Gibson changes tune: Electronics before guitars

[indravayu]

Article on Gibson's shifting priorities:

Gibson changes tune: Electronics before guitars

 

[Sct13]

Interesting read...thanx for posting...

I found the ES 335 battle interesting....Had no idea there was a squabble over it.

But at the same time if Di Marzio can Trademark a Double white pickup???

And Why would Gibson have a hard time with Fender ....Trademarking their own guitar?

there is so much Grown up stuff I just will never understand I guess.....

 

[tspoon5150]

Maybe Henry could team up with Trump and kick some ass.

 

[Sct13]

Trump would agree with him....in fact they are probably beer buddies and this was Trumps idea to begin with.

 

[Rocco Crocco]

I tried to read the article, but the site told me to fill out a survey to continue reading. F them.

 

[jamman]

Thanks for posting this "update" .Some very telling/troubling things in it .

Trump ??? Just a Rich Bully ,,, Who ,when you look a bit deeper ,hasn't done all that much ..... After , the 4 chapter 11's , Or 7 , I'm not well versed in that stuff . Which is just more Bailouts for the rich ..... which in the end ..you and I wind up paying for ......
Oh and forget what Daddy give him .... Not what I'd call "self-made" ,Unless being born to get super rich is self-made .

Back to the OP .

Still think HJ Cares ????? all quoted from the Article .



Gibson changes tune: Electronics before guitars



But once Gibson had seized a large share of the guitar market, the company’s potential growth was limited, Juszkiewicz said.

“We began to plan to expand beyond the musical instrument market, but keeping our focus on our expertise in the music lifestyle market,” Juszkiewicz said. “Consumer Electronics offered a much larger market space. This would allow us to continue to grow aggressively and build on our marketing expertise and brands.”
Juszkiewicz said investment in consumer electronics companies was a decision more than 10 years in the making.

“Gibson has created many of the aspects of the modern guitar and we have filed trademarks, patents and taken other means to protect our work,” Juszkiewicz said. “The law allows us to have these protections on things our company creates. But there are many people who want to use that which Gibson and its brands created and they ruthlessly attempt to poach our original work.”

“Gibson is not for everyone,” Juszkiewicz said. “We have very high expectations driven by our goals for growth and making a difference in the markets in which we compete. There are certainly people that do not enjoy the pace and the accountability that we practice. A handful have been very vocal via the internet. We have given the vast majority of our people an ability to grow with us and they have and continue to enjoy our challenges and our success.”



Wasn't the 335 1st offered by Gibson in 1958 ? Rare but I recall seeing a few for sale recently . Fact check , might be useful ....

DW's .... Not so important ,me thinks ,or another way to bump the price to you and make a few cents on every set they sell . Or Nobody cares about those small details and will buy whatever he decide to give them anyway ,So why bother ?

10 years planning ??? Still think Gibson doesn't have a plan on how /or when /of If a closer LP copy might be made ????

It's all about the $$$$ and how much he can string you along ....

 

[Sct13]

I'm going to research the 335 thing, I think they are after the semi hollow body concept as a whole?

there are dozenes of companies that used this before Gibson. Epiphone is one of them....Dates need to be checked, but examples include Rickenbacker and Harmony.....

So if its about the design, he is trying to reap from all of companies that used it.

Kinda Like Gene Simmons and "OJ" Terminology....

 

[kcvintageguitars]

Thanks for posting this. It looks like it's about "Gibson's ES Body Design." Does that mean the exact body style? Seems like Gibson doesn't care so much about guitars anymore but I'm sure the profit margins are better with guitars for now. If they figure out how to be more profitable in the consumer electronics market, guitars would probably be an afterthought, which would be sad.

 

[Sct13]

ES

stood for "Electric Spanish"

Yea,, its a shame....that why Paul should buy it and let Henry sell expensive stereos and watches. Maybe he should get into designer shoes and purses too.

 

[kcvintageguitars]

ES

stood for "Electric Spanish"

Yea,, its a shame....that why Paul should buy it and let Henry sell expensive stereos and watches. Maybe he should get into designer shoes and purses too.

If the profits are good, I wouldn't be surprised

 

[rykus]

Some one should stick a designer shoe up that guys arse! I seriously consider selling all my Gibsons everytime I'm on this forum lately....between him and the punters telling everyone how great and accurate new Gibsons are is enough to make me climb a fricken bell tower!

I have eyes and ears and have played Gibsons of all models since I was born, I think I have a reference point when I say no, there are good and ok from all years..... but many are WAY better bang for your buck.

 

[indravayu]

Thanks for posting this. It looks like it's about "Gibson's ES Body Design." Does that mean the exact body style?

Yes, I am sure that is what it's about - there are a number of companies now that produce guitars that are very close in look and style to Gibson ES-33x, which is just begging for a lawsuit.

 

[RAG7890]

Yes, I am sure that is what it's about - there are a number of companies now that produce guitars that are very close in look and style to Gibson ES-33x, which is just begging for a lawsuit.

That will never happen because Gibson left it way, way too late to Patent the design.

If it went to Court they would lose. Of course their Attorney's would tell them they will win because they are chasing FEES but they'll lose.

 

[kcvintageguitars]

That will never happen because Gibson left it way, way too late to Patent the design.

If it went to Court they would lose. Of course their Attorney's would tell them they will win because they are chasing FEES but they'll lose.

That's what I think will happen too. A lot of companies are profiting on that design for sure, but I agree it's probably far too late.

 

[dwk302]

Regardless of what anyone says about HJ, there's one thing he's successful at, and I mean 100% of the time, in that he never fails to come across as anything but a total d-bag asshole. Good luck enforcing that IP.

Run along and focus on your "consumer electronics" and let the Memphis guys take over guitar operations.

 

[rockstar232007]

Regardless of what anyone says about HJ, there's one thing he's successful at, and I mean 100% of the time, in that he never fails to come across as anything but a total d-bag asshole. Good luck enforcing that IP.

Run along and focus on your "consumer electronics" and let the Memphis guys take over guitar operations.

Better yet. I wish he would either get over himself, or sell the company...or, at least what's left of the guitar part of it, to someone who actually cares about...well, GUITARS!

I, and just about everyone else, could give two ****s about the "home-electronics" side of Gibson. If Henry really wants to ruin a company's rep, he's got a few more to choose from. Actually, come to think of it, Kramer USED to be a fairly huge brand.

 

[raunch]

Gibson Brands <- they should give it a new name. Let's be honest the Gibson name reminds people of SGs and Les Paul, not headsets and electronics. And LPs are old looking and remind the kids of yesteryear. They should just make a new name for the new direction and leave the Gibson brand to the guitar division.

Let's face it, we're a dying breed us guitar players. Sure some youngsters pick up the guitar but most will likely go for laptops and apps.

If Gibson really wants to attract the younger generation rebrand the company and be done with it. And us guys still looking for that particular LP the used market is HUGE.

 

[jamman]

There is an Idle mind at work here(about the 335's) Since the LP has it's copy write's or Pat.'s(I forget) from Law suit era , Next is the 335 . World Domination, Me thinks , is what going on inside that head .... Maybe he thinks ...If I got them to either pay "ME"for every "Copy" of MY 335 made or pay "ME" a Royalty for everyone they made,,,, I'd be all set .

That is ,instead of working on making a better quality 335 .Or Gibson Guitars in General .
Without having an Obscene price structure . Having more workers ,who take a little more time for each guitar (to make them well and the way they should be made from a company such as Gibson professes it is) , might actually help .... Which would help everybody along the chain ..... But No ,,,,,

But , why work , when , Just could collect ????

After all there are just Widgits ,

 

[Falconbill]

This electronics caper sounds like a bad idea to me. Looks like another company veering away from it's core competency in an attempt to grow into another faceless conglomerate that doesn't do anything well.

I know HJ is not well liked around here for a variety of reasons, but I do give him credit for getting the whole reissue project established. It's produced some great instruments and I'd hate to see that jeopardized by some bad financial decisions.

 

[indravayu]

Let's face it, we're a dying breed us guitar players. Sure some youngsters pick up the guitar but most will likely go for laptops and apps.

Per the article, electric guitar sales were up in 2014. If the economy was better and young people had more disposable income, they would be buying more guitars (it's entirely possible that the overall trend of guitar sales shrinking is due to us going back to the old paradigm in which average guitar players had one or two guitars, not 10, like we started seeing in the lead up to the massive recession).

The predictions of the imminent death of the electric guitar are just silly.