Uncorroberated Gossip ...

[TBird1958]

Someone told me recently that certain Epis are built in the US and I've seen a couple of Pelham Blue Epi Thunderbirds which have some sort of Custom Shop sticker on the back, so perhaps Epi does have a facility here: a shack or something...

My red Epi 'Bird had that sticker on it, that's a special chinese shack wherein the employees are allowed to keep their own internal organs, as opposed to the regular rank and file that 'donate" organs as a condition of being employed.
   

[Dave W]

I wonder if Wishbass will be putting in a bid. 

[uwe]

Nike or Harley Davidson should - it be Henry's lifelong dream come true. Be careful what you wish for.

[n!k]

Warwick buying Gibson would be pretty great! I love those bridges and their necks always feel great to me. Not so big on the active pickups that Warwick sticks into everything, but maybe they'll keep Gibson passive.

And hey, I'd buy a THUMBERBIRD!

[uwe]

"And hey, I'd buy a THUMBERBIRD!"

[Dave W]

Wouldn't it be ironic if Ibanez bought Gibson? They could refile the 1970s lawsuit against themselves.

Or PRS. That would be funny. They could change the Les Paul to look like a PRS singlecut.

[Highlander]

"I'm dreaming of a white Thunderbird, just like the ones I used to know..."

Well, it's getting closer....

[uwe]

Not good what I'm hearing. I was at a different shop today, one where the owner has so far held all the rumors surrounding Gibson to be "sour grape gossip from dealers disappointed with Gibson's lack of support in recent times". He looked concerned this time (he sells a lot of Custom Shop models) and  said:

1. He's heard from a Gibson source that Gibson will not have a booth at Winter NAMM  (only at Summer NAMM and the Frankfurt Fair) and was genuinely shocked about that. A press statement regarding this and explaining it as a cost cutting measure is supposed to be imminent.

2. Chinese producers, Schaller (for hardware) and German wood wholesale companies (apparently, the majority of wood used by Epi has been bought from German wood wholesale companies for years, even the stuff used in Asia) have all stopped making deliveries to Epi for unpaid bills. (He laughed when I said that Epi has perhaps been less than honest about wood species in the past and said: "They claim their Les Pauls to be mahogany, fact is the last mahogany Epi LP I saw new from the factory was 12 years ago!")

3. Apparently, the core business - Gibson and Gibson Custom Shop - is sound and making money, but all the other brands aren't. A typical corporate scenario where you buy loss-making companies cheap in hope of turning them profitable and then marvel years or even decades later that they are still making losses. (See GM's Saab investment which never since the acquisiton decades ago earned one cent for the group.)

[Barklessdog]

If Gibson dies, nobody will cry.

They have done more to build resentment than loyal followers with their stupid antics (guitar hero comes to mind) & dealer policies.

[Dave W]

If that imminent press release actually happens, then we'll know something is up. Summer NAMM is nothing, the winter show is the big deal.

I'm a little leery of the other claims since Epi isn't really operated as a separate company, it's not that he's wrong about there being serious trouble but I don't think he has any way of knowing what's profitable and what's not.

[Highlander]

Well, if it all goes south, it's time to start buying up the good ones before they become items at "Southerby's..."

"Lot 666... here we have a wonderfully futuristic 20/20 bass guitar from a once pre-emminent guitar manufacturer... shall we start the bidding at... hmm... $25,000...? (add smarmy auctioneer grin here)     

[Grog]

If I refinish my 20/20 black, do you think it will be worth more? 

[Chris P.]

See my post of the review basses...

What I heard is this.

Like Uwe said in his first post, Gibson is down for 200 million dollar or something. Banks tried to sell it to Hartley Peavey, but they asked too much, so no deal.

Fender is also down with almost the same amount of money, so they won't buy Gibson.

I believe Lakland is also for sale.

[uwe]

Ibanez, ESP or Yamaha to the rescue!!!

[Highlander]

BMW pulled Rolls Royce out of a hole...

Any German bidders (led by a consortium of German Lawyers...?  )