i dont think being a good guitarist has anything to do with the quality of the guitars... it doesnt stop me being able to tell if they play well or not, i just have to hand them to someone else to play them well - which is exactly what henry should have done! somebody that doesnt make it sound like a 13 year old with a new zoom multi fx
leo didnt really play either, but he did listen to players and what they wanted and that was enough- again its something henry could take a lesson from
Different time, different market, different objectives. Leo was an engineer. He figured out a manufacturing process that allowed guitars to be churned out cheaper and faster. We dont need that now. Henry is a marketing clown thats trying to run gibson as 'cutting edge' as it was (occasionally at least) in the late 50s and early 60s. He wants his explorer, his V. Its not happening. Different game; gibson have set benchmarks and standards for traditional instruments that people have grown to love them for, and for some mysterious reason some people still connect the name with quality. Satisfying that should be their absolute number one priority. What I want to hear from gibson is
"Les pauls, SGs, explorers, Vs and firebirds as you know and love them made with top quality woods and the most stringent quality control in the industry"
And have the guitars to back it up. Or
"Traditional Gibson instruments made with modern methods: Introducing the new Les Paul Rock Solid, 3 piece mahogany neck, carbon fibre reinforced for enhanced vibration transmission and stability, earvana nut, stainless steel frets. Les Paul tone, rock $%&#ing solid"
But dont call it the Rock Solid, thats clearly gay.
Gibson dont need to inovate, then need to catch the $%&# up on what have long since become comonplace features of high end guitar construction, and they need to cater to the customers that WANT to love their bread and butter products, but the bindings coming off, the inlays were set in by a chimp, the frets havent been seated properly, the neck is practically made of a new species of 'Jelly mahogany and the bridge is positioned a mil too far to one side. But, if you pay £1000 more you can get one that tunes itself, because machineheads dont work, and are so 1998. They dont know their market. And I think it could very well be because Henry clearly isnt really a Guitarist (capital G) because his focus and aims are clearly not on making high quality usable instruments, its on making marketable novelties. The Firebird X is a wooden computer. Leave it to fractal audio fercryinoutloud. Other companies have that covered. No one wants your guitar shaped pedal board. Good business = make money supplying what people want, maintaining an appropriate image for the company, a clear identity in the consumers eyes, using or finding a niche and exploiting and expanding it...that sort of thing. Henry seems dead set on making gibson do the opposite of all those. Hes trying to pedal things that no one wants, hes character assissinating gibson in a huge number of guitarists eyes, and hes ignoring, indeed doing everything he can to destroy the niche and reputation (high quality guitars for serious musicians) that the company already bloody well had! So, yeah, maybe if he actually really played he'd have a little more sympathy for what guitarists actually bloody well want.
/rant
Really didnt intend that much rant. You'd almost think I really care what gibson do; I dont even like the good ones. Make a 25.5 scale fixed bridge superstrat and we'll talk, Henry :lol:
