From: platt@watson.ibm.com (Daniel E. Platt)
Subject: Re: Gibson's sales policy
Date: Thu, 08 Oct 1992 17:50:01 GMT
Disclaimer: This posting represents the poster's views, not necessarily those of IBM
Organization: IBM T.J. Watson Research Center

In article <92282.075109WAUGH@SLACVM.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU>, <WAUGH@SLACVM.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU> writes:
|> A very strange thing happened to me yesterday.  I went into a local guitar
|> emporium (Gelb Music in Redwood City, CA) with intent to check on prices and
|> availability of Les Paul Customs.  I yearn for a Heritage Cherry sunburst LPC
|> with three pickups.  Strange I know, but I am the strange one.  So, I figure
|> I'll go in, ask if a triple pickup Custom is available as a special order item
|> and what the damages might be.  If it is a no go, then what do the garden
|> variety HCSB Customs fetch in today's slumping retail market.
|> 
|> At this point the salesperson, who I know to be wise in the ways of the music
|> biz, informs me that Gibson is limiting the number of Les Paul Customs to
|> dealers who will commit to a set number of L-5s, Super 400s, Byrdlands and the
|> like.  I figure the clerk isn't just blowing hot air my way as a quick perusal
|> of the store's stock reveals plenty of Les Paul Standards, 1960 reissues, Les
|> Paul Studios and an ES-335 or two BUT NOT A SINGLE CUSTOM.

Just on the side... I have a black 3 pick-up custom LP.  I heard when I bought
it that sunburst customs with 3 pick-ups were not made.  I also heard that
Gibson was no longer making them (they do it in bursts -- boosts value).
I also heard that they were still making sunburst Custom LP's, but that
the solids weren't being produced anymore.  That was supposedly due to
the high sales of Standards over Customs.

A friend of mine was into collecting guitars for a while.  One of his guitars
was a natural finish (also a rarity) ES-347, which I ended up purchasing from him.
He waited a long time for Gibson to fill the special order, but they did it.
He also ordered a Byrdland.  It was not filled in 2 years, and eventually,
my friend lost interest and cancelled the order.  Somehow, I have the sense
that pushing other strange guitars is not the reason that Gibson is limiting
LP Customs...


|> 
|> I don't know about you but my circle of guitar players doesn't include anyone
|> who even wants a Super 400 much less could afford the $5,000.00 or so bucks
|> they cost.  I also have NEVER met a guitarist who EVER yearned after a Byrdland
|> and its shortened scale length.  It is also true that I only know one serious
|> jazz player and he plays an Epiphone Howard Roberts anyway.
|>

Is it really a shorter scale length?  I just thought it had fewer frets...

NOTE:  The 6/12 double-neck they make has the same short necks (one reason
Page likely changed the ending to Stairway's lead in the live version).
 
|> So what in the wide, wide world of sports is Gibson doing anyway.  Are they
|> seriously thinking of using one of their best selling instruments to lever
|> dealers into stocking some of their worst selling instruments?  Do they imagine
|> they can forcibly create a market where none exists?  Are raindrops falling on
|> my head?
|> 

Its the first time I heard that.  I just thought they were pushing things
they were selling, and cutting back on more expensive, labor intensive
products.

|> Has anyone else in netland run up against this marketing ploy?  Or is Gelb just
|> trying to whine away the reason they don't have a LPC in stock?  Inquiring
|> minds want to know.
|> 
|> As a corollary, does anyone out there have a triple pickup Les Paul Custom for
|> sale?  It doesn't have to be Heritage Cherry sunburst but it would be nice if
|> it was...

Nope... wouldn't sell mine.

|> 
|> Brian Waugh                       |    "What's for dinner?"
|> WAUGH@SLACVM.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU    |        Mary Ford


Dan
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