In answer to a question about a player wanting to put a new fingerboard on his Gibson F5 the following quote was made in another string on the Cafe:
Now three things to set the stage: #1) I have 6 Gibson mandolins both new and vintage -- in fact I have only brand Gibson for my mandolins, guitars and banjos -- so by deduction I am not hostile to the company.Quote:
Originally Posted by
2) Big Joe is a former high ranking Gibson employee so he should know the company policy -- and he was only trying to help the OP.
3) My conversations with folks in Gibson repair like Danny Roberts and others have been very pleasant.
But for the life of me I cannot imagine why a company wants to sell you an expensive mandolin and then tell you sorry we do not sell fingerboards bridges, pickguards, inlay or anything else - save strings. #Can you even buy a tailpice or a truss rod cover from Gibson?
In fact even the Gibson repair shop out sources for mandolin parts. #If this is good public relations and customer support then I am a monkey's uncle. (pass the banannas).
What would happen if you wanted a Fender fingerboard or even a Gibson guitar fingerboard or a banjo part -- same thing?
When most of us old guys die off will there be any folks willing to shell out extra for the name Gibson on the headstock?
I do realize this policy keeps good companys like Cumberland Acoustic in business so that is one upside.
I have no interest in bashing Gibson - I just wonder how and when a policy like that got started -- in 1970 a luthier bought a rosewood bridge for a Gibson guitar from the factory in Kalamazoo and repaired my guitar -- when did things change?