Why I Dislike Gibson (WARNING OPINION!)

ghosty999

ghosty999

Well-known member
I'm not a fan of Gibson, and this opinion has resulted in some serious hate and personal attacks, which I find pretty funny. If I had a penny for every time I was told "Look who uses Gibson" and "The best records where recorded with them," I'd be able to buy a Gibson! Shilling for a failing mega-corp that doesn't care about you, isn't very metal. But here is my (hopefully) rational explanation. Hopefully some mature discussion can be had. Or we can devolve into emotional shit slinging :poop:
(PS this is not hate, I own a Tokai LP and owned a LP BB)

1. Weird Business Practices and Over Reach

Criminal Behavior
- 1943 Gibson ripped off the OW Appleton Guitar design to create the Les Paul
- 2008 Police Raid due to Gibson illegally importing ebony woods via German grey market and mislabeling the contents
- 2011 Police Raid due to Gibson illegally importing ebony woods via India grey market and mislabeling the contents

Lawsuits
- 1977 Lawsuit against Ibanez "arch top" (Settled out of Court)
- 2000 Lawsuit against Fernandez (Fernandez Won)
- 2005 Lawsuit against PRS (Case thrown out)
- 2010 Lawsuit against WoWee Toys (Case thrown out)
- 2017 Lawsuit against Warwick (Case thrown out)
- 2019 Lawsuit against Dean (Unknown)
- 2020 Lawsuit against Keisel (Unknown)
- 2020 Lawsuit against Heritage despite long standing agreement (Unknown)

Companies eaten:
- Steinberger (ran into the ground)
- Kramer
- KRK
- Tobias (ran into the ground)
- Maestro (ran into the ground)
- Mesa Boogie (please please please don't fuck up Mesa)

Signatures Artists Taken From Competition:
- Kirk Hammet
- Dave Mustaine


2. The Instruments (personal preference)

- String binding at the nut due to angle of string
- No body contouring
- Tension from the strings don't go with the grain of the wood, but through it due to single piece design
- Tuning stability issues
- 2016+ Paint and QC issues on high end guitars
- No modular design
- Neck snaps when pressure applied when laying flat
- Non replaceable necks
- High price point when compared to competition at similar quality


3. The Business Moves

- Filing for bankruptcy protection
- Consistently declining sales
- Cringey "lifestyle" brand and fashion
- The "Gibson" App with it's fake claims of high users
- 3G School which was a rip off
- Gibson Records (lol)
- Reliance on "legacy" rather than innovation
 
Last edited:
ghosty999 said:
I'm not a fan of Gibson, and this opinion has resulted in some serious hate and personal attacks, which I find pretty funny. If I had a penny for every time I was told "Look who uses Gibson" and "The best records where recorded with them," I'd be able to buy a Gibson! Shilling for a failing mega-corp that doesn't care about you, isn't very metal. But here is my reasoning, hopefully some mature discussion can be had. Or we can devolve into emotional shit slinging :poop:


1. Slimey Business Practices and Over Reach

Criminal Behavior
- 1943 Gibson ripped off the OW Appleton Guitar design to create the Les Paul
- 2008 Police Raid due to Gibson illegally importing ebony woods via German grey market and mislabeling the contents
- 2011 Police Raid due to Gibson illegally importing ebony woods via India grey market and mislabeling the contents

Lawsuits
- 1977 Lawsuit against Ibanez "arch top" (Settled out of Court)
- 2000 Lawsuit against Fernandez (Fernandez Won)
- 2005 Lawsuit against PRS (Case thrown out)
- 2010 Lawsuit against WoWee Toys (Case thrown out)
- 2017 Lawsuit against Warwick (Case thrown out)
- 2019 Lawsuit against Dean (Unknown)
- 2020 Lawsuit against Keisel (Unknown)
- 2020 Lawsuit against Heritage despite long standing agreement (Unknown)

Company Accusations:
- Steinberger (ran into the ground)
- Kramer
- KRK
- Tobias (ran into the ground)
- Maestro (ran into the ground)
- Mesa Boogie (please please please don't fuck up Mesa)

Signatures Artists Taken From Competition:
- Kirk Hammet
- Dave Mustaine


2. The Instruments

- String binding at the nut due to angle of string
- No body contouring
- Tension from the strings don't go with the grain of the wood, but through it due to single piece design
- Tuning stability issues
- 2016+ Paint and QC issues on high end guitars
- No modular design
- Neck snaps when pressure applied when laying flat
- Non replaceable necks
- High price point when compared to competition at similar quality


3. The Business Moves

- Filing for bankruptcy protection
- Consistently declining sales
- Cringey "lifestyle" brand and fashion
- The "Gibson" App with it's fake claims of high users
- 3G School which was a rip off
- Gibson Records (lol)
- Reliance on "legacy" rather than innovation
Click to expand...
You would love TGP . Thankfully the Gibson hate is much much less over here . Here's a solution , don't buy a Gibson , quite simple actually .:thumbsup:
 
They probably don't like you either. Every company with a long history has similar legal challenges. That is why the court systems exist. Can't really blame smart new leaders for the trespasses of dumb old leaders.
 
ghosty999 said:
Ironically the best Gibson I ever played was a Tokai haha! I totally get what you mean though.
Click to expand...

I've played some FANTASTIC tokai, Edwards, etc

But if I'm being real, only 2 were true "Gibson killers" and neither of them were as good as the BEST Gibsons I've played - Norlins, Custom shops, etc

That being said, getting the right specs on a love rock, I would take one over the wrong specs on a Gibson
 
I’m also not a Gibson fan but have never experienced anyone giving me any crap about it. I’m much more simple minded about it though, I just don’t like the LP, Explorer or SG designs. I did break down a couple years ago and bought my first LP after 35 years of playing. It’s good and I still got it, but just prefer the super strat style.
 
I like my Les Paul, personally. It's not a high-end one. It has many flaws. But it's the first time I've actually gone and said "oh, so this is what a Les Paul sounds like".

I've been trying to go for that tone for ages looking at LTD, PRS SE, and import stuff, mainly. But nothing has ever had that growl yet bite that I hear from my favorite recorded tones.

I do agree, though. Big part of it is romanticizing old and dated designs with many flaws. But I think those flaws make a Les Paul sound the way it does.
 
My favorite guitars!
Growing up, loved watching Roy Clark on HeeHaw playing those big bodied Gibsons.
Ace Frehley coming from his home planet of Jendel with an LP that shoots lasers and smokes. Pretty cool that Gibson even ships to Jendel...

I haven't owned as many as the next guy...
6 SG's (3 Standards, 2 61's and a '62)
2 LP's (Standard and Tribute)
1 335 ('98 dot)
1 Firebird (Firebird 1)
1 Jr (Original series)
1 Jr DC (Tribute)

I've never had a single issue.
Fuckers never even go out of tune.

I do have an odd partscaster though that I enjoy the shit out of!
 
  • Like
Reactions: ccn
I don’t like their business practices either and that’s part of why I buy them used. And if your really concerned with business practices look at the companies who make your food and water, the people who financed your home, ect. There’s a lot of peices of shit everywhere.
I won’t argue the company hasn’t been been run by morons for most of its existence. But I will say if you spend the time on getting a good nut slot, tuning stability and string angle is a non issue.
 
ghosty999 said:
I'm not a fan of Gibson, and this opinion has resulted in some serious hate and personal attacks, which I find pretty funny. If I had a penny for every time I was told "Look who uses Gibson" and "The best records where recorded with them," I'd be able to buy a Gibson! Shilling for a failing mega-corp that doesn't care about you, isn't very metal. But here is my reasoning, hopefully some mature discussion can be had. Or we can devolve into emotional shit slinging :poop:


1. Slimey Business Practices and Over Reach

Criminal Behavior
- 1943 Gibson ripped off the OW Appleton Guitar design to create the Les Paul
- 2008 Police Raid due to Gibson illegally importing ebony woods via German grey market and mislabeling the contents
- 2011 Police Raid due to Gibson illegally importing ebony woods via India grey market and mislabeling the contents

Lawsuits
- 1977 Lawsuit against Ibanez "arch top" (Settled out of Court)
- 2000 Lawsuit against Fernandez (Fernandez Won)
- 2005 Lawsuit against PRS (Case thrown out)
- 2010 Lawsuit against WoWee Toys (Case thrown out)
- 2017 Lawsuit against Warwick (Case thrown out)
- 2019 Lawsuit against Dean (Unknown)
- 2020 Lawsuit against Keisel (Unknown)
- 2020 Lawsuit against Heritage despite long standing agreement (Unknown)

Company Accusations:
- Steinberger (ran into the ground)
- Kramer
- KRK
- Tobias (ran into the ground)
- Maestro (ran into the ground)
- Mesa Boogie (please please please don't fuck up Mesa)

Signatures Artists Taken From Competition:
- Kirk Hammet
- Dave Mustaine


2. The Instruments

- String binding at the nut due to angle of string
- No body contouring
- Tension from the strings don't go with the grain of the wood, but through it due to single piece design
- Tuning stability issues
- 2016+ Paint and QC issues on high end guitars
- No modular design
- Neck snaps when pressure applied when laying flat
- Non replaceable necks
- High price point when compared to competition at similar quality


3. The Business Moves

- Filing for bankruptcy protection
- Consistently declining sales
- Cringey "lifestyle" brand and fashion
- The "Gibson" App with it's fake claims of high users
- 3G School which was a rip off
- Gibson Records (lol)
- Reliance on "legacy" rather than innovation
Click to expand...
Seems like you've wasted a lot time & energy on this. Maybe just Move on & play whatever you like. I Don't like Most Ibanez guitars but i'm not wasting my Energy on talking about them all the time.
 
No charges against Gibson were filed. The case was “settled” in exchange for Gibson admitting to not securing the correct documents in regards to exotic wood purchases. And a $300,000 fine it looks like. Something to that effect.

Play what you like and like what you play. Plenty of stuff out there.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top