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Gibson selling it's Memphis TN factory and re-locating? Could this be the beginning of the end?


webe123

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Aside from them owning Harmony Central this is bad because we are a decade from the crash. There really is no excuse for having that level of debt at this point.

Add to which that unless Trump replaces Obama appointee Yellen she will, (and indeed has already), be jacking up rates to kill his market boom of 25% plus. Even a couple of points increase will impact heavily on a debt of that scale as lenders consider factoring further rate rises into refinancing..

I can see several options like a nominal $1 sale of the company to any entrepreneur willing to take on the debt. Or going chapter 11. The Gibson Brand is an asset independent of profitability though it would be nice not to see the Chinese buy it like IBM or whatever.

Downsizing is a sensible survival strategy in a guitar market that may have passed it's best years. But servicing a debt that size never mind the capital will not be easy.

Or maybe the guitar fairy will wave her magic wand over the factory tonight but that is an optimistic view and probably unrealistic :)

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They have very large debts indeed, but business restructures really are common place.

 

One always must be looking at maximizing their productivity and minimising their foot print, or making their foot print the most efficient it can be.

 

It least, once it's closed, you can see 2nd hand prices rising for any guitar produced in Memphis, the "best" gibson factory EVER. Just like Kalamazoo was the best plant ever before that..... until the next.....

 

I'm not saying it isn't sad, a lot of employees will be out of a very specialised job and will find it tough going, but this isn't unusual.

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I don't know about Gibson's finances. I do know I've bought 3 new Gibsons this year. The prices are crazy low.

 

If anyone is wants a Memphis Gibson - Chicago Music Exchange is blowing out Gibson ES Les Paul Specials for $900.

 

I almost bought one of those too. Listing for $995. They're going for $900.

I bought an SG for a son instead.

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I see the guitar as a past peak instrument. Oh there are still plenty of guitar lovers, but it isn't the "Must Have" instrument for the Top40 loving audience and therefore their musicians.

 

The same thing happened to the saxophone which was the king of rock solo instruments in the 50s and early 60s.

 

Parker seems to be out of business or hanging on by a thread. Carvin sold everything and is closing down. I suspect a few more will fall before this is all over.

 

But I don't think the guitar is going away for good, any more than the sax did. It will stay in Nashville music, blues music, and other genres, but the synth and loop/sample playback seem to be the top40 instruments of the day.

 

I hope Gibson pulls through, they are a fine old company.

 

Insights and incites by Notes

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The market is just saturated with guitars and makers of same.....But I would HATE to see Gibson fail....They have such a long and storied history and reputation...And have built, and are still building some of the most iconic guitars ever built.....Even the Norlin years produced some very fine instruments....I'm not saying we need a fund drive or benefit concerts for them...Or a government bailout...But man...I'd really hate to see them fail.

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The market is just saturated with guitars and makers of same.....But I would HATE to see Gibson fail....They have such a long and storied history and reputation...And have built, and are still building some of the most iconic guitars ever built.....Even the Norlin years produced some very fine instruments....I'm not saying we need a fund drive or benefit concerts for them...Or a government bailout...But man...I'd really hate to see them fail.

.

 

 

They are selling a lot of guitars now. I know that much. I bought 3 this year. 2 for me and 1 for a son.

 

Of course, the guitars they're selling in big numbers are deeply discounted.

Even so - lots of folks are buying Gibsons this year.

 

It might be a smart move. It might not. IDK.

 

With a shrinking electric guitar market - competing in the lower price range

might make sense. Gibson is definitely competing in the lower price range now.

 

There are definitely real blow-out sales going on.

And Gibson is definitely selling some quality guitars in the lower price range.

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They are selling a lot of guitars now. I know that much. I bought 3 this year. 2 for me and 1 for a son.

 

Of course, the guitars they're selling in big numbers are deeply discounted.

Even so - lots of folks are buying Gibsons this year.

 

It might be a smart move. It might not. IDK.

 

With a shrinking electric guitar market - competing in the lower price range

might make sense. Gibson is definitely competing in the lower price range now.

 

There are definitely real blow-out sales going on.

And Gibson is definitely selling some quality guitars in the lower price range.

 

 

 

How could the guitar market vary that much from say, the grocery market....Sell for less, and sell a lot. Make less on what you sell, but sell enough of it that you are profitable. Keep your quality up, offer fancy stuff for the cork sniffers at a premium, but quality at an affordable price for the rest of us...Stay afloat?

 

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Gibson produced the ES models in the Nashville plant before they moved that operation over to Memphis. Those instruments were as good as any built in Memphis. If you've ever visited that Memphis location it is H. U. G. E. and the factory takes up very little of the location. They could have three guitar plants in that building. I see it as a smart use of resources.

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Gibson produced the ES models in the Nashville plant before they moved that operation over to Memphis. Those instruments were as good as any built in Memphis. If you've ever visited that Memphis location it is H. U. G. E. and the factory takes up very little of the location. They could have three guitar plants in that building. I see it as a smart use of resources.

 

 

 

My ES 335 dot came from the Nashville plant. That's probably my fav electric of any Gibson I have own, until I bought the flame top sunburst ES 275 this year.

 

 

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For what it is worth, I have had three recent Les Pauls on my work bench lately - a 2017 Standard with action so high it was almost unplayable (and paint on the truss rod nut indicating it had never been adjusted), a 2015 that was given to the player by his wife but literally put under the bed because it was so bad, and a 2016 Epiphone LP that was the best of the lot.

 

Here is the supreme irony - this is the QC check list dated March of 2017 that was included in the Standard. Note the line drawn through the boxes for "Playability". This guitar had 24 thousands of relief.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]n32086829[/ATTACH]

 

 

Here is another bit of irony, the truss rod cover on the Epi says its the "New Standard" -

 

 

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Might want to check the HC News once in a while guys... I posted this on the same day the Music Radar article went up... from what I can tell from this press release (which is the total extent of my knowledge on the subject) Gibson Memphis is moving, not closing. :wave:

 

http://www.harmonycentral.com/news/gibson-memphis-is-on-the-move

 

 

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Apparently a family dispute between the surviving sons of the founder caused a split between Carvin Audio and Carvin (now Kiesel) Guitars... Carvin Audio is now gone, but the guitar company is still in business. Kiesel is the family name - the founder came up with the name Carvin by combining parts of the names of his two sons.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carvin_Corporation

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