Why New Bands Don't Play Gibson Guitars

Gibson is one of the most legendary guitar brands out there, and has been making guitars for over 100 years, but after some rocky years in the past decades, have they finally lost their appeal with young musicians?

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[tobiasreif]

For what it’s worth, fender gave free guitars to a ton of bands at this years Coachella as a targeted marketing push and it worked super well.

[holowizardnails]

I sold guitars for years and our company got into Fender because Gibson expected us to carry what they said we should carry and it had to be a certain amount and Fender just made it so much easier to get in business with them . We just sold more because of simply the price point and variety. Gibson has a history of getting in their own way

[kylezakk]

For $2000+ you can't even get stainless steel frets, a locking tremolo, or a volute. Gibson makes guitars for wealthy collectors, not players.

[timwillis]

In the mid-nineties, I happened to be loitering in a small independent guitar store when I heard the owner slam his phone down and throw a minor fit. Gibson had just told him he had to buy 36 guitars within 30 days in order to keep his dealership. This was a small shop, and the demand was ridiculous. I responded by buying a HH Tele. Since then, I've picked up a second Tele, a Strat, a Jag, and a Jazzmaster. But not a single Gibson. While Gibson's hardball tactics I described happened decades ago, I've never forgotten it, and won't every buy a new Gibson. That said, my first guitar was an Ibanez law suit LP Jr with P90s, and I've sent 40 years wishing I still had that one... Speaking of heroes, it was Frank Black who inspired my Tele purchase, and Elvis Costello who got me into a Jazzmaster. Slash who? Oh, he's the guy I cursed daily when I used to work at a music store, where we desperately needed a 'No Sweet Child' sign... ;-)

[kixlepixel]

It feels like every week I see a young indie / pop artist around my age (I’m 22) post their brand new guitar that Fender have given them for free no strings attached, and it definitely makes a world of difference in how the brand is perceived. Fender is showing themselves to be supportive of young artists and in turn young artists want to play Fender. I couldn’t tell you an artist I listen to regularly who plays Gibson (a couple play Epiphone tho)

[shoehorn]

When I was a kid in the early 90's, Gibson was the "really nice guitar" brand. A few years later and you've got Ibanez getting really good, along with up and coming Parkers, PRS, etc. Nowadays, just about everyone makes something fantastic.

[chrishuff]

Does anyone else remember when Gibson tried to go after Fender in the 90s with the Nighthawk? It was definitely a Steve Buscemi disguised as a youth moment. Meanwhile every other indie or grunge musician was playing a $100 Jaguar or Jazzmaster.

But I think that besides the lower cost of Fenders (and similar guitars, and especially Squier, which, hello, you're looking mighty nice these days) you've hit the nail on the head. Gibsons - specifically Les Pauls and SGs - look like your dad's or your grandpa's guitars, or the guitars of their rock gods. Fender started as a guitar company that quickly pivoted to the youth anyway, so between the two it's been a real battle that may have been drawn across generational lines. Definitely not for everyone, but enough so that it can matter. I think there are other considerations as well: Fenders are generally lighter (or perceived as such) than Gibsons; I think that the tonal characteristics of Fenders is perceived to be more "wide open, " more of a blank slate for you to add your color to, whereas Gibson seems a little "locked in, " even if that's not actually true; Fender draws on history and tradition where Gibson seems to use it like a crutch, almost bludgeoning you with "This is how it's always been done." Don't get me wrong, it's been done great, but...what's new?

And maybe I don't know what I'm really talking about. But I will say that I just got back into guitars after a 25 year hiatus, having originally read about and played them from roughly 1991 to 2000, and when I recently saw the state of Fender and Gibson I wasn't really surprised. It's the trajectory they've been on for decades now.

[AwLFluX]

Im 23 years old, 24 on a couple months. I have been playing les pauls since my first Les Paul at age 10 (an Epiphone Les Paul 100) I now play one of two LPs, a Custom in Ebony, and a Slash Standard, both Epiphone’s as much as yes I would love a Gibson in general I love LP style guitars. For me I feel the LP feels like home, the overall layout and feel is both the most comfortable for me, and makes me feel in complete control over my sound having independent controls for each pickup. My custom has become my main but any LP style guitar feels more of a fit for me than any Strat ive owned

[MrThedalaillamaknows]

I work in a guitar store, I would say about 50% of the high end Gibsons we get in need to be returned for various defects. Their quality control and fit and finish just aren't up to scratch for the cash they're asking. Just my personal experience, but I think that's the issue again particularly for the absurd amounts of cash they're asking.

[Lantertronics]

Rhett nailed it at 3:55 -- Leo Fender was an *engineer* working on making affordable, repairable, practical tools for working musicians.

[LameCarrot]

I agree especially the part about having an artist to promote the brand such as the case of PRS bringing in John Mayer. Having a popular artist tied to using a brand really helps to promote the brand. This is also the case for Ibanez where currently Polyphia really helps to boost their brand. I guess Gibson really needs to find a new famous player to have him/her use their brand to market to the younger generations.

[roybuis]

At rock & metal shows and festivals, Gibson and ESP seem to rule the day. Jackson, Charvel and Ibanez are also doing well. But you rarely spot a Fender at those shows.

[stevenwilliams]

Gibson has a massive image problem. For a consumer demographic that's never been enamored with corporate culture, younger musicians today have even less patience with corporate nonsense than previous generations. And in the guitar industry, Gibson stands alone as the stereotypical fat-cat, bean-counter, out-of-touch, profit-only corporate suits.

Gibson is constantly reinforcing this image with its clueless branding fiascos. PR disasters like Mark Agnesi's cringe-inducing "play authentic" videos, their litigation with what seems like everyone in the industry, their cease and desist letter campaigns, and perhaps most importantly their LACK of quality control screams everything that’s wrong in the music industry.

The comparison group for Gibson is not their past corporate selves. It’s other guitar manufacturers. So, saying they’re better now than the previous corporate train wrecks is meaningless, and I’m not sure that’s even true.

[adriengahery]

This vintage SG of yours you were holding almost throughout the video was a silent yet blatent hint about a guitar that Gibson could market more to younger players. Does make a lot of sense.

[LateNightYinzer]

Well said. I played plain jane Strats through Fender amps for years in my journey starting in 2004. But I wanted to play music that frankly didn't get created that way. I wanted to cover GNR, Alice in Chains, the works. Hard rock that I grew up with. It took me too long to get the opportunity to get my hands on a Gibson Les Paul Standard. But I fell in love with it instantly. I bought my first and only Gibson LP from Vic Dapra here in Pittsburgh (he has his own Gibson signature models, look it up!) and after rewiring it, putting jumbo stainless steel frets on it, and countless other modifications to make it my own, it's my #1 today and it will stay with me forever. They do cost more, certainly. But I agree, I don't think they are overpriced. There is just a lot more that goes into them compared to the Fender construction. The set neck. The hand finished binding. It's a different beast. I still love my strats. But my LP talks to me in a way that no strat ever has. And it loves to talk through a thick high gain amp!

[PNWJEEPER]

I started playing around the time you were born, Rhett. Played some 200 cities a year for a few years. In all that time, I never had Gibsons because of the price and serviceability.
Fender style guitars are not only cheaper, they’re harder to hurt and you can fix them yourself.
I have a couple of nice Gibsons these days, but I’m not dragging my guitars all over the country anymore so I don’t feel like I’m taking such a big risk.

[judehill]

As a young musician, I can affirm that no one in my scene plays Gibson purely because of the cost. "Influence" has very little to do with why we play the instruments we play. In the Austin alt scene, people play Fenders, Gretsches, Epiphones, anything they can get their hands on. If Gibson released good Les Pauls and ES 335s for around $800, there's no doubt that people would be playing them. I don't want tot sound unappreciative of Gibson's designs; they are definitely priced currently for how much effort goes into making them. What I'm saying is that that point is moot. Guitarists will go with the instrument they can afford over the one they want any day; the music has to be played, and if you don't have an instrument because you can't afford your favorite one, that won't happen.

[kevinmorris]

Gibson is nice but fairly expensive and not the only thing going. Others make great instruments. Maybe better. Gibson is like Harley Davidson, cool looking and loud with good resale. That's cool but not the only answer to instruments.

[justsomesaltyboi]

Went to a sweetwater store and was guided through the store to find the right guitar for me. after some playing around with some guitars that were aestetically interesting, i found a love for the PRS Custom SE 24 in a Turquiose finish. I am a gemstone collector and i listen to all kinds of music from southern gothic to djent, but i dont listen to much country. Versatility was a major focus that needed to be addressed and it was addressed properly with my needs as a beginner guitar player. I dont have it yet, but once i get my financial aid back, im going to pick it up at the location and get to work with it. I am really hyped and excited and i cant wait to delve deep into the world of guitars. I think my AD(H)D can appreciate it as well.

[MichaelVeroukis]

My son goes to School Of Rock and they put on a show every few months. In their latest show I noticed that except for one SG most guitars were fender or some other brand. Not one Les Paul. My own son plays my old Squier Strat. But guess what he wants for his birthday? A Les Paul. He picked it out at the shop himself. It's actually an Epiphone Inspired by Gibson series. He picked the 59 Standard with cherry burst. He doesn't know this yet but it's sitting hidden away in my closet. He'll have a great little surprise real soon. He's turning 10. 😊