Some people are really angry at Henry J.

[exiledarchangel]

Just found this, nice saturday morning reading, doncha think?

http://www.petitiononline.com/1337UG/petition.html

[Chris P.]

Fender and Gibson aren't lead by music lovers anymore. That can be a good thing, cos people like Leo Fender, the guy of Mosrite and Jim Burns were bad businessman. But those companies are owned by investment groups, which just want to make money. I think they take a lot of profit and they don't use it for the company. Fender and Gibson are in very, very, very deep depts at the moment.

[rahock]

I know I've mentioned this before but I've got a couple of buddies who spend a lot of money  on their guitar collections and they are picking up Epis instead of Gibsons the last few years. These are not cheapo guys either . It seems that there used to be a bigger difference between an Epi and a Gibson in quality and not as big a difference in price. Nowdays it seems that the quality is not much different but the price sure as hell is.

I can quote a couple of side by side comparisons that I would invite anyone to make. Pick up an Epi 335 and an Epi Les Paul and grab the same model new Gibsons. Give them a good hard look for fit , finish, quality of wood etc., and then play the hell out of them . Even if you've got a big fat pocket full of cash , it just doesn't make sense to walk out the door with a Gibson
Rick

[Dave W]

Waste of time and effort. Henry J and a partner bought Gibson in 1986. He owns the company. He's not going to resign as CEO until he's ready to give it up. There's no one to force him out. No board of directors. No stockholders. End of story.

Gibson guitars were once renowned for their superior quality but lately the company has been sinking, and it's all because of this man.

I guess these people don't remember Norlin, who had driven the Gibson brand to the brink of extinction by putting out so much crap. Henry J. brought the company back from the dead and restored its reputation.

True, the quality control is not what it was in the 50s and 60s. We just have to live with what it is if we want Gibsons. Because it's his company and he can run it as he pleases.

[rahock]

Waste of time and effort. Henry J and a partner bought Gibson in 1986. He owns the company. He's not going to resign as CEO until he's ready to give it up. There's no one to force him out. No board of directors. No stockholders. End of story.

Well, I reckon that about sums it up
Rick

[Hornisse]

I guess these people don't remember Norlin, who had driven the Gibson brand to the brink of extinction by putting out so much crap. Henry J. brought the company back from the dead and restored its reputation.

I remember the days of sandwich constructed Les Pauls with non contoured tops and 3 piece maple necks!  And some of the amps Norlin put out were pure crap, like my old G-50B bass combo.....

[Lightyear]

The marketplace will deal with Henry.  If the consumers don't think that his products are worth the asking price they will take their money elsewhere - which may well already be happening.

[Chris P.]

I have to say this: My girlfriend bought a brand new Gibson Les Paul Junior. It's a cheap one with gigbag and faded finish, but it's a very good guitar and it was set up very well! My luthier hardly had to do something and he loves te guitar (he's an honest guy and he tells me if he hates a bass I have)

Loes has a LP jr. of Epi and Gibson. Both set-neck. The P100 of the Epi sounds dull and the P90 of the Gibson kicks serious arse. I guess a P90 in the Epi will help?

[Dave W]

And my Melody Maker was also perfect from the factory, economy finish and all.

No doubt there are some quality control problems. One possible way to improve that is to let them know about problems. Petitions to remove Henry J. aren't going to have any effect.

[uwe]

As a commercial entity, Gibson is currently as successful as they have never been before. Anybody who believes that Gibson offered a better product and had a better standing in the mid eighties when Henry J. took over than a quarter of a century later must be deaf, dumb and blind.

And you can still get "that old quality" (though memory on that seems marred by nostalgia to me): Just buy something from the Custom Shop!