At least Mr Les Paul is not here to see this.....

This really isn't a vision. It's a merchandising venture, just int time for the holiday season, in cooperation with a Hendrix family representative who, in another thread, had not been cast in the best of light.

At that price point nothing new could possible be offered. A conventional right-handed Strat body, likely built of mystery wood, a reversed pickup arrangement, the quality of the electronics unknown, and headstock similar to the one Rudy Pensa has on his MK I which was built for Knopfler.

To fashion this guitar as an instrument Hendrix would likely have designed for himself is farcical at best. That statement was already made at Woodstock in 1969.

Perhaps Gibson is hoping this will turn out to be another SG. It's not in that class. This will likely be a Cosco, Walmart, Best Buy strategy not unlike the Starcaster.

Some things are best left alone.

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"Another day in paradise!"

How so?
It's not like they're going to stop making Les Pauls or SG's, etc.
This isn't replacing any Gibson.

It's a separate brand that they'll have, both Gibson & Fender have various brands--some of which make guitars quite unlike the "Mother" brand.

And as I pointed out before--both Fender & Gibson have copied each other before.

The "crime" here is not that Gibson is involved in the manufacture and marketing of a Strat style guitar--it's the milking of the Hendrix name. That's what I have a problem with. But Gibson making a Strat style guitar?

Big deal.

If you haven't seen them--Google "Fender Master Series" and tell me that isn't Fender doing Gibson.

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It wasn't Willy-Nilly, it was at crows.

From its conception its been marked as the gibson hendrix guitar. That negates the other company name that will appear on the headstock. Remember your dealing with the most analy retentive people on the planet, musicians. Its not like that gibson made fact will not be used in marketing. Even the esprit's that you mentioned on the strat forum have a very distinct fender theme. I dont see that they bear as much resemblance to anything in gibsons line as this does a strat. Ok you can see its inspired by gibson designs but not a direct copy of a guitar. I'd say the tele deluxe/custom (whatever it was) of the 70's owes more to gibson. I see what your saying Zontar but cant agree that its exactly the same principle at work.

All those little gimicky marketing tricks gibson used during the 80's/90's and the utter myth that they perpetuated about the bolt on neck. The little snipes in the old adverts such as the strat with 'no tone' written on the headstock. Yeah I see it as pretty much an admission of defeat, or clear hypocrisy.

Still untill then, lets play one and see how they work out. The trem routing looks to be perculiar to say the least. Kind of like a kahler system.

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No no and no

Well, I guess it finally happened.

Six really IS nine.


"I got my own world to live through, and
I ain't gonna copy you."

[quote="SlapChop"]Well, I guess it finally happened. Six really IS nine.

Thus.....when turned upside down, all look the same.

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"Another day in paradise!"