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Gibson basses. When Burt calls.

If Fender has basses with the Fender brand (not Squier) in the $700.00 to $1,000 range, Gibson should do the same.

They should have their own version of Gibson MIM in that price range and that would certainly drive up sales and cash flow. The casual player can't spend $2,300 on a Gibson and may not want a $700.00 Epiphone either.

Fender has small, medium and large in terms of pricing and Gibson should do the same.
gibson does that with guitars, the sg usa made entry level guitar is excellent and quite affordable. Why don't they do that for their basses?
 
1. Follow the Fender model- custom shop > American built > import
2. Build the line around the Thunderbird, EB-0/3, Grabber/Ripper, and a hollow body like the Jack Casady/EB-2. Have those four models available across price points. Make every other model available through the custom shop.
3. Do occasional runs of less popular models (LP bass, RD, EB-1). Whichever ones do well go into production across all price points.
4. Re-launch Tobias as a custom-build-only brand.
5. Profit
 
Why don't they do that for their basses?

They do. They’re called Epihones. ;)

Look at the negative attitude so many bass players have towards Gibson basses despite having never owned or even played one. The 2014 EB was under a grand. As was the more recent LP Junior bass. Despite both being decent basses you had people slagging them before they even came out.

So where’s Gibson’s incentive to do another gateway bass? The TBird and SG/EB-3 continue to sell just like they always have. And people can (and do) just buy the Epiphone version if they don’t want to spring for the Gibson labeled model. They sound virtually identical. So it’s no skin off Gibson’s nose.
 
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They do. They’re called Epihones. ;)

Look at the negative attitude so many bass players have towards Gibson basses despite having never owned or even played one. The 2014 EB was under a grand. As was the more recent LP Junior bass. Despite both being decent basses you had people slagging them before they even came out.

So where’s Gibson’s incentive to do another gateway bass? The TBird and SG/EB-3 continue to sell just like they always have. And people can (and do) just buy the Epiphone version if they don’t want to spring for the Gibson labeled model. They sound virtually identical. So it’s no skin off Gibson’s nose.
Nope. I said USA gibson. That is not the same manufacturing as epiphone. I was being very specific. They do have usa made gibson brands guitars, exactly as I said.
 
Gibson are still making their DC Jr Tribute , or at least it’s still on their website . It’s a great little bass !
47155D85-C5EC-43E4-AD6B-B29643BB0F46.jpeg
 
Nope. I said USA gibson. That is not the same manufacturing as epiphone. I was being very specific. They do have usa made gibson brands guitars, exactly as I said.

I’ve owned and played Gibson basses as my main bass since 1974. I currently have four of them. I’ve owned a Gibson guitar since 1967. I also own two moderately recent manufactured Epiphones. The differences in manufacturing between them are negligible.

So two questions:

Do you own and play either a Gibson and/or Epiphone bass?

What exactly is the point you’re making by being so very specific?

I only ask because you seem to feel the “Gibson USA” made thing packs more cachet in the bass world than it does when it comes to basses.
 
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I’ve owned and played Gibson basses as my main bass since 1974. I currently have four of them. I’ve owned a Gibson guitar since 1967. I also own two moderately recent manufactured Epiphones. The differences in manufacturing between them are negligible.

So two questions:

Do you own and play either a Gibson and/or Epiphone bass?

What exactly is the point you’re making by being so very specific?

I a only ask because you seem to feel the Gibson USA made thing packs more cachet than it does when it comes to basses.

I was originally responding directly to the person who asked for affordable gibson branded instruments, and I mentioned that they exist already, but oddly only for guitars (well maybe for other instruments too?), but not for basses.

That's just a fact I was sharing, and to me it proves that it's possible, so why isn't it done for their basses? Logical thoughts, I think.

I am not particular to the origin of country or brand. Just giving accurate information where it directly answered someone's question in the thread. :)

I play a veitnam built peavey, a carvin, a german made warwick, and a low end indonesian ibanez. They're all great instruments with the setups and work I've done to each.
 
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That's just a fact I was sharing, and to me it proves that it's possible, so isn't it done for their basses? Logical thoughts, I think.

Logical? Yes. But logic usually doesn’t direct marketing since emotion is that most marketing is directed towards. And Gibson has largely abandoned any sense of logic with their current marketing which is purely targeting towards nostalgia, and some imagined tradition.

I play a veitnam built peavey, a carvin, a german made warwick, and a low end indonesian ibanez. They're all great instruments with the setups and work I've done to each.


Good man. Glad to see you haven’t fallen for the myth that country of manufacture means something anymore. And have the experience to know that it’s the little details, such as setup and fret dressing that is most of what separates the quality affordable product lines from the deluxe ones.
 
If they want to sell basses, they need to make them accessible to the average player.

They should do a run of lower cost reissues of 4 of their classics - EB0 (slab style) EB3, Grabber and Tbird. Make them quality but no frills and price them like the player series from Fender.

Failing that, bring back the EB models from 2013/14. Those were killer and priced well.

They should also do a Gibson version of the Jack Cassidy (Les Paul bass) with a couple of new finish options.

shortscale Thunderbird would be awesome too
 
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