Big news at The Guitar show was that PMT a have relinquished their dealership agreement with Gibson - one of the UK's largest dealers so that is a major statement - From what you gather at the show it is the usual issues with Gibson's expectation from the dealers and the pressure they apply - have to order guitars you don't really need/want, that don't sell, hence absorb good profits from good sales - The regular dumping etc by Amazon and other reason's - But to have one of the UK's largest outlets making that decision is big news
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I bet Guitar Guitar are laughing up their sleeves at this.
The price rises and currency shifts this year from Gibson and Fender are mental, A LP Standard, even an "HP" is NOT worth £2700, IMO.
As beautiful as the "real deal" is - "American made" is at risk of pricing itself out of the market for the hobby guitarist, given the suprising standard put out for a few hundred ££ by Chinese manufacture.
This now leaves Dawson's as the only Gibson dealer in Manchester. How times have changed since I was a kid - you could buy one in pretty much every music shop. Admittedly they may have only had one Gold Top LP Deluxe in stock - but they were widely available.
Certainly not a nail in the coffin from PMT towards Gibson - but a continue and serious trend, following Guitar Village barely 4 months ago - Yet to walk into some large stores in major cities and not be able to buy a new Gibson Guitars (once existing stock has gone) is a major statement
Sure PMT will have to look in other areas to re-invest such funds, be it guitars, amps, hi-tech etc etc etc, - It may well have an impact on revenue, certainly in the short term, as you can't exactly replace Gibson Guitars with another major guitar brand - Yet dead wood on models you don't really want to buy, but have to commit towards, as part of a dealership program, will probably have little impact on the groups overall profits - So with strategic planning I'm sure it will have little overall impact on PMT's figures and certainly far less hassle for them