jimilee
Well-known member
I really have no excuse. Mostly Les Paul’s, but yes, different models / colors / pickups.
Gibson Quality Control 2024 - Unbelievable!?
- Thread starter music6000
- Start date
vigilante398
Authorized Vendor
That's what I came here to say. I was made in USA and I'm literally garbage.
On the topic of Gibson though, I've owned several Gibsons over the years, but the most interesting data point was owning three of the same model from the same year at the same time (long-ish story), and finding that two were flawless and the third had some minor neck issues (didn't make it unplayable, but made me get rid of it).
I currently own zero Gibsons and that's fine. Both guitarists in my band play Gibsons, and that's fine. I hear the Gibson factory workers are paid well and treated fairly, which makes me happy. And that's all I have to say about that.
cdwillis
Well-known member
lol
If somebody wants to spend thousands of dollars on a guitar they should expect high quality, but also who gives a shit? If you're buying a Gibson you're paying for the heritage of the brand and not the quality. This is coming from someone that owns Gibsons. I'm so tired of hearing people bitch about Gibson QC. Just buy another brand!
If somebody wants to spend thousands of dollars on a guitar they should expect high quality, but also who gives a shit? If you're buying a Gibson you're paying for the heritage of the brand and not the quality. This is coming from someone that owns Gibsons. I'm so tired of hearing people bitch about Gibson QC. Just buy another brand!
giovanni
Well-known member
Ha! My father has been doing that his whole life. It drives me crazy! He will ignore his family’s advice and instead ask every stranger in the street and their mother what they think. Then he finds a narrative that matches what he thought to begin with and makes a decision. Infuriating! I wonder if that comes from the ocd or the narcissism?
giovanni
Well-known member
You don’t need no excuse!
Robert
Reverse Engineer
kristopher
Well-known member
Oh my goodness. Giovanni, we’re bothers! You described my father to a Tee!
I picked up my first Gibson 7 years ago. It’s my number 1. And I’d buy another one tomorrow if anything happened to it. Number two is an Epiphone. Same deal.
chris.knudson
Well-known member
Amen brother.
Just buy a guitar that resonates in your hands -- brand doesn't matter. If you buy one without playing it, and you end up not liking it, send it back. Reputable dealers (hell even Guitar Center) will respect your decision. I've played $2,000 guitars that I didn't like and $20 guitars that I loved. Bottom line is that you have to feel comfortable playing it, or it isn't worth anything.
chris.knudson
Well-known member
That's called confirmation bias, and it's way more common than it should be.
EDIT: I'm kind of pissed that autocorrect wouldn't let me use the word "than" -- it kept auto-correcting it to "then." But, at the same time it let me spell chorus as chorous. I mean, WTF Internet? I thought you had some sort of artificial intelligence or something.
EDIT: and yes @Mentaltossflycoon -- apparently I'm not over it yet.
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Isn’t that the truth! I have an SX bass I bought like 15 years ago new for like $79 (including hard case and shipping). I still have it and it’s sitting among guitars that are worth many times more. On the other hand I had a $5k+ PRS that was pretty to look at , but I was more than happy to lose my tail on just to get it out of the house. Could get rid of it quick enough!
Fingolfen
Well-known member
I just about did a spit take when I hit the Guitar Center bit... *lol*
I absolutely agree with the getting a guitar that resonates with you. One of my favorite guitars is an Epiphone... another one of my favorites is a partscaster I built from various bits... That being said, my Gibson custom shop is really special... but that's the one I spent an afternoon picking out at the Gibson garage. I played a lot of guitars and just kept coming back to that one - haven't regretted it for a minute.
I've bought many Gibsons online as the range and prices where I live can be less than ideal. I have two now which I bought used from the US and they are both are incredible guitars - a CS Les Paul and a CS 335. I also bought an ES-225 locally which cost way too much but is one of the best sounding guitars I have ever played. I am under no illusions that Gibson finish their guitars better than anyone else but that doesn't bother me. Gibsons have never been the best finished. But the feel and sound of these guitars is hard to match. I have seen one or two dodgy Gibsons in my time, and have also seen poor examples from Fender, Martin, Maton... but the internet seems to love beating up on Gibson. You rarely hear about some of the clunkers Gretsch produced in the '60s when apparently alcoholism was rife in the factory, or Rickenbackers with broken trussrods. Maybe because those brands aren't as sought after, or maybe because the majority of those guitars still played beautifully and sounded great.
And for those of you who live in the USA I hate to tell you but "Made In The USA" doesn't mean that much outside the USA! In fact where cars and motor vehicles are concerned it often means the opposite of what it might in the US. Of course because of the influence of the US culture through movies and TV there will always be Chevy and Harley fans around the world (I've owned a Harley and it wasn't as bad as many would have me believe). But overall probably a majority of consumers outside the US view American vehicles with derision. We might like a '50s Cadillac as much for the ridiculousness of the excess as much as for it's "quality". And any more modern US cars are viewed with a great deal of suspicion! For a long time American cars have been known as Yank Tanks here.
I don't say this to be critical, just to inform. I love my American guitars. Partly because they are great guitars, partly because they are what the original rockers played.
For me many guitar and amp parts made in the US justifiably have a stellar reputation. Switchcraft jacks, CTS pots (with a few recent exceptions), Oak Grigsby and Carling switches, TV Jones pickups - these are all excellent choices in general. But my recent Japanese Gretsches are light years better made than any US built Gretsches I have owned, and the US Gretsches were hardly terrible.
And Gibson bashing is tedious and boring.
And for those of you who live in the USA I hate to tell you but "Made In The USA" doesn't mean that much outside the USA! In fact where cars and motor vehicles are concerned it often means the opposite of what it might in the US. Of course because of the influence of the US culture through movies and TV there will always be Chevy and Harley fans around the world (I've owned a Harley and it wasn't as bad as many would have me believe). But overall probably a majority of consumers outside the US view American vehicles with derision. We might like a '50s Cadillac as much for the ridiculousness of the excess as much as for it's "quality". And any more modern US cars are viewed with a great deal of suspicion! For a long time American cars have been known as Yank Tanks here.
I don't say this to be critical, just to inform. I love my American guitars. Partly because they are great guitars, partly because they are what the original rockers played.
For me many guitar and amp parts made in the US justifiably have a stellar reputation. Switchcraft jacks, CTS pots (with a few recent exceptions), Oak Grigsby and Carling switches, TV Jones pickups - these are all excellent choices in general. But my recent Japanese Gretsches are light years better made than any US built Gretsches I have owned, and the US Gretsches were hardly terrible.
And Gibson bashing is tedious and boring.
I came across this the other week when my Son's Mexican P Bass stop working. It's around 20 years old!
Apon inspection, the CTS 250K pot had crapped itself, if I pulled the knob up I could get it to work but only in certain spots.
I went to Music store and purchased a CTS 250K Log pot but it looked more like an Alpha with the Tin Flat back but it was stamped like the old style which is on the Left below.
I asked the Sales guy & he said that is what they get now in the 250K range.
The 500K Pots look like the Original style like the one on the right & the one I replaced.
Apon inspection, the CTS 250K pot had crapped itself, if I pulled the knob up I could get it to work but only in certain spots.
I went to Music store and purchased a CTS 250K Log pot but it looked more like an Alpha with the Tin Flat back but it was stamped like the old style which is on the Left below.
I asked the Sales guy & he said that is what they get now in the 250K range.
The 500K Pots look like the Original style like the one on the right & the one I replaced.
Joben Magooch
Well-known member
I’ve noticed this too lately. I don’t know if I’m buying them from the wrong vendors or what but many of the “CTS” I’ve bought recently have felt way, way, way cheaper.
Maybe I’ve been buying from the wrong source and there’s still better ones out there that I’m missing - but CTS used to feel like a big upgrade, a really premium pot, and whatever I’ve got recently that’s purported to be from them feels pretty much like any import potentiometer. I still have some that are flat bottom and some that are dimpled so I’m not sure what it is exactly (and it’s not terribly on topic at this point) but it just kinda reminded me that they’ve declined noticeably IMO
Makes you wonder if there are different lines/series by CTS, and we are seeing more of the “budget” line, and less of the “standard” or there really is a slip in quality. Wouldn’t surprise me with either— esp with companies trying to use CTS pots in budget instruments, I could totally see CTS offering an offshore made, budget line pot to meet the price point demands of entry level guitars. I could also see the potential skip in quality as companies employ “shrinkflation” tactics to combat rising production costs.
analogdevice
Member
The dishback version is simply one of the many manufacturing options provided by CTS. They are mostly an aesthetic thing and are most popular for vintage style guitar wiring.
Feral Feline
Well-known member
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