AdmiralB

But most of those have been fondled in a store, right? The problem doesn't show up immediately; they don't leave the factory with it. It's more rare on CT guitars because they're just now getting old enough to develop it.

The switch is hard to date (although it happened in '97), because there were instruments that were started in IL and finished in CT. I think it is likely that there are IL (started, anyway) with later SNs than some early all-CTs. Regardless, they have not totally eliminated the issue. I've seen '00-'01s with it.

I agree. It would have been an easier sell in, say, 1994 - when Hamer significantly undercut Gibson in price. Now that there is pretty much price parity, it'll be tough. IMO this will help Gibson's mystique, not hurt it. Whether that helps sales, I dunno.