This is, BY FAR, the best 'Factory Tour' video I've ever seen!! Jim DeCola takes the time to explain each station and process so that any viewer, with or without any guitar knowledge, gets a good understanding of how the Gibson guitars are built. Most of these types of videos are just basic gloss overs and they don't really explain anything to the viewer. Jim's enthusiasm for guitars and building them is impossible to contain, and it really comes out on the video. And the camera man, actually filming each process instead of just pointing it wherever they were looking, shouldn't go unmentioned. Job well done by all!! Thank you.
Jim is the real deal!! Met him at the Gibson garage and mentioned it is too bad factory tours for the public don't happen anymore. He said send me an email and we'll see what we can do. A couple weeks later i was getting a personal tour from Jim of the factory. The man is a true gem. Blessed to have spent time talking with him and sharing stories. Nothing but respect as a person and his contributions to the music industry. Thanks Jim!
14:29 Every Gibson USA guitar deserves, and should have, a LONG NECK TENON. With Jim DeCola doing all the describing, explaining and talking, it’s the best thing! Jim knows so much about guitar design, manufacturing, factory equipment, factory operations, machining, cutting, sanding, routing, finishing, buffing, electronics, installation, handicraft, handiwork and craftwork in general.
I have always liked Jim’s tours. So much history and detail.
Місяць тому+7
Jim DeCola a great knowledgeable guitar narrator for Gibson guitars! I always enjoy his Factory Tour explanations! Thank you for a the Gibson Factory tour. Greetings from Hollywood, California.
Thanks for the updated tour! I used to work there and a lot has changed, and yet I can still ( thanks to the video) orientate where things used to be! I do miss it.
I toured Gibson in 2017 when they were still making 335’s in Memphis. A really enjoyable and informative tour - even my wife loved it despite not being a guitar aficionado.
This is why a Gibson isn’t cheap. I have a vintage Les Paul and this year I bought a 2024 standard, I couldn’t believe how much better then new one played
As a shareholder, I would be very pleased with this video. As an average musician looking at the ridiculous cost of a Gibson, this video showed me nothing I haven't seen in a 20yr old Indonesian guitar factory tour. 'We do 20 necks at once, so now we can afford a person to do the final sand by hand'. Give me a break! Corporate greed hiding in plain sight.
I remember when Gibson made quality guitars, my friend has 3 Les Pauls, 2 of them the pots are lousy and the 3rd ones truss rod is messed up he sent it back and they put a washer on it and that lasted about a week.
While I own a 2008 Melody Maker and a 2005 matt finish Les Paul Standard, both of which I'm satisfied with, myself and friends agree that some of the 70s and early 80s Gibsons left a lot to be desired. I owed an 83 Les Paul Studio with dot inlays, which was definitely not a well finished instrument. As my mate Mark said in 1984, 'you can't buy a shitty guitar for over £500 apart from a Gibson', which considering the Japanese opposition at the time was a well founded observation.
Just got my first Les Paul a few weeks ago. I have 3 "LP-style" guitars but this is my first real Les Paul. It seems to have something my other guitars don't have. It sounds rounder and fuller. Oh it sounds lovely. The pickups in it are some Seymour Duncan Antiquties I took out of another guitar. Somehow, they sound even, better in the 2023 Epiphone 1959 Les Paul Standard reissue. Blew my mind. I totally expected to not hear any difference between it and my LP-style guitars and I was wrong. It has something those guitars don't have. It's a FINE, FINE guitar. Phenomenal instrument. I haven't played my other guitars any since I got it 🤣😁
I have 3 Les Pauls and all three have to have String Butlers on them to keep the G and D in tune, I wish Gibson would make a Les Paul without the 17° break angle on the headstock and a straight string pull headstock, the V headstock on a Les Paul would be just great, even if it was just like the paranormal series that Fender did, just a limited run. How come Gibson's have tooling marks on the fretboards? all my non Gibson guitars don't have this, hell even Chibsons can be made without the tooling marks!
I have two Standards and a Junior and I have ZERO tuning stability issues. If you aren't capable of properly filing nut slots and setting up your guitar, find an expert that can. Now get lost, you whiny Gibson hater. Yeah right, you have 3 Les Pauls. haha You prs lover with GDS!
Nowadays, for non-reissue models, Gibson guitars are made with only a 14° headstock angle. I agree, the V or Explorer headstocks on other models would be really cool! Maybe the Mod Shop could do something like that?
Gibson could always add a real modern design and production line, and keep the current classic / traditional design and production line, where they experiment with new guitar shapes and technology. Gibson purchased Steinberger years ago; that could have been the modern "innovation, technology and engineering" brand - separate from the Gibson brand. Instead they basically let Steinberger die a slow death, though the Synapse series were pretty good IMO
They will resurrect them when they realise it was a big mistake. Plus if it dies you can reissue stuff. Vintage headless guitars. Custom shop and all. Haha
But they have added super strat style guitars, Victory I think they're called. They miss the Floyd Rose you kinda want of a guitar like that but they're interesting. Gibson has tried new stuff many times but the fans throw a hissy fit and it's dropped. Now they're too known for heritage guitars that it just look weird to have a non standard Gibson style guitar have the logo. But they have tried a bunch of times. Edit I checked, it's a kinda PRS style super Strat with 24 frets and Fender scale length hehe... actually not bad but if I want something like that there are many cheaper options. But who knows. All the cool Gibson models weren't succesfull at all in the beginning like the V and X and Les Pauls did sell well but not that well. They were discontinued after 9 years or so. All those expensive 59s are the last models before it was discontinued for a long while. The SG did very well and by the time Les Pauls became popular again they were also reissuing Vs and Xs and all that. But they sold about 3 times as many SGs in 1960 as Les Pauls in 1959 (still called Les Paul then) if I remember they sold around 2000 59 Les Pauls and around 6000 1960 Les Pauls (SGs).
I wish Gibson could have kept or consider the old Kalamazoo building for custom stuff, i know they dont need to do that, but the history of the original building is important. Heritage makes a nice guitar, but its no Gibson.
Yeah. How about making a fucking les paul with P-90s in a sixties standard with a slim taper neck for those of us that arent 6 foot plus tall with big ass hands like all the execs at gibson must have.
Having more consistent, and improved, QC would be great. I don't buy new guitars off the rack; but I wouldn't buy a new Gibson without seeing and playing it first. These two statements make buying a new Gibson difficult. How many Gibsons, on average, do you try before you find one you like enough to buy? For the last several years, I buy my new guitars online and ask for new in factory-sealed-box. Out of my last 20 or so guitar purchases, I've only returned one guitar (not a Gibson). I like Gibson guitars, I just don't like the odds of ordering one online, new in the factory sealed box, and high probability of having to return it due to QC issues. IMO
Gibson actually uses less automation than everyone else. Most companies completely CNC the neck shape, and everything else. There is very little hand work involved. Gibson uses old school costly labor-intensive practices for "originality purposes" this drives up the cost considerably. They are pretty innovative plecking all the guitars. Something most companies don't do.
does anyone check the mics before recording this, legit the dude is shouting the whole time, and its just a head ache after ten mins, gibson might make decent guitars but they dont have buttery smooth voices..
Gibson's scraped binding is the worst in the industry. It's rare to find a Les Paul without huge random steps and gouges in the binding; particularly in the 'horn' area. This guy is always biggin the scrapers up, but they are mediocre at best.
Gibson a strong suggestion. Epiphone is a division of Gibson. many people buy Epiphones who cannot afford Gibson, including myself. Perhaps a more well produced video of how Epiphones are made would be in order. The only video I found of how they are made compared to this video. It is very disappointing. You might want to step up your game on this. ua-cam.com/video/LRczd_ZEf4E/v-deo.htmlsi=XdJZ9WoLPmfTC2r3
Howbout staying within the pricing of better quality guitars. I bought a 2016 Freddie King custom shop 345 for $7500, the top split!!!! Poor craftsmanship
This is, BY FAR, the best 'Factory Tour' video I've ever seen!! Jim DeCola takes the time to explain each station and process so that any viewer, with or without any guitar knowledge, gets a good understanding of how the Gibson guitars are built. Most of these types of videos are just basic gloss overs and they don't really explain anything to the viewer. Jim's enthusiasm for guitars and building them is impossible to contain, and it really comes out on the video. And the camera man, actually filming each process instead of just pointing it wherever they were looking, shouldn't go unmentioned. Job well done by all!! Thank you.
Thank you, it means a lot. Jim is one of a kind!
Jim is the real deal!! Met him at the Gibson garage and mentioned it is too bad factory tours for the public don't happen anymore. He said send me an email and we'll see what we can do. A couple weeks later i was getting a personal tour from Jim of the factory. The man is a true gem. Blessed to have spent time talking with him and sharing stories. Nothing but respect as a person and his contributions to the music industry. Thanks Jim!
14:29 Every Gibson USA guitar deserves, and should have, a LONG NECK TENON. With Jim DeCola doing all the describing, explaining and talking, it’s the best thing! Jim knows so much about guitar design, manufacturing, factory equipment, factory operations, machining, cutting, sanding, routing, finishing, buffing, electronics, installation, handicraft, handiwork and craftwork in general.
I have always liked Jim’s tours. So much history and detail.
Jim DeCola a great knowledgeable guitar narrator for Gibson guitars! I always enjoy his Factory Tour explanations! Thank you for a the Gibson Factory tour. Greetings from Hollywood, California.
Always a pleasure to see Jim DeCola's passion about the process of creation!
I'm playing my 1968 Kalamazoo, Michigan, Electric Spanish 335 while watching this - very cozy. Nice to know they are still American made.
Thanks for the updated tour! I used to work there and a lot has changed, and yet I can still ( thanks to the video) orientate where things used to be! I do miss it.
I toured Gibson in 2017 when they were still making 335’s in Memphis. A really enjoyable and informative tour - even my wife loved it despite not being a guitar aficionado.
After spending many thousands of dollars to buy Gibson , I'm so happy to have excellent playing guitars. Thanks Cheers, personally will buy more😊
If I lived near Nashville I'd love to work at Gibson. Even if it was just mopping and sweeping floors. It would just be so cool to be around all that.
Great video 👍
Love my Gibsons!
Cool video, Jim really loves his job.
This is the best tour i have seen , with minimum interruptions from workers doing their job and noisy machinery.
🙌🏻🙌🏻
Jim’s such a likable, knowledgeable, seasoned guy. I’m not a fan of Cesar and Agnesi, or Gibson, but Jim gives me hope..
Cool dude.
Nice plant.
I love my 5 USAs! I want the victory and a blueberry studio may they all find a home!
Doyle RESPECT! THANK YOU!
This is why a Gibson isn’t cheap. I have a vintage Les Paul and this year I bought a 2024 standard, I couldn’t believe how much better then new one played
As a shareholder, I would be very pleased with this video.
As an average musician looking at the ridiculous cost of a Gibson, this video showed me nothing I haven't seen in a 20yr old Indonesian guitar factory tour. 'We do 20 necks at once, so now we can afford a person to do the final sand by hand'. Give me a break!
Corporate greed hiding in plain sight.
Nice insight, many thanks
I wonder how many people are aware he was the chief designer for Peavey 1988-2000ish.
The best Peavey models were decola designs.
Thanks for this video! I bought my Martin Custom Shop 28 style from you guys in 2022. It's my #1 acoustic. 😃
@@mikemorrisonmusic thanks Mike, we’re glad you’re loving it!
I fucking love Gibson USA guitars so much...especially those 1980s Reissue Flying Vs
A Les Paul plugged into a Cranked MARSHALL stack.... Sweet Music BaBy 😛🤘
My Buddy Jim DeCola!!!
Does anybody know if the Gibson Factory Tour is open to public? I can't find any information that talks about public taking the factory tour now.
Gibson needs to offer Floyd Rose as an option on V and Explorers.
Do they still have the stamped “ Second” ? I always wonder how that works.
Can I come work there? Please? 🙏😍
Jim did you have wood shop at Munster highschool?
I remember when Gibson made quality guitars, my friend has 3 Les Pauls, 2 of them the pots are lousy and the 3rd ones truss rod is messed up he sent it back and they put a washer on it and that lasted about a week.
P.S.
Please show the flying v line and Explorers hehehe my favorite 👏👏👏
I used to buff thunderbird basses just for fun
While I own a 2008 Melody Maker and a 2005 matt finish Les Paul Standard, both of which I'm satisfied with, myself and friends agree that some of the 70s and early 80s Gibsons left a lot to be desired. I owed an 83 Les Paul Studio with dot inlays, which was definitely not a well finished instrument. As my mate Mark said in 1984, 'you can't buy a shitty guitar for over £500 apart from a Gibson', which considering the Japanese opposition at the time was a well founded observation.
46:57 Best Dept. i guess
Just got my first Les Paul a few weeks ago. I have 3 "LP-style" guitars but this is my first real Les Paul.
It seems to have something my other guitars don't have. It sounds rounder and fuller. Oh it sounds lovely. The pickups in it are some Seymour Duncan Antiquties I took out of another guitar. Somehow, they sound even, better in the 2023 Epiphone 1959 Les Paul Standard reissue. Blew my mind. I totally expected to not hear any difference between it and my LP-style guitars and I was wrong. It has something those guitars don't have. It's a FINE, FINE guitar. Phenomenal instrument. I haven't played my other guitars any since I got it 🤣😁
I have 3 Les Pauls and all three have to have String Butlers on them to keep the G and D in tune, I wish Gibson would make a Les Paul without the 17° break angle on the headstock and a straight string pull headstock, the V headstock on a Les Paul would be just great, even if it was just like the paranormal series that Fender did, just a limited run.
How come Gibson's have tooling marks on the fretboards? all my non Gibson guitars don't have this, hell even Chibsons can be made without the tooling marks!
I have two Standards and a Junior and I have ZERO tuning stability issues. If you aren't capable of properly filing nut slots and setting up your guitar, find an expert that can. Now get lost, you whiny Gibson hater. Yeah right, you have 3 Les Pauls. haha You prs lover with GDS!
Nowadays, for non-reissue models, Gibson guitars are made with only a 14° headstock angle. I agree, the V or Explorer headstocks on other models would be really cool! Maybe the Mod Shop could do something like that?
It wouldn’t be a Les Paul if they did that. 😢
Gibson could always add a real modern design and production line, and keep the current classic / traditional design and production line, where they experiment with new guitar shapes and technology.
Gibson purchased Steinberger years ago; that could have been the modern "innovation, technology and engineering" brand - separate from the Gibson brand. Instead they basically let Steinberger die a slow death, though the Synapse series were pretty good IMO
They will resurrect them when they realise it was a big mistake. Plus if it dies you can reissue stuff. Vintage headless guitars. Custom shop and all. Haha
But they have added super strat style guitars, Victory I think they're called. They miss the Floyd Rose you kinda want of a guitar like that but they're interesting. Gibson has tried new stuff many times but the fans throw a hissy fit and it's dropped. Now they're too known for heritage guitars that it just look weird to have a non standard Gibson style guitar have the logo. But they have tried a bunch of times.
Edit I checked, it's a kinda PRS style super Strat with 24 frets and Fender scale length hehe... actually not bad but if I want something like that there are many cheaper options. But who knows. All the cool Gibson models weren't succesfull at all in the beginning like the V and X and Les Pauls did sell well but not that well. They were discontinued after 9 years or so. All those expensive 59s are the last models before it was discontinued for a long while. The SG did very well and by the time Les Pauls became popular again they were also reissuing Vs and Xs and all that. But they sold about 3 times as many SGs in 1960 as Les Pauls in 1959 (still called Les Paul then) if I remember they sold around 2000 59 Les Pauls and around 6000 1960 Les Pauls (SGs).
I wish Gibson could have kept or consider the old Kalamazoo building for custom stuff, i know they dont need to do that, but the history of the original building is important.
Heritage makes a nice guitar, but its no Gibson.
WIsh they would take the born on pic still :)
Yeah. How about making a fucking les paul with P-90s in a sixties standard with a slim taper neck for those of us that arent 6 foot plus tall with big ass hands like all the execs at gibson must have.
Having more consistent, and improved, QC would be great.
I don't buy new guitars off the rack; but I wouldn't buy a new Gibson without seeing and playing it first. These two statements make buying a new Gibson difficult.
How many Gibsons, on average, do you try before you find one you like enough to buy?
For the last several years, I buy my new guitars online and ask for new in factory-sealed-box. Out of my last 20 or so guitar purchases, I've only returned one guitar (not a Gibson).
I like Gibson guitars, I just don't like the odds of ordering one online, new in the factory sealed box, and high probability of having to return it due to QC issues.
IMO
With this much automation, why are Gibsons so damn expensive?
Gibsons are made in America, dude.
Cheap and low-end guitars are made in China.
@@TheGamblerGomez4097😂😂
Gibson actually uses less automation than everyone else. Most companies completely CNC the neck shape, and everything else. There is very little hand work involved. Gibson uses old school costly labor-intensive practices for "originality purposes" this drives up the cost considerably. They are pretty innovative plecking all the guitars. Something most companies don't do.
Dangerous place to leave a caliper sitting, that belt would spit that out in a second
The wood is not what it used to be..
Love this guy , Knows his shit ! Don't ever forget : Obama raided Gibson Twice !
perhaps because Gibson used illegal wood fretboard blanks....they tried to pull a fast one and got caught, don't blame Obama.
And Trump sells Chinese made products that say Make America Great Again.
🤦 No.
Yep because they refused to bow to their leftist GOON union thugs.
I’ll never forget
Gibson.....The American guitar that will NEVER stay in tune ! LOL
does anyone check the mics before recording this, legit the dude is shouting the whole time, and its just a head ache after ten mins, gibson might make decent guitars but they dont have buttery smooth voices..
and im a fan of buttery smooth voices
You have buttery butt cheeks
He has to shout because it's noisy there, but clearly some noise reduction software has been used (to great effect).
17:00 "because patents are only good for 17 years everybody is free to use it so it's all good" yikes
so they keep themselves from making new guitar shapes 🙄🙄🙄
Gibson's scraped binding is the worst in the industry. It's rare to find a Les Paul without huge random steps and gouges in the binding; particularly in the 'horn' area.
This guy is always biggin the scrapers up, but they are mediocre at best.
Gibson a strong suggestion. Epiphone is a division of Gibson. many people buy Epiphones who cannot afford Gibson, including myself. Perhaps a more well produced video of how Epiphones are made would be in order. The only video I found of how they are made compared to this video. It is very disappointing. You might want to step up your game on this.
ua-cam.com/video/LRczd_ZEf4E/v-deo.htmlsi=XdJZ9WoLPmfTC2r3
Howbout staying within the pricing of better quality guitars. I bought a 2016 Freddie King custom shop 345 for $7500, the top split!!!! Poor craftsmanship
Watched this for 3 minutes then got bored and switched to a Fender factory tour video.