Gibson "White Glove Leasing Program"

[toymaker]

just reading on Apple and the new iPhone leasing and got to thinking, with Gibson now a "lifestyle" brand...why not a historic leasing service.

Will work like this - you send in your current 2014 spec R8/9/0 and 195.9 - your monthly payment of $195.9 for 30 months gets you a "true historic" model. But wait - it gets better. As we all know, Gibson continues to discover new and innovative ways to create late 1950s technology every year...so when the latest batch of plastics and hide glue is released in 12 months, you have the opportunity to upgrade...just send back your old, in historically correct "true historic" and Gibson will send you a new one - just for resetting your lease back to a new 30 month term.

Now what to do with all those lease turn in '14s - we just ship them out to 3rd world markets like Canada, UK and Germany where our product is priced higher due to the U.S. Dollar increasing. It's a win-win, buyers get to keep pace with historical accuracy, G sells more product and players get access to gear.

What do you think??

 

[Fiftywattmafia]

3rd World Markets.....Canada? UK? Germany?

Good one OP. Lol

 

[jerryo]

Gibson already loans guitars to artist from what i understand.
One day it may be necessary to lease a historic.
Kinda like when people lease private jets
Only the richest of the rich will handle LP's

 

[rockstar232007]

The Weston Hotel in Nashville already does this - you can "order" LPs like you order room service. The only catch is, you have to give them back.

 

[7gtop]

3rd World Markets.....


Canada? UK? Germany?

 

[toymaker]

Yes, Gibson has its "artist" program..where "name" artist get freebies on loan, and can likely keep gratis...or at least buy near wholesale. Must be nice having someone give you something when you already have more money than you can spend...the challenges of being in the top thousandth of a percent of players. Oddly, these players grab the vintage burst it seems-at least for home use. Life on the road can be tough, and I'm sure that's where most of the loaners are.

And yes, the Westin will give you one to play...but my understanding is they are 2004 models. Years of research has now yielded much more accurate plastic than previously thought produced in 1959. No hide glue, inaccurate plastic, condom on the truss rid...hardly worthy of bearing the G headstock now....at least it's got the right mahogany though I guess.

Perhaps next year we have "hand selected tops direct from Henry's vault" with an ultra select few even picked by Henry himself - with special care being used and only virgin white cotton gloved hands touching the wood. Seems every year they dream up something new and exciting to "recreate" the magic of '59....seems to me 50 years or so wasn't THAT long ago - so shouldn't be a problem recreating it.

Hell, thousands of Amish have no problem recreating 1859...what's so much more difficult about 1959.

 

[indravayu]

Yes, Gibson has its "artist" program..where "name" artist get freebies on loan, and can likely keep gratis...or at least buy near wholesale. Must be nice having someone give you something when you already have more money than you can spend...the challenges of being in the top thousandth of a percent of players. Oddly, these players grab the vintage burst it seems-at least for home use. Life on the road can be tough, and I'm sure that's where most of the loaners are.

They used to be more generous with the program - even smaller, non-famous bands were chosen as endorsers (like the band I was in for a little while back in 2008-2009; not famous at all - in fact, we were pretty much nobodies - but we were endorsers and could get nice guitars on loan and could buy ones for about 30% off retail). I have heard that in recent years they have cut way back on this program.

 

[nutsauce]

The Weston Hotel in Nashville already does this - you can "order" LPs like you order room service. The only catch is, you have to give them back.

Now that is cool. I knew you could get a Mercedes with your room, but didn't know you could get a Les Paul. What a cool hotel.

 

[grayd8]

They used to be more generous with the program - even smaller, non-famous bands were chosen as endorsers (like the band I was in for a little while back in 2008-2009; not famous at all - in fact, we were pretty much nobodies - but we were endorsers and could get nice guitars on loan and could buy ones for about 30% off retail). I have heard that in recent years they have cut way back on this program.

If I was Gibson, and you were a band that could document at least 4 gigs in the last month, I would give you a Traditional or standard; with the stipulation that you use it in all live gigs for at least a year.

 

[toymaker]

Gibson and give a guitar away won't happen as long as Henry in in charge.

You want a standard, buy one like everyone else...but hey, we'll give you a 1/10 chance to win your money back in an essay contest.

Perhaps we should give free "premier" memberships here at MLPF based on the above criteria...we'd probably have 5 premier members though.