying to actively piss people off. How much positive publicity would they have generated from donating them?

That'd depend on who they gave them to. 

Philtre

I think the only issue here is how they disposed of them. Recycling would have been better.

As for donation, this would have been a bad move:

1. Gibson already have a donation programme (Gibson Foundation)

2. If they had donated these models, how easily it could have been viewed/spun as "Tightwad Gibson donate non-working crock-of-shit guitars to poor, under-privileged kids". TGP would have had a field day.

Jonathangus

Rabs said:

This is an official response from Gibson about this video

https://i.imgur.com/9s2EJ5R.png

'Unsafe' components?  Really?

So there wasn't a single pickup, switch or bridge that could be removed and repurposed?  And not only that, these 'unsafe' components were finding their way onto guitars over a period of two years?

axisus

What a bunch of twats. 

King85

CJonathangus said:

Rabs said:

This is an official response from Gibson about this video

https://i.imgur.com/9s2EJ5R.png

'Unsafe' components?  Really?

So there wasn't a single pickup, switch or bridge that could be removed and repurposed?  And not only that, these 'unsafe' components were finding their way onto guitars over a period of two years?

Sounds like a cop out excuse to me as well but who knows.