[SOLVED!] Why is Gibson so Expensive? Let us dig into the details

Contents

The Gibson guitars, which are a premium product from the United States of America, are interested by many guitarrists. Though it’s a sure shot favourite among them, they tend to ponder ‘Why is Gibson so Expensive?’ There are some relevant reasons behind it such as its famous, classical nature, v.v. Now let our detailed analysis help you to judge whether Gibson is for you or not.

Why is a Gibson so famous?

To be honest, Gibson guitars are the most popular brand of guitars for half a century now. Most of the credit should go to the Rock culture of the 1970s, which made guitars and guitarists god-like. The 1970s rock culture became so popular that each and every kid wanted to be like their idols and surprisingly, most of the renowned and esteemed guitarists from some of the best bands used to play Gibson. So, courtesy to this and because of the fact that they produced some of the finest sounds and tunes, the Gibson guitars became the most popular brand of guitar manufacturers. 

a man is playing gibson

Why is Gibson so Expensive?

Frankly speaking, Gibson guitars have a very exclusive price range, which has always been on the upper bracket in terms of expensive guitars. So, the question which arises here is that why are Gibson guitars so expensive? Well, there are many aspects to this query. 

two men are playing GIbson

Firstly, the Gibson guitars are a premium product from the United States of America and they have their prime manufacturing units in Bozeman, Memphis and Nashville. Courtesy of these exclusive locations, a single unit of a Gibson guitar becomes quite expensive since the labour cost, as well as manufacturing costs, are quite higher in these parts of the country.

The second reason is, however, quite interesting. One factor behind such higher prices of a Gibson guitar is that of its own customer base. The users and customers of Gibson guitars have always emphasized on the fact that they prefer the vintage Gibson guitars, which were made out of mahogany timber. But, as time passed, acquiring such high-quality mahogany timber became very difficult for the manufacturing plant. Due to this reason, the company had to acquire and import alternative timber from various other parts of the world which was, however, rebuffed by the customers, since they were not satisfied with the texture and tone which other alternative timbers produced. Thus, in order to satisfy their customer base, Gibson had to acquire mahogany from different places and hence, the expenses of manufacturing increased exponentially.

illustrative image of Why is Gibson so Expensive

The third reason is based on various environmental issues. In order to produce a guitar, a chemical is used which is known as nitrocellulose. Nitrocellulose is an aerosol spray which is used to provide a high-end finish to a guitar. However, in the United States of America, there are certain limitations on the usage of this chemical since this aerosol is an ozone-depleting pollutant. So, courtesy to these environmental regulations, Gibson guitars are allowed to spray a limited amount of nitrocellulose each day and hence, the manufacturing time for a single unit increases, which on the other hand, increases the overall price.

illustrative image of Why is Gibson so expensive?

Apart from this, the name of the brand also adds to the overall price of a guitar. Gibson is, perhaps, the most renowned guitar manufacturer in the United States as well as the most loved guitar of various esteemed celebrities. So, if you purchase a Gibson guitar, you get complete assurance of quality and thus, you need to spend a few bucks more to own this masterpiece.

Features of a Gibson which makes it stand apart from its competitors

  • The Mahogany factor

Mahogany plays a very important role in the success of Gibson guitars. Due to the extensive use of mahogany timber, the Gibson guitars managed to produce some of the finest sounds and tunes as compared to their competitors and hence, most of the artists and guitar players prefer Gibson and mahogany timber as their ideal counterpart.

  • Light Weighted

This is also dependent on the use of mahogany as the base timber for all the Gibson guitars. Mahogany is, comparatively, a lighter timbre and hence, most of the Gibson guitars feature a very lightweight, which helps the guitarist with easier and simpler manoeuvrability. 

  • The Iconic Top

Apart from all the sound quality and tunes, one thing which keeps Gibson guitar miles ahead from its competitor is that of its iconic structure, more specifically, its top. Gibson guitars have always been in the news for their innovative technology and exquisite designs and whenever you see a Gibson guitar, its top is the one you should look for. The Gibson guitars have the most stylish design among all its counterparts and hence, people love this brand so much.

illustrative image of Why is Gibson so expensive?

  • Amazing Scale length

Courtesy of the double coil pickup and double volume adjustment buttons, a Gibson guitar can provide you with an amazing range of scales, which is not so common among the other brands of guitars.

image of scale

Why choose a Gibson over a Fender?

There are plenty of reasons which can demonstrate that a Gibson is far better than a Fender guitar. Firstly, Gibson guitar allows you more diversity of manoeuvrability, since it comes with double volume knobs. The Fender guitars, however, are available with just a single volume knob and hence, most of the Gibson guitars provide an easier and simpler experience for the beginners.

illustrative image

Another advantage of a Gibson over a Fender is that most of the Gibson guitars come with a double coil pickup, unlike the Fender, which is available with only a single-coil pickup. Due to this single-coil pickup of a Fender, it produces a bell-like tune, which is quite disturbing since it generates a buzzing and humming noise. However, a Gibson does not have any such problems and due to its double coil pickup, most of the tunes which are produced from Gibson are relatively noiseless.

And last but not least, the timber makes the most impact while comparing two of the most famous guitar brands on the face of the earth. Due to the continuous use of mahogany, Gibson could maintain all of its old-world charms and produce the brilliant tune it was renowned for. However, Fender guitars changed with time and adopted Rosewood as their prime timber and thus, the sound quality changed over the years. Thus, if you are a fan of mahogany magic, Gibson is the ideal partner for you.

illustrative image of Why is Gibson so expensive?