New acoustic instruments from Gibson ...

[sfden1]

Originally Posted by rforman15

you know, I too haven't found much of interest in new Gibsons, but I am still looking. Here's at least part of the problem as I see it. Gibson seems almost secretive about where you can buy a Gibson. Google Gibson and you get hits for a few big box stores like Musician's Friend and mail order stores, not much else.

I am sure I could log onto the Gibson website and find retailers, but they seem to have things pretty well rigged so that you can only buy from a few select Gibson dealers. No prices aloud online or even in an e-mail as I learned when I recently inquired about an Epiphone.

The one place I know for sure where to look for a new Gibson is at Guitar Center. I go to all the Guitar Centers in all the cities I visit. Guitar Center almost never sets up a guitar correctly. They almost always stink. And not just the Gibsons, but also the Martins, the Taylors, the Breedloves, etc. Guitar Center has a knack for ruining a perfectly good guitar.

So I can't find a Gibson at Guitar Center, and I don't know where else to look and play one. There must be a store somewhere in America that gets the good Gibsons and sets them up to achieve their fullest potential. If so, Gibson sure doesn't want me to find them.

I share your frustration at Gibson's marketing strategy. Totally agree with you too about GC.

If you go to Gibson's website you can find a link for all Gibson dealers in the US. For some reason I haven't ever been ale to figure out, there are a few dealers who are allowed to post pictures and prices on the internet, but most can't. Not a clue why. Try GuitarSale.com. I think Fullers Vintage Instruments is also allowed to advertise, but not sure. You might also try the Gibson forum and see if anyone else has any suggestions.

I don't think its correct though that they can't quote you a price in an email. I've certainly been able to get that from a number of dealers and never had anyone say they weren't supposed to. I'm guessing whoever told you that didn't really understand the policy, or just didn't want to bother.

Sounds like you travel a bit. If your ever in the SF Bay Area, Rocker Guitars in SF carries Gibson, and there's a 5 star dealer (which means they carry the entire line instead of just a few models) in San Jose. If you ever get up to the Eugene area in Oregon, McKenzie River Music also caries Gibson. Check out their website. No new Gibby's shown, but some really nice vintage models, including some vintage Martin's. Fun to look at even if your not into buying off the net.

Anyway, hope that helps. The place to start though is Gibson's website.

[rforman15]

I don't think its correct though that they can't quote you a price in an email.

I'm just telling you what the retailer EM Shorts told me. This is within the last couple of days.

I travel a lot for work, used to live in the Bay Area, been to many guitar stores in Bay Area and around the country, not just Guitar Center, of course, and I go to the occasional guitar show, been to the Healdsburg show, and a few others. Like I wrote, the single best guitar I ever owned/played (and I've owned about 90 since I started playing back in the day), but the best of them all was a 1929 Gibson L-4 that I only sold recently to afford a new archtop. The L-Century of Progress had "that" sound too, but it had a slew of problems and needed a neck reset and a bunch of other work, I sold it too.