Anyone in NYC for the Revolution?

[Hornisse]

Whether it sells or not -- and I doubt it will -- the big announcement looks like a PR disaster for Gibson. The reaction on guitar forums is 100% negative, with boatloads of ridicule.

We'll blame it on the big Mexican!   

[Dave W]

We'll blame it on the big Mexican!   

I had no idea Dick Butkus was Mexican. 

Or that he could play guitar.

[Hornisse]

My wife still laughs out loud whenever the football commentators mention the name Dick Butkus. 

[uwe]

It's really like Harley Davidson brinking out a bike with a hybrid engine. If there is anything to be learned from the history of the electric guitar since its invention, then it is that the market is essentially conservative, brand-and legacy-conscious and that sound versatility is not really a major concern. Marshall would be out of business if not.

Uwe

[clankenstein]

the mutant offspring of an l6s and a firebird ate a pedalboard.

[Freuds_Cat]

the mutant offspring of an l6s and a firebird ate a pedalboard.

LOL 

[Dave W]

Henry responds 

Sorry, Henry, I think you have delusions of grandeur. Les Paul was not as big an innovator as he claimed to be, but you're no Les Paul and this is no great leap forward.

[eb2]

This is a revolutionary product that took millions of dollars of R&D investment, many years of intense work, and 6 development teams in different parts of the world. Multiple patents have been filed on various aspects of this.

Followed by:

we will only produce 1800 of this limited edition model

Zul.

[Psycho Bass Guy]

So lemme get this straight: you took an existing unpopular guitar design, turned the body upside down and gave it a generic headstock and put a $500 effects box onboard complete with chintzy knobs and switches and expect a self-congradulatory analogy to Apple to justify you charging 5 grand for it? Yeah it's the naysayers who are out of touch with reality.  

[nofi]

the most amazing thing to me about this guitar is that a well established company like gibson could be so totally clueless to technology in the real world. the gibson edsel, buy your today!  an over simplified  explanation but 'ya get my point.

[Dave W]

Henry said:

We have in fact provided forums for people to vent their feelings positive or negative. So if you want to jump on the negativity train, you are welcome to do so.

I liked this response from a poster at the TDPRI:

Thanks. You may have noticed that we didn't wait for your permission. If you want to extend your voyage on the Failboat, you are welcome to do so.

[uwe]

It's amazing that they did so little market reconnaissance on this and have now hit a brick wall of indifference and derision.

If they had gotten someone like Adrian Belew, Allan Holdsworth, Alex Lifeson or Jeff Beck (or actually all four!) to present this thing and advertised it as "Not exactly your Dad's Gibson and not for everyone, but cutting edge, Gibson at the forefront of guitar technology yet again ..." explaining that it is their "prototype" for testing what can be done and evaluating which features might become standard over time, everybody would have understood. Instead they invited ridicule with that "revolution" crap.  

With a sleek rosewood neck, a Firebird headstock and minus the silly gadgetery, this might have been a nice 2010 take on the Non Rev Firebird.

[Highlander]

I'll 2nd what Jim spotted about the R&D and 1800 limit - does not look like the kind of business model I'd put to an investor...

[Pilgrim]

Official Revolutionary Announcement 

I just watched that entire video because I couldn't BELIEVE how bored he sounded.  My god, can't they afford to hire someone for the announcement who has some excitement in his voice?  The man sounds like an accountant on valium....and he did the supreme insult to his audience - he read two and three word slides verbatim to his audience.  If your audience is literate, DON"T read the slides. 

They completely screwed the pooch with this announcement - there was no show biz to it at all.  No wonder everyone is underwhelmed...in addition to the fact that everything in their idea has already been done, they threw away the announcement.

[Dave W]

Another thing that irks me is the smashing of the guitar. It may have been an unplayable Epi reject, but he did it to give the impression that he was smashing a Gibson. That borders on contempt toward his customers.