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end of the world

OOtim

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Jun 8, 2006
Messages
44
the necks on those feel like they could have been used in the rodney king beating.
 
Joined
May 18, 2004
Messages
183
Is 'Gibson' printed on these guitars anywhere? It's hard to tell from those photos.

My '76 Norlin SG Standard just appreciated a few more bucks in value.
 

MikeB_18

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Joined
Jun 14, 2006
Messages
668
I saw these in my local Best Buy a few months ago and I just kept walking. I didn't want to know anything about them. :biggrin:
 

mingus

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Joined
Apr 3, 2006
Messages
4,243
Did anyone notice the tone and volume knobs are reversed in the picture? If that is how it's wired . . . . . . .
 

440gtx6pak

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Dec 29, 2005
Messages
319
Gibson has the "internet-ban'' with most of their respected long time dealers.
One of the reasons they gave, was maintaining the image of their brand name.

... so instead ... they let Best-Buy use the Gibson name on the internet.:hmm
 

mikeyrsmith

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Feb 11, 2003
Messages
605
What's the big deal? If it gets some kid off his @ss and away from the video games long enough to rock out, I'm all for it! And remember...there was a time when your dad could go to Sears to buy tires, your mom could buy curtains, and YOU--if you were VERY lucky!--could score a way-cool Silvertone guitar and amp, go home and try to imitate your favorite Beatles, Stones, and Kinks records, and thus begin to live the rock-and-roll dream!

Woolworths, Kresges, Wards, Sears...they all sold cheapie guitars in the '60s and '70s when demand was high, and when most of us could barely afford a new G.I. Joe or a pack of Kiss trading cards, let alone a Gibson Les Paul or a Fender Strat. At least these things look the part, and don't cost an arm-and-a-leg. If Best Buy is carrying cheapie Les Pauls, they've done the market research to know that somebody, somewhere, wants 'em. So maybe rock and roll ain't completely dead after all...eh?
 

Sam

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Joined
Mar 16, 2005
Messages
104
I agree with MikeyR.........if it gets someone to pick up the guitar who might never have walked into a music store that's not a bad thing. Everyone has to start somewhere. Somebody might pick up one of these and then be posting pics of their new (insert name of your favorite LP model here) in a couple of years.
 

GuitarDean

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Joined
Aug 5, 2002
Messages
3,688
+1 Mikey. It's just we are fiercely loyal to our Gibsons and, lets admit it, tend to be mighty elitiest about them on most days. It's like finding out that Cadalliac is going to start making Hybrid sub-compact cars without electric windows, it's just unthinkable for the most part. But all in all, I COMPLETELY agree with you.
 
W

wahwah101

Guest
As someone who's actually played one of these, I can attest to their poorness. For the money, or only a few dollars more, you can get something that is of much better quality and playability.
My brother recently recieved one as a first guitar from a well meaning relative. After his attempts at playing it, and 5 minutes in my hands as well, it was recommended that he return it. We then went to a local second hand music shop and picked up a hardly used 2004 MIM Strat with Duncan pickups and a gig bag for $190. After a proper setup by a tech ($15) he can't put it down.

There are a few threads I've seen here that bag on these Signatures, which is for good reason. These would be a great way to get kids into playing guitar... if it weren't for the actual guitar.
 

mikeyrsmith

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Feb 11, 2003
Messages
605
wahwah101 said:
These would be a great way to get kids into playing guitar... if it weren't for the actual guitar.

Point taken. Then again, you should have seen the POS that I got started on back in the '70s!!! (Of course, that's probably why I still suck today!!!)

My guess is that these things are no worse than a lot of crap department store starter guitars from back in the day. So, sadly, if you don't have a local used/mom-and-pop music store in town (all too often the case these days), I still don't see the harm in 'em. Besides, playing a shite guitar for a little while is kind of a rite of passage. Builds character...and callouses! :)
 

wildelectric

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Joined
Sep 15, 2003
Messages
752
mikeyrsmith said:
So, sadly, if you don't have a local used/mom-and-pop music store in town (all too often the case these days), I still don't see the harm in 'em. Besides, playing a shite guitar for a little while is kind of a rite of passage.

Also a valid point, if it weren't for the existence of ebay.
 

mikeyrsmith

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Feb 11, 2003
Messages
605
wildelectric said:
Also a valid point, if it weren't for the existence of ebay.

Call me a sentimentalist if you want to, but a 6" x 6" digital picture on eBay can NEVER replace that magical moment when you first see, in person, a shiny new electric guitar--POS or not--hanging in a store somewhere. That's the stuff of which ROCK dreams are made, me brudders!!!
 

BurstBrian

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Joined
Feb 5, 2005
Messages
1,179
I've seen them in my local Bestbuy. Most of them were out of the box with strings mising and beat up. Absolute crap i say. I think there one notch above toy guitars at toys R us...

This new marketing strategy is not doing the brand justice.IMO....
 

DannyBoy

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Joined
Nov 23, 2003
Messages
1,708
I don't agree with Mike. Those pieces of crap would discourage a kid more than anything. Plus if the poor bugger ever wants to trade it in??? Forget it! There's some damn good guitars (for the money) being sold in that price range already at stores where the kid could walk in with questions, get them answered, maybe even take a lesson or two...
 

Azion

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Joined
Jun 5, 2006
Messages
15
mikeyrsmith said:
What's the big deal? If it gets some kid off his @ss and away from the video games long enough to rock out, I'm all for it! And remember...there was a time when your dad could go to Sears to buy tires, your mom could buy curtains, and YOU--if you were VERY lucky!--could score a way-cool Silvertone guitar and amp, go home and try to imitate your favorite Beatles, Stones, and Kinks records, and thus begin to live the rock-and-roll dream!

Woolworths, Kresges, Wards, Sears...they all sold cheapie guitars in the '60s and '70s when demand was high, and when most of us could barely afford a new G.I. Joe or a pack of Kiss trading cards, let alone a Gibson Les Paul or a Fender Strat. At least these things look the part, and don't cost an arm-and-a-leg. If Best Buy is carrying cheapie Les Pauls, they've done the market research to know that somebody, somewhere, wants 'em. So maybe rock and roll ain't completely dead after all...eh?


Good words man.
If it gets one more person playing music, what harm.
 
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