Gibson to Bring Back-to-Basics Lineup to Summer NAMM

In an upcoming interview with Guitarist magazine, teased by Music Radar this morning, Gibson CEO Henry Juszkiewicz says they’ll unveil a simplified lineup of instruments for 2019.

A partial look at Gibson's new lineup from the Summer NAMM booth.

It’s a stark contrast to the company’s outlook this past winter. Then, Gibson was just beginning to account for a failed expansion into consumer electronics, and skipped the January NAMM convention in favor of the the Consumer Electronics Show.

Speaking of the new lineup, Juszkiewicz tells Guitarist: "I would say it’s not a radical shift but we have [made] a lot of effort to simplify product offerings. We feel, in the past, there have been too many new models and names and it was very confusing to the consumer, and so we’ve simplified that, we’ve really simplified and gone back to historical naming precedents, so it’s more subtle change than it is radical change."

The move reflects a common complaint among players that Gibson has been focusing on gimmicky designs, finishes, and technology the players themselves don't want—like the Modern Double Cut, Neon Les Pauls, and the roundly criticized robo-tuners.

Juszkiewicz says the new lineup of simplified instruments will be available in June and start shipping in July. For more details, we’ll have to wait for the official start of the convention tomorrow. Guitarist magazine will not make the full interview with Juszkiewicz available until June 29, but you can read a few more quotes over at Music Radar now.


Update 6/28/2018: Gibson has released a quick video that shows its new lineup. As you can see, it features a range of Les Pauls, SGs, ES, and acoustic models, as well as Explorers, Flying Vs, and Firebirds—and none with any finishes more wild than aquamarine:

For all the latest news to come out of Summer NAMM, click here.

See more New Products and Highlights from Summer NAMM 2018
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