I played 3 of the new Gibson Melody Makers today

Billy3000 · Post by **Billy3000** » Wed Jun 08, 2011 12:48 am

They're worse than I expected. And I expected them to be bad. I walked into guitar center on my way home from teaching lessons today and they were displayed out in the front right where everyone walks in, so they're trying to promote them. I picked up 3 different ones, two SG's and an LP. They all felt worse than garbage. They looked bad, the paint on them is worse than the regular faded series, so if you don't like that finish or you are only able to tolerate it, you will hate the finish on these. The fret ends were like razor blades on all 3 of them, and on each guitar you could feel the line where the fretboard was glued on to the neck so it wasn't done well at all... there is seriously a small line running down the entire neck on both sides where the neck is ever so slightly wider than the fretboard. It doesn't sound like it would be a big deal but it really is and you can feel it while playing it. The LP body was super thin, probably the same thickness as the SG's, so that was nice, I wish that more models of the LP were offered with thin bodies like that. BUT the neck joint on the LP was GOD-AWFUL! Every LP neck meets at the body, and the cutaway lines up with the neck so it's even, and access to the higher frets is real easy. On the Melody maker LP the body juts out about another 1/4 inch at the neck joint rather than having the cutaway follow the neck. It also has a very sharp corner on this little 1/4 inch bit of wood that jabs at your hand if you try and hit the higher frets.

Bottom line, I wouldn't pay $50 for one of these. They are total pieces of crap, they felt and looked so horrible that they didn't even deserve to be plugged in to see if they sounded decent, but judging by how terrible they felt, I wouldn't expect them to sound very good either.

Haze · Post by **Haze** » Wed Jun 08, 2011 12:57 am

Played the SG, exact same as what you said, shit sucks.

cobascis · Post by **cobascis** » Wed Jun 08, 2011 1:25 am

damn it. they were the only gibsons I would ever consider, really. I wouldn't mind a 335, that said.

Billy3000 · Post by **Billy3000** » Wed Jun 08, 2011 3:19 am

Haze wrote:Played the SG, exact same as what you said, shit sucks.

Yea the fact that all 3 of the ones that I played had the same problems, I figure the vast majority if not all of them are the same. I don't know where they get off charging $539 for them!

StevePirates · Post by **StevePirates** » Wed Jun 08, 2011 3:25 am

The older LP based melody makers were so much better.

BillClay · Post by **BillClay** » Wed Jun 08, 2011 3:59 am

Billy3000 wrote: I don't know where they get off charging $539 for them!

By being Gibson. That is how they justify everything they do, at least in their minds.

pumpkin · Post by **pumpkin** » Wed Jun 08, 2011 9:06 am

Yeah I played one of those 50s tribute les pauls at a guitar store the other day, man it was shit. Felt very cheap and poorly made. Gibson is fucking up, this C.E.O. they have now is a total moron. He throws tons of money at that monstrosity, the Firebird X, and fancies himself Steve Jobs... he's gonna drive that company into the ground.

When I was playing that Les Paul, I thought to myself "I would pay â‚¬400 at most for this", not â‚¬699.

Haze · Post by **Haze** » Wed Jun 08, 2011 3:47 pm

^I wouldn't pay 400 USD for that shit. I would perfer one of the epiphone LP and SG juniors that are $99

Billy3000 · Post by **Billy3000** » Wed Jun 08, 2011 4:49 pm

Haze wrote:^I wouldn't pay 400 USD for that shit. I would perfer one of the epiphone LP and SG juniors that are $99

Dude... standing right next to the Melody makers was a bunch of the epi jr's! Seems like a bad marketing move in my mind, people would pick up the gibson melody maker and realize that the epi that costs 1/5 the price is a better instrument!

othomas2 · Post by **othomas2** » Wed Jun 08, 2011 7:24 pm

I know what you're saying but always find the cheaper Gibsons have always been alright... but I always compare that with top end Gibsons in terms of cost, playability & sound and not judging on looks. And for that I think they're ok. Not tried these in particular but the worn studios / Juniors / 60s tribs etc etc are in the same sorta bracket.

They are certainly rough around the edges quite literally: Unfinished / blemished and generally quite rugged on the exterior & interior. They're built to a price point... in comparison to top end Gibson. They'll be making a handsome profit on this stuff, but in comparison to high end Gibson they're pretty affordable... and if they charged any less they wouldn't be taken seriously by some in my opinion. Also, a large hand made element can be to blame. They unique within themselves, like everything you'll always get a few duffs.

Sharp edged frets have always been a pet hate of mine... I've experienced this with most of them, but it's an easy fix... and could be to do with you non fully dried woods in construction.

If I was to be asked, should I go top end Epiphone or low end Gibson, it's Gibson every time !! 85% of all guitars returned to the shop I work for are Epiphone... they're pretty awful and don't stand the test of time. Bits dropping off... unresponsive truss rods... Really bad uneven frets. Low spec Gibsons are at least a decently crafted instrument at heart which will only get better over time, with a little care and attention... & ... I'm not even a Gibson fan.

Ankhanu · Post by **Ankhanu** » Wed Jun 08, 2011 7:35 pm

Basically what you're saying is that it's ok that they cut corners and we should expect lower quality for a higher price than their competitors (or even licensed copies) just because their high end stuff is also over priced? That's somewhat backwards to me... we as consumers shouldn't roll over and just take what is offered at the price that enhances a producer's profits at our expense. Gibson gets away with poor quality because we let them. We shouldn't.

Gabriel · Post by **Gabriel** » Wed Jun 08, 2011 7:49 pm

Ankhanu wrote:Gibson gets away with poor quality because we let them. We shouldn't.

This exactly, only the Gibson Archtops and high end acoustics impress me, and they often are into the Â£2K mark.

Ankhanu · Post by **Ankhanu** » Wed Jun 08, 2011 7:54 pm

Paying for quality is fine. Nothing wrong with that. Paying for a name, without receiving the quality of other items in the price point, is ridiculous.

Gabriel · Post by **Gabriel** » Wed Jun 08, 2011 7:56 pm

I totally believe that, but sadly its the problem with the guitar market. Often the high end companies have a higher charge just for their name, or being 'boutique'. There need to be more companies like Eastman who make guitars in China, yet the quality vastly exceeds what most other manufactures can produce for around half the price that the other firms are charging.

Billy3000 · Post by **Billy3000** » Wed Jun 08, 2011 9:05 pm

othomas2 wrote:I know what you're saying but always find the cheaper Gibsons have always been alright... but I always compare that with top end Gibsons in terms of cost, playability & sound and not judging on looks. And for that I think they're ok. Not tried these in particular but the worn studios / Juniors / 60s tribs etc etc are in the same sorta bracket.

They are certainly rough around the edges quite literally: Unfinished / blemished and generally quite rugged on the exterior & interior. They're built to a price point... in comparison to top end Gibson. They'll be making a handsome profit on this stuff, but in comparison to high end Gibson they're pretty affordable... and if they charged any less they wouldn't be taken seriously by some in my opinion. Also, a large hand made element can be to blame. They unique within themselves, like everything you'll always get a few duffs.

Sharp edged frets have always been a pet hate of mine... I've experienced this with most of them, but it's an easy fix... and could be to do with you non fully dried woods in construction.

If I was to be asked, should I go top end Epiphone or low end Gibson, it's Gibson every time !! 85% of all guitars returned to the shop I work for are Epiphone... they're pretty awful and don't stand the test of time. Bits dropping off... unresponsive truss rods... Really bad uneven frets. Low spec Gibsons are at least a decently crafted instrument at heart which will only get better over time, with a little care and attention... & ... I'm not even a Gibson fan.

That is crazy. I've played tons of Epi LP standards or customs that have been very good quality instruments. And a lot of people that I've been in bands with have had them and they've always been nice and gig worthy! I wouldn't paddle a boat with these gibson melody makers. Even comparing them to the faded series, worn studios, or tributes isn't a good comparison because of how truly terrible these are. Most of the faded series SG's I've played have been decent beyond needing some fret work. These are just plain terrible, there is no arguement for how bad these are. There shouldn't be a noticeable gap between the edge of the neck and the edge of the fretboard. The neck joint on the LP needs to be flush with the neck rather than jutting out, and even if it has to have that little bit, it needs to be at least a bit more rounded down so it doesn't jab your hand. These things are truly awful. I've played better guitars at Best Buy and Target.

I agree with the statement that Gibson gets away with this terrible quality just because they're gibson and the consumer lets them get away with it. I've stated before that I've even played some of their $2,000 and up LP's that have had terrible quality control. The worst of which had a fretboard that wasn't even lined up to the neck properly, about an 1/8 inch in on one side and an 1/8 inch off the neck on the other side... and this was hanging on the wall at guitar center. Their quality control is terrible even on their higher end models. These low end models are an embarassment, and I don't even think that it's a fluke, seeing as how all 3 of the ones I played had the same problems, and someone else that posted above mentioned noticing the same problems on the one he played. I expect these problems to be pretty consistent among all of them, and they really just aren't worth their asking price. A few years ago they had that single coil melody maker for $399, that seems like more the price point these should be in, but even for that they would be extremely overpriced. I wasn't joking when I said that I wouldn't pay $50 for one.

Mages · Post by **Mages** » Wed Jun 08, 2011 9:32 pm

ok, your complaints are valid but I don't think you can say they are overpriced. remember you are talking about an american made guitar. we pay people a living wage here. we've been spoiled by cheap import guitars. you really can't compare the prices of guitars made in china, korea, indonesia, etc. to the prices of guitars made in USA. it's like you are saying the guys at gibson should be working for $3 a day or something. I mean how much would you charge if you made a guitar? and this is not like a job where you have continuous production, they make the guitars in batches. really I think you gotta give 'em a break, they are doing their best to try to give you an inexpensive american made product.

othomas2 · Post by **othomas2** » Wed Jun 08, 2011 9:35 pm

If what you're saying is right Billy then standards have seemingly dropped. Would be good to see pics to clearly see what you're referring to in regards to neck joint, gap between neck / fretboard. That does sound pretty extreme, which I never properly picked up on your original post. What I'm saying by the Gibsons I've seen pass through the net here are hastily put together but can be rectified with a quick once over. This does not sound like the case with these new 'uns.

When these Epi's are returned it's me who has to deal with repairing them... it's a real mare. There's been days when 4 have come in in one day faulty. We had several that were broken down for parts that weren't sellable... we smashed one in comical fashion (damaged already !!) and the neck pocket was horrendous... is that really what Epiphone call a set neck ? hahaaa... it just seems out of site out of mind for them. Most just see a nice flame top and don't look beyond that. It makes me livid.

Ankhanu wrote:Basically what you're saying is that it's ok that they cut corners and we should expect lower quality for a higher price than their competitors (or even licensed copies) just because their high end stuff is also over priced? That's somewhat backwards to me... we as consumers shouldn't roll over and just take what is offered at the price that enhances a producer's profits at our expense. Gibson gets away with poor quality because we let them. We shouldn't.

I was just saying in comparison, relatively speaking. I agree with you, which is why I don't own a Gibson !! They don't tick all the boxes... where as a secondhand modded Japanese Jag does !!

Gibson aren't the only ones to be blame for price hiking though. At the end of the day it's business... and unfortunately which ever way you look at it there is always going to be brand snobbery. People will pay for the name regardless.

othomas2 · Post by **othomas2** » Wed Jun 08, 2011 9:36 pm

Mages wrote:ok, your complaints are valid but I don't think you can say they are overpriced. remember you are talking about an american made guitar. we pay people a living wage here. we've been spoiled by cheap import guitars. you really can't compare the prices of guitars made in china, korea, indonesia, etc. to the prices of guitars made in USA. it's like you are saying the guys at gibson should be working for $3 a day or something. I mean how much would you charge if you made a guitar? and this is not like a job where you have continuous production, they make the guitars in batches. really I think you gotta give 'em a break, they are doing their best to try to give you an inexpensive american made product.

Yes yes, that too... agree with every word. Some people WONT play a chinese made instrument even if they can't fault it.

24HRS2MDNT · Post by **24HRS2MDNT** » Wed Jun 08, 2011 9:46 pm

My 60 's tribute goldtop with P90s is made at least as well as any guitar in the same price range. Maybe different caps would have been a better choice but the build is sound. I checked out a Jonas Bros tribute Melody Maker and it seemed like a great little guitar.

I can't really speak to construction flaws like some of you are seeing but in large stores where most guitars on the wall just look uninspiring and lifeless there are at least a few decently priced Gibsons calling my name ... Captain Juicy.

Agreeing with Mages & othomas2 but far more concerned with the useless gig bags being given out with Gibsons. That is the crime!

Billy3000 · Post by **Billy3000** » Wed Jun 08, 2011 10:07 pm

Mages wrote:ok, your complaints are valid but I don't think you can say they are overpriced. remember you are talking about an american made guitar. we pay people a living wage here. we've been spoiled by cheap import guitars. you really can't compare the prices of guitars made in china, korea, indonesia, etc. to the prices of guitars made in USA. it's like you are saying the guys at gibson should be working for $3 a day or something. I mean how much would you charge if you made a guitar? and this is not like a job where you have continuous production, they make the guitars in batches. really I think you gotta give 'em a break, they are doing their best to try to give you an inexpensive american made product.

The problem is that there are so many great quality import guitars for fractions of the price of these that will run circles around them any day of the week. The problem is that they're trying to make cheap affordable guitars in america, and it's an embarrassment to their name. Fender has the right idea with their line up, their cheaper instruments are imports and are pretty good quality, and their american instruments start above $800 and don't spare on quality control or making a good quality instrument just to have a cheaper one that is made in america. If Gibson wants to have their name on something in the $500 range, they need to make it with better quality abroad. I know that there are people out there that will pay for a name, and are willing to buy a lesser quality guitar that has the Gibson name on the headstock that costs more than a good quality guitar with Epiphone on the headstock. But my point is that for the price, these things feel like garbage. Just because it's made in america and it's cheap isn't an excuse for the piss poor quality of these. If they can't make a QUALITY guitar in america and keep it in that price range, then they shouldn't try.

As for the neck joint on the LP, I thought about taking a picture on my cell phone but didn't. If I go back soon I will. The MF pictures you can kinda see it, but it's hard to tell in them, you have to see it in person, or a more straight on picture rather than the one online where it's kinda tilted back so it appears as though that weird 1/4 inch bit isn't there.