Gibson... again...

[fakeneckplate'65]

They should have made it into a PR thing. Admit the Firebird x was terrible. Invite people to come to GC as PR events across the country and smash them in some kind of silly rig and do it while plugged into a stack. give the pieces away to people that attend and talk to players about the future of Gibson. Would have been a great way to Build your brand in an unexpected way. Ohhh well I’ve already decided not to ever purchase a Gibson anyways.

For the record, I think the Firebird X looks awesome, but, I also own this..

 

[lz4005]

So what happens now, do I ignore you first, or do you want to ignore me? I'm kind of new to this. Lemme know how you want this to go and I'll be amenable.

Why would I want to ignore you?

 

[Bander]

Yep. Stamped with a 2 in the wood on the back of the headstock

Old technique, I've got a 40's Gibson marked "2". We think it had finish repair at the factory. Its one of my best flattops btw, louder than normal.

It would seem the parts could have been salvageable, and maybe destroy the unique parts so they never get into circulation like the neck or something - but its obvious that would cost more than it was worth. All companies with strong branding do this btw. And its not new. But most companies don't celebrate their greatest failures with video.

Couple observations. This was a particularly elaborate way to destroy guitars. Not the most efficient. Somebody had to transport, unbox, line up, etc. And they aren't really destroyed. Many have necks in tact. And someone has to clean all this up, and then do the actual disposal - so the whole excavator thing is kinda stupid. It was an obvious stunt.

Before this, I'd never heard of this product. Not a bad idea, but I guess they failed in execution. Destruction may have been warranted after all.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

How much would it cost you to rent the trucks that picked them up after you spent countless hours trying to contact (or create) programs that would utilize these very unique guitars? How much storage space do you have? How much time do you have? Now magnify that tenfold.

I'd just put up a sign saying "free guitars this way" or something outside the warehouse with them in. Problem solved.

 

[Kubicki Fan]

This came out on YouTube :

Origin of the clip unknown but the destruction of musical instruments, fake or not, is always a bad idea.

The strings are still on. I wonder if they were set up and tuned prior to..

 

[JW56789]

This was a self-defense move on Gibson's part ( . . . . though it would have been better-done behind closed doors, or at least off-camera); the support required, and the warranty costs they'd have incurred would have been way beyond reason. Better to cut your losses (especially this early in the new-owner-process) now along with who-knows what else, and get to a clean slate. When these were released, all three people who wanted one bought one, then had all these left . . . . . .

When I worked there, we'd destroy several each day. Cheaper to strip the hardware and electronics, axe the complete-but-stripped guitar, and move on. Margins will only support a certain amount of rework.

Also, in my time there (the early 90's), 'seconds' went to endorsers, albeit a rung or two below Joe Perry or Slash.

 

[Jeff Scott]

The strings are still on. I wonder if they were set up and tuned prior to..

If they weren't, this whole thing would have been a farce.

 

[turcmic]

I totally understand that most manufacturers destroy their defective products (or not). It’s a business decision.

What I don’t get is why some jerks took the time to perfectly lay down the finished guitars on the ground, hire a excavator, film the destruction and clean the site afterwards. I don’t see any form of advantage of destroying products this way.

 

[flojob]

I totally understand that most manufacturers destroy their defective products (or not). It’s a business decision.

What I don’t get is why some jerks took the time to perfectly lay down the finished guitars on the ground, hire a excavator, film the destruction and clean the site afterwards. I don’t see any form of advantage of destroying products this way.

Maybe someone or something group needs proof the inventory was destroyed.
I dont know anything about business, but I got the impression it was discontinued stock at an assembly or storage place that was being taken down. If that's accurate, it makes perfect sense to me why they would do it that way.

 

[EdwardofHuncote]

Origin of the clip unknown...

I kept thinking about this... it's right there in the original post. Has anyone tried getting confirmation, or any explanation from Gibson? Somebody at Reverb apparently did. Mysterious Video Shows Bulldozing of Hundreds of Gibson Firebird X Guitars

Here's a copy-pasted quote, if you don't want to pilfer through the whole article:

“The Firebird X destruction video that surfaced months ago was an isolated batch of Firebird X models built in 2009-2011 which were unsalvageable and damaged with unsafe components. This isolated group of Firebird X models were unable to be donated for any purpose and were destroyed accordingly.

“Gibson recently announced its re-launch of the Gibson Foundation. Since 2002, the Gibson Foundation has provided thousands of guitars and donations to schools and charities in excess of $30 million. As a starting point, Gibson has committed to giving a guitar-a-day away over the next 1000 days. 100% of donations to the Gibson Foundation go directly towards giving the gift of music, re-affirming Gibson’s commitment to giving back, helping under-served music education programs, empowering music culture and encouraging the creation of music.”

 

[TDPRI Bones]

They can do whatever they want, but the fact that they keep doing it publicly and getting hammered on the internet for it really makes the new management team look incompetent. And it's not just a few internet kooks or trolls who get bent about these things, it's thousands of potential customers as well.

 

[Koshchei]

That’s small potatoes. The Fortune 500 company I’ve worked for the past 23 years destroys millions of $$ in broadcast/studio electronics and installation components annually to prevent leakage into the second-hand market. It’s a common practice and not just happening at Gibson. Business is business and it’s just a product.

When my employer was in the PC business, they would donate unsold A-stock to developing nations education programs until some crap-hole country on the African Continent attempted to blackmail the donor operating company for a better deal. That ended donations. Full-stop. After that event, even employee access to obsolete models disappeared. So it goes. A few hundred guitars ain’t squat.

If you haven't noticed, we're shaging our planet into a coma by doing stupid "common practice" poopie like this. It has to change.

 

[Koshchei]

I kept thinking about this... it's right there in the original post. Has anyone tried getting confirmation, or any explanation from Gibson? Somebody at Reverb apparently did. Mysterious Video Shows Bulldozing of Hundreds of Gibson Firebird X Guitars

Here's a copy-pasted quote, if you don't want to pilfer through the whole article:

“The Firebird X destruction video that surfaced months ago was an isolated batch of Firebird X models built in 2009-2011 which were unsalvageable and damaged with unsafe components. This isolated group of Firebird X models were unable to be donated for any purpose and were destroyed accordingly.

“Gibson recently announced its re-launch of the Gibson Foundation. Since 2002, the Gibson Foundation has provided thousands of guitars and donations to schools and charities in excess of $30 million. As a starting point, Gibson has committed to giving a guitar-a-day away over the next 1000 days. 100% of donations to the Gibson Foundation go directly towards giving the gift of music, re-affirming Gibson’s commitment to giving back, helping under-served music education programs, empowering music culture and encouraging the creation of music.”

According to the guy who witnessed the destruction, Gibson is lying. According to him, these guitars were unsold stock that was recently destroyed in a testosterone-soaked bravado move by JC and crew. I kinda believe the guy more than Gibson as well, because why go to the trouble with an excavator and the perfect rows? This was a management-level statement about Gibson's change of direction: "More of the same, only bigger, louder, dumber, and more #authentically litigious".

Besides, if these guitars had dangerous components, the responsible thing would have been to strip them out to prevent landfill contamination, and then bandsaw them quietly if they couldn't be retrofitted.

 

[Reedt2000]

According to the guy who witnessed the destruction, Gibson is lying. According to him, these guitars were unsold stock that was recently destroyed in a testosterone-soaked bravado move by JC and crew. I kinda believe the guy more than Gibson as well, because why go to the trouble with an excavator and the perfect rows? This was a management-level statement about Gibson's change of direction: "More of the same, only bigger, louder, dumber, and more #authentically litigious".

Besides, if these guitars had dangerous components, the responsible thing would have been to strip them out to prevent landfill contamination, and then bandsaw them quietly if they couldn't be retrofitted.

I think this was pretty clearly a publicity stunt. IF they really needed to be destroyed is running them over with construction equipment (while walking on them AND filming) the safest and most efficient way to do It?

 

[BigDrew]

Why would I want to ignore you?

It’s kind of odd that you keep going after this guy for an obvious joke...when your avatar picture is Kim Jong-il.

 

[user362432]

The only wrong thing in this process is publishing video. If they kept it confidential, nothing would happen. At this way they just produced another PR nightmare.
or... that was a warning for those who don't play authentic....

 

[40Hz]

Maybe they are confiscated fakes?

Customs usually destroys those. I wasn’t aware they released confiscated goods once they’re seized.

 

[jackn1202]

I’m sure Gibson’s accountants and tax lawyers are more competent in business matters than bass players.

Any other company I’d agree with you, but Gibson’s recent history might suggest no one over there knows what they’re doing...

 

[40Hz]

Maybe someone or something group needs proof the inventory was destroyed.
I dont know anything about business, but I got the impression it was discontinued stock at an assembly or storage place that was being taken down. If that's accurate, it makes perfect sense to me why they would do it that way.

There’s a thing called an industrial chipper. Gibson runs a commercial wood shop. They have one.

Coulda shredded 150 guitars in 45 minutes with zero setup time and far less of a mess to clean up afterwards. Just haul it away afterwards. No muss no fuss.

How long did it take to lay out 150 guitars.

How long did it take to pick up the debris afterwards.

Kiddies were either funnin’ - or they went through all that silly grandstanding rigmarole for some other reason.

 

[gln1955]

There’s a thing called an industrial chipper. Gibson runs a commercial wood shop. They have one.

Coulda shredded 150 guitars in 45 minutes with zero setup time and far less of a mess to clean up afterwards. Just haul it away afterwards. No muss no fuss.

How long did it take to lay out 150 guitars.

How long did it take to pick up the debris afterwards.

Kiddies were either funnin’ - or they went through all that silly grandstanding rigmarole for some other reason.

I think it's pretty clear that the new management has no clue about public relations. One idiotic video or press release after another...