is it me or are Gibsons rubbish?

[tewboss]

I've heard that Fender have supposed to have improved, but you have to guess at why they don't export many Japanese made instruments to Europe and the US. I'm pretty certain I've read they are made in the Tokai factory.

[Tellboy]

 :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:
rotflmao

That's priceless!

Note: If you're selling gear please use the Seconds Out forum - could you confirm if it's a custom or standard - looks like it could do with refretting (or reflushing) - would you consider part exchange? (Fender Turdecaster)

[_tom_]

i didnt like my LP Classic, it was a new one..

however, if i could find an older one, maybe a Custom 25/50 anniversary id definitely pay the cash for it.... some gibsons are amazing.

Get a good one and you will never look back.. but these days trying to find a decent one is tough, either 2nd hand and overpriced or new and shoddy :(

Yeah I hear older "vintage" Gibsons are really good guitars. However, paying that much for em, I'd be scared to leave the house with it! Also Tellboy, that is hilarious  :lol:

[Jp.]

Yeah I hear older "vintage" Gibsons are really good guitars. However, paying that much for em, I'd be scared to leave the house with it!

The problem is that they arent. Ask any of the old boys who collect vintage Ibanez guitars. The "Lawsuit" copy myth came about because Ibanez were using cheap wood with cheap parts and still putting out a product that basically gets the same comments that all the Japanese so called copies get now.

"really good for the money"

"heaps better to play than a guitar twice its price"

very little has changed in fifty years..... its the potential to find a guitar that really does live up to its price tag combined with the history of the brand name that commands the price.

Some Gibsons are really "that" good.

Oh yeah and my '04 American deluxe strat is "really that good" so for anyone thinking Fender are building better instruments nowadays. Your right.

[FELINEGUITARS]

We see a lot of new Gibson's and they do seem a little bit iffy as they leave the factory
BUT - we have found that a damn good fret dress and set up (and fit some BKPs if you wish) will make it a much better guitar.

Then they just need playing in a lot.

So don't write off new guitars but do consider that they all benefit from some careful setup and tweaking - whether you do it yourself or take it to a guitar tech/builder.

[rinse_master]

I agree...

I have a Gibson Les Paul Studio from 2000 and an Edwards Les Paul Standard from 2004, the Edwards wins hands down.

Both in the same price bracket once you consider that the Edwards was shipped from Japan and I had to pay Import Tax & Customs, both very different. Edwards has once piece body & neck, long neck tenon, proper pot cavity (no steel plate inside), came with SD's and it has a a nitrocellulose finish. The flame is a thin veneer over plain maple, but it's still solid maple underneath.

Altogether the Edwards is finished neater, the fretwork is a big improvement on the Gibson and the the Edwards setup was perfect despite travelling half way round the world. It is just nice to play, sounds better and looks better, it even converted a mate (a RG fan) to like LPs.

Of course not all Gibsons are naff, and I'm certainly not about to get rid of mine, but the general consensus is that often there are better guitars to be had.

[schmendict]

I played a few gibsons, some from a shop and one of them a friends studio sg.
I played a few lps, and they smelt awful, haha! They didnt play well and the strings were fuzzing.... I asked why, and they said it was a shipping problem! Couple of chips in the wood too.
My friends sg, well... I dont say this to his face, but, its just horrible to play. The neck is uncomfortable and awkward. The finish is awful and it feels so cheap. There are unfinished bits of body poking out by the neck, and the pickups...well....its too painful.
I really dont like Gibsons, i have had too many bad experiences with them, not to mention their tone. >.<

[jimibt]

well - i've got an epi les paul standard and a shine 335 dot. the finish on both are top class and with the addition of good pickups and better quality electrics, i can't fault either in any way. from what i've read on this thread, the new gibsons appear to require the same amount of pre-play setup that most take for granted with the epi type range.

at less than a grand for both guitars including pickup replacement, i'm more than happy to avoid the gibbo marketing 'appeal'

[The amazing Phil]

We see a lot of new Gibson's and they do seem a little bit iffy as they leave the factory
BUT - we have found that a damn good fret dress and set up (and fit some BKPs if you wish) will make it a much better guitar.

Then they just need playing in a lot.

So don't write off new guitars but do consider that they all benefit from some careful setup and tweaking - whether you do it yourself or take it to a guitar tech/builder.

This is really true, playing in and getting to know a guitar makes a huge difference, as does having a good fret job. But when you're laying down the kind of cash you do for a new Gibson you should get a guitar that needs no work, and only minimal breaking in, not a work in progress!

Now I will say that Tokai SGs are truly excellent, I've played one through a Laney and it really kicked ass, and if I saw a Tokai SG with soapbars I'd seriously consider it, but for £799 I picked up a 67 junior, and that's handsdown one of the nicest sounding instruments I've come across, ever. Lord knows what kind of sonic nirvana is yet possible with Tim's tonal wizardry.

[motormouth]

We see a lot of new Gibson's and they do seem a little bit iffy as they leave the factory
BUT - we have found that a damn good fret dress and set up (and fit some BKPs if you wish) will make it a much better guitar.

Then they just need playing in a lot.

So don't write off new guitars but do consider that they all benefit from some careful setup and tweaking - whether you do it yourself or take it to a guitar tech/builder.

This is really true, playing in and getting to know a guitar makes a huge difference, as does having a good fret job. But when you're laying down the kind of cash you do for a new Gibson you should get a guitar that needs no work, and only minimal breaking in, not a work in progress!

Now I will say that Tokai SGs are truly excellent, I've played one through a Laney and it really kicked ass, and if I saw a Tokai SG with soapbars I'd seriously consider it, but for £799 I picked up a 67 junior, and that's handsdown one of the nicest sounding instruments I've come across, ever. Lord knows what kind of sonic nirvana is yet possible with Tim's tonal wizardry.

WOW,,,Maybe Gibson is sending the "Odd" les pauls to the Uk,maybee pissed that your lb is higher than our dollar?I feel that some here say there is no difference between a EPI,and a Gibson?I have yet to hear a EPIPHONE "COPY" sound as good as a LESPAUL.They are similar,BUT,Gibsons have a much more RIcher Sound Quality!When you buy a "NEW" Gibson,understand that They Build to spec?The nuts are "Spec",the saddles are spec,down to the height on the strings"SPEC".And what about the tuning machines,,,,SPEC!To really get the best out of your "lb",try setting it up the way your "other guitars are,like a true IVORY Nut,BETTER Saddles-RECUT,And a calibration on the neck,to start.Dont forget the intonation,and a fresh set of your "favorite"strings,and condition the fretboard,so you dont get soo much warpage on the neck,when you get in different climates.Not to mention that they have different neck sizes,50's(Baseball bat,if thats your thang),60's for a slimmer feel.I have never heard a EPI sound Quite as "FUll".as a LesPaul.Similiar.Any sales guy that wants to sell you a Paul for 1400lbs,shillings,whatever,before you play it,have him put some strings on it,and do a minor set up,all of which can take 10 minutes?If he don't,use the PAul against his cranium!Now Les PAuls ARE great for that,I Know!And still will be in tune!

[Ced777]

A real Gibson-killer, and a true good LP:





ESP Custom Shop is the best.  Good bye Gibson.

[rinse_master]

The Navigator is a step or two up from my Edwards, I can only imagine how good that thing is, it is a beauty btw.

[Bainzy]

Now thats what a Les Paul should look like - most of the Gibson 58/59 replica LP's I see have way too much figuring on the maple, they just don't look realistic, but that one does. How much is it if you're buying on in the UK?

[tewboss]

WOW,,,Maybe Gibson is sending the "Odd" les pauls to the Uk

I think that can be true in many cases. I've heard of B-Stock being sold as A-Stock over here. I don't think the factory setup is any better for the instruments in the US than the ones in the UK. A guitar tech in the US that I chat with says in terms of instant playability the instruments from the US are no better than the ones from Korea. Obviously that doesn't mean they are the same standard. The nut on my Korean PRS was shockingly badly cut. Perhaps it is the fault of the shops over here not setting up the instruments properly, but Gibson guitars are obscenely expensive compared with the Japanese Tokai's - its not as though the standard of living in Japan is worse.

[monkeywalker]

what exactly do you mean when you say spec motormouth?

and either way they shouldn't be built to a spec that is so shoddy that when you play them they fall apart in your hands. i know some guy who went to my school years back.he was so rich it hurt.he went over to the states and bought a strat, a custom shop esquire and a standard LP.the fender's were pretty good although the custom shop was a little less playable then you would hope for such a price.
the LP on the other hand was the biggest pile of cr@p i've ever played in my life without exception.he brought it to my house not long after he got it and when i plugged it in nothing happened. he said "oh yeah, sometimes it doesn't work and it just makes that crackling noise for a while" he was only 14 at the time but fairly knowledgeable and particular about his guitars. his dad had a couple of Grestches which were apparently awesome. anyway i opened up the back for him and the wiring was really bad, they were literally hanging by a thread. they'd even used a 250k tone pot for the bass instead of a 500k. it was gibson stuff to. i thought maybe he'd gone second hand for some reason but no straight off the poduction line.