12 October, 2016
Guitar sales must be a bit slow at Gibson.
When they’re down, Gibson has in the past tried to salvage things by suddenly making left handed guitars too. Then when things turn around they suddenly dump them again. They have been doing this for years. Flip flop, flip flop. The last time Gibson made left handed guitars of any sort was 2013 - 3 years ago. Put another way: for the last 3 years there have been zero left handed guitars from Gibson USA.
Our good friend Neal from Leftyfretz in the UK is the authority on left handed guitar news. I would be surprised if there was a single left handed guitarist in the world today (with a computer, tablet or smartphone) that doesn’t know about Leftyfretz. Neal is our best friend, really. I got this news from Leftyfretz.
So, what’s the news? Gibson will be offering left handed guitars from 2017.
Yeah, yeah, yeah – heard it all before, you say? Token Les Pauls again? What about left handed Explorers, Firebirds and Flying V’s? That’s the real question.
We already know Gibson periodically makes and then stops making lefty Les Pauls and sometimes an SG. We know that lefty Gibson Explorers have not been made since the 1980s. We also know that lefty Firebirds were only made once in over 50 years of production, and for a very short time. And Flying V’s? They are ancient history as far as left handed ones go. So what is Gibson making in left hand in 2017?
Les Pauls and SGs? – Yes.
Explorers, Firebirds and Flying Vs? – No.
SURPRISE! ... It’s a stuck record.
Really, people? Why should you as a lefty guitarist show an ounce of loyalty or respect to a brand that keeps giving and taking away some products, and at the same time gives you absolutely nothing of the ones that people actually want? To me that’s a pretty arrogant and disrespectful business mentality.
I don’t know why some left handed guitarists still ingratiate themselves with Gibson guitars. My question to that is: why? They aren’t the best guitars. For us in Australia they cost more to buy than a fully custom made Gaskell, 100% made in Australia. Gaskell guitars are superior to Gibson guitars.
Gaskell Guitars makes left handed Explorers, Firebirds, and Flying V’s.
I don’t know why people should feel anything other than scorn for Gibson USA and their attitude toward left handed players and left handed guitars. Why should you be held captive by them? To feel otherwise is still Stockholm Syndrome to me.
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