Alex Skolnick speaks about the Firebird-X unveiling and Gibson

[EasyAce]

[/CENTER]

What are these---the charter class of the All-Ugly Guitar Hall of Fame?

 

[nicolasrivera]

Fresh from Hank J's focus groups!!!

 

[SteveGangi]

I want this photo to become a badge of shame for Henry.

I want people to look at this as time rolls on and then look at Henry and say "Henry.......what the hell were you thinking?"

I want Henry to hear........ "Henry........what the hell were you thinking?" over and over and over and over.

The CEO smashing one his classic company icons against a brick (thinking it's clever).

Kind of like crapping where you eat.

What gets me too, is the damn neck was sawed through, and he still couldn't quite break it.

 

[LtDave32]

I want this photo to become a badge of shame for Henry.

I want people to look at this as time rolls on and then look at Henry and say "Henry.......what the hell were you thinking?"

I want Henry to hear........ "Henry........what the hell were you thinking?" over and over and over and over.

The CEO smashing one his classic company icons against a brick (thinking it's clever).

Kind of like crapping where you eat.

This will not go away soon for Henry. This moment and photo will live in infamy for many, many years to come. What's really goofy is that Henry is so full of sycophantic "yes men" around him, that no one dared tell him that the whole "Steve Jobs" denim "grandma" jacket, khakis and sneakers was a really bad idea that everyone would see right through as an attempt to come off "hip like Jobs". How uncomfortably embarrasing. Hell, I feel embarrased just imagining the embarrassment of such a thing.

 

[V!N]

 

[rockstar232007]

At least from that angle we can tell that that is a Maestro SG.

Note that not only was the neck pre-cut, but it looks like the body was too. And, he STILL couldn't break it? You'd think after counting all them beans that he would have at least a little bit of upper body strength?

 

[SteveGangi]

... This moment and photo will live in infamy for many, many years to come. What's really goofy is that Henry is so full of sycophantic "yes men" around him, that no one dared tell him that the whole "Steve Jobs" denim "grandma" jacket, khakis and sneakers was a really bad idea ...

According to the rumor mill and the "Glass Ceiling" site, the only way to keep your job there is to be a sycophantic yes man. Disagreement is not tolerated.

 

[TaylorPlayer]

At least from that angle we can tell that that is a Maestro SG.

Note that not only was the neck pre-cut, but it looks like the body was too. And, he STILL couldn't break it? You'd think after counting all them beans that he would have at least a little bit of upper body strength?

In reality, all he needed to do to break it was to put it on a guitar stand and knock it off. I am sure the headstock would have snapped as it has on thousands of Gibbys out there!

 

[msfenderarg]

it's just around the corner.....

 

[nicolasrivera]

it's just around the corner.....

If this ever happens i will give away for free my les pauls, promise.

 

[Trea]

No, it doesn't. The luthiers I do business will charge $4-5k for a carved top bound LP style guitar.

Fender puts proportionately less time into building a guitar compared to Gibson, and this is directly reflected in the price of their guitars.

I'm a Fender guy first and foremost, but I'm also in touch with reality.

Bindings on a Gibson guitar are hand scraped with a fucking razorblade. Fenders aside from the super high end are coated in poly and bolted together. No bindings, no real inlays, no set necks, no carved tops, most of them are prewired to a pickguard and slapped in the body. That is the beauty of their design. They are simple and thus affordable. You're talking about apples and oranges here.

And... "Millions" on the Firebird X? No.

And, I don't "act" like anything. We're talking about TWO brands here. Gibson and Fender. Gibson puts WAY more work into producing a guitar than does Fender. Plain and simple.

I agree with the work you are talking about. But I don't play the binding. The new Fender I just bought has better fretwork, the nut was cut right, and other than a very slight twist of the truss rod, didn't need a damn thing out of the box. I can't say that about most of the Gibson's I've played in the last couple of years. Yeah there were a few that were right. And I bought them. But it took quite a bit of picking through.

 

[Joeydego]

I could cut a record or gig with this, sure. I wouldn't because:
1 it looks like it has fetal alcohol syndrome and
2 the real thing always sounds better than something trying to fake something else. This thing looks like a toy. I will not be smashing my SG anytime soon

 

[LesPauI+SG=Win]

What kind of SG is that? Bolt on neck...

 

[rockstar232007]

What kind of SG is that? Bolt on neck...

It's a Maestro.

 

[edselman]

I don't know if anyone has made mention of the quality of finish on the Firebird X. If you go to the Gibson site, there are closeup photos of the guitar. The finish looks like the finish on the faded models, kind of like the Melody Maker. They didn't even use grain filler! It looks like oak with a finish from cheap can of metallic spray paint. Gibson dares to ask $5500.00 for this monstrosity. http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/Firebird/Gibson-USA/Firebird-X/Specs.aspx

 

[Danelectro]

If they could just get the price down from $5000 to $29.99, I think they'd be hot sellers this Christmas season!

 

[Mule Train]

Only time will tell if we are seeing an inovation, like The Log, or a dud. The CEO has done a great job at Gibson. They have had for several years computer programs like that, now it is in the guitar. Not that bad, untill you can text on it, for a start.

 

[SingeMonkey]

The two options presented are propaganda. It's not luddites vs. those who want innovation. It's luddites, and those who want innovation, against those who think that the Failbird X represents innovation. It doesn't. Sorry.

This guitar adds nothing. Clunky robot tuners (vs. wilkinson's elegant self-tuning bridge), built in effects with a ludicrous control layout ('70s Electra anyone?), USB out (how about the - again, much more elegant - graph-tech ghost saddles?).

The Fly was innovative. The Moog guitar is innovative. And yet these are not poorly-implemented garage-level tech. And, yes, they look much better.

Added to the heap of techno-fail, is its appalling ugliness. Don't think the attractiveness of Gibson's classics (yes, even the weird, but wonderfully proportioned flying V) had nothing to do with their success.

So it's a nice way to swing it. If you don't like this POS you're a luddite. BS. Plenty of those who love innovation are repelled by what is - unequivocally - the most awful guitar that Gibson has ever unveiled.

Look back in 15 years. People are not going to be saying that the Failbird X was "ahead of its time." Expressions they'll use will be, "poorly conceived." "A mistake." I'll put money on that.

Skolnick summed up the state of the company nicely I thought. Yes. Guitars that are "timeless." That doesn't mean no new guitars. But guitars with style. Not mad, cobbled-together, market pot-shots.