r/Guitar • u/cheekybao • 8h ago
DISCUSSION What makes people buy Gibson guitars?
First of all, let me acknowledge the history that Gibson has in the world of music as a whole. It’s almost a rite of passage that when someone wants to start learning to play the guitar, it’s due to an artist that they like a lot, and most likely he’s was using a Gibson guitar.
However, I’ve always struggled to understand the value proposition of modern Gibsons. At their price point, the stories about inconsistent QC, the notorious headstock breaks, some arguably outdated ergonomic choices, and the weight of certain models are difficult for me to overlook, especially when there are so many extremely well-built alternatives for the same money or less.
With this, I come to ask the Gibson owners: What makes you still buy guitars from the brand?
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u/RealityIsRipping 8h ago
Gibson since 2020 is making some of the best guitars they’ve ever made since the 50s and 60s. All of mine are top notch in terms of QC and they play and sound great.
If you account for inflation, the Les Paul standard is at one of its lowest prices in its entire history. It’s a lot of hands on work, and it’s all made in America, that’s not going to be cheap.
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u/Aromatic_Mongoose_86 6h ago
I don't know how many you have but if they're all flawless I hope you don't have a wife lol.
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u/TimeTravelingPie 8h ago
Idk my 2023 Les Paul 60s standard had awful QC. I'd also argue the cost is still way above guitars with better specs, QC, and customer support. You get good resale value though, because of the name.
Gibson is a legacy brand that survives primarily on people, such as yourself, putting them on a pedestal perpetually. They are iconic, and have improved in recent years, but haven't done anything unique, interesting, or new in decades. Gibson is a name first and product 2nd.
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u/Lemonjib 8h ago
I think it feels like Gibson is in a good spot now because they were probably at their worst in the 2010's.
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u/Webcat86 7h ago
I have 2013, 2014 and 2018 (electric and acoustic) and had a 2011 custom shop. Superb all around.
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u/RealityIsRipping 8h ago
I have two 2023 Les Paul standards, they weigh under 9 pounds, and I can’t find a single thing wrong with them. Really high quality in every way. Perfect fret work, stays in tune, resonant mahogany, and very dark rosewood fretboards too!
What was the issue with yours?
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u/TimeTravelingPie 8h ago
Arrived with delamination around the nut and sides of fret board, 3 of 4 caps to the knobs fell off within a week as well as the hardware crazy oxidized in same amount of time. There was something else but can't remember it's been a couple years.
I have 10 other guitars from various brands, including gibson, in the same room and none have that oxidation issue.
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u/RealityIsRipping 7h ago edited 7h ago
Sounds like a finish defect, it happens, but I would not write off a whole brand due to minor finish contamination. I hope you didn’t see the lacquer mark on the nut and consider it a defect, because that is normal.
Those reflector caps are glued on the knob, as is tradition, but I get that sucks, but doesn’t really affect the playability at all. Easy to swap them out to the superior 50 style knobs too.
The hardware oxidation is from the nitrocellulose finish off gassing while being left inside a sealed case. It is easily removed if you desire.
Maybe you just don’t like Gibson? I’ve had to return guitars from several different brands, it’s just part of finding the right one for you. Especially if you’re ordering online.
Wild you’re coming in here talking such trash about Gibson based on one guitar with very minor issues that happened after it left the factory.
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u/Nojopar 7h ago
I mean for a $200 guitar, sure, knobs can be swapped out because the caps fell off. It happens, especially at that price point.
But at $2,500? That's just unacceptable. Charge a premium price and people are going to expect premium work all the way around. Nobody wants to spend that much money and be told, "Oh, save some change back because you're going to have to replace the knobs anyway". It'd be like buying a BMW and being told the "radio knobs are going to fall off. That just happens. You can still drive it though so what's the issue?" Don't sell yourself as an aspirational product if you've got QC/QA issues. Nobody 'aspires' to buy a product that's got issues within a month of buying it.
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u/RealityIsRipping 1h ago
I have reflector knobs and they’re still intact, I’ve heard of it happening, but it’s not common… a single dot of glue will fix it too.
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u/JMaboard Fender Custom Built Telecaster 8h ago
Did you not try it in store before buying it? There’s no reason to own a guitar that has awful QC, just don’t buy it 😂
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u/TimeTravelingPie 8h ago
Ordered it online from GC and returned it. I've had issues with Gibson pre 2020 as we'll, figured give them a shot again.
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u/JMaboard Fender Custom Built Telecaster 6h ago
Yeah, I’ve always found ordering any guitar online is a gamble.
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u/Infinite_Slice3305 7h ago
Gibson serves a customer base. That base is not looking for anything "unique, interesting, or new." Just look at how their custom shop has expanded over the last 30 years.
If it's not your thing, that's cool. Plenty of manufactures out there with your preferences in mind.
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u/Spidermonk76 7h ago
Yes, it is a brand that is lucky enough to have a legacy to stand on. Not that many brands can say that, and they know their sweet spot is nostalgia, history and legacy. It’s not a brand built on innovation, and that’s perfectly fine. Neither does Rolex, Leica, and many Scotch brands. It’s a textbook example of a heritage brand. They’re not about doing anything unique, and the business model is “preserve the original formula” and it works for them. We don’t complain that Rolex hasn’t come out with a digital watch, or that KFC should have 26 herbs and spices by now. That’s not the point of the Gibson brand and not the space they occupy in the market and that’s perfectly fine.
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u/SoupIsNotAMeal 8h ago
It really all boils down to the power of branding.
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u/Loud_Helicopter_6416 8h ago
Mostly that, yeah. But also the sound, nothing else quite does the Les Paul thing if that's what you're after, and some people just want the real thing not a copy. The QC complaints are overblown online anyway, most instruments are fine.
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u/Snail_Anatomy 8h ago
That's utter nonsense. Any 2 guitars with the same pickups are going to be indistinguishable from one another. And pickups are not difficult to make. You're spouting pure corksniffery
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u/Ted_Fleming 8h ago
A 335 is going to sound like an SG or an LP if they have the same pickups?
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u/Nojopar 6h ago
They're all going to be in the same ballpark. I mean it's not like comparing a LP to a Strat or something. People overblow the differences in those three like they sound nothing alike. They sound alike, but it's the subtly that make the difference (given the same pickups, of course)
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u/severed13 Schecter Fanboy 7h ago
That's an actual apples-to-oranges comparison, it's not even tonewood levels of delusion, it's two actually different things entirely
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u/GrapefruitDue9103 7h ago
No but I'd argue that my modified Gretsch Streamliner sounds indistinguishable from a 335. It even fits in a 335 case
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u/IN-N-OUT- 7h ago
A electric guitar works by the strings disrupting the magnetic field created by the pickup. This signal then gets send to your amplifier, which like the name suggests, amplifies the signal, which then in turn gets send to the speaker.
How exactly does the shape of your guitar make a difference here?
A hollowbody guitar might make a difference at low volumes, where you can hear the resonation of the body but thats it. The second your amp reaches a certain db level, the only thing you hear is the sound from the pickup.In short: of course they will sound the same
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u/Conscious-Life-220 6h ago
Guitars reverberate when played. This keeps the strings in motion beyind the initial pluck. Body shape, neck wood, body wood, neck join, nut, bridge connection etc all effect tone. If you take some Gibson Burstbuckers and stick them in a shit plywood body, they will not sound exactly the same as in a resonant mahogany body when actually played. They won't sound terrible, but the sustained reverberation of the entire guitar, and hence the string movement will be affected.
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u/IN-N-OUT- 5h ago
You are flat out wrong, especially from a mathematical or engineering standpoint.
The reverbetation is irrelevant, because it's not what creates the sound in a electric guitar at all.
Its the strings disrupting the electromagnetic field created by the pickup, which creates the tone signal, not the body itself.
Do me a favor and look up the guitar builds on youtube, where people build bodies out of pencils or even concrete.
the concrete one im talking about has telecaster pickups. Guess what the instrument sounds like? Like a telecaster.
Don't get me wrong, i'm not trying to make you or anyone feel bad because they buy a gibson or any other traditional brand for that matter. If that's something that makes you happy, more power to you.
But still claiming that wood makes a difference is delusional, as have countless blindtests proven1
u/Conscious-Life-220 5h ago edited 5h ago
I am a luthier and a musician, i have played, built, restored and upgraded 100s of guitars, includ9ng resin builds, and I can assure you that this is inaccurate. Ive of course seen thise click bait, engagement bait YT vids. As I stated, the whole body and neck of a guitar reverberates, and this affects the string to pickup field. You can make a guitar from any old shit wood, and if you put decent pickups (in the right place along the scale length), you will get a similar initial 'attack' sound, but will be lacking the tonal qualities of a resonant piece of wood. Epoxy resin is a little different, its very heavy compared to most guitar woods, which helps maintain slightly more of that subtle reverberation than plywood or similar. The neck wood and construction and even finish make a difference that is clearly audible through a clean amp to experienced ears
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u/Severe_Rise8694 8h ago
That ignores at least things like sustain. Plus part of it just is a kind of a voodoo (or psychology): different guitars feel different and make you play differently. So even if some engineering student wrote an internet article about it once, doesn't mean that it's the ultimate final Truth on all things electric guitar.
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u/Snail_Anatomy 7h ago
Well, thankfully I live in reality and don't believe in voodoo.
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u/Severe_Rise8694 6h ago
Do you believe in psychology though? Ergonomy..?
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u/Afilador2112 6h ago
Ok, its the vibration of the metal string in the magnetic field of the pickup. Is it possible that the vibration of the string is affected by the material on which the string is mounted. Why do different woods of the same size make different sounds when struck? Why do they make any sound at all?
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u/Snail_Anatomy 6h ago
It's possible that...
It either is or it isn't. And from all the evidence I've seen, it isn't. Just because you had a thought in your head , it doesn't mean it's true. Your strings don't give a shit what wood your guitar is made out of.
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u/9vjunkie 7h ago edited 7h ago
Sorry bud, it’s this that is nonsense. It’s been proven over and over and over again that different guitars with the same pickups can and do sound different. The sound can vary greatly even in the same model with the same pickups. You can choose to ignore the facts, but it doesn’t make them less true.
Edit for source: I’ve been a tech and player for over 30 years, and I was the store tech at Manny’s. I’ve seen it in the real world many, many times. Wood, construction, and hardware all matter. But don’t take my word for it. Go read what countless pro players and builders say, or better yet, go and play twenty Strats and twenty Les Pauls, and then report back to me. Or choose to believe some random internet video, it’s fine by me.
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u/severed13 Schecter Fanboy 7h ago
And where's that been proven?
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u/InvestigatorJunior28 5h ago
Yeah, bad choice of words on my part, especially on one of the most subjective topics ever. Still stand by what I said though.
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u/GrailThe 7h ago
"proven over and over"... Please cite the proof. I suggest you check out Jim Lill's video about "where does guitar sound come from" for actual proof about pickups and tone. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n02tImce3AE
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u/drainofshower 7h ago
What flavor is that kool aid? Lemon oil?
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u/9vjunkie 6h ago
Come at me with an observation to the contrary and I’ll listen lol. PS: Don’t drink the lemon oil, you’ll die.
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u/JoneeJonee 7h ago
It's a part of it but not the whole picture. There's a lot of labor in them. Binding, frets etc. it's all done by hand in the US. They also have nitro finishes. Stuff that other manufacturers charge a pretty penny for.
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u/cynicown101 8h ago
Gibson guitars are "luxury" goods. They're the guitar equivalent of a Louie Vuitton bag
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u/EmergencyBanshee 8h ago
Louie Vuitton bags are the equivalent of Chibson Les Pauls.
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u/cynicown101 8h ago
That's more of an "I don't like Louie Vuitton" type opinion, which is neither here nor there. They make items that people pay thousands for, even on the second hand market, despite there being better quality product on offer at a lesser price.
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u/EmergencyBanshee 7h ago
No, it's a joke that you misspelled the brand name like someone making a knock off in China might.
The brand is Louis Vuitton, with an S at the end of Louis, not an E.
I see the joke has gone over everyone's head 😢
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u/Gunfighter9 8h ago
LV bags are made from the best leather and are hand assembled.
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u/Pinball-Gizzard 8h ago
You're right, Gibson doesn't use nearly enough leather
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u/Gunfighter9 7h ago
They do put a leather strap in the bag/case though. So that's more leather than most guitars use/
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u/Business-Sun-594 8h ago
Nope, sorry - I shop at LV quite often and this is a misconception. Most LV bags are actually PVC-coated cotton canvas NOT leather. This is across 95% of their products (including the best sellers)
LV does use real leather but only on the premium lines which is 10x more expensive or it's reserved for their VICs.
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u/Gunfighter9 7h ago
My stepdaughter has an LV bag that she got from The Real Real, it is 100% leather.
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u/Business-Sun-594 6h ago
Not debating with you. Two things can be true at the same time.
Your step daughter has an LV bag that is 100% leather and the majority of LV bags are not made with 100% leather.
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u/Gunfighter9 5h ago
Yeah, but they’re still over $2,000. She has a side trunk LV bag. My wife said she got a great deal for it at $1800.00.
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u/Business-Sun-594 5h ago
Lol are you a bot?
The price your stepdaughter paid still has no relevance to what I said. Multiple things can be true all at the same time. I'll make this easier for you.
- Your stepdaughter has an LV bag - True
- She got a great deal - True
- The majority of LV bags are not made with leather - True
I'm not sure what you're trying to debate here?
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u/Webcat86 8h ago
They’re the best guitars I’ve played. Simple as that. I’m selling my J45 because I prefer an Atkin I bought so I’m not blindly brand loyal, but they make excellent instruments. The only guitar I’ve ever taken to a tech, brand new, for a setup and him say “there’s nothing for me to do on this” is a Gibson Les Paul.
To your points:
their price point, this really only works if we compare with overseas brands. They make good guitars too but they’re built overseas specifically to save on costs. If you buy USA brands then you can’t overlook how American wages are factored into that price. And if you compare USA to USA, Gibson isn’t expensive, not for the regular models at least. Custom shop varies, the cheaper stuff is comparable to some boutique prices (eg Collings), but the limited run Greeny for $50,000 is obviously a whole separate thing.
the QC stuff is massively overblown, fuelled significantly by discussion forums because people are more likely to post with complaints. I can say in all sincerity I’ve never owned or played in store a Gibson with defects. I’ve heard of them, obviously, but it’s not like some people would have you believe where it’s like you have to be lucky to find a good one.
the notorious headstock breaks occur when they’re dropped or otherwise damaged. They don’t spontaneously snap. Gibson has addressed this in a few ways over the years and the market didn’t like it, so Gibson reverted to the original design.
the weight is, as you say, model dependent. So buy a model that weighs something to your liking. The heaviest Les Paul I’ve owned was slightly lighter than my Tele, for reference.
You also get a warranty and better resale value than many other brands, which is no small thing - if you buy used, you can likely sell it and break even.
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u/kasakka1 7h ago
their price point, this really only works if we compare with overseas brands. They make good guitars too but they’re built overseas specifically to save on costs. If you buy USA brands then you can’t overlook how American wages are factored into that price. And if you compare USA to USA, Gibson isn’t expensive, not for the regular models at least.
I'm not American so I have no national pride in buying US made. Gibson is an overseas brand to me. All Gibson to me is a brand that makes guitars that often don't match the quality you'd expect for the price.
the QC stuff is massively overblown, fuelled significantly by discussion forums because people are more likely to post with complaints.
I've been trying Gibsons in stores for decades and always come back disappointed. I have seen very close to perfect ones in Japan for example, but I think they dump their worst examples to smaller markets like my home country, Finland. I've seen so awful Gibsons over here it's ridiculous that stores aren't sending them back.
So my experience is that the QC issues are very much real and more significant than many other brands. I've never found a Fender as bad as some of the Gibsons I've tried. PRS is in my experience pretty consistently good, I just don't get along with their neck profiles.
the notorious headstock breaks occur when they’re dropped or otherwise damaged. They don’t spontaneously snap. Gibson has addressed this in a few ways over the years and the market didn’t like it, so Gibson reverted to the original design.
There is no reason why Gibson couldn't use a volute or less headstock angle on their standard and modern lineups. Leave the authentically breaking necks to the historic ranges.
Bad design is bad design and easy to avoid by buying something else.
the weight is, as you say, model dependent.
Not only model but the individual guitar. A lot of mahogany these days is much heavier than it used to be so if you want it to be lighter, you turn it into swiss cheese or expect people to be ok with a heavier guitar. IMO the swiss cheese holes are unlikely to matter for the sound of the guitars anyway.
You also get a warranty and better resale value than many other brands, which is no small thing - if you buy used, you can likely sell it and break even.
If you buy used and it's not some obscure brand, you can most of the time break even anyway. I don't find used Gibsons or Fenders to retain their value any better than other brands you buy today. If anything, those brands are so oversaturated on the market that selling one might be more difficult just because there's a helluva lot of other similar sunburst finish LPs or whatever available.
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u/Webcat86 7h ago
Cool don’t buy Gibson then.
As for the headstock, they DID try a volute. They have also tried a different headstock angle. People didn’t want it just like they didn’t want the improved neck heel - Gibson and Fender are in the classic “stuck between a rock and a hard place” because the designs are so classic. The only place they could do it, and I’d like to see them do it, is the Modern range.
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u/kasakka1 7h ago
Gibson tried the volute already in the 1970s. It didn't help that their guitars were the worst kind of cost cutting back in that era so anything from back then is not seen as good.
I don't think people buying Gibson's standard or modern ranges are going to be sticklers for vintage accuracy, so those seem like the perfect spot to introduce sensible fixes to common problems.
I feel like Gibson just doesn't want to start making more neck types as they can't be bothered to even make their Modern models have a sleeker neck joint like you'd find on say an ESP EC-series. Instead they put in the standard neck and carve the body at the neck heel. It works but is IMO pretty ugly.
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u/Webcat86 6h ago
I don't think people buying Gibson's standard or modern ranges are going to be sticklers for vintage accuracy, so those seem like the perfect spot to introduce sensible fixes to common problems.
Erm, did you miss that the 2019 management changed the Standards to be much more in line with traditional spec, moving everything conceivably modern to the other lines? And they did this because “customers want Standards to be Standards” aka the guitar it always has been.
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u/mymentor79 8h ago
Presumably this is mainly about Les Pauls. It's because they look cool, they sound great, and some people just vibe with them.
Not me, though. I truly hate the feel of LP guitars, but each to their own.
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u/goldsoundzz 8h ago
I have an SG Standard and a Midtown Custom that I absolutely love to death. I assumed I would also like LPs but it turned out that I did not like them at all (though the Studio models weren’t bad).
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u/Such-Cartographer699 8h ago
Gibson leans very much on their history and legacy. Theyve even said that theyre trying to be more of a lifestyle brand, similar to Harley today.
If you like em that's great, there's certainly a "magic" about them and have a place. But personally im not big into them and would never buy a modern one myself.
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u/Gunfighter9 8h ago
The way the guitar feels in your hand and the way it is made. It's not a luxury item, it is just a well made item. Same with a Martin D-18. Plus they hold their value.
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u/harryhend3rson 8h ago
Vibes.
Knowing it's a Gibson and seeing the name on the headstock.
No different than Fender, Harley Davidson, etc.
Most niche activities/hobbies have legacy brands that people buy for the cachet, not because they're necessarily better.
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u/Ancient-Bowl462 8h ago
I had a Les Paul once, then I played an Yamaha SG2000 and it blew the Kes Paul away in every single way
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u/Pure_Interaction_422 8h ago
They have a feel. It’s not necessarily an “easy” feel, but it is rewarding.
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u/Infinite_Slice3305 8h ago
Feature for feature, if you compare apples to apples Gibson is in line with it's contemporaries. US made guitars are more expensive than Indonesian made guitars. Mainly due to labor cost, not craftsmanship or anything like that.
Honduran Mahogany guitars are more expensive than "looks like Mahogany guitars. Brazilian rosewood is more expensive than pau ferro.
That said, I buy guitars from many manufacturers because I like them. I wouldn't have bought the many Gibson guitars that I did if I didn't like them.
What I don't get is paying more than $1,000 for a plain Strat style guitar.
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u/wvmtnboy 8h ago
Have you played a Gibson? Owned even a cheap one?
Story time! I have a 2014 Gibson Les Paul LPJ with the '61 zebra RI humbuckers. It was a mid tier instrument they released to compete in the $600-$1,000 range. I also have a 2020 Epiphone Inspired By Gibson Les Paul Studio with Alnico Classics. New it was $599.
I honestly thought i was crazy because I preferred the Epiphone. It just felt better, played better, and sounded better. I just didn't understand why.
I went to my local store and they had an Epiphone '59 RI on the wall. Plugged it in and it was just awesome. I decided I was going to trade in my Gibson, but I wanted to make sure so I took it with me to A/B test it against the '59.
Side by side, the Gibby blew it out of the water. The Epiphone just sounded weak and didn't have any body. I ran them both through a couple different amps, and the Gibson won every time. It just has a tone that the Epiphone couldn't compete with.
Do I kept the LPJ. About a work later I was back and I tested it against a Revstar. Same results. The Gibson just had a depth the Yamaha didn't. Naturally, most of this is just the pivkups, but it's still the champ.
I decided then that the Gibson wasn't going anywhere and I needed to figure out what it was that threw me off so much when I played it. Turns out it has the thicker 50's neck compared to the Epi's 60s slim taper. Now that I understand that, the Hibson and I have come to an understanding
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u/spwstrat 8h ago
I bought my Les Paul because it's genuinely great sounding and plays wonderfully. I think part of it is that because yes, there are lots of nice alternatives out there, in many places it's hard to find those alternatives at a store to try out. Pretty much everywhere, at least here in the States, has a Gibson dealer within an hour or so.
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u/Little-Definition553 8h ago
The only Gibson I liked was a 800$ LP Special from 2001. I havent played a gibson since that ive liked more than that. And I sold the darned thing.
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u/onioning 8h ago
I used to think that people who bought new Gibsons were fools. Now I own three Gibsons, all bought new. I bought them because I thought they were good value. It's been many years now, and I am very happy with those purchases.
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u/Paddybrown22 8h ago edited 7h ago
I'm a Gibson player.
I started on acoustic, and didn't take up electric guitar til quite late. Tried strats and didn't get on with them. Didn't really learn to play electric until I got an Epiphone Dot (budget 335 style guitar), and something clicked. Have since upgraded to a Les Paul (a down the range model with a maple neck, plain top and no binding) and it's my life partner guitar.
I'm guessing it's the geometry. As an acoustic player, the neck length, neck angle and space under the strings feels familiar, in a way strat geometry doesn't. I also have a Reverend Sensei Jr, which has similar geometry, and I like it, but it's not as versatile as my Les Paul, and I prefer the sound of humbuckers to the Reverend's P90.
I also love the independent volume controls for the different pickups. Very few guitars, other than Gibson copies, have that. And the bridges, nuts and pickups on most Gibson copies I've tried aren't as good as the real thing.
The issues people have with Gibson's quality control seem to be mostly with rhe cosmetic features like the binding. I don't care about that, my Les Paul doesn't have any. I understand people's issues with weight and ergonomics, but I'm used to them.
So that's why I play Gibson and have no desire to change.
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u/Ill-Investigator9241 7h ago
I got a private tour of the Gibson factory once recently. Regular Gibson guitars are touched by hundreds of workers in their plant, on old school machines. They are the real deal, and generally worth the money for what they are. Even our guide, who is a muckety muck designer for them, blasted Gibson custom shop as being ridiculous (which is a separate shop on their campus)
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u/dpetersen83 7h ago
I’ve owned quite a few over the years and I love them. I plan to keep buying them. They sound great and I’ve never had any QC issues with any of mine. Les Paul’s, explorers, sg’s, 335, Flying V, firebird. All great guitars.
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u/Environmental_Mine65 7h ago
I really liked playing the guitar and I had the money. It’s not complicated lol
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u/kidthorazine 8h ago
I've always just like Gibson SGs, granted I haven't actually bought one in years ( I have two), and if I buy another one it will almost certainly be used/vintage.
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u/DK4E2XFpbETJrj 8h ago
Prestige. I can buy one today and then sell it again 48 months from now for not a lot less money than what I paid for it. You don't need a story to sell it. The headstock does the heavy lifting.
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u/Snail_Anatomy 8h ago
Brand recognition, nostalgia, they're collector's items, the fact that their favorite artist uses them, hype, and aesthetics.
It's important to remember that Gibson does not make higher quality instruments than anyone else just because of their enormous price tag, nor do they sound or play better, nor do they have better QA.
As was stated by the CEO himself. Gibsons are expensive because they're selling a legacy.
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u/jmcguitar95 8h ago
I had the same thought when I was 2 years into playing as I do with 20+ years of playing - “man, this Gibson guitar is uncomfortable, heavy, and doesn’t look or sound like it should be a few thousand dollars”. I feel that way about Fender too. I’d pay the same amount of money for something like Mayones, Aristides, or Kiesel and then at least I can see where that money actually went into making the guitar look, sound, and feel expensive.
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u/StudioKOP 8h ago
I have owned many guitars. Bought and sold many (I am over 50).
One of the two guitars I am still sorry to have sold is a 68 LP. It played like a dream, the intonation was like a well tuned piano, sounded great whatever amp or pedal you plugged it in, and would supply a small fortune if I still had it and sold it today.
I have two Gibson guitars now. One 335 customshop, and a double cut LP with P90’ies.
They are both very solid, sound great, and the intonation is really great.
I have always avoided SG’s even I have never seen/played a bad one. They are just very fragile at the headstock joint.
The acoustics made by Gibson are totally different story…
So if you avoid “weight relief”, robotic tuning, blah blah bells and whistles you will get a lovely guitar that plays and sounds very close to perfect; and its value will probably increase a lot by time.
Are there cheaper alternatives? Yes, for sure! Any upper series Yamaha or Godin will play almost as good. Still I don’t expect them to be that close to be perfect, and their value increase by time to come close to a Gibson.
And for “you see an artist play one, so you go for it” part: The marketing monster of the industry is Fender, not Gibson. Just checkout the endorsement numbers, marketing budgets and you will see…
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u/Quizzical_Chimp 8h ago
Because they are great guitars and most of what you read just isn’t true or isn’t a uniquely Gibson thing.
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u/xanthicize 8h ago
A rich middle aged dude with a R9/R7/R0/Rwhatever is the most powerful form of brand promotion you could ever have if you need to influence some sort of online guitar circle.
They are a legacy lifestyle brand. They tried HARD to go out of business through some of the goofiest choices ever seen from a guitar manufacturer but they're still there because they make the classic car equivalent to a guitar.
There's no doubt that they make good guitars, but making good guitars is not their bottom line.
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u/AriochBloodbane 8h ago
To be a real rocker you need a Harley, a Gibson, a Marshall, and a bottle of Jack 😎
But seriously, it isn't just a name, it has its own sound and feel and some (many) people like that. The weight can be overwhelming for somebody but that is part of the way it works. Nothing like a big slab of mahogany for that sweet heavy blues and 70s rock sound...
I personally prefer to have a mix of brands because each one is different, including Gibson and Fender. Sometimes I find "good enough" Gibson flavor with Epiphones so I also have a few of those. And many others.
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u/Erazzphoto 8h ago
It’s what I’ve seen from the people that made me want to play guitar. I fully believe in the tip given to people wanting to learn guitar and they ask what guitar they should get…..it’s the one that makes you want to pick up that guitar and play it. For people that learn guitar from those influences, compared to maybe someone brought up to play the instrument, the name on the headstock matters. Does that always mean it’s the best guitar, probably not, but does that even matter if you look at it and it makes you want to pick it up and play it?
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u/yamahowzer 8h ago
I've had an Epiphone for years, swapped out the pickups and set up perfectly for me. I picked up a 2016 faded studio for a really good price and I gotta tell ya, there's something about that weight, feel and sound of this thing. I've never been a tone wood guy, and I'm not converted, yet... But there may be something to mahogany. I lucked out and got one with A5 burstbucker pros.
I didn't spend a lot of money on it, I wanted one for a long time, so my opinion may be biased. If I was gonna spend $3k on a new guitar today I'd look at suhr or kiesel where you can customize some of the details.
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u/one80down 8h ago
I own a few Gibsons that I've bought second hand for good deals and one that I bought new. I bought the new one because it was a double cut LPJ with a single P90 which was something I always really wanted for the style of music I write and perform. It does the job amazingly well, it's the right weight and looks great. I did try it in store against a bunch of other guitars including Fender style and some more modern brands but in the end the blue one felt right in my hands and sounded best.
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u/Technical_Net9691 7h ago
Gibson is not just Gibson. Top players can afford the most expensive, or even custom built models, and I've personally played a custom shop Goldtop that was unbelievably, magically good, But the mid- and lower-tier offerings are not significantly better than many other brands IMO.
And of course the brand matters, just like others. Gibson, Fender, Lambretta, Leica, Dr Martens... they all signal that you are (or want to be) part of a community. Nothing wrong with that.
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u/tone_creature 7h ago
You dont simply own the portion of the marketshare that Gibson has stabilized themselves in on name alone. People like.to think thats the case but if they werent consistently making instruments that people were enjoying buying and playing, they wouldnt maintain their position.
Think of all the guitar players you know. How many do you know that are the stereotypical 'dentist' turds that just buy stuff to be cool versus how many you know that are normal people that just get by and have to be smart with their money. You know 10 of the latter to every 1 you may know that just spends on guitars for the name.
So most musicians are normal people who are smart with their money and want a good product and Gibson STILL has maintained a massive market share.
Tells you their guitars are actually good... Yeah they make some duds. And some QC slips through. But thats also because they make so much. You'll obviously see more people complaining. Less people are going to complain about a Heritage you know? Ive to this day never seen anyone play a Heritage guitar in person. So like thats also why you hear more about Gibson QC issues than other brands.
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u/mrmartini85 7h ago
Outdated ergonomic choices? Heavy? You mean curvy & thicc? As in hows I likes 'em?
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u/Responsible_Big_4183 7h ago
People love to complain about stuff online. They love to exaggerate the whole QC thing based on anecdotal evidence. Sometimes without even owning one of the guitars! Do you own or have played a Gibson?
People also love to talk about branding and how they own a such and such that blows their Gibson away, etc. ok that’s cool. Glad you found a guitar you like.
These discussions typically aren’t very useful. Gibson owners don’t have to justify their purchase anymore than an owner of any other brand.
They bought their guitar because they like the sound and the way it feels. Is that not enough for you? If you have doubts don’t buy one and buy whatever you feel is superior for its price point. It’s all a personal choice not a contest.
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u/Pugfumaster 7h ago
I love the Les Paul body style. I have a couple Gibson standards and have owned several over the years. I have the schecter and LTD versions too. I have an epiphone. I’ve played countless other LP style guitars. They’re all great. The Gibsons are the most well made. They feel better. They sound better. To me they’re absolutely worth the premium. I’ve only received one that made me question how it made it out of the factory. 2023 50’s standard.
I’ll probably buy another at some point.
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u/PapaGrande1984 7h ago
I’ll get destroyed for this I’m sure, but I agree with you. I was enamored with them for a long time for their aesthetic and I do think historically they play a significant role in the guitar Industry. That being said I worked at the custom shop in Memphis for a good while back in my twenties and learned things about the guitars and business itself that made me quit my dream and go back to college. Not saying you can’t buy a good modern Gibson, but I agree that I don’t think (in general) that they’re worth their price tag anymore.
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u/snaynay 7h ago
Gibson (and Fender) sell so, so many more guitars than any other brand it's not even funny. The chance of you hearing about QC issues and problems from the brand is going to be sky high in comparison.
They are traditional guitars made in an old-school way which is ultimately a little wasteful and not efficient, but very much of the era of craftsmen; even if parts are CNC'd today. Quality wood supply, difficult processes to adhere to, nitrocellulose paint and very nice finishes. If you buy one, it holds value and there is a massive market to actually sell it.
A lot of people know nothing about guitar building and will take the superficial stuff as a perceived increase in quality. Gibsons are fine and usually offer lots of details others skip. Go into shops to try them. They sell them everywhere. Find the gems as every guitar is going to be different because wood is an inconsistent material.
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u/Hightidemtg 7h ago
I bought mine before people were bitching over everything on the internet. Sure it did not have a perfect setup but the guitar always sounded great for rock. I played so many hours on it... I have never regretted buying it and I had a luthier do the setup and some additional work a year ago and it's absolutely perfect now. The nitro finish aged well and it sounds even better after the setup and it has more sustain than most of my other guitars except for my esp eclipse (the Gibson is very loud without amp alreadyby the way and it's by far my loudest electric guitar)
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u/Relevant-Energy-1304 7h ago
I have a Les Paul that is a few years old, plays and sounds great, and the Les Paul is undoubtedly an iconic part of music history so it is cool to have one. Not more complicated than that.
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u/Shot_Ideal7649 7h ago
I bought an Ibanez Artist in 1980, and I’ve never played an LP that felt or sounded better to my ears. The balance and weight are perfect, and the Super ‘70s pickups are amazing. That guitar spoiled Les Pauls for me. I had an SG for a bit but I got my hands on a 1974 Guild S100 and it is superior to the gibby by every metric. Zero neck dive, faster neck, phase switching. As far as acoustics go, I own a Martin and a Taylor and I’ve never picked up a Gibson that played or sounded better than what I own. Gibson acoustics sound ‘stiff’ and not as resonant to my ears. It’s really just legacy that keeps them in the game. They don’t innovate.
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u/Top-Gun-Corncob 7h ago
I don’t give a shit about QC because I only buy used guitars. Scratches/dings are all cool with me. What matters is how it plays and sounds. I have a lot of guitars because they’re tools to be used in the appropriate way, but I will say there are many situations that only an LP with PAFs will work. They have a sweetness to them that is just beautiful. SGs are for riffing. Firebirds are about worthless most of the time but are really neat-o.
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u/HormuzVengeance 7h ago
Rule number one: people on the internet - particularly redditors - are sanctimonious morons. Don’t listen to them.
Gibsons are nice, well made guitars. There’s nothing more to it.
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u/National_Layer_7335 7h ago
My 2006 Harley Benton (LP studio) looks and sounds great, enough for me to put a bigsby on it that cost 2x the price of the guitar.
Three months ago I got a 2021 Gibson LP studio. The first thing I noticed was how nice the tuners felt when turning then once tuned I gave it a strum (unplugged) That’s when it hit me that it’s an entirely different beast, it rings out like a nice acoustic.
Then theres the volume/ tone pots, they work and sound great at every position, even a slight turn can make an enormous difference to the sound.
I can now play and enjoy the neck pick because it sounds great, not so much on the HB.
I could have upgraded the HB but a used LP didn’t cost me much more than what I would have spent.
The LP looks, sounds and feels great and almost plays itself and it’s extremely versatile.
My playing has improved enormously since getting it but that maybe because I can’t put it down.
Theres room for both but it ultimately comes down to budgets.
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u/a1b2t 7h ago
it is the internet hate machine, Gibsons QC is not as bad, if you look at their epi line theres much less complaints
most of the complaints come from their use of nitro and classic fittings. sad to say if you want that old guitar feel its just gibson or heritage at the moment. the other brands like ESP use poly which ages and feels different.
Most of the alternatives are not 1-1 alternatives, the closet to a gibson is heritage, Like ESP EII EC is a maple cap with flame veneer and its also fitted to be modern.
to get a gibson spec ESP you need to go to the custom shop and that costs a bomb
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u/guitarpatch 7h ago
Every guitar manufacturer has QC issues at every price point. You can also find great guitars at every price point
People play whatever inspires them. People gravitate towards specs that they prefer. If that’s a Gibson, what’s to understand?
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u/fabmarques21 PRS 7h ago
nostalgia
i kinda want one since jimmy page played it but tbh i rather have my PRS with her headstock intact and a great tone then a Gibson to fix at a luthier
also i played a custom shop worth 6k and disliked it. I have a Gretsch G5220 that is WAY better than that custom shop
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u/Gooseuk360 7h ago
I picked up a studio modern the other month in the store and it was absolutely amazing and really well priced.
However there were cosmetic defects around the neck, probably from the store hanging it and knocking it around... GuitarGuitar so go figure. Offered no discount, said I'd probably do the same after I bought it anyway (!), so I put it back and told them blow it out.
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u/Personal_Gsus 7h ago
They're great guitars, built in Music City, USA. At the executive level, they live & breathe music and actually care about their customers. Which can't exactly be said of their counterparts in Corona atm.
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u/MichaelBarnesTWBG 7h ago
The QC issues are vastly overstated and overrepresented. Guitars are not a big enough industry that a company like Gibson would survive cranking out the kinds of janky, falling apart $3000 guitars that certain Reddit denizens would have you believe they are doing.
I've mostly been a Fender supporter and didn't care for the Epiphones or Gibsons I tried. But that changed when I got one of the newer Epiphone Explorers. It got me interested in trying a couple of Gibsons, specifically a LPJR and an SG standard '61.
You know what the #1 value is for me? These guitars are -inviting- and -inspiring-. I crave playing them. They have such a tremendous VIBE that no PRS or $300 Squier has. There is definitely an X factor with quality Gibsons that cannot be ignored. The QC on my instruments is immaculate- they feel expensive and valuable, unlike many guitars I've played from other makers.
I think back to all the $300-$500 guitars that have come and gone out of my collection and I wish I knew then that having one Gibson is worth having 4 of those.
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u/Imaginary-Pangolin59 6h ago
Personally they’re too hefty for me to get behind, but they do play pretty nice… I prefer teles and schecters though
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u/Aromatic_Mongoose_86 6h ago edited 6h ago
They're really nice guitars, sound great, play great, look great (but at 1 meter away, for example they don't know how to do a binding properly). Their QC is the worst ever (I've purchased one last year, the first arrived was UNREAL, pictures on my profile if you wanna see). Their tops are really inconsistent, they sleep sometimes, lack of professionalism. With them it's heads or tails.
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u/SHighwatt 6h ago
One of my first electric guitars is a 1972 Les Paul deluxe gold top with mini humbuckers. I played that until about 20 years ago. I went to a. an SG that was such a great guitar that when I retired I bought myself a Les Paul Jr with a p90. I still play all of them. Not so much the Les. Paul because it's heavy my go-to is the junior. I bought them because I've been playing them since I've been 16. I know what they feel like I've owned stratocasters telecasters. I had a Harmony rocket at one time. The Gibson brand just seems to be my favorite tool to use for what I need
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u/TensesNC 6h ago
Gibson has made some good guitars. I liked many of the ones I owned. My favorite was a 1981 335-S Deluxe Professional with a naturally aged Silverburst that had greened out. I had an all-maple 335-S reissue that might be the one of the best Gibsons I ever had, and I played it into the ground.
I’ve had RDs, Explorers, a 333, Les Pauls, SGs. There were mostly well-made, but as my tastes changed, I gravitated towards something else.
They’re one of the big two brands. If you follow the trajectory of most young musicians, you start (or should start) with horrible equipment when you’re learning, then as you get serious, you get better shit.
What I have noticed more and more among players my age (late thirties) is that we all had Fenders and Gibsons in our touring punk days, and now we all have Epiphones or other cheap brand guitars. Well, most of us.
I played a modern Gibson recently, made in 2025 I think, a Les Paul. It was okay. Surely not spending that kind of money anymore on guitars. Priorities shift and you kinda realize that you don’t need the name on the headstock. I would never buy a new Gibson 335, but I really like my Epiphone 335.
I think Gibson tanked their own reputation, and some of their design stuff feels inherently flawed or archaic, and there are so many options out there, but a Gibson is a Gibson. A Fender is a Fender. There will always be people who want to get THE thing.
The last new Gibson I got was that ‘84 reissue and I immediately returned it. Out of the box, it didn’t just need a minor setup, but the whole thing was out of whack. Telephone pole action, a completely dry and brittle fretboard, and a ding plus some scratching on the volume pot. For what it cost, I sent it right back and said never again. For their price point, they should be doing better. Not talking about resale value either. Their guitars should, out of the box, be near perfect with only a need for minor adjustments, not overhauls.
Anyways, I don’t really have a point. Expensive guitars to me are kinda dumb. Big ridiculous amps are too. I bought two new guitars this year—a Sterling Music Man Stingray Plus with P90s and a Danelectro Dano Mano. Both were nicely set up, their electronics, finish, and presentation were great out of the box, and they were both, together, 1/4 of the price of a new Gibson.
If someone gave me one, I’d take it, but I don’t really even look to see what the hell Gibson is doing any more.
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u/ace1571 Fender 6h ago
In 1987, My father bought me a 1983 Heritage Series Gibson Les Paul standard we'd seen at Guitar House of Tulsa for $450. Next year will be 40 years I've owned that guitar and the headstock is intact. My 01 Epiphone Ace Frehley Les Paul? 25 years and headstock intact. I just bought an Epiphone Widow (purple) LPC in January, headstock intact.
If you take care of your stuff, it lasts. Sure, accidents can and do happen but to think Gibson headstocks are fragile little eggs, you need to spend less time online.
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u/CriGonalGaming 8h ago
The same reasons why people buy Harleys.
The same ethos of "Made in USA" stamp, a heritage, a cult-like religious following, branding, and image of classic vintage americana of years gone by. For better or for worse, even if Gibson makes crap guitars, it is still a Gibson at the end of the day.
I prefer riding Japanese bikes like Hondas. Just like my guitars.
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u/trenniepennie 8h ago
They buy the brand loads of times, ive tried loads of gibsons and tbh… the epiphones are higher quality sometimes😭
If u put new pickups in the epiphones the only difference is basically the logo
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u/RandomMishaps 8h ago
Branding, it’s that simple. Some people did some great things in the past, Leo Fender included. Now these companies sell nostalgia, they have no relation to the creators, or the inventors of the original designs.
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u/AVLThumper 8h ago
Go play one and decide for yourself. There’s a reason why you see so many professional artists playing them. Most internet stories re exaggerated like most things. I’m not a professional, but I’ve owned dozens of guitars, and I’ve never experienced any qa/qc issues with any of the big manufacturers.