I just saw this too, but you beat me to posting it.
I guess that blows my chances of getting an LS 320 in the years to come.
I don't want no overpriced Gibbo.
Gibson continues to increase the prices of their guitars, while lowering the quality of both the materials and assembly/building. Their Les paul classics are now made of more than 1 piece mahogany back, and possible 3 piece maple. When I emailed them asking how many pieces of mahogany is in the Les paul Standard, their reply was :
"Both Africa and South America provides Gibson with much Mahogany with a good, straight grain and evenness of color."
Looks like they are avoiding the question.
Now their Epiphones have moved production to China, in a company owned facility. I have been to Chinese factories, and I know for a fact that they pay regular workers less than $100 a month, usually for a 10 hour workday, 7 days a week. The new factory has also been built in a remote and underdeveloped area, where there aren't so many factories and worker pay is even cheaper. They charge the same amount for their Epiphones, not bringing the savings in production cost to the customer by even a minimal amount. I am estimating they charge more than 10 times the actual cost of making the guitar.
Where does this money go? To sue other companies so that Gibson can continue to put out a mediocre standard production line. :roll: The Les paul shape and design isn't even revolutionary. It's a singlecut jazzbox style made into a smaller solidbody. You don't see Bigsby sueing Gibson for copying their design, that early Merle Travis model that looks exactly like a les paul.
Ok I'm finished ranting.