Gibson ruining yet another acquired brand.

[Bruce Sokolovic]

Their service is just beyond awful!

Incident 1. I have a pair of KRK VXT8 monitors. Roughly 1500 bucks for the pair of them retail so they're mid priced, decent workhorse monitors. I blew a tweeter. Called their customer service which of course is now Gibson for years already. What can Gibson do? Their answer was absolutely nothing. They wouldn't sell me a tweeter and wouldn't even repair the speaker just a couple years out of warranty at my own cost. I guess I'm supposed to throw my monitors in the river because they need a 40 dollar tweeter.

Incident 2. Pal of mine needed tubes for a mk series amp. out of warranty a few years, can't even get tubes from a retailer. Retailers want serial numbers and if you're out of warranty, you can't get a Mesa tube. Guess like my monitors you're supposed to throw your amp in the river if you need a preamp tube. Spend, spend spend. Thanks Gibson!

Not only did they hurt their brand by years of building high priced sub par instruments, seems they want to put the nail in the coffin by offering some of the worst service in the industry.

They also win the guitar most likely to have fetal alcohol syndrome, the Firebird X.

Damn thing looks like the town drunk had sex with his PS5 controller.

 

[FractalAudio]

1. https://www.midwestspeakerrepair.com/shop/pro-audio/krk/krk-vxt8-tweeter-part-twtk00020/

2. https://www.dougstubes.com/

 

[rushfan]

Gosh, I hope Gibson isn't advocating for throwing anything into a river, other than a fishing line! Sorry to hear of Gibson's poor service. Sticking with my EVH, Fender, Taylor and FractalAudio purchases!

 

[ElectricPhase]

They also win the guitar most likely to have fetal alcohol syndrome, the Firebird X.

Damn thing looks like the town drunk had sex with his PS5 controller.

You're not wrong.

 

[Bruce Sokolovic]

You're not wrong.

How in the hell are you supposed to take this brand seriously after this thing? They went from the most iconic guitar in music to this. Seems their service followed them into the dumpster too.

 

[rushfan]

How in the hell are you supposed to take this brand seriously after this thing? They went from the most iconic guitar in music to this. Seems their service followed them into the dumpster too.

But, but...it's the most versatile game controller, er, guitar ever produced!

 

[Bruce Sokolovic]

1. https://www.midwestspeakerrepair.com/shop/pro-audio/krk/krk-vxt8-tweeter-part-twtk00020/

2. https://www.dougstubes.com/

That tweeter was available nowhere in the world at the time. I think I also tried this link you listed as well. Spent about an hour googling, making phone calls etc. Even got scammed on eBay for the damn thing when I got desperate.

Sweetwater came through for me a couple weeks later.

 

[State of Epicicity]

The thing that killed me was them acquiring Steinberger. One of the most innovative legacies in guitar, and now for the guitar side it's essentially one budget model, and I do not trust that you'd be able to get parts anywhere, except maybe knock offs from AliExpress. I'm also sure the TransTrem is dead until Gibson sells off the brand. In the meantime you can always get a refurbished guitar with one for $5k from HeadlessUSA.com through eBay. I was so hopeful when Gibson hired their latest CEO. Maybe the company is cursed or something.

 

[Dave Merrill]

They lost me at Opcode.

 

[la szum]

The thing that killed me was them acquiring Steinberger. One of the most innovative legacies in guitar, and now for the guitar side it's essentially one budget model, and I do not trust that you'd be able to get parts anywhere, except maybe knock offs from AliExpress. I'm also sure the TransTrem is dead until Gibson sells off the brand. In the meantime you can always get a refurbished guitar with one for $5k from HeadlessUSA.com through eBay. I was so hopeful when Gibson hired their latest CEO. Maybe the company is cursed or something.

It's not out of the question for Corporations to buy up competing products/services and then mothball them.

 

[State of Epicicity]

It's not out of the question for Corporations to buy up competing products/services and then mothball them.

Yeah I know. But Man, sometimes it goes from regular douchebag behavior to just being tragic. I feel like the most innovative stuff in guitar dies way too often. Parker is another example.

 

[Chewie5150]

I didnt know Gibson owns the KRK brand. Once had a pair of the G2 rokit 8s. Not too bad and was ready to update my monitors and nearly went with the V series but ended up with my CLR's that i've had for about 10 yrs now already. Shit, I hope these don't crap out on me

 

[USMC_Trev]

Damn thing looks like the town drunk had sex with his PS5 controller.

The PS5 controller took the morning after pill mid-coitus.

 

[USMC_Trev]

I didnt know Gibson owns the KRK brand. Once had a pair of the G2 rokit 8s. Not too bad and was ready to update my monitors and nearly went with the V series but ended up with my CLR's that i've had for about 10 yrs now already. Shit, I hope these don't crap out on me

They won’t. Built like a brick shithouse they are. 10 years have I had mine. They’ve been through 4 moves and 6 months in a PODS container.

 

[sprint]

I didnt know Gibson owns the KRK brand. Once had a pair of the G2 rokit 8s. Not too bad and was ready to update my monitors and nearly went with the V series but ended up with my CLR's that i've had for about 10 yrs now already. Shit, I hope these don't crap out on me

Still got my G2 Rocket 8s+sub - using them along side YamHS8s for ch 3/4 spatial audio music listening and "surround guitar playing" - 10yrs+ still ok - touch wood.

 

[Gregmang]

I’ll never forgive them for completely running Cakewalk to ground.

Luckily it was resurrected a few years back by Bandlab and now it’s never been better.

But ya, Gibson running companies is never a good sign. Even their own.

 

[Piing]

I blew a tweeter.

Fantastic! Now you can globally turn off all CABs at the Axe-FX

 

[200man]

They never should’ve let their new age, trash designs intermingle with their legacy instruments.

 

[Tonedeaf]

Don't forget Fender is just as guilty in what they do to the brands they buy.

 

[Bruce Sokolovic]

Don't forget Fender is just as guilty in what they do to the brands they buy.

I’ve received good service from Fender, the one time I needed something from them. Warranty issue taken care of at a local shop. Good communication and fast authorization.

edit their CEO Andy Mooney is also a very smart man and quite approachable. We had a somewhat lengthy discussion a few years back about the state of the guitar, who’s buying them and the dropout rate after buying the first instrument. It was quite eye opening.