'Gibson Japan'

SteveGV · July 2015

underdog said:

SteveGV;721315" said:
Expect to see more of these in the UK very soon. Basically they're limited runs made exclusively for the Japanese market but we're going to be seeing these land over here, and they will also include LP Standards, Traditionals, Studios, Supremes with the original nut width and no G Force. They will still have the logo and adjustable nut, and they are made in USA. These will replace the "normal" USA 2015 dealer allocations.We should have all the models on our site later today.
So they're replacing the 2015 range completely?

Not really replacing them, it's normal for them to stop production of the current USA line around this time of year and concentrate on the next models so this is more to bridge a stocking requirement gap

minimoog · July 2015

this is more to bridge a stocking requirement gap

The requirement being to stock something people want to buy, presumably.

I hope it works!

underdog · July 2015

SteveGV;721346" said:
underdog said:

SteveGV;721315" said:Expect to see more of these in the UK very soon. Basically they're limited runs made exclusively for the Japanese market but we're going to be seeing these land over here, and they will also include LP Standards, Traditionals, Studios, Supremes with the original nut width and no G Force. They will still have the logo and adjustable nut, and they are made in USA. These will replace the "normal" USA 2015 dealer allocations.We should have all the models on our site later today.

So they're replacing the 2015 range completely?

Not really replacing them, it's normal for them to stop production of the current USA line around this time of year and concentrate on the next models so this is more to bridge a stocking requirement gap

of course it is

is there a gap to bridge? I mean shops seem very well stocked of the 2015s even at huge reductions.

Whitecat · July 2015

I would guess it has to do with minimum ordering requirements... dealers have committed to £x of inventory but don't need/want any more of the 'regular' 2015 stock, so might as well change it up a little...

WezV · July 2015

not_the_dj said:

Adam_MD said:

not_the_dj;721301" said:
Got a link?

But yes I suspect these are for the Japanese market as opposed to being made there.

IIRC the jap market get special runs with super blingy tops
Yamano wasn't it?

That's it.

I have played a few Yamano Gibsons (thats USA gibsons made for Yamano in japan) that have made it to the UK

IIRC the general word on Yamano gibsons was that they were a step above what we normally see in the UK as Yamano's buying power gave them the ability to pick and choose what they actually wanted. The suggestion seemed to be that a Yamano that has ended up in the UK was either rejected by Yamano, or imported by someone who purchased it from Yamano

I don't know how much truth there is in that, but the ones I played have been pretty great. I guess the fact the japanese market managed to avoid the features the rest of the world got confirms they have more influence on the spec sheet than we do over here.

Although one, a cherry red 335, caused a lot of confusion. It was a 62 style 335 with 2 cream coloured labels (not the usual orange) stuck over each other in the f-hole with slightly different model numbers. It also had an odd serial number beginning with a Y and didn't seem to fit the spec of any known gibsons. other than these tiny discrepancies it looked to my eyes to be totally genuine

All the usual internet 'experts' wrote it off as a very good fake. I contacted gibson and they said they had no record of the guitar. I didn't believe it was fake so I went back with pics and a specific question about Yamano and they finally stated it was all totally genuine

JayGee · July 2015

stickyfiddle said:

I can't help wonder if this was a strategy to shift all the autotuners by introducing a load of horrible changes one year, then remove all but the tuners the following year so they can say "look, we're listening!" and everyone will think it's a good thing.

FWIW I'm not particularly against auto-tuners, particularly on an acoustic. I just don't like the entire range getting fitted with them in one fell swoop. Anyone smart would've put them on the Standard and Studio and left the Traditional as it was to see how sales developed when both options are in the market. But what do I know?

Surely that's exactly what they did?

Robo-tuning was an option on Studios and a few other models (at £~100 upcharge from most UK dealers IIRC) for 2014 and if we were dealing with rational management operating in a rational marketplace my initial assumption would be that making it standard fit across the board was a response to uptake on those.

Given that there is ample evidence that neither the management nor the marketplace *are* entirely rational however I have to refer you to my recently updated sig... :-)

Whitecat · July 2015

WezV said:
I have played a few Yamano Gibsons (thats USA gibsons made for Yamano in japan) that have made it to the UK

IIRC the general word on Yamano gibsons was that they were a step above what we normally see in the UK as Yamano's buying power gave them the ability to pick and choose what they actually wanted.   The suggestion seemed to be that a Yamano that has ended up in the UK was either rejected by Yamano, or imported by someone who purchased it from Yamano

I don't know how much truth there is in that, but the ones I played have been pretty great.    I guess the fact the japanese market managed to avoid the features the rest of the world got confirms they have more influence on the spec sheet than we do over here.

Although one, a cherry red 335, caused a lot of confusion. It was a 62 style 335 with 2 cream coloured labels (not the usual orange) stuck over each other in the f-hole with slightly different model numbers. It also had an odd serial number beginning with a Y and didn't seem to fit the spec of any known gibsons.   other than these tiny discrepancies it looked to my eyes to be totally genuine
All the usual internet 'experts' wrote it off as a very good fake. I contacted gibson and they said they had no record of the guitar. I didn't believe it was fake so I went back with pics and a specific question about Yamano and they finally stated it was all totally genuine

The Japanese market is super fickle apparently... they don't tolerate mismatched tops and lousy clown bursts like the rest of the world seems to. And as much as they love gimmicky crap, they certainly don't want it on their guitars (and I can't say I blame them).

That said, I suspect the 'Yamano' thing has been used as marketing by Gibson themselves. I seem to recall a few years ago there were a raft of 'Yamano' Historics in the UK at authorised dealers, and they certainly didn't get those via parallel import so I'm thinking that Gibson sensed an opportunity and up-charged accordingly.

SteveGV · July 2015

These are starting to appear on our pre-order page now - http://guitarvillage.uk.com/products/254/Offers-Vintage-Products-Coming-Soon.aspx (go straight to the bottom of the page)

LP Standards and Traditionals are now on there, with more LP's, Firebirds and V's being added very shortly.

Chalky · July 2015

The Yamano thing smells like the LP Trad Pro II "accidental over-production" marketing nonsense from 2 years ago. Gibson made it sound like a kids cartoon where someone 'accidentally' leaves the 'ACME Guitar Making Machine' running over the weekend, only to open the factory door on Monday morning and be buried by an avalanche of Les Pauls

Whitecat · July 2015

not_the_dj · July 2015

Chalky said:

The Yamano thing smells like the LP Trad Pro II "accidental over-production" marketing nonsense from 2 years ago. Gibson made it sound like a kids cartoon where someone 'accidentally' leaves the 'ACME Guitar Making Machine' running over the weekend, only to open the factory door on Monday morning and be buried by an avalanche of Les Pauls

I'm not saying I believed the stories about those, but do you think Gibson produce each and every guitar to order with no over run. Or size their production runs based on predicted sales that could well lead to an over supply on some models?

Adam_MD · July 2015

Whitecat;721530" said:

Thanks for that @Whitecat I just spat tea all over my laptop at work

rlw · July 2015

SteveGV said:

These are starting to appear on our pre-order page now - http://guitarvillage.uk.com/products/254/Offers-Vintage-Products-Coming-Soon.aspx (go straight to the bottom of the page)
LP Standards and Traditionals are now on there, with more LP's, Firebirds and V's being added very shortly.

Are you going to get any of the LP Less Plus GTs which only seem to appear in mainland Europe?

Fortheloveofguitar · July 2015

The shite logo's still there though despite the lack of g-force and nut width

Neil · July 2015

SteveGV said:

Expect to see more of these in the UK very soon. Basically they're limited runs made exclusively for the Japanese market but we're going to be seeing these land over here...

Don't the Japanese want them then?

SteveGV · July 2015

rlw said:

SteveGV said:

These are starting to appear on our pre-order page now - http://guitarvillage.uk.com/products/254/Offers-Vintage-Products-Coming-Soon.aspx (go straight to the bottom of the page)
LP Standards and Traditionals are now on there, with more LP's, Firebirds and V's being added very shortly.

Are you going to get any of the LP Less Plus GTs which only seem to appear in mainland Europe?

Is that the the one with P90's? They are available to order in the UK and looks like they're in stock at Gibson but nothing on our order plan unfortunately.

rlw · July 2015

SteveGV said:

rlw said:

SteveGV said:

These are starting to appear on our pre-order page now - http://guitarvillage.uk.com/products/254/Offers-Vintage-Products-Coming-Soon.aspx (go straight to the bottom of the page)
LP Standards and Traditionals are now on there, with more LP's, Firebirds and V's being added very shortly.

Are you going to get any of the LP Less Plus GTs which only seem to appear in mainland Europe?

Is that the the one with P90's? They are available to order in the UK and looks like they're in stock at Gibson but nothing on our order plan unfortunately.

Thanks Steve. I shall look around..........

not_the_dj · July 2015

@rlw Richtone have them to order

http://www.richtonemusic.co.uk/products/gibson_les_paul_less_plus_p-90_gold_top.asp

Evilmags · July 2015

Bit of a dafy idea to think Japan is cheaper than Nashville as a manufacturing centre

Minimum Wage Japan is 6 dollars per hour and 7.5 per hour in Japan.

US average groos income 56,000 dollars per year Japan 35,000 (Mexico is 609 dollars per month by comparison) Electricity (Major cost in running a factory) is a lot pricier in Japan. Nashville is full of starving musicians willing to do anything to make money so cheap labour is ten a penny there. The Japan is home to some of the world´s finest craftsman and most skilled woodworkers. It is an absolutely first world country so is hardly where you´d move to for cheap manufacturing. High end, very high quality stuff is what it makes these days.

underdog · July 2015

Evilmags;721727" said:
Bit of a dafy idea to think Japan is cheaper than Nashville as a manufacturing centreMinimum Wage Japan is 6 dollars per hour and 7.5 per hour in Japan.US average groos income 56,000 dollars per year Japan 35,000 (Mexico is 609 dollars per month by comparison) Electricity (Major cost in running a factory) is a lot pricier in Japan. Nashville is full of starving musicians willing to do anything to make money so cheap labour is ten a penny there. The Japan is home to some of the world´s finest craftsman and most skilled woodworkers. It is an absolutely first world country so is hardly where you´d move to for cheap manufacturing. High end, very high quality stuff is what it makes these days.

Who made that assumption?

People were just asking what the Gibson Japan tag meant.

Howdy, Stranger!

Categories

In this Discussion

Become a Subscriber!

'Gibson Japan'

Comments