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More (less) Gibby "fun" at W@rmoth?


aknapp

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Just saw the notice below posted for every build-it-yourself Gibson-style body:

"In response to Gibson’s legal demands over potential trademark issues, Warmoth is no longer building new product for this precise body shape."

Given Gibson's recent "firesale", how do you suppose this fits into their overall strategy? Do they even have a strategy?

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I don't think that the Warmoth thing has anything to do with Gibson's recent firesale. They overproduced during a poor global economy, and the pricing stayed at pre-2008 prices. I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner.

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Jeez, who hasn't Gibson tangled with legally? I wonder what they pay out in law-talkin'-guy fees.

They even went after Rock Band because of their guitar shaped controllers, and Walmart for selling said controller. I'd laugh my ass off if a giant like Walmart ended up buying out Gibson and sold them as their exclusive house brand instruments, right next the their First Act brand. :lol:

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It's the V shape. However, no matter how I dislike the move, Gibson did invent the shape. If it was you who saw someone else making money using your idea, I bet you wouldn't be happy. Therefore I think this time Gibson's claims are legitimate.

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I don't think that the Warmoth thing has anything to do with Gibson's recent firesale. They overproduced during a poor global economy, and the pricing stayed at pre-2008 prices. I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner.

Are you sure about the pricing? I seem to remember a new SG Standard would be around $1600.00 (street) back in 2004/2005. These days they're 1200.00 or less.

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Yes - they've been dropping their prices and introducing cheaper lines, but their core products are still high. $4k for a LP Custom?

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" $4k for a LP Custom? "

Only because it is produced at the GCS.

Still manufactured as if at the USA plant,

Most non historic customs manufactured at the GCS

are "leftover" woods, moods that did not make the cut for Historic types...

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Is Gibson the next Schwinn? Remember when Schwinn made a great line of bikes, entry level to racing all US production? Things changed and Schwinn, then they changed some more, now Schwinn is a "Wal-mart" type bike only (I don't think they make any "good" bikes anymore) owned by some non-US bike distribution/mfg company that does no US production. So, in a few years, Gibson sells to a large non-US production company and is "reintrodcued" as a discount store line.

I guess this is the trend. This same sort of selling off of US companies happend to Beer right? Volvo (Swiss, I know), Hummer, and Jaguar are owned by a Chinese company I think. This is probably all good in the end (I'm not trying to be political). But somehow, with things like guitars, bikes, and beer - elements deeply woven in our countries cultural fabric - it is emotionally sort of a downer.

Oh yeah, @Zorrow. I believe strongly in protecting IP. IP is typically undervalued. If the V is Gibson's, then Gibson should get a cut of the V. It does get tricky though from a legal point of view (which I assume they sorted out). As Gibson didn't invent the guitar, the electric guitar, or the V shape. But they did invent the V shape electric guitar (with set neck and 24.75 scale?). Is that IP? Is that a trademark? How much change to a V (Jackson? bolt on? 25.5 scale?) is it no longer a Gibson V. But the patent/TM/IP lawyers can sort all that out and I guess they did. In the end, I'd like to see Gibson and Warmoth both make money so hopefully the legal fees were limited - and I'm fine with the lawyers making money too.

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Good lawyers going for Gibson I guess. I don't know the body shape you refer to, but if it is the LP, how can a bolt on 25.5 scale guitar be a trademark violation? Is it the headstock on the LP neck?

Remember, the successful lawsuit against the Japanese companies was not based on the single-cut body shape, but the "open book" headstock shape. The single-cut body shape was not a part of the suit. IIRC, that's how PRS prevailed when the single-cut issue came up decades later.

Is Gibson the next Schwinn? Remember when Schwinn made a great line of bikes, entry level to racing all US production? Things changed and Schwinn, then they changed some more, now Schwinn is a "Wal-mart" type bike only (I don't think they make any "good" bikes anymore) owned by some non-US bike distribution/mfg company that does no US production. So, in a few years, Gibson sells to a large non-US production company and is "reintrodcued" as a discount store line.

Last time I was in the mom and pop bike shop in Jackson they were still selling the better Schwinn products, but the proprietor was bemoaning the fact that the typical consumer couldn't tell the difference between the $300 Schwinn kid's bike he was selling and the $99 kid's bike being sold down the street at Wal-Mart, and saw no benefit to him setting up the bike compared to the kid in the back room at Wal-Mart. I don't think he was planning on carrying Schwinn much longer.

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I guess this is the trend. This same sort of selling off of US companies happend to Beer right? Volvo (Swiss, I know), Hummer, and Jaguar are owned by a Chinese company I think. This is probably all good in the end (I'm not trying to be political). But somehow, with things like guitars, bikes, and beer - elements deeply woven in our countries cultural fabric - it is emotionally sort of a downer.

If that is the trend, I'm glad I got me my USA custom(s) and production models. Some day when I;m too old to shred, folks will be paying a mighty fine dollar for our higher end USA-mades. Should finance my journey into worm food quite nicely.

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If that is the trend, I'm glad I got me my USA custom(s) and production models. Some day when I;m too old to shred, folks will be paying a mighty fine dollar for our higher end USA-mades. Should finance my journey into worm food quite nicely.

I hope you have a backup plan!

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It's the V shape. However, no matter how I dislike the move, Gibson did invent the shape. If it was you who saw someone else making money using your idea, I bet you wouldn't be happy. Therefore I think this time Gibson's claims are legitimate.

Does that mean Dean is next? I've still got that early, prototype TCV purchased from Dick Regenberg. Wondering now if I should keep it. Really nice example of a Dean, especially with new frets/nut/PLEK.

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