Down

Just a reminder that it's bleak times ahead for many of us. On the business front, many commercial entities are forced to scale down production or go into a lull period, not by choice, mind you. Examples depicted above show how legislation had forced business into a standstill due to manpower reasons. People are not at work & this affects output. Please understand that there will be shipment delays & products not available off the shelves in the near future. Also, it's not just the music business but business in general, everyone is taking a hit in some ways now. The last thing that we would like to see is unfounded tension due to acquisition issues. Please be mindful & keep emotions checked. We are all affected, you're not alone.

Our thoughts are with those who are in dire straits, financial or otherwise, due to this pandemic. There is no other way but to stay strong & rebound when everything is over. 

Less Gibson

Hear ye, hear ye- Gibson prices are on the down. That's right, the manufacturer had decided to trim their asking prices for the 2015 models which had been reflected by the US stores (actual list prices are even lower). I have no idea if this is going to be the case here but it's the sign of the times, really. It's the effect of tampering, that's right- tampering. Gibson fans are largely traditionalists, they don't like it if the current Gibsons don't sing & feel like the Gibsons of yore. Why is this the case? Because those Gibsons are true gems which set a standard in the industry & they should be respected. I'm not a Gibson fan but I respect well-made & good-sounding Gibsons; we should accord this to all guitars for that matter. Componding the situation are features which nobody looks forward to have- brass nut, differentiated scripts, pretentious tuning system, wider neck width & the most rotten of all, citing the fact that the Les Paul pickguards are now removable- when were they not? Let's not think (too hard) how much these instruments are going to be worth in the after-market.

Putting things in perspective, the 2015 SG Standard you see above is $1,000 more than its 2013 predecessor (because I bought one then- thank goodness!)- how is this current manifestation much more desirable than the 2013 (or even the 2014) version? I'm not a Gibson basher by any means but the people behind the brand are not doing its heritage any good in the mean time. Yes, we deal with inflation & increasing production costs as we go along but to misrepresent this with perceived improvements reeks of desperation.