Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: MrBump on February 28, 2008, 01:20:10 PM
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Just went for a nose around a guitar shop and asked about LP Studios - they didn't have any in. The guy said that there were major problems with the UK Gibson distributor, that Gibbo were in the process of changing distribution companies.
Don't know if this it true, or indeed of any interest to anyone...
Mark.
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Yes its true - I'm trying to find a les paul classic antique to try and its tough. I think there will be a drought of guitars until gibson sort out their distribution
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They used to come via Rosetti - not great reputation amongst folks that I have spoken to but that might have been as much down to Gibson as them...
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They used to come via Rosetti - not great reputation amongst folks that I have spoken to but that might have been as much down to Gibson as them...
Well I know Rickenbacker have had real issues with Rosetti too (& I have heard mention that Ovation are less than happy)
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They used to come via Rosetti - not great reputation amongst folks that I have spoken to but that might have been as much down to Gibson as them...
Well I know Rickenbacker have had real issues with Rosetti too (& I have heard mention that Ovation are less than happy)
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Gibson are sorting out their own European distribution this year.
I thought Ovation were distributed by JHS in the UK
Gibson, Epiphone , Rickenbacker and BC Rich are/were done by Rosetti
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I was being diplomatic just in case I got sued!
:-)
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Gibson are sorting out their own European distribution this year.
I thought Ovation were distributed by JHS in the UK
Gibson, Epiphone , Rickenbacker and BC Rich are/were done by Rosetti
You are right (DOH) WTF did I get Ovation from :? as JHS has distributed them for ages (possibly it's a flashback from the 80s) <SIGH>
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I've heard on the grapevine that there are plans by fender to have 'fender europe' super centers, and you would only be able to buy fenders from there.
Heard gibson may be doing the same...
BUT, it's only a rumour. and we know what those are like...
I hope that they sort it out so that little shops can buy in Gibson and Epi gear. I'm sure it would help my local faveourite shop.
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I have heard a lot of negative things on this forum about Gibson quality. Being that the majority on here seem to be British, I am assuming that you are all buying your Gibson's in England/Europe. Has the quality control really been that bad over there?
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Kellar - don't know where you are based - I've bought 2 in the USA and the quality there was not great!! Mind you, I only bought them to sell on in the UK, rather than keep.
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I am American but I live in Germany where my wife is attending school. I haven't bought a Gibson over here so I can't really comment.
Not that the quality is any better in the U.S.. I have heard plenty of complaints about the quality over there in the last couple of years.
I am a little curious though as I have always had my guitars setup in the shop I bought them at. When you mean quality issues, are you talking about just a bad setup or larger issues?
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It was poor a few years ago but in my opinion seems to be improving - if the Gibson LP's I played recently are anything to go by.
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At the lower price end the guitars are just banged out and the quality control, level of finish etc is not great - sharp fret edges, glue spots, rough finish - that kind of thing - higher end stuff might be OK - I've never played a 'new' high end LP tp compare with my 89 one.
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Indeed Gibson are setting up there own distribution.
It is easy to knock Gibson for QC issues, however they are trying to hand build guitars in the US where they need to pay decent wages, health care insurance and obey relatively strict environmental and safety laws, whilst competing on price with the Far East where wages are very low, and health and safety and environmental laws are lax to say the least. Even with CNC mechanisation (which Gibson don't use, or at least didn't when I went to there factory a a couple of years ago) guitar building is very labour intensive so if you are trying to compete on price with the Far East corners probably are being cut on the cheaper guitars. When it comes to the more expensive guitars there is definitely a massive increase in quality (as there should be).
My guess is that back in the day the distributor/dealers in the UK used to set up and fret dress all the guitars they got so the average playability of a new guitar might well have been better than it is now. Unfortunately this added value is not perceived by most customers who tend to go for the cheapest available source — a problem compounded by the internet. I've heard all the guys I know working in music shops say they regularly have customers come in a say "I can get this for X on the internet so I only want to pay X for this" despite having spent 2 hours trying the guitar out and asking loads of questions. Believe me the margins are new Gibsons are now very low, with many internet retailers selling guitars for not much more than trade + VAT. Ensentially these guys are selling boxes not guitars, and probably couldn't even change the strings on one!!
Guitars invariabley need setting up after shipping. Hopefully Gibson will address this issue with their new distribution and we can look forward to Gibson playing better "out of the box"
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Far I can tell, yo, Gibson has always had QC issues, and regardless of whether a guitar was shipped to Europe or the Americas, it was a bit of a cr@pshoot.
The exception was Japan, and that was because Gibson's (former) exclusive distributor demanded and paid handsomely for the right to select the guitars to be sold in Japan. In addition, there were numerous "Japan-only" models and parts.
As such, a guitar with proven Japanese provenance commands a premium in the marketplace.
Since Gibson terminated the distribution agreements with both Yamano and now Rosetti, I suspect that these moves were motivated by a desire to cut out the middleman and not QC. Also, Gibson has stated that it sees high volume instrument retailers as the future and not smaller independent sellers.
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It really doesn't bode well for the independent seller of new guitars then.
I expect that most of Gibson's sales are through high volume low margin sellers. These make it really hard for independent sellers, as you have to stock Gibsons and Fenders otherwise you don't look much of a guitar shop, but you are competing with internet shops selling guitars at trade + £30 + VAT.
Regarding QC I only really get to play 2nd hand and vintage Gibsons. The build quality of gear made in the last few years seems to be pretty good, especially when compared with 70s Gibsons. I don't have much experience of low end new Gibsons (although why anyone wants to buy a new guitar I don't know). I expect the QC isn't as good. However as stated in my previous post Gibson are trying to build a guitar in the US paying US wages etc and are going to struggle to compete with the Far East.