Gibson guitars: why the high cost?

[Point8T]

All i can say is that i own a Les Paul '58 Historic Reissue Flame Top and i dont regret spending the money that i did. If you have never played an R8 or R9 ('59 Reissue), you should give it a try. Way above the mass-produced Les Pauls Gibson makes. There is just something about a Les Paul. The look, the feel, the sound... and if you are going for a Les Paul, only a Gibson will do. The Epi and all other cheap copies do not even come close.

As for non LPs, my friend owns a custom Fender Strat and its a great guitar costing roughly the same as my LP. I enjoy playing it, but its comparing apples and organges. I guess i am just a Les Paul guy, thats all.

As for the money, its the name and the history behind it, not to mention build quality and resale value. To be honest, i can spend considerable time just looking at my LP, which i can not say about any other guitar out there. Face it, the Les Paul is pure sex. Think about it, do you need an Ason Martin? Is it the best car out there? The answer to both questions is not really, right? But do you want one and would you buy one if you could? I know i sure would.

 

[teknomike]

What do they make in Korea???
Probably less than 1/4 of their American counterparts.

Well, I tell you, they make a hell of a lot more here than China, Indonesia or the Philippines - and they are heavily unionized here as well. I would say most people make approximately US wages (or not much less) for assembly line work. The cost of living here is pretty high. Democracy in action.

The big issue is VOLUME.

Samick and Cort crank out four times the product at twice the quality and one quarter the price.

Imagine that.

Gibson doesn't crank out that kind of product, nor do they OEM. That's not their business - they've got a market, and they play to it. It's the consumer that pays the price, and controls the market.

 

[acorec]

Yes, we read your Fender thread. Let me guess, you are Chaingun. At least your whining and writing are the same.

The bottom line is that almost every major group are playing Gibsons. Makes you wonder why. Oh, I know, it must be the shotty workmanship. Damn, what was I thinking.

The bottom line is that the most famous groups that are using Gibson and Fender guitars are using ringers. Ringers are totally handbuilt exact replicas of the originals. There are a fair amount of pro builders that do this work for every major star in the music industry. These ringer guitars are of a MUCH higher quality than the originals and cost so, too.

 

[distortedrumble]

i buy what i can get in my price range...if my price range was 5k then i would probably get a gibson. so i figure I'll go with an epiphone les paul until i sign with a major record label and I'll make sure me getting a gibson les paul is in the contract. but then again i would see a gibson lp as such a pricey item that it would only be brought out and played on only for certain guests. my daughter could get married to prince william of england and i wouldnt pull it out to play at the wedding! it would have its own space in the china cabinet.....or maybe just throw out the china cabinet and give it its own cabinet. with the styles of music i play, i like having guitars that i know if something goes wrong with it like someone throws beer or water on the stage or the guitar hits the drummer's cymbal stands, that i wont stop playing and check for dents and wipe the guitar down with a special rag.