Gibson to raise prices for 2015 (Page 3 of 4)

For the price, all guitars could come with Grovers could come standard in a package, but auto tune installed. It's only another $40-60!

- Nic from Detroit... posting on JB's Forum since 6-2-2006
Ask me about my handwound Great Lakes Guitar Pickups
Since 2010, Bonamassa fans have taken advantage of my JB friend discount = my cost + shipping.

What bugs me is that they aren't offering a choice. For example, to accomodate curmudgeonly luddites like myself, Fender didn't put "personality cards" in all of their instruments.

Joe and many others are playing on fantastically valuable 50+ year old guitars. And top violinists are playing on instruments many multiples over that both in age and value. Min-Etune is not something that will live that sort of lifetime. Of course you could remove it, and perhaps even sell it on eBay. But if everyone does that, you won't be able to recover the cost of including it that way, and why should you have to bother?

Granted, it may make changing tunings very fast, and for that alone could be the right choice for a performer that wants an "appliance" instrument. Witness Jimmy Page playing a different auto tuning guitar in the Led Zeppelin "Celebration Day" concert. The guitar he played toward the end of that concert had an Axcent Tuning (formerly Transperformance) system installed, and you can see him on their website at http://axcenttuning.com/artist.html. So it would be great if Gibson offered it as a choice for people that wanted it, but they have decided it will come "standard on most models." That this comes along with their dramatic price increase doesn't make them seem customer friendly.

I usually don't have too much of a problem with price increases.  As a former small business owner it was something I had to do, and so does Gibson.  It's a fact of life.

However...

When the increase is that large and they start by trying to justify such an increase with seemingly unproven, and shall I say, unwanted methods and toys?  No.  On the G-force topic, I was cool with it in the beginning.  I would love to have one, I think.  Alternate tunings is one of the many reasons I use to justify having several guitars.  I don't tune every time as I know I should, but I think I would explore more tunings with such a device.  Quite often I have little time to play and I want to spend the time playing, not tuning or changing my tuning.  (I know it doesn't take that long, but sometimes I don't have that long)  But, do I want such a device on ALL my guitars?  No!  Give me the option.

Does everyone want a hard shell case?  A wider finger board?  I've heard good things about PLEK, still not justifying the price increase for me.

Think of this...auto maker announces 29% price increase for the 2015 model year.  Now all cars will be automatics, no standard shift option.  All cars will be hard tops, even our former convertible models.  Leather interior across the model range and come with the Arctic package, heated seats, heated steering wheel, block heater, winter tires...

I just can't see this being a success for them.

Side note: just found out Bob Segers new album features two new songs played in DADGAD!

I guess Tronical didn't have a 7 string model.

I don't play six strings that well, so spreading my "talent" across an extra string will just sound 17% worse. :-) (and all the tabs I've seen are for 6 string)

What gets me is you have no choice that is you can not get a new Gibson without it. I bet $1000 Gibson will change their tune (pun intened) when sales drop off. The wise thing to do is offer it as an option. To think they are arrogant enough tell us buy a Gibson with it or go else where is a fundamental mistake on their part. Within 6 months they will say hey we have do ecided that we will offer this as an option. In the end whatever Bozo came up with this marketing nightmare will be fired. Cheers Ron

I am a gigging musician, and you are right, it will save me money.....because I wouldn't buy one of those with that piece of crap on there if it were the last guitar on earth. LOL

That's great for a musician like you who has the necessity for all of those tunings. If you find it helpful, more power to you. I would venture to say, most have no need for 5 or 6 different tunings at a gig. We play 4 hrs. worth of material. I need two tunings, 1/2 step down, and open E.

It would be just fine to offer a choice, as there may be some who could use it. But I guarantee you, you are the exception, not the rule.

I got a 2014 with the tronical for exactly the reasons you describe.  Unitl I tried it there was no way I could understand how useful it's NOT.  In practice I found it to be more of a hindrance.  In theory it seems pretty ingenius but in use it did not come through.  It rarely fully tunes on first attempt when changing tunings and maybe 50% for first attempt if all strings need adjustment by even a small amount from climate change etc.  While eventually it will get there, it often takes longer than using a tuner.  Since the gear ratio is such, if you want to make a small adjustment to a string while playing you have to crank on the peg for what seems like an eternity to get where you want.

I am fully confident that whatever marketing Bozo at a Gibson started this whole in your face you must have auto tune thing will be on the street. Sooner or later the brass at Gibson will see the light. I just hope it is not after their whole customer base has left the building and sales drop so low they can't recover. This auto tune is going to ge the bad lemon that messed up the lemonade