Official Luthiers Forum!

Just got back from three days of absolute craziness at Gibson's new Custom Shop in Nashville. It was a great party to unavail the new shop( with the help of Scotty Moore)and have the first annual Jam.

Larry Carlton,Frank Hannon (Tesla), Hank Ettel, gave guitar lesson Clinics While Aerosmith and Inxs's guitar tech's gave luthier clinics. We toured the new facility and got to see the new PLEK machine do a fret job...absolutely wild!

This was a Blast! Great Food, and the Best Players and Artists were there to have fun. Among the performers were Claire, Dixie Peach, Devon Allman's Honeytribe,Marty Casey, Tesla, Gretchen Wilson, Lee Roy Parnell, and Cheap Trick!

Gibson's people were absolutely the BEST! Even the Security Guards were having a great time!
Here's some pics:




























I'll have pics of the New Shop and the New Plek machine if anyone is interested. I'll also have more details and pics available on my site. I had a great time but
Boy it is nice to be home! I'm getting too old to go three days in a row...
Dave-SKG38929.5487152778

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Dave Bland

remember...

"If it doesn't play in tune...it's just pretty wood"

Cool, Dave! Yeah, show us the shop!

Nice pics Dave! I'd like to see that new Plek machine. Larry Carlton-- Wow! And what can you tell us about that bike ?

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Anderson Guitars
Clearwater,Fl. 33755

Thanks for sharing the pics Dave, looks like you had a blast eh?

[QUOTE=DaveAndy] Nice pics Dave! I'd like to see that new Plek machine. Larry Carlton-- Wow! And what can you tell us about that bike ?[/QUOTE]

I'll post some PlEK machine pics in a bit. As far as Larry goes...what a sweet guy. He took time to give us a private performance...some old Steely Dan as well as new stuff off the album that he's doing with Robben Ford !!! ( In the lunch room of the Custom Shop!) and then sat down for at least an hour chating and takeing pics with his fans (who isn't?). Super nice guy. I asked him about Buzz Feiten and what he thought...I quote..." I have it on my three main guitars,...I wouldn't go on the road or into the studio without it!". He showed us his brand new Custom Shop Prototype 335 and said " as well as I just tuned this...hear that beating...it's off". He was emphatic about how important BFTS was to his setup. I was shocked because here he was at the Custom Shop, showing and playing his new prototype, that was to be offered to the public, and it didn't have BFTS on it! You should have seen the look on the gibson peoples faces. But they can't put BFTS on the guitar...they aren't licensed. WOA!

That bike was the Liberty Bike made by the American Chopper guys/fame. Gibson made a "matching" guitar. Unfortunately I only got part of the guitar in the back ground...The bike was awesome.

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Dave Bland

remember...

"If it doesn't play in tune...it's just pretty wood"

[QUOTE=verhoevenc] Man! How do I NOT get invited to these things?!?!?
Lol
Chris[/QUOTE]

You have to be very special...just kidding.
Actually, there are several ways...Dealers were invited this year for the first time, Another way is to be someone important in the business ( I'm not, and I don't know how to get to be one either), and finaly you can be a "Custom Shop Member". I joined several years ago. Then they stopped adding new members. I think they are about to add more so now is the time to join...if you want to join you need to contact Kelly Wilson at the Custom Shop and she will tell you how/what's happening.

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Dave Bland

remember...

"If it doesn't play in tune...it's just pretty wood"

[QUOTE=ToddStock] Cool...we hold Gibson stock, so it's great to see them back in the game. I'm up in the air about the acoustics, but found a 2005 AJ that is one of the best sounding instruments I've ever played... dry and crisp, almost like it had been hanging for 60 years. If they can get some consistency issues ironed out and the finishing QC problems that show up on some of the lower priced acoustics, I'm hopeful. [/QUOTE]

I think most of the consistency issues came out of their main Acoustic plant on the West Coast ( can't remember the state ... Washington?) This was a New Custom Shop plant/expansion...The old building just got too small for all the "handmade" custom guitars. I was very surprised to see how automated and computerized all this "handmade" building had become. The old shop (which they still have..mostly storage now) was much more hands on in MHO.

I am sure the Acoustic plant in nothing like their regular factory which is very much a factory.

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Dave Bland

remember...

"If it doesn't play in tune...it's just pretty wood"