If you became president of Gibson?

[sultan417]

Id make damn sure that people got there moneys worth when they bought a Gibson. I would make conssistently high quality my top priority. Gibson makes some of the most wonderful instuments, but them make a lot of duds. I'd want every Gibson made in my tenure to be "The One".

 

I see nothing wrong with most of their price scheme, but i would make LP Standards, Studios and Classics a $300-400 less per guitar.

 

Id put binding on every guitar over $1000 including V's and Explorers. Id also reissue the Nikki Sixx bass (priced under $1000) while dropping the Menace, Voodoo and New Century series.

 

Corian or Graphie nuts. SS frets on higher end models.

 

Silverburst.

 

I would starts a "Classic" series. V's, Explorer's, LP's and of course SG's. P-90 equipped guitars in either Cherry, Black or Natural. White binding and dot inlays.

[Sonnilon]

Originally posted by metallica_00 I'd stop making a new lame series every year like the "Voodoos" or "Gothics" or whatever. Spinoffs of the specials and studios with a few differences. No offense to anyone who has one, but they're pretty cheesy and I don't think many people buy them. Gibson has some good guitars, but they need to trim the fat of their lineup and shave some costs off their main guitars.

 

+1 I agree entirely.

[sultan417]

One last thing.

 

 

I would make all guitars on CNC equipment. CNC can manufacture guitars faster, cheaper and with a higher level of quality. This could translate into lower priced guitars for the consumer or higher profitibility.

[Treborklow]

 

Originally posted by metallica_00 I'd stop making a new lame series every year like the "Voodoos" or "Gothics" or whatever. Spinoffs of the specials and studios with a few differences. No offense to anyone who has one, but they're pretty cheesy and I don't think many people buy them. Gibson has some good guitars, but they need to trim the fat of their lineup and shave some costs off their main guitars.

 

 

I suppose in Gibson's defense I would say that they probably throw stuff against the wall to see if anything sticks. Can't blame them for that, at least they try something new now and then. Fender has seem to have given up that. Instead they just buy other companies with different guitars like Guild and Gretsch. They own Gretsch right?

[Angry Grimace]

Originally posted by aerorockjax If you became president of Gibson (with authorty to make any changes you see fit), what would the 1st 3 things you would do? Be as specific as you want. This thread is not to bash Gibson but to see the differences of priorities people would have if they became president of Gibson. New guitar models or lines? Elminate certain models or lines? Change specs on certain models? New color/finishes? Change production processes, location, quality assurance/control...? Changes msrp's? CHange warranty? Build new plants? Close certain plants?

I wouldn't change anything. I would sit back and rake in the profits and let someone else deal with the stuff. They're a business. They can charge and do whatever makes them the most money, and I guarantee you, that's what they do.

[ermghoti]

I'd have a Godfather II/baseball bat meeting with the entire Quality Control department. If you're going to sell a $2k+ solid-body/fixed bridge electric, every one of them had better be {censored}ing perfect. All of them.

[pink freud]

i would eliminate all of the LP and SG variences.

 

there would be an LP, LP baritone, Double cut LP, and an SG.

 

then i would set it up like carvin, to where you have your basic guitar for the lowest price, and then umpteen options to turn it into whatever you wanted to.

 

bring back the gibson RD line, because my dad wants an RD bass.

 

and last, three words:

 

BUCKETHEAD SIGNATURE GUITAR

[Roy Brooks]

I'd have P90 and Dearmond Dynasonics as pickup options in all the archtops. I would reissue the ES-330, Barney Kessel, and the Howard Roberts with oval soundhole.

[radioclash]

Make TV Yellow a color option on ALL guitar models.

[Roy Brooks]

 

Originally posted by radioclash Make TV Yellow a color option on ALL guitar models.

 

 

Word. I am currently looking at three Gibson doubleneck 8 string console steels. One of them is in TV yellow.

[Burgess]

I'd raise prices across the board...

 

 

...then I'd raise them again.

 

I'd also ditch all the flamed finishes. If you want flamed maple, it would come from the custom shop and you'd pay dearly for it.

[L6Sguy]

 

Originally posted by USian Pie ....Right now, Gibson is all about brand identity and prestige. They know their market. They know what their market wants. They are making what their market wants.....

 

 

....which is brand identity and prestige. and lifestyle. if its a good guitar also, well, thats just gravy, but not necessary.

[dimmypage]

Originally posted by Burgess I'd raise prices across the board... ...then I'd raise them again. I'd also ditch all the flamed finishes. If you want flamed maple, it would come from the custom shop and you'd pay dearly for it.

I think you already do?

[Speed_Racer71]

i would offer satin finished maple and mahagony necks instead of lacquer or whatever they put on 99.9% of all set necks...and that goes for PRS if i owned them too:mad:

[primemover12]

1. Cut prices. Frankly, nothing they put out should cost more than $1500. Prices can go up when QC goes up. BMW costs more than a Hundai because it's better engineered and constructed than one. When Gibson stops putting out Hundai quality clunkers, they can charge more for them.

 

2. Fewer versions of each model. You need 2 versions of the Les Paul....

-- regular

-- fancy-pants non-musician show-piece

 

3. Fire all design, management, and quality control morons and hire new ones. The company has done a horrible job of designing new guitars since the Les Paul, has made terrible business decisions, and has piss poor QC for a product that lists over 2gs.

[aerorockjax]

Lotta of good ideas posted in the thread.

 

1st 3 things that come to mind to me:

 

1) End the walmart/best buy line of guitars immediatly along with {censored}tiest epiphone models then start removing other models such as some of these new cheesy models recently released.

 

2) Quality assurance and quality control overhall -includes research in to new methods of production, expand use of pleking, offer stainless steel frets as an option and possibly custom produce superier ns fretwire, using better quality parts...Quality will be top priority so guitars always leave the factory free from defects and will stand up to decades up regular playing with only light maintnence needed. Warranty will be improved standing by the new improved quality. (ok i cheated on this one and included bunch of improvements)

 

3) Reduce the MSRP's

--------------------------------------------------

 

a few more:

 

4) Go after gibsons fakes with gibson logos and all including having ebay pull all those auctions (often from china). Ease up on other companies making copies or inspired by "that don't claim to be gibsons" but simlar shapes specs and instead focus on competing quality wise along with maintaining and further building the Gibson name. Going a little overboard in the quality department isn't a bad thing. For the high prices people should expect it and that needs to be delivered without exception.

 

5) Cut the advertising budget drastically and the savings go towards all out effort to make quality changes listed above and lower msrps. Once the quality becomes top notch across the board, word of mouth will more then make up for the reduced advertisments. Muscians have a tendency to talk with eachother and spread the word.

 

6) Build and maintain relationships with guitar/music shops and and get rid of stupid rules.

 

7) Plant tons of trees (lightweight mahagany) so that that generations into the future there will be a huge supply of the light weight tonally awesome mahagany for guitars. Plus its good for the environment!

 

Well thats all for now. Thanks for all the responses.

[kelbbs]

1. Make a SantanaIII, Custom 22/24, and Dragon with different headstock and see how they like it.

2. Have a sceance and steal ideas off Ted McCartey.

3. Take out a contract on whoever designed the Emily the Strange SG.

[SteinbergerHack]

I find it interesting that so many people say they would cut prices. Why? When you're selling all you can make at the existing prices, what reason is there to drop them?

 

The only thing that would accomplish is to get the CEO fired....and the new CEO would immediately raise them back to the market level, anyway.

[USian Pie]

 

Originally posted by SteinbergerHack I find it interesting that so many people say they would cut prices. Why? When you're selling all you can make at the existing prices, what reason is there to drop them? The only thing that would accomplish is to get the CEO fired....and the new CEO would immediately raise them back to the market level, anyway.

 

 

*shrug* The people who post here are guitar players, not CEOs.

 

No harm in that but it makes the whole thread something of a circle jerk.

[Brewski]

Sell the company to Kurt at Rondo

[Chaotic]

 

Originally posted by metallica_00 I'd stop making a new lame series every year like the "Voodoos" or "Gothics" or whatever. Spinoffs of the specials and studios with a few differences. No offense to anyone who has one, but they're pretty cheesy and I don't think many people buy them. Gibson has some good guitars, but they need to trim the fat of their lineup and shave some costs off their main guitars.

 

 

I'm going to step in and defend my Voodoo. It is an amazing guitar. The finish is unique and looks great, and it plays like a dream. One of my old friends whose played guitar for 20 years commented to me today that it was "the best looking Les Paul he's ever seen".

 

Granted it's a different beast than the regular Les Pauls. The finish doesn't look like a sports car, but its got a nice heft to it and the rubbed red stain in the swamp ash grain looks wicked. The 500 / 498 pickups are nice and hot and the guitar has tons of sustain. To each their own.

 

I don't really care what marketing Gibson uses. I found a guitar I fell in love with, and if not a lot of people buy them that's fine with me. In five to ten years most people won't even remember the marketing that Gibson was using or specific guitars they put out but I'll still be playing my Voodoo.

 

I have no desire to play any other guitar.

[kelbbs]

I do like the snakeskin case they come with!

[bigconig]

Originally posted by Chaotic I'm going to step in and defend my Voodoo. It is an amazing guitar. The finish is unique and looks great, and it plays like a dream. One of my old friends whose played guitar for 20 years commented to me today that it was "the best looking Les Paul he's ever seen". Granted it's a different beast than the regular Les Pauls. The finish doesn't look like a sports car, but its got a nice heft to it and the rubbed red stain in the swamp ash grain looks wicked. The 500 / 498 pickups are nice and hot and the guitar has tons of sustain. To each their own. I don't really care what marketing Gibson uses. I found a guitar I fell in love with, and if not a lot of people buy them that's fine with me. In five to ten years most people won't even remember the marketing that Gibson was using or specific guitars they put out but I'll still be playing my Voodoo. I have no desire to play any other guitar.

 

That's what it's all about-

[jmartin]

First off, Id deep-six all of the quality-control personnel. Who needs them? Inspect what? Its just a guitar,after all. Then I'd fire the luthiers and farm all the woodworking,inlays etc. out to a sweat shop in Eastern Africa where can pay them with rice and give them bonuses of flies once a month.. Then I would of course jack the prices through the roof,to justify the cost of sending the guitars back and forth from Africa....Then,in order to appeal to and market to the blooming homosexual population in San Fran,etc ,Id come up with a line of guitars that are thinner,lighter,and even weaker in tone,in all sorts of gay colors and bursts etc-(cant let Fender get too much of a head start on us with those Hello-Kitty strats now..)

 

 

 

 

 

 

....oh,wait,someone beat me to it......nevermind.....

[xbryanx]

1. cut the prices in half so more people could afford them.

 

2. make barebones models so people can customize the electronics and get the body at a discounted price

 

3. offer the tom delonge hollow body to the public