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Why New Bands Don't Play Gibson Guitars

BillyBling

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Feb 16, 2003
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4,027
This generalization is along the lines of “there’s no good music these days.”
Total boomer mentality. Tons of bands use Gibsons still.
 

NIckS

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May 6, 2022
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16
This generalization is along the lines of “there’s no good music these days.”
Total boomer mentality. Tons of bands use Gibsons still.
What "boomers" are saying is there is no "good rock and roll" these days. Don't worry, your generation will have it's musical laments in time.

If you play different solid body guitars clean they will all sound similar. Yes there are tonal differences in types of pickups, but they are all close enough. Remember Seth Lover designed the humbucker for Gibson, but later went to work designing pickups for Leo Fender. Now Fender sells guitars that have humbuckers and single coils.... and Gibson seemingly does not cater to a new generation of player.
 

somebodyelseuk

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Jun 10, 2020
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454
I have noticed in the last few years that I'm seeing an awful lot of Fender strats in current bands, and footage from festivals. Not very much Gibson product at all. It seems Fender is winning the war. One obvious reason is cost - Gibson being much more expensive. But I also think there's some kind of cultural thing going on. An "old" versus "young" bias against Gibson.


I think you (and the youtube muppets) are overthinking it.
Same thing happened in the '80s.
 

J T

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Oct 20, 2005
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10,501
All those bands that came through the studio, they played mostly Strat's and Tele's. They were the typical travel from city to city in a van pulling a trailer. Money went to gas and food. Many of them said they played Fender or Fender style for the more twangy sound but also because the guitars can take a beating and if the guitar got damaged or stolen they could afford to get another wherever they were and get the same sound.

I rarely saw Les Pauls and when I did, they were USA's or some other maker. Other Gibsons were mostly SG. I think I can count on one hand the number of Historic/Custom shop Les pauls I've seen them come win the studio with. Only saw one player with a burst once.

Most of the session guys/gals had their own custom made guitars which were one-offs, guitars they've had for many years, or highly customized. Many of them weren't very particular about the studio amp they plugged into. Some didn't even use amps at all and just pulled out whatever they had in their back pack.

So it seems to me, it depends on the player, circumstances, and budget.
 

rialcnis

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Jul 5, 2019
Messages
221
I blame pro-tools and fake drums and boy-bands and all that other anti-boomer stuff.

Maybe SSRI use and illuminati hand-signs.

Plus all my old-time guitar heros playing Strats 90% of the time.
 
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Wilko

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Mar 11, 2002
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20,854
I think a tally of guitars out on the festival circuit will tell the story. The idea that there fewer Gibsons it at this point just an assumption.
 

NIckS

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May 6, 2022
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Maybe it's an association problem. Les Paul = heavy metal tones..... Not what the newer generation are after tone wise. Having to lug around heavy LP guitar plus large heavy Marshal amp, not what they want to do. How many bands play LP's clean through say a Fender amp? You have to go the older blues and some jazz players to find clean sounding LP's. Les Paul himself is a prime example, but who listens to him anymore besides us boomers who know what to LP is really capable of.
 

ch willie

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Jun 7, 2007
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1,114
Read an article recently that part of Gibson's problem, aside from price point, is that they're not pursuing the younger generation's heroes for endorsements and signatures.

Fender's more in touch with what's happening outside the dad rock scene. Gibson is counting on money from my generation (I'm 60) because we're buying more expensive guitars.

Bad biz model? My generation is dying. What will Gibson do when we're gone? Shouldn't Gibson be courting younger generations?
 

Amp360

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Feb 16, 2012
Messages
852
I played Boston Calling with a new band and I took this photo of my Gibson SG after we soundchecked.

I can tell you FMIC gives a lot of guitars away. More than PRS did during the early/mid 00s.

Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with companies giving things away and I love Fender guitars but they literally make 99% junk. I mean go to Guitar Center or where ever and see how bad the materials and workmanship are. It's shocking that Gibson gets the 'bad qc' reputation.

I think what FMIC has been very successful in is taking an iconic name (Fender, Gretsch, Guild, Jackson, etc...) and using it on something that's made as cheaply as possible. Gibson, to the credit of Henry J and Mark Agnesi, haven't done that. What you see at the festivals are provided backlines and a lot of free stuff.

284201919_10227195306177397_825559387055648848_n.jpg
 

Amp360

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Feb 16, 2012
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852
Even to YouTubers, it's beyond the popular bands. Check out Dovydas.
I don't really watch much YouTube guitar. Basically it's like watching a bunch of ads and most of them either seem well intentioned but don't play that well or play that boring fx drenched Erik "John" Stone type of music that sounds like the background music from The Renegade or some early 1990s type of show. How those guys use such expensive gear and manage to sound like they're playing through a GSP-21 is beyond me.

I'll be interested to see how Gibson positions Mesa Boogie. Years ago I played in someone well known's backing band and we had a ton of Mesa gear. I mean, Mesa owned the early mid 00s. Gibson does work with artists to help out a little but they're nothing like PRS and especially FMIC.
 

jb_abides

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Apr 6, 2005
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5,276
They've pledged a more hands-off approach than under HJ, positioned as being a financial resource.

I do know they've leveraged the Engineering R&D folks, and there's synergy with the Maestro pedals.

As for marketing, we'll see. It seems Cesar has a penchant for the Hard Metal guys like Kirk and Mustaine, but there's been some newbie folks, across the board. They just aren't as aggressive as PRS was, or FMIC is, in terms of artist relations...

I am OK with that, I don't think the brand will die, or that the aspirations will fade, just because a ton of bands are seen with Jazzmasters in tow...

And in vogue. Recall Madonna played a black Classic, did that boost sales? :cool:

Time will tell on the Fenders.
 
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