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Guitar-Maker Gibson Brands Files for Bankruptcy
Wall Street Journal ^ | Updated May 1, 2018 4:32 p.m. ET | By Becky Yerak

Posted on 05/01/2018 4:13:00 PM PDT by cba123

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To: Hammerhead

That’s sweet!

I have a 1967 Les Paul Deluxe that I bought new at the time. It was my go to guitar for 20 years.

Maybe it’s time for a new one... ;)


41 posted on 05/01/2018 7:05:19 PM PDT by MV=PY (The Magic Question: Who's paying for it?)
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To: KevinB
Gibson and its guitars have sucked hard for years now.

I recently bought a 2017 Les Paul. I have literally played guitar for 50 years. I currently own fenders, martins, taylors, and an old Les Paul, etc. Trust me, the new Les Paul does not suck.

42 posted on 05/01/2018 7:10:58 PM PDT by kjam22
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To: KevinB
Gibson and its guitars have sucked hard for years now.

As a semi-professional guitar player that's been gigging regularly for over 30 years using both old, and new Gibson guitars, I couldn't disagree with your sentiment more.

43 posted on 05/01/2018 7:25:20 PM PDT by rmccullo
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To: YogicCowboy

I love Gibson guitars, but they have gotten so expensive. They made a huge mistake about 5-6 years ago when they did the “New Coke” thing and put Robo Tuners on their guitars, and metal zero fret nuts. Really hurt them. The next year, they brought back “Old Coke” and keep the new enhancements as and HP line.

Their quality control has been pretty bad the last few years. Their Epihone line which is mostly built in Asia, is generally just as good, and 25% the cost of a Gibson. I’ve bought a couple Epiphones recently, spent $500 to upgrade the electronics and had a pretty nice guitar.

And the other big issue, is they started expanding into home electronics. Bought a ton of companies and added massive debt.

Hope they survive. Still an iconic American brand.


44 posted on 05/01/2018 7:32:57 PM PDT by gswilder
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To: PAR35
Now I REALLY despise than prick. 😠
45 posted on 05/01/2018 7:36:57 PM PDT by catbertz
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To: MV=PY

The new one will not sound like the old one. The old pickups just have that ‘sound’ down. The newer humbuckers are a world apart. IMHO


46 posted on 05/01/2018 7:44:12 PM PDT by waterhill (I Shall Remain, in spite of __________.)
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To: waterhill
"The new one will not sound like the old one. The old pickups just have that ‘sound’ down. The newer humbuckers are a world apart. IMHO"

Thanks for the info, I haven't played a new one. I moved on to many different guitars for different purposes. I'll check out a new Les Paul when I get the chance.

47 posted on 05/01/2018 7:57:15 PM PDT by MV=PY (The Magic Question: Who's paying for it?)
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To: cba123

As long as music keeps regressing into techno crap, Gibson is only the first of many. Guitar Hero started the dumbing down of the next generation of musicians. Welcome the next generation http://www.roli.com


48 posted on 05/01/2018 8:10:46 PM PDT by Bommer ( F the NFL!)
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To: gswilder

Never been a fan of Gibson. A guy I knew bought a Les Paul and the neck was like rubber. If you laid it flat and raise the neck from the head-stock it would go out of tune, almost a full half step. The truss rod had no effect.

I’m not a fan of humbuckers either; single coils are better to my ears.

Gibson’s had it’s ups and downs; they all have. Fashions change. Hell, their might be an exploding market for banjos next year— maybe a YouTube Avante Garde banjo player will come along and blow everybody away. Gibson makes those too.


49 posted on 05/01/2018 8:18:19 PM PDT by tsomer ((Hell, I really don't know.))
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To: KevinB

I wouldn’t even consider buying a new guitar when the older ones are of much finer quality than most of today’s brands.


50 posted on 05/01/2018 8:53:46 PM PDT by Bullish (government=overfunded stupidity.)
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To: KevinB

Only 15? Think I’m up to 30 or 31 now... GAS is a heck of a disease. On the other hand, one can never have too many guns or guitars. Bought a Jap 6120 and a Sherwood Green ‘62 Custom Tele reissue new. Oldest is a 27 Martin O-28, newest is my working axe, a recent (ca 2011?) ‘64 reissue Jazz Bass.


51 posted on 05/01/2018 8:59:55 PM PDT by CMSMC
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To: cba123

The Obama DOJ went after Gibson, didn’t they? Not sure how that all ended, but I wonder if that is part of why they’ve been struggling.


52 posted on 05/01/2018 9:04:50 PM PDT by mass55th (Courage is being scared to death - but saddling up anyway...John Wayne)
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To: Hammerhead

To each their own but I don’t really like Les Paul’s. They are too heavy and the fretboard’s seem a little small for my large hands. My Fender strats are perfect for my hands.


53 posted on 05/01/2018 9:10:20 PM PDT by Bullish (government=overfunded stupidity.)
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To: waterhill

The old Marauder is different, I’ll give you that. On the other hand, I didn’t pay all that much for it. Gibson’s attempt to make a Tele! I do kind of like the neck, though.


54 posted on 05/01/2018 9:48:53 PM PDT by CMSMC
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To: musicman

My guitars AND my motorcycles......


55 posted on 05/01/2018 11:48:33 PM PDT by Arlis
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To: PAR35; Pelham

That’s wholly inaccurate

Romney left Bain six years prior to Bain acquiring Guitar Center

Ares ..A Ressler fund owns most of Guitar Center now and it is in trouble

Bain Capital has scores of success stories and anyone can look them up and some failures and criticisms which mostly emanate from the left due to Romney

Guitar Center is not Gibson

Biggest investor in Gibson is KKR ....Kolberg Kravis and Roberts

Henry Kravis the ostensible leader played by Jonathon Pryce in Barbarians at the Gate about the RJR NABISCO run

Trump touted him as Treasury sec

KKR has their detractors too.

For many posters all big business is suspect

That’s always struck me as a lefty position

I’ll let you blast me free of charge I realize freepers who resent big companies ain’t changing their minds

My father in law...God love him..was like that....

I’m not.


56 posted on 05/02/2018 12:24:13 AM PDT by wardaddy (Reward for young buck goes by Kanye fancies hisself a poet...if seen contact his overseer@DNC.org)
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To: Hammerhead

Guitars have a very long shelf life, especially because so many people buy one and give up playing after a month or less. So it stands to reason that there is always a glut of them.

The article said that Gibson had some bad investments. It was not a lack of sales that pushed them into Chapter 11. Not that a long decline in guitar sales has helped any. And why shouldn’t guitar sales decline. Kids today are listening to more rap and sugar pop with electronic music. Name a guitar star today who would motivate a kid to pick up an axe and start playing. There isn’t anybody.

Guitar sales are dying because music is dying.


57 posted on 05/02/2018 3:39:06 AM PDT by Freedom_Is_Not_Free (For what profits a man if he gains the world but loses his soul?)
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To: wardaddy

The folks left holding the bag generally aren’t the ones who made the big money. You probably should mull over why I even thought to look to see if there was a Bain nexus.

As for the others - International Bankers are pretty much fungible. I’m more of a main street guy than a Wall Street - New World Order guy. I freely admit that I’m not aligned with the USCoC/Bush/Romney crowd. If that makes me a leftist in your eyes, so be it.


58 posted on 05/02/2018 5:31:10 AM PDT by PAR35
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To: Freedom_Is_Not_Free

I also blame guitar teachers.

Guitar teachers are 100% guilty in dragging out lesson YEARS longer than they need to be.

There are only a few simple rules for learning guitar which can be explained.

1. learn all the notes on the fretboard
2. learn the basic chords/notes in a key
3. understand that you can deviate from the standard chords in a key to make a song more interesting. Ex. AM...maybe use an AM9dim instead.
4. Learn pentatonic scale and the starting window area for each key. Once the pentatonic scale is mastered for each key, start adding additional scale notes (blues, dorian, ionian, etc.)
5. Understand that lead can jump all over the fretboard as long as the same notes in the key are used. Ex. you can play a small riff or part of a riff at the 12th fret then continue at the 3rd fret then back down to 15th fret. All lead note will stay the same everywhere on the fretboard (within the key)
6. Learn how to play a song(s) but while learning also understand how it is constructed and it will prove everything above.
7.Practicing is boring...so practice, practice, practice.

Last rule, lose a couple thousand dollars buying high and selling low about 15 guitars over a 3 year period until you finally end up with 4 or 5 that you won’t let go.


59 posted on 05/04/2018 4:36:17 PM PDT by Hammerhead
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