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Check out this hang tag!

Russ

Member
Joined
May 11, 2004
Messages
311
I found this in a Les Paul Case today.
IMG_0210.jpg


Any thoughts??
 

Russ

Member
Joined
May 11, 2004
Messages
311
I can slap the the hang tag on my table, and it does sound pretty good!!:hee
I found the tag in an empty case, There wasn't a guitar involved.....
 

kink56

Les Paul Froum Member
Joined
Dec 20, 2004
Messages
7,672
Japan gets the primo wood, they are also first to get new stuff, like 57 Classics and Burstbuckers, up to 3 years before US. The dealers order special runs of Eastern Maple, and so forth. They got most of the Jimmy Wallace and other special runs thoughout the years. They are more demanding and picky than we are, (outside this forum of course!!) Marketing for Americans is "a chicken in every pot" mentality. That is everyone should be able to afford a consumer item, so they are made cheaply and in great quantities. In other developed countries, they market to whom can afford the best, and not as concerned that everybody gets one. Gibson goes the extra step for the Japanese market, so does Fender.
 

Rumbling_Groover

Les Paul Forum Member
Joined
Jan 24, 2002
Messages
1,089
I have an 04 R9 in Black Cherry that was a special order for a Japanese dealer. Best R9 I have played; almost as good as my '97 R0. There are some great ones from the US dealer runs also, like my Darkburst Flame top R6 from the 2000 Wildwood run, stingers etc... but I do think that the market in Japan demands more high end stuff.
 

plaintop60

New member
Joined
Nov 20, 2006
Messages
2,210
Japan gets the primo wood, they are also first to get new stuff, like 57 Classics and Burstbuckers, up to 3 years before US. The dealers order special runs of Eastern Maple, and so forth. They got most of the Jimmy Wallace and other special runs thoughout the years. They are more demanding and picky than we are, (outside this forum of course!!) Marketing for Americans is "a chicken in every pot" mentality. That is everyone should be able to afford a consumer item, so they are made cheaply and in great quantities. In other developed countries, they market to whom can afford the best, and not as concerned that everybody gets one. Gibson goes the extra step for the Japanese market, so does Fender.

This works in reverse too. Japanese manufacturers ship their lower quality to the US(Nowadays they just let us make it here) and they reserve their better designed products and higher quality manufactured products for the Japan market or other non-US markets around the world. American consumers are not well educated about the products they consume and not nearly as discriminating as consumers in other countries.
 

NHMorgan

All Access/Backstage Pass
Joined
Nov 13, 2003
Messages
3,069
The only thing this indicates to me that the Japanese market is just as suseptible to marketing as the US market. There are some visible dealers that get some primo stuff over there, but you know what, there were ALOT of visible dealers over here before the internet ban that were getting some primo stuff. I think anytime someone sees something nice from a japanese dealer everyone says OH! they get all the primo stuff, but I'm not buying it. Myth buster number two: about all you can tell from a blank of mahogany is the weight and how it was cut. It is impossible to look at a blank of mahogany and know how it will sound in a solid body guitar, and last time I checked we are not getting all 10lb flatsawn mahogay and BBQ tops over here.
 

Gold Tone

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 2, 2002
Messages
6,825
I think anytime someone sees something nice from a japanese dealer everyone says OH! they get all the primo stuff, but I'm not buying it. Myth buster number two..........

Sometimes but as others have said Japan does get the lion's share of primo or 1st run stuff. This is fact not myth. They do get new stuff before any other country....that includes pickups right up to special and limited run guitars. As far as quality of each peice....well it is always more luck than geography.

But, yes, Japan.....by many cited examples....does get the goods 1st and often only ever.
 

Zoomer

Active member
Joined
Feb 1, 2005
Messages
2,357
I have an 04 R9 in Black Cherry that was a special order for a Japanese dealer. Best R9 I have played; almost as good as my '97 R0. There are some great ones from the US dealer runs also, like my Darkburst Flame top R6 from the 2000 Wildwood run, stingers etc... but I do think that the market in Japan demands more high end stuff.

PICS PICS PICS PLEASE - BLACK CHERRY R9 IS A MUST SEE !!!!

:photos :photos :photos :photos :photos

please :applaude
 

Rumbling_Groover

Les Paul Forum Member
Joined
Jan 24, 2002
Messages
1,089
PICS PICS PICS PLEASE - BLACK CHERRY R9 IS A MUST SEE !!!!

:photos :photos :photos :photos :photos

please :applaude

I'll dig my camera out when the weather is better over here it's been raining for a month and big cities like Shefield are flooded. It has a double stained top like a boneyard and a black back.
 

zensurfer

New member
Joined
Nov 3, 2004
Messages
1,151
Today, at one of my local dealers, I saw a beautiful "Black" (stained, I think) R9 with some very nice flame (the price wasn't too bad either, a lot less than the cost of a regular R9). Was able to pick up something of the "Darkburst/Darkback" variety for myself as well...
 

GuitarDean

Active member
Joined
Aug 5, 2002
Messages
3,688
The flame looks good, but I bet that would make a stunning plaintop as well.
 

Dino_k

Active member
Joined
Nov 9, 2006
Messages
1,000
From a purely "sales" perspective, you have to look at what each market will buy. If the Japanese market will only buy highly figured tops and early release features, then that's what you need to supply there. If the US market mostly buys proven features and a broader mix of tops & finishes, then that's what you need to supply there.

Of course ... considering how messed up Gibson's marketing and sales strategies have been over the years, I may be giving them too much benefit of the doubt. For the life of me, I can't figure out why Gibson reduced the number of authorized dealers and prohibited dealers from posting pics of new guitars online.
 

kink56

Les Paul Froum Member
Joined
Dec 20, 2004
Messages
7,672
I think it was a deal they made with GC. I think Gibson is starting to reach out a bit more to smaller dealers, maybe things will gradually get better?
 

C-4

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 5, 2005
Messages
1,776
I believe that Japan gets whatever they want from Gibson. I've seen too many hot guitars on multiple sites there to believe otherwise.

I also believe that certain dealers in the USA get just as good stuff if they request it, but because they are not allowed to display it on the net anymore, we are harder pressed, as buyers, to find that special one in our own back yard. I like dealing with certain forum dealers, and will ask them for exactly what I desire. If they can call Gibson and get it for me, then I am saved from having to deal overseas. However, if a guitar is part of a limited run that was built specifically for a Japanese market and there is no chance of obtaining one through normal channels, I have no problem buying overseas, if it means getting exactly what I want. So far, I have not had to resort to buying overseas, but I don't put that possibility out of my mind for when the time comes when I have no other way of getting what I want in the USA.

Maybe I have been lucky so far, but as long as I'm satisfied, that's all that really matters to me. Some of the newest Gibson production guitars appear to be getting more detailed attention, which is always a good thing. All of my guitars are from the Custom Shop but one, and I was sure surprised that I bought a production Gibson and found absolutely nothing to bitch about.
It actually stands up to the Custom Shop gear without excuse, and that is the biggest surprise.
 

Dishimyuh

Active member
Joined
Nov 4, 2005
Messages
1,206
I was told by a Gibson EMPLOYEE that "... Japan gets the best stuff, we get what is left."
 
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