Gibson finally sues a company that builds a better les paul than they do.
Pacomc79
Posts: 9,404
http://news.harmony-central.com/News/2004/Gibson-PRS-Case.html
No more Tokai/Seagull suits. Gibson Sues PRS over the Single Cut. You make the call.
No more Tokai/Seagull suits. Gibson Sues PRS over the Single Cut. You make the call.
My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
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Especially when it's really not even the same exact shape and Ted McCarty (Who Gibson owes it's company to next to Les Paul) is who that guitar is named after.
I can only assume this will make the single cut that much more valuable. Not that I'll ever buy one but that's pretty lame Gibson.
Cause there are really 3 guitar shapes. Tele, Strat, and misc. Fender could sue everysingle friggin guitar maker on earth.
I'm supprised no one has taken gibson's side. Although it is lame of them, and I doubt they lose significant buisness over this...it is still a blatant ripoff. If you asked the average guitar fan what that guitar was (without the neck in the picture) they would say it is a gibson Les Paul.
Hmmm it would be 10 times worse if they copied the SG cause it's shape is so distinct
I miss you already, I miss you all day
They can and do. Believe me, almost every company out there with a similar design has been sued in some form or fashion, that's how many of those slightly off models have been built.
Basically I will more than likely never be on Gibson's side on this issue. Gibson has been so lax in the quality control department that companies building far cheaper better guitars that suit the aesthetic and sonic needs of players are kicking Gibson's ass.
Gibson has been trading on thier name for sometime. A person who buys a gibson today buys it not just for the shape or look or sound even, they buy it predominately for the Name on the headstock.
PRS players play singlecuts because they have been playing Les Pauls for many years and PRS has built a model which is smaller lighter and more comfortable the sound is every bit as good even better because PRS uses better quality wood and it even comes with tuners almost as crappy as gibsons.
It's to bad they fit right in to the young rock star image they really are outstanding guitars.
rare is the good player that can even afford an LP standard at this point.
mind you, PRS isn't exactly affordable either.
gibson got outgunned in quality. period. they even introduced the carved top DC les paul as a response to the PRS double cuts. no one buys them though.
all this being said, i love my les paul and you'll have to pry it out of my cold, dead hands.
Neither one is affordable now but PRS has a big edge on playability. Hey, I have an 87 Les Paul I love it. It's not like gibson dosen't make great guitars I'm just not standing up for a company that puts way more emphasis on suing other companies for body design over making thier $2,000 STD better. It's the little things that annoy me. Look at a 1970 Les Paul and a new one compare the fretwork, quality of the pearl in the inlays, ebony on the fretboard, paint those kinds of things. Is it not painfully obvious to gibson that their quality control sucks balls? Gibson has become a collector guitar. Beautiful but why play it when companies like PRS or Mcinturff or Tom Anderson make better, more comfortable, more versitile, guitars at roughly the same price as Gibson offers their custom shop models. PRS is still essentially a custom shop guitar. Of course they make exponentially more than they used to but pick up a PRS and a Gibson off the wall at relatively the same price range. LP Standard $1999- maybe even $2499 depending on the finish. PRS Singlecut around the same price. Play them both then you make the call.
I just don't get this one. The Love Rocks, look just like gibsons exactly, the PRS dosen't even really try to copy the Les Paul It's just a single cut arch toped Custom 22 with crappy tuners.
Gibson could have spent the lawsuit money planting trees so later on we can go back to ebony fret boards on the Les Paul Studio like they are supposed to be. The Epiphone Elites are the best deal Gibson has on the market I'd be suprised if some working musicians don't start saving a grand and buying them instead.
Consider. Epiphone Elite ES-335 Dot. 5 ply maple back and sides nitrocellulose finish p/u covers USA design P/U's Grover tuners. $1200
Gibson Memphis ES-333 Maple top and back poplar sides, uncovered 490 and 498. $1200
Gibson ES-335 5ply Maple B/S 57 Classics. Grovers.Nitro finish $2400
Essentially, swap the Epi's P/U's for Duncan Seth Lovers or even Gibson Burst buckers and you have the same guitar for a grand less give or take. The only difference is the build location and the name on the headstock.
though i haven't had the opportunity to play any of them yet, i'd agree the epi elites are the best value in the setneck realm for working musicians.
too bad epiphone's dealer practices are shit and they make it virtually impossible to get lefty models.
this is true. PRS pretty much kills almost everyone with their top wood because of Pauls tremendous stockpile of incredibly fine cuts of wood damn nice finishes too.
I think the Tom Murphy finishes that gibson has are amazing but I don't see paying 5 grand extra for an "aged" guitar. I think I can age it pretty well myself.
Did you see the new SRV strat?
Is it a cool blues guitar if you buy it that way?
that still totally looks like a PRS to me, the way the body just..sails away...so silky smooth looking, Def isnt as beefy as the les paul. that picture makes it a bit shady area because of the color i would say, anyways, mute point...
I dont think anyone who has the money to buy either a PRS or a LES PAUL would get those two confused, and it would not alter gibsons selling ability in the market. like i said, someone who didnt know..might be confused, but then again..that person wouldnt be in the market for either guitar..
but i suppose in the legal world, thats not the issue...
doesn't matter. none of them will actually get played. and if you buy one and actually play it in front of people, you're not cool to begin with.
it's a nice piece of art though.
now of course i put a black pickguard on my sunburst in a bit of SRVness so i'm guilty too.
nah, nothing wrong with coping a little style. I wondered why anyone would want to own his model guitar live until I realized it's perfect for people with big hands and its the same kind of thing with Elvis. I mean people are just trying to capture some of that SRV magic I guess. Those "number one's" will probably play fantastic to bad they will all end up in glass cases or humidity controlled vaults in some Heart Surgeon's basement.
and their respective price tags. Why not just take a sander to your own sunburst get some reflective letters at walmart and put your own initials on it.