Layoffs at Gibson

[Dave W]

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20090321/BUSINESS01/903210325

Too bad!

"The company said that worldwide sales of musical instruments in the product categories it competes in have dropped more than 20 percent in the first quarter of 2009, compared with the same period last year."

[rockinrayduke]

Hate to see anyone lose their job.

[Rhythm N. Bliss]

Let's all hope the don't go under!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That would really SUCK.

[Freuds_Cat]

The brand wont go under, its worth a lot of money just by existing. Maybe the current business owners will.  Comes back to my argument about is a Gibson or Fender really a Gibson/Fender when compared to when the companies had their original owners and/or original factories/workers.   Not that I really care too much. Its just an interesting point.  To me I'm not fussed about the brand name. More about how it plays and sounds.

[bobyoung]

Brand new T-Birds have dropped from a high of about 2200.00-2300.00 last year to 1500.00 now. They have also stopped making the White, Zebra and Black ones. Prices on ebay which is a good indicator are down across the board too on just about everything.

[Dave W]

The brand wont go under, its worth a lot of money just by existing. Maybe the current business owners will.  Comes back to my argument about is a Gibson or Fender really a Gibson/Fender when compared to when the companies had their original owners and/or original factories/workers.   Not that I really care too much. Its just an interesting point.  To me I'm not fussed about the brand name. More about how it plays and sounds.

I never understood that line of reasoning. Nobody would claim a Dodge hasn't really been a Dodge since the brothers Dodge died in 1920, or since their widows sold the company in 1925. Fact is, companies change ownership. Orville Gibson was never a part of the original Gibson company, and the original Gibson company was first bought by a conglomerate in 1944 (CMI).

[Freuds_Cat]

Yeah I hear ya Dave. I'm not specifically talking about Gibson necessarily.  And probably Fender is a more accurate example. I'm saying that the actual rights to use the name Gibson are probably worth more than (for eg) to buy "a" guitar plant as a long term prospect.
My Dads business made a product that was of a quality that had to meet his standards. My work has to meet my standards. Leo Fenders product had to meet his standards.  As he sold and left each of his companies the quality control fluctuated within those companies but (IMHO) that standard stayed with the products that he had control of across those different companies. 

10 years ago you were better off buying a G&L bass if you wanted an instrument which was built with the attitude and logic that Leo Fender had than if you bought an off the rack new Fender.

Thats just my opinion from playing different instruments from different eras of the different companies.