Anyone know what's happening at Gibson Custom with regards the reissues?

RandallFlagg

Gibson haven't yet announced a 2017 lineup of historic reissues and I have been reading posts on the Les Paul forums where various conspiracy theorists and people with a mate who has 'inside info' are speculating on what's going on.

I have read speculation that Gibson have some serious debts to refinance, the Historic market is saturated so they have stopped production to stories that they have over 1,000 Historic Reissues built but thye are sitting on them (I find it difficult to believe any company would invest time and money in turning raw materials into finished product and not try and sell it). Some are saying the Custom Shop is finished and staff have been laid off.

Does anyone here know what's happening at Gibson Custom with regards the future of the historic reissues?

stickyfiddle

I can't believe they'd shutter it. It could be that they've realised they've flooded the market in recent years and that means the recent attempts at price rises haven't really worked. So by stopping for a year or so they might plan to reintroduce them at higher prices hoping the market will just say "thank god these are back" and continue to pay. 

But honestly, I can't understand how Gibson hasn't gone chapter 11 yet. Guitars simply aren't a growth market, so trying to grow like an Apple or whatever is just not going to happen.

richardhomer

Pure speculation on my part - but I'd guess they make serious profit from the Custom Shop models - and they add an air of credibility to the rest of the range.

Looking at how many appear in the classifieds here, it appears they sell in decent numbers.

Sassafras

Since they took on Terry Morgan as supervisor their production has slowed right down to one a year.

RandallFlagg

I just wish they would give us a decent factory made original spec Les Paul Junior that doesn't cost £3K. It was a budget guitar FFS.

There are some lovely double cut Jrs at Wildwood but at an eye watering $4K+!

https://wildwoodguitars.com/product/87310/1958-les-paul-junior-double-cut-tv-model-lightly-aged/?cat_id=21172

IvisonGuitars

I have it on good authority that the custom shop guitars are no longer a priority for Henry. He's looked at the figures and the big sellers are the lower end $4/500 guitars that shift far more units that the high end stuff. Not sure if he will be scaling back CS guitars, stopping them completely or bringing out more collectors choice/limited run stuff.

Will certainly be interested to see how he fucks this up.

IvisonGuitars

RandallFlagg said:

I just wish they would give us a decent factory made original spec Les Paul Junior that doesn't cost £3K. It was a budget guitar FFS.

There are some lovely double cut Jrs at Wildwood but at an eye watering $4K+!

https://wildwoodguitars.com/product/87310/1958-les-paul-junior-double-cut-tv-model-lightly-aged/?cat_id=21172

This may be more available than you think very soon...drop me a PM

jeztone2

I think the market is saturated & also they've priced themselves out of existence to some extent. 

Panama_Jack666

This years models are the true TRUE historics. As rare as hens teeth and if you do manage to find a 2017 model, it'll cost 250 grand. Just like a '59.

ICBM

Maybe they've just stopped the 'model year' bullshit and they're actually still just making them exactly the same as they did last year?

We can hope, anyway.

Or possibly it's more likely what stickyfiddle said...

Rabs

Rabs

On a more serious note.. I haven't heard this rumour...  Ive been on the Gibson site for quite a few years now and seen no talk of this... HOWEVER it wouldn't actually surprise me.. The guitar prices have been becoming just stupid and I think the bubble is about to burst...  HIDE GLUE

Gibson have been doing some weird stuff the last few years..  In 2015 as im sure you all know, ALL of the USA production models had auto tuners, soft brass nuts (that didn't work properly) and stupidly wide necks.. They shoved it down our throats and expected us to pay more for the privilege and I cant remember a bigger backlash from the public (well maybe since the Firebird X)..  Then the last two years they decided to make two versions of every model the HP and T..  It just seems to me that they keep taking their decisions too far and then suffer from it..

What would have been wrong with trying a few HP models and seeing how they sell first before committing to a whole line. Just from a business sense that seems silly???

IvisonGuitars

Do you know the actual reason for the wide neck?? It was because Henry had been playing guitar at home one night and his fingers kept slipping off the edge of the fretboard so he walked into the office the following morning and insisted the necks be made wider. True story.

Rabs

ICBM said:

Maybe they've just stopped the 'model year' bullshit and they're actually still just making them exactly the same as they did last year?

We can hope, anyway.

Or possibly it's more likely what stickyfiddle said...

Well it does get stupid doesn't it.. Each year they have to come up with another stupid marketing reason as to why this years model is better and more accurate than the one before...  Hide glue, original dyes, molecular correct plastic (that one always makes me laugh), using tooling from the 50s..... How much more can they do?

Until they invent time travel..  Then you will be able to get an actual 50s guitar    and I bet people will still moan about them  on the internet   lol....

Deijavoo

The line could be "we nailed it with the TH series in 2016, so it would be impossible to improve on that."

Fast forward to 2018 - "BOOM! Even more accurate (not sure why)".

SteveRobinson

miserneil said:x

Do you know the actual reason for the wide neck?? It was because Henry had been playing guitar at home one night and his fingers kept slipping off the edge of the fretboard

That's because they insist on dressing the frets with a ramp at each side so the slightest pressure means the string slides off the fretboard.

I've lost count of the number of people who have brought me a recent Gibson asking for a narrower spaced nut when what is needed is a bit of a fret dress.

SidNewton

RandallFlagg said:

I just wish they would give us a decent factory made original spec Les Paul Junior that doesn't cost £3K. It was a budget guitar FFS.

There are some lovely double cut Jrs at Wildwood but at an eye watering $4K+!

https://wildwoodguitars.com/product/87310/1958-les-paul-junior-double-cut-tv-model-lightly-aged/?cat_id=21172

How much? They do look fantastic though.
Like you is wish there was a vintage spec quality built Junior available for a sensible price. It's a simple, single pickup guitar. How do Gibson keep getting it wrong so often?

Christophe

SidNewton said:

RandallFlagg said:

I just wish they would give us a decent factory made original spec Les Paul Junior that doesn't cost £3K. It was a budget guitar FFS.

There are some lovely double cut Jrs at Wildwood but at an eye watering $4K+!

https://wildwoodguitars.com/product/87310/1958-les-paul-junior-double-cut-tv-model-lightly-aged/?cat_id=21172

How much? They do look fantastic though.
Like you is wish there was a vintage spec quality built Junior available for a sensible price. It's a simple, single pickup guitar. How do Gibson keep getting it wrong so often?

IMO there are others doing Gibson mojo better than Gibson themselves https://worldguitars.co.uk/shop/rock-n-roll-relics-thunders-aged-white-15286-t/ It just seems like they are self destructive!

RandallFlagg

Rabs said:

On a more serious note.. I haven't heard this rumour...  Ive been on the Gibson site for quite a few years now and seen no talk of this... HOWEVER it wouldn't actually surprise me.. The guitar prices have been becoming just stupid and I think the bubble is about to burst...  HIDE GLUE

Gibson have been doing some weird stuff the last few years..  In 2015 as im sure you all know, ALL of the USA production models had auto tuners, soft brass nuts (that didn't work properly) and stupidly wide necks.. They shoved it down our throats and expected us to pay more for the privilege and I cant remember a bigger backlash from the public (well maybe since the Firebird X)..  Then the last two years they decided to make two versions of every model the HP and T..  It just seems to me that they keep taking their decisions too far and then suffer from it..

What would have been wrong with trying a few HP models and seeing how they sell first before committing to a whole line. Just from a business sense that seems silly???

there are threads speculating on why no Custom Shop Historics have been announced in 2017 on MyLesPaul and The Les Paul Forum

RandallFlagg

SteveRobinson said:

miserneil said:x

Do you know the actual reason for the wide neck?? It was because Henry had been playing guitar at home one night and his fingers kept slipping off the edge of the fretboard

That's because they insist on dressing the frets with a ramp at each side so the slightest pressure means the string slides off the fretboard.

I've lost count of the number of people who have brought me a recent Gibson asking for a narrower spaced nut when what is needed is a bit of a fret dress.

No such problem on my 2016 R8

guitars4you

Interesting comments from a couple of guys who are well connected within the trade at the Bristol Guitar Show that Edwin Wilson and Gibson have parted company - To those who don't know, but Edwin effectively ran the Custom Shop division from day one - there is this link on the LP forum, but I've not got time to read 24 pages http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/threads/what-is-going-on-at-gibson.387170/ - I've not seen any press release from Gibson, but I suspect it would be heavily distorted and one sided

As a side note remember it was not to long ago that Fender and Mike Eldred parted company within the Custom Shop team and if anything, the C/Shop division has improved and 2016 was their best year yet regarding sales/production - Although Mike was not part of the team in the early days - Whereas Edwin was effectively Mr Custom Shop from day one