Henry J on BBC News

[Dave W]

"Youngsters"....yes, great word to turn off the kid market.

And nothing like playing like you picked up a guitar for the first time a week ago but then talking about how you studied guitar when you were a "youngster."

Why would any CEO waste TV time to demo his new product by making it sound like crap? At least come in prepared with two good riffs and knowing which buttons make the thing sound its best! Geesh!

Remember the product rollout in NY where he tried to imitate Steve Jobs and wound up a laughingstock in the eyes of anyone who actually knows guitars. He could read the way he was savaged on his own forums, yet he comes back for more.

He manages to bamboozle enough journalists who don't know guitars. They fawn over him and his Fireturd X because they have no idea how to ask critical questions. And he winds up believing their image of him.

My guess is that his target market is those people who are as clueless as the journalists.

[PhilT]

According to Simon Jack's Twitter feed, this went out at 6:50am, so the chances of any musicians seeing it were quite small.   

In fairness to him, BBC Breakfast is only tenuously a news programme. It's main function is to provide a platform for celebrities to plug their books, films or records to people who are getting the kids ready for school. Asking searching questions wouldn't be in his brief.

Financially, looks like they're improving
http://www.creditflux.com/Issuers/2011-04-05/Clean-sound-from-Gibson-brings-Moodys-applause/

Not popular with employees though
http://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Gibson-Guitar-Reviews-E6869.htm

[Dave W]

Financially, looks like they're improving
http://www.creditflux.com/Issuers/2011-04-05/Clean-sound-from-Gibson-brings-Moodys-applause/

B3 is still the bottom rung of Moody's poor credit/high credit risk category. Just a notch above their Caa1 rating when they were apparently in default. Maybe the applause was the sound of one hand clapping.

[PhilT]

I'm more and more fascinated by the analogy of that Firebird to a sports car. When he plugged it in, it set off in crazy looper delay mode and he seemed to be struggling to stop it. The equivalent for a sports car would be, when you start the engine the auto shift is set in reverse with the cruise control stuck at 80mph and the only accessible button switches off traction control. Sounds like something made by British Leyland in the 1970s.

[Dave W]

I'm more and more fascinated by the analogy of that Firebird to a sports car. When he plugged it in, it set off in crazy looper delay mode and he seemed to be struggling to stop it. The equivalent for a sports car would be, when you start the engine the auto shift is set in reverse with the cruise control stuck at 80mph and the only accessible button switches off traction control. Sounds like something made by British Leyland in the 1970s.

You're forgetting that a British Leyland car from the 70s couldn't make it across a parking lot without needing a major overhaul. You didn't have to worry about stopping it.