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Keith
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It was interesting to see what the company debt value is. whistle


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I think this reflects the decline of the guitar as a top40 instrument. In other words, it's past the peak years for guitars.

They aren't going away, just not the "must have" item for the majority of young musicians.

The saxophone went through the same thing. For rock until the mid 1960s, the sax was the king of the rock solo instruments. It's not gone either, just not top40.

In my parent's day the featured solo instrument of choice was trumpet or clarinet.

Parker guitars is all but gone or hanging on by a rusty first string. Carvin is closed, guitars sold off to Kiesel, and so on.

I think Gibson has enough diversity to survive this, but the peak days are over.

Will they come back some day? Who knows?

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Also notice that this factory makes semi-hollow and hollow body guitars. Very few guitarists are buying these style guitars. Most all are buying solid body guitars. Add this to the decline in guitar buying as well as to Gibson's pricing and it is no surprise they are closing this facility.

Just my opinion.


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Gibson is incredibly diverse (KRK speakers, Cakewalk SONAR as examples) but they are all music-related divisions, I think. This story is a year or two old, and perhaps is being recycled because of a pending sale?

Over at the Cakewalk (SONAR) forums, there is some concern about who might buy Cakewalk, and what effect that might have. From what Cakewalk says, Gibson is not involved in the operation of Cakewalk, but there would have to be some relationship, if not pressure, from the company that owns them.


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I read that they are going to open a smaller factory in Memphis. The article said half the factory they are using now is going unused.

They also mentioned how the neighborhood is an upcoming part of town, an entertainment district, so I imagine the real estate prices are up, and someone may have made them an offer they shouldn't refuse.

Just guessing.

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Some of it might also be that the quality of Epiphone guitars is really very good. About 4 years ago I bought an Epiphone Nighthawk Custom Reissue for $400. The build quality of the guitar was fantastic. The electronics were in typical import; thin wires etc. but the woodwork, fret dressing, binding, and so forth were as if from a $1000 guitar. I can manage upgrading the electrical parts, but is can’t really make the bones of the guitar with my tools. So perhaps Gibson has let Epiphone become too good?

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Btw the original Gibson factory in Michigan is still cranking out guitars as Heritage guitars. It’s been doing this for at least the past 25 years. I’ve played a few of them at stores back in Michigan. Better Gibsons than Gibsons in many ways

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Originally Posted By: rockstar_not
Btw the original Gibson factory in Michigan is still cranking out guitars as Heritage guitars. It’s been doing this for at least the past 25 years. I’ve played a few of them at stores back in Michigan. Better Gibsons than Gibsons in many ways


I read somewhere that after Gibson moved south, they discovered that the wood for their instruments behaved differently in Nashville and Memphis, than it did in Kalamazoo. There were many Gibson employees who felt that they turned out a better guitar in Kalamazoo partly because the wood was stored under conditions to keep things comfortable in the winter.


Keith
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Originally Posted By: rockstar_not
So perhaps Gibson has let Epiphone become too good?

I couldn't disagree with that. Although Gibson usually tries to do their Epiphone builds with enough difference to justify the higher price of the Gibson models, the occasional Epiphone special Editions aren't significantly different from the Gibsons. I bought a Epiphone 1960 Les Paul Tribute a few years back, because the build was more like a Gibson. Specifically, the electronics were not downgraded, and this Epi actually had a carved maple cap on a Mohogany body, instead of the usual maple veneer. I sat and A-B'd that Epi against a Gibson and although the Gibson was a tad better, it wasn't that much better for me to pass on the Epi.


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