Empty 2017 Category on Gibson.com

chrisj1602

With a new Gibson range coming out every year now, buying used is a minefield and getting worse... working out the year, searching to find if you like that spec, or can you get one off Amazon for £467.33...it's crazy.

ICBM

stickyfiddle said:

I thought this fucky-looking Firebird thing was interesting, until I saw a Phil X video last night where he was playing a Fano PX6, which is a much better executed version of the same concept.

Exactly. One is aesthetically perfect, and the other… isn't.

The more you look at the Gibson, the more nothing lines up right and it just looks lumpy and awkward.

guitars4you

dindude said:

guitars4you said:

I'm baffled - The kids have not gone back to school yet (around here anyway) - cricket season still on - Can still wear t-shirt and shorts, the central heating will not be turned on yet for a few more weeks and the 2017 collection is launched

Not even sure why we need a 2017 Gibson collection or indeed a new launch every year with regards to the whole catalogue - Okay I know why Gibson do it, but to me why not just tweak the odd model from time to time - release a few limited runs from time to time - maybe add the odd limited edition colour or tweak the electrics etc on select models for limited periods - But a whole catalogue change is stupid - Yes bring in a new model and feature it - But how many times can you re-invent another LP, SG or 335 and on the basis that they keep changing them then you are bound to get some duds amongst some potential good ones - Just my 10 penneth

Agreed, but even more than that it takes core models out of the range each year, which is peculiar and potential business suicid, you wouldn't catch Fender these days having no Jaguar option for example. 

How many people look at this range and within 5 minutes go "ah nothing for me then this year", instead it should be that you wake up one morning, fancy a Les Paul Jr, and your first port of call should be Gibson.

It's a little like Ford saying for 2017 there will be 8 versions of the Focus, just 3 versions of the Fiesta, but we're not selling the Mondeo at the moment.

Anyway, the range is junk IMO and one designed for ease of manufacture rather giving people what they want, and I'll go on record as saying, if not quite the beginning of the end, it is the beginning of a major upheaval within Gibson over the next 12 months or so.

supporting the above comments from dindude and similar comments from @Dave_Mc

Ford would release a new range of say the Focus periodically , but not change the whole Ford range every 12 months - They would release limited edition sport packs and colours and I can see merits in this with say an LP Std - maybe  select colours every so often, even an aged one, but to drop basic steady sellers is crazy - plus customers start to struggle to see what is out there for sale when they enter a dealer - why can't I buy such and such any more

Release say the white range on a limited run - white LP Studio, Special, SG, 335, then maybe the black run, or blue run - The modern version etc, all as occasional special runs - but this create a range and drop it less than 12 months later is crazy - Apart from fashion who else does it

Evildurka

I will be having a firebird full fat in Pelham blue. Might even get the Hp version

usedtobe

It is totally bonkers, imho..

stickyfiddle

ICBM said:

stickyfiddle said:

I thought this fucky-looking Firebird thing was interesting, until I saw a Phil X video last night where he was playing a Fano PX6, which is a much better executed version of the same concept.

Exactly. One is aesthetically perfect, and the other… isn't.

The more you look at the Gibson, the more nothing lines up right and it just looks lumpy and awkward.

Yup. I assume Gibson these days is either design by HenryJ exclusively, or worse... by committee.  The days of McCarty talking to guitarists and car designers is long gone. 

Though the Memphis/Montana guys seem to understand - the ES275 looks brilliant. Don't think they're announced anything official for 2017, but it's likely to be minor variations on classics rather than reinventing the wheel "with new improved corners!"

Dave_Mc

^ There were quite a few new acoustic models, I think. Though they didn't (as far as I could tell, anyway) get rid of any of the core stuff to accommodate it, and that's the main thing (and pretty much backs up what you're saying).

guitars4you said:

dindude said:

guitars4you said:

I'm baffled - The kids have not gone back to school yet (around here anyway) - cricket season still on - Can still wear t-shirt and shorts, the central heating will not be turned on yet for a few more weeks and the 2017 collection is launched

Not even sure why we need a 2017 Gibson collection or indeed a new launch every year with regards to the whole catalogue - Okay I know why Gibson do it, but to me why not just tweak the odd model from time to time - release a few limited runs from time to time - maybe add the odd limited edition colour or tweak the electrics etc on select models for limited periods - But a whole catalogue change is stupid - Yes bring in a new model and feature it - But how many times can you re-invent another LP, SG or 335 and on the basis that they keep changing them then you are bound to get some duds amongst some potential good ones - Just my 10 penneth

Agreed, but even more than that it takes core models out of the range each year, which is peculiar and potential business suicid, you wouldn't catch Fender these days having no Jaguar option for example. 

How many people look at this range and within 5 minutes go "ah nothing for me then this year", instead it should be that you wake up one morning, fancy a Les Paul Jr, and your first port of call should be Gibson.

It's a little like Ford saying for 2017 there will be 8 versions of the Focus, just 3 versions of the Fiesta, but we're not selling the Mondeo at the moment.

Anyway, the range is junk IMO and one designed for ease of manufacture rather giving people what they want, and I'll go on record as saying, if not quite the beginning of the end, it is the beginning of a major upheaval within Gibson over the next 12 months or so.

supporting the above comments from dindude and similar comments from @Dave_Mc

Ford would release a new range of say the Focus periodically , but not change the whole Ford range every 12 months - They would release limited edition sport packs and colours and I can see merits in this with say an LP Std - maybe  select colours every so often, even an aged one, but to drop basic steady sellers is crazy - plus customers start to struggle to see what is out there for sale when they enter a dealer - why can't I buy such and such any more

Release say the white range on a limited run - white LP Studio, Special, SG, 335, then maybe the black run, or blue run - The modern version etc, all as occasional special runs - but this create a range and drop it less than 12 months later is crazy - Apart from fashion who else does it

Yeah, exactly. Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with some new models (and even taking the odd chance with new models which some people might not like)- just (1) Don't get rid of the core, popular/historical models and (2) Don't refresh the entire range every year, that seems excessive- and pointless if some models are pretty much fine already. If it's not broke don't fix it!

DrJazzTap

Can somebody explain to me why one guitar is £900 more than the other? Apart from binding, hardcase and pickups?

https://www.andertons.co.uk/p/LPTR17SGNH1/solid-body-electric-guitars/gibson-usa-les-paul-tribute-t-2017-satin-gold-top

https://www.andertons.co.uk/p/LPCS17GTNH1/solid-body-electric-guitars/gibson-usa-les-paul-classic-t-2017-gold-top

I thought the tribute might have a thinner body? But this doesn't appear to be the case.

bobliefeld

The satin finish takes a lot less work than a glossy finish.  No binding is less work too.  

bobliefeld

The yearly thing is probably to stimulate interest and sales.  Gibson guitars at the volumes they wanna do, for the prices they want to charge must be really difficult these days so they employ a lot of tricks.  The annual refreshes are a sort of attempt to build obsolescence into guitars.  

The "2016 Collection" is Gibsons best year yet.  Yeah, you've got a Les Paul.  but you haven't got a 2016 Les Paul.  They'll never sell a perfect guitar.  Like the historic stuff is always a few steps forward, a few steps back.  They could get the plastics and the tenon and the angles and the pickups perfect right now if they wanted to (or say that they're perfect) but what are they gonna sell you next year?  

UnclePsychosis

I've long assumed that a large part of the Gibson strategy is aimed at those guys in the USA who seem to have eighteen thousand different Les Pauls, 95% of which look the same.

chrisj1602

UnclePsychosis said:

I've long assumed that a large part of the Gibson strategy is aimed at those guys in the USA who seem to have eighteen thousand different Les Pauls, 95% of which look the same.

Yes, the ones on MLP with a signature like...

2003  Epiphone G400
2006  Gibson R6
2008  Gibson 335
2011  Gibson R9 with skatterbrane pickups
2013  Gibson R9 with MSSC harness

UnclePsychosis

I think it's more like

2014 R9 Sunburst - "Lirlene"
2014 R9 Sunburst Long Tenon - "Darlene"
2013 R9 CFGH RI Sunburst RI - "Sharlene"
2012 R8 RI Sunburst over Sunburst - "Tammy"
2012 R9 RI Sunburst Extra Historic RI - "Bobbi"
2011 1978 1959 R6 Sunburst RI - "Sammi"

Etc etc etc

chrisj1602

Oh yeah, forgot about the names...

roberty

@DrJazzTap it's bonkers isn't it. Although I'm glad they do make the more affordable ones and they they're more or less the same

professorben

UnclePsychosis said:

I think it's more like

2014 R9 Sunburst - "Lirlene"
2014 R9 Sunburst Long Tenon - "Darlene"
2013 R9 CFGH RI Sunburst RI - "Sharlene"
2012 R8 RI Sunburst over Sunburst - "Tammy"
2012 R9 RI Sunburst Extra Historic RI - "Bobbi"
2011 1978 1959 R6 Sunburst RI - "Sammi"

Etc etc etc

Mmmmm Tammy.
"she will have, long blonde hair, big blue eyes and legs that go aaaaallllllllll the way up"

UnclePsychosis

professorben said:

UnclePsychosis said:

I think it's more like

2014 R9 Sunburst - "Lirlene"
2014 R9 Sunburst Long Tenon - "Darlene"
2013 R9 CFGH RI Sunburst RI - "Sharlene"
2012 R8 RI Sunburst over Sunburst - "Tammy"
2012 R9 RI Sunburst Extra Historic RI - "Bobbi"
2011 1978 1959 R6 Sunburst RI - "Sammi"

Etc etc etc

Mmmmm Tammy.
"she will have, long blonde hair, big blue eyes and legs that go aaaaallllllllll the way up"

That's the 2015 Tammy model.

Prior to that she had long blonde hair, medium blue eyes and legs that go 99.9% of the way up. Not to be confused with the 2013 Tammy Sindi RI model, which had short blonde hair and a drinking problem.

bobliefeld

You see it here a little bit but all the "congratulations!  she's a real beauty" stuff there when someone gets a new guitar is crazy.  Why you congratulating the guy on buying something ??  All the congratulating, all the weighing, the naming.. these guys desperately wanna give birth

dindude

bobliefeld said:

You see it here a little bit but all the "congratulations!  she's a real beauty" stuff there when someone gets a new guitar is crazy.  Why you congratulating the guy on buying something ??  All the congratulating, all the weighing, the naming.. these guys desperately wanna give birth

Man, it's waaaay more complex than you make it out to be. First off, I hope you are seriously not dissing NGD's, a man has a right to peacock his purchase. And for the record weighing is fine, but naming isn't, it's just weird.

ICBM

It's all going a bit Franklin Mint to be honest.