Gibson jumps the shark (again)

[collin]

All Right here I go.........

I like the Robot Guitars too Collin, it's not that, it's the endless Limited Edition part of it.

The Robot tuning thing could be a pretty cool tool for a gigging musician, but they decided to shut everyone else out of the technology, overprice them and make it a "collectable".

Then they put out like 6 different series in a row and milked Gibson collectors dry. Now, finally, you can get one at a reasonable price because people stopped buying them. They're on sale and in stock at most major Gibson dealers (GC, Sam Ash, etc.) for almost half of what they used to be. I've actually considered getting one now that they're not so expensive.

No worries---I totally knew what you meant. The Robot guitars lost their cool identity after they kept pumping out versions of it, under the "LE" guise.

Sad part is, people give Gibson WAY too much credit for them---Gibson simply licensed the work of a company called Tronical and produced the Robot series, without doing the hard work.


...I also think that Gibson's willingness to rob the strat is partially due to bitterness over dropping the ball on protecting their own designs (even the headstock is free to use at the moment...). Heck, Fender could make a Les Paul and while we all know Fender ain't perfect.....I still don't think they'd stoop to that.

[kiramdear]

I like the Robot. I even like the Zoot Suit. But this is so bad I can scarcely believe it.

[paologregorio]

A Gibson Strat-Style instrument?! It's the "New Coke" of guitars! Awful!

IIRC, Fender distributes, but does not own, Gretsch.

[johnt]

From the press release;
"What if the world's greatest guitarist was still alive today, what guitar would he want to play?"

I'm sorry, but it wouldn't be that one.

[whojamfan]

OH. MY. GOD.



Gibson has sunk to a new low.



Well, Epiphone has made/sold strat type guitars in the past, so no surprise....but Gibson themselves doing it is outrageous.

Shame on Gibson for robbing Fender, and shame on the entire Hendrix family for selling out Jimi so preposterously like that. I could see a limited edition psychedelic Flying V because he actually PLAYED one, but a cheap Fender copy.....COME ON.

With the small amp etc, it's obviously geared towards newbies etc, as a christmas season gift...but it's still a shame. Fender has exhausted every angle of Hendrix reissues, so I guess Gibson felt they should claim some of the market!?!

+1000
Thanks for saving me the trouble of typing that Collin

[jingle_jangle]

Sad part is, people give Gibson WAY too much credit for them---Gibson simply licensed the work of a company called Tronical and produced the Robot series, without doing the hard work.

Without defending Gibson, that's a valid part of the business landscape and one that can work very well for both licensor and licensee. Corporate entities know that often the best way to bring fresh product and concepts into their own lines, when their own R & D staff people are typically occupied with pet corporate projects, is to look outside their own organization. Gibson may not have done the hard work, but the company that did is glad to reap the cash benefits in exchange for remaining in the background.

The down side is that 90% of licensing these days is "properties" (recognizable brand names, celebrities, or characters) which cost the consumer money but add absolutely no intrinsic value to the product being hawked, like the PPG "Hot Wheels Spectraflame" paint for full-sized cars. Now your '68 Camaro can look just like its Hot Wheels copycat toy!

It's only a matter of time before somebody does a "Spectraflame" Rickenbacker, but it won't be me...

[robbo63]

Gibson has sunk to K-Tel territory with this. (remember them?)

It's just sad.

[brammy]

And the best thing about it is.... that is the EXACT amp that Hendrix used!

If Hendrix were with us, this is exactly what he'd do to this package deal

hendrix2.jpg (11.63 KiB) Viewed 819 times

[longhouse]

And the best thing about it is.... that is the EXACT amp that Hendrix used!

[lennon211]

I'm constantly disappointed with Gibson. For a company that has such a rich catalog of guitars that they could produce, they continue to churn out new product that isn't original or innovative, with few exceptions. I don't even have that big of a problem with their guitar of the month program, as it gives the builders and craftsmen something new and interesting to produce, but this Hendrix set is a new low. Their thinly veiled copy of the Fender headstock is one of the saddest things that I believe that I've ever seen. It's no wonder that a lot of the small Gibson dealers had to give up with after Gibson kept pushing stuff like this on them. It's right up there with so many of the flip-flop color guitars and everything else that they kept making instead of concentrating on keeping up with their basic color lines on the Les Pauls and SGs.

[shamustwin]

Brilliant! The competion builds a completely inferior version of your product!

[JakeK]

OH. MY. GOD.



Gibson has sunk to a new low.



Well, Epiphone has made/sold strat type guitars in the past, so no surprise....but Gibson themselves doing it is outrageous.

Shame on Gibson for robbing Fender, and shame on the entire Hendrix family for selling out Jimi so preposterously like that. I could see a limited edition psychedelic Flying V because he actually PLAYED one, but a cheap Fender copy.....COME ON.

With the small amp etc, it's obviously geared towards newbies etc, as a christmas season gift...but it's still a shame. Fender has exhausted every angle of Hendrix reissues, so I guess Gibson felt they should claim some of the market!?!


.....all of a sudden Zoot Suit SG's and Robot guitars look perfectly normal

+1

I'm constantly disappointed with Gibson. For a company that has such a rich catalog of guitars that they could produce, they continue to churn out new product that isn't original or innovative, with few exceptions. I don't even have that big of a problem with their guitar of the month program, as it gives the builders and craftsmen something new and interesting to produce, but this Hendrix set is a new low. Their thinly veiled copy of the Fender headstock is one of the saddest things that I believe that I've ever seen. It's no wonder that a lot of the small Gibson dealers had to give up with after Gibson kept pushing stuff like this on them. It's right up there with so many of the flip-flop color guitars and everything else that they kept making instead of concentrating on keeping up with their basic color lines on the Les Pauls and SGs.

+1

Gibson should really stick to the Les Paul and SG reissues and standards, their reissue acoustics and the Firebird V and VII and hollowbody reissues.

[atomic_punk]

I'm just stunned and appalled.

The guitar Hendrix played and is identified with was a FENDER STRATOCASTER. For Gibson to try and cash in on the Hendrix name, WITH THE HELP OF THE HENDRIX FAMILY, is just wrong. It may look like a Strat, sort of, but I bet it smells like something you step in when you walk thru the neighbor's yard.

[collin]

Yeah, the guy I really feel for is Hendrix himself.

On top of the fact that Jimi would never dig the rampant commercialization of his image/likeness/music in ALL areas these days, but I'd venture to say he'd be livid with a move like this.

It kinda gives you a newfound respect for people like Yoko Ono (I know, I know....it's a tough phrase to say, no doubt), but even though John Lennon has been openly commercialized, I think Yoko has been respectfully selective about what products, especially guitars, that bear his name and/or signature. It's a small detail, but I think the true fans appreciate and respect that more than a bargain-priced P.O.S. toy with a name slapped on the headstock.



ps.....have no fear, Gibson will fall flat on their face for this one, even a 12-year-old kid looking at this in a guitar shop knows that Jimi played a Fender, and it's ridiculous to buy a Gibson dressed like a Fender for more money, all for the sake of a decal.

.....from the actions/attitudes of the biggest two instrument companies in the world, we are quickly marching back to the dark ages of the early 70's.

[atomic_punk]

Maybe Norlin (or today's equivalent) can buy them again? They can't do much worse, at least Norlin TRIED stuff.