Gibson's?

[MadeInMexico]

It might just be me but am i the only guy that thinks gibsons are over priced over rated and just not even very good guitars anymore i can say some epiphones sound alright but are still MASSIVELY over priced, comparing to fender you can get a standard fender strat/tele/jagg/jazz for about £350+ the cheapest gibson is a £450 has one pickup and in all honesty it doesnt sound that great...and looks cheap and the build quality is sub standard....am i the only guy that thinks this?

[Sollophonic]

I was a confirmed Fender player, and the idea of owning a Gibson was just not on my agenda until just over a couple of years ago.

Then I bought two Gibby slabsters, in quick succession for just less than £400 for the pair!

Lightweight, easy to play, nice sounding, both Melody Makers.

This nice red one, which has remained pretty much stock



And this black RI which I have turned into a two pickup one


I love the bottom end Gibbys, they work for me

[MadeInMexico]

Less than 400 for the pair? Yeah thats pretty good but to buy one? Its 450 quid i think its ridiculous would you pay 450 for the red one alone?

[brookdalebill]

I think Gibson makes a great product, in a big variety of price points.
Historic models cost a lot, student models cost a little.
Broadly and generally, Gibsons sound "full", Fenders sound "clear/twangy.
Apples/oranges, Chevys/Fords/, Republican/Democrat, blah/blah.
I won't swim over and force you to buy one.
Not anytime soon, anyway.

[howlin]

Originally Posted by brookdalebill

I think Gibson makes a great product, in a big variety of price points.
Historic models cost a lot, student models cost a little.
Broadly and generally, Gibsons sound "full", Fenders sound "clear/twangy.
Apples/oranges, Chevys/Fords/, Republican/Democrat, blah/blah.
I won't swim over and force you to buy one.
Not anytime soon, anyway.

I recently bought an Epi Nighthawk and it has to be one of the most playable electric guitars that I've had in some time.

[MadeInMexico]

Okay i see im alone, but i stick by it £450 is the cheapest gibson absolutely scandalous, you can tell their company is going downhill suing different guitar companys for them stealing there shape which never happened, i just think gibson as a company, just isnt a very good one, i think epiphones are sometimes fairly priced and sound okay but i don not rate gibsons AT ALL their explorer korinas are nice but again over priced unfortunately

[Eric Smith]

I absolutely LOVE mine. Still looking for a tele that loves me.

[MadeInMexico]

Forever alone here, i need a gathering of fender fans to help me

[Arbiter]

I felt the same way about Gibsons until I discovered the Les Paul Junior.

It started when I got the Rondo $140 clone, wow, what an axe. First guitar I've ever bought that didn't need a setup - just change the strings and go. Be doing a NGD review soon on that.

Now I'm on a permanent hunt for a LP Jr. double cut. Doesn't have to be vintage, just has to be awesome.

[Boyd]

I still have my first acoustic guitar, a Gibson J50 Deluxe that is almost 40 years old. It's in pretty bad shape from many years of neglect and mistreatment. It's nice to have from a sentimental standpoint, and has a very full tone, but honestly, it never was all that great of a guitar. I always wished I had gotten a Martin but never could afford one. 6 months ago I finally got a D15M and there is just no comparison. The J50 never sounded nearly as good, even when it was new.

For electrics, I'm happy with my telecasters.

[H. Mac]

Originally Posted by Arbiter

I felt the same way about Gibsons until I discovered the Les Paul Junior.

I played a Les Paul Junior for the first time in 2009. It was the most mind-blowing guitar experience I ever had, and to say I bonded with it is understatement. I'm really into Teles, but there's no reason to exclude a few Gibsons.

Are Gibsons overpriced? Maybe, but the company has been in the guitar business for a long, long time, has lots of happy customers, and offers guitars in a broad range of prices. They must be doing something right!

[Torz Johnson]

Of course Gibson produces some overpriced dogs, but I got this for $699 last year and it's one of the best guitars I've ever played. Pre-baked maple ebony board... there are good ones out there for a good price if you're patient.

[Arbiter]

Originally Posted by MadeInMexico

Forever alone here, i need a gathering of fender fans to help me

Sheesh, it's not a contest. If it makes you feel any better, I own six Fenders. They're awesome. But I own other guitars too, because they do things that Fenders can't.

[MadeInMexico]

Just saying for 450 i could think of a better guitar to buy for 699 i could think of a better guitar to buy, they just seem too much for there quality which as decreased over the years....

[MadeInMexico]

Originally Posted by Arbiter

Sheesh, it's not a contest. If it makes you feel any better, I own six Fenders. They're awesome. But I own other guitars too, because they do things that Fenders can't.

I was only joking bro everyone has their opinions but im sure you guys can see where im coming from right?

[Arbiter]

Originally Posted by MadeInMexico

I was only joking bro everyone has their opinions but im sure you guys can see where im coming from right?

If you'd made the claim that "Gibson has the most insane pricing structure I've ever seen" I'd be right there with you, because they charge far more for some Les Paul models that are actually easier and cheaper to build than some of the lower priced Pauls.

But overrated? No way. Fenders were built to be disposable. Gibsons were not. Overpriced? Not their lower-end stuff, it's right where it should be, given what it takes to build them.

Apples and oranges. They really are two completely different things.

[joaopazguitar]

hi!

I did a small experiment about it. went to my favorite online store and seached for both "gibson" and "fender" under the guitars and basses category. of course both companies' 2nd brands - epiphone and squier - came up.
the results were interesting!
(I left out of this the fender acoustic range - so just electrical guitar stuff.)

here you go:


most inexpensive guitars under each company's 2nd brand:
Epiphone SG Junior - 88 Eur
Epiphone LP-Junior/Epiphone LP Special I - 98 Eur
Fender Squier Bullet Strat - 98 Eur

most inexpensive guitars under each company's 1st brand:
Gibson Explorer Melody Maker/Gibson Flying V Melody Maker - 295 Eur
Fender Modern Player Tele Thinline/Fender Modern Player Tele Plus - 398 Eur


so, roughly speaking, gibson wins on both their ranges...
...but one thing that's very noticeable is that Fender has a much much bigger offering on their 2nd brand, and generally speaking there are for sure many Squiers that will beat the Gibson Melody Maker.

having said this, here's my personal experience testimony:

I have a dual guitar stand in my living room and in there I have my Fender Modern Player Telecaster Deluxe and my Epiphone Dot Studio. they're both amazing guitars, and I mean a-ma-zing.


....earlier today there was a fire close to my house and that got me thinking which of my belongings I'd try to save if there would be the need for it :) after a 2-second thought my answer was "my 3 cats first, then I'd come in for the Tele and the Epi" ... and I have quite a few more expensive guitars in the house ;)

kind-of-postscriptum: the epi dot studio beats by far the most expensive epi dot. IMHO.

[MadeInMexico]

I agree, i think its cheaper to build quite a few guitars than to buy them and when i was in the market for a new guitar i obvs looked at the gibsons to see what all the fuss was about and again, i consider a melody maker their lower end product and i could never justify paying £450 for one...maybe if it had a decent neck pup and a more exotic finish then yeah i can see how that would be worth it...

[Flaneur]

I don't much care for heavy guitars or humbuckers- but that still leaves plenty of nice Gibson products, if you ask me. A nice 330, 125 or LP Junior would fit into my collection just dandy:-)

[MadeInMexico]

Originally Posted by joaopazguitar

hi!

I did a small experiment about it. went to my favorite online store and seached for both "gibson" and "fender" under the guitars and basses category. of course both companies' 2nd brands - epiphone and squier - came up.
the results were interesting!
(I left out of this the fender acoustic range - so just electrical guitar stuff.)

here you go:


most inexpensive guitars under each company's 2nd brand:
Epiphone SG Junior - 88 Eur
Epiphone LP-Junior/Epiphone LP Special I - 98 Eur
Fender Squier Bullet Strat - 98 Eur

most inexpensive guitars under each company's 1st brand:
Gibson Explorer Melody Maker/Gibson Flying V Melody Maker - 295 Eur
Fender Modern Player Tele Thinline/Fender Modern Player Tele Plus - 398 Eur


so, roughly speaking, gibson wins on both their ranges...
...but one thing that's very noticeable is that Fender has a much much bigger offering on their 2nd brand, and generally speaking there are for sure many Squiers that will beat the Gibson Melody Maker.

having said this, here's my personal experience testimony:

I have a dual guitar stand in my living room and in there I have my Fender Modern Player Telecaster Deluxe and my Epiphone Dot Studio. they're both amazing guitars, and I mean a-ma-zing.


....earlier today there was a fire close to my house and that got me thinking which of my belongings I'd try to save if there would be the need for it :) after a 2-second thought my answer was "my 3 cats first, then I'd come in for the Tele and the Epi" ... and I have quite a few more expensive guitars in the house ;)

kind-of-postscriptum: the epi dot studio beats by far the most expensive epi dot. IMHO.

Now excuse me, i am on about gibsons and fenders not epiphones and squire's i personally think some epiphones are rather decent guitars...