Gibson shutters Cakewalk and Sonar

Started by germanicus, November 21, 2017, 04:34:37 PM

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germanicus

Wonderful. Awesome job Gibson.

I have like 20 years of Cakewalk/Sonar song files.

My albums done with modeling/guitar synth at http://music.steamtheory.com

JTV69/59P/Godin LGXT/Multiac ACS/Variax 700 AC
Helix/FTP/GP10/VG99/SY1000
Traynor k4

Elantric

#1
Quote from: germanicus on November 21, 2017, 04:34:37 PM
Wonderful. Awesome job Gibson.

I have like 20 years of Cakewalk/Sonar song files.

tough to teach an old dog ( Henry J) new tricks)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibson

More perspective reading on business
http://web.archive.org/web/20021217234045/stephengoldin.com/gibson/index.html

https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?action=downloads;sa=downfile&id=69

--


Official statement
http://blog.cakewalk.com/cakewalk-announcement/

Cakewalk Announcement

After 30 years of Cakewalk's long and illustrious history, I am saddened to announce that we ceased new product development and reduced overall operations this past Friday. You can read the formal announcement from Gibson here, which states that this decision was made in order to align with the company's acquisition strategy, focused on growth in the global consumer electronics audio business.
http://www.cakewalk.com/Gibson-Announcement


Working at Cakewalk has been an incredibly positive experience for all of us who worked here. This can largely be attributed to the incredible people who worked here, past and present. I've been at Cakewalk 19 years and I've never come across a more dedicated and talented group of people. Our greatest motivation was the joy in producing software for an astonishingly passionate base of artists, musicians and producers who used our software to create music on a daily basis.

So what does this mean for you, our loyal customers who've been with us all these years? Cakewalk's servers will continue to operate, you will still have access to all of your online assets, and your software will continue to work normally. A dedicated team has been established during this transition period to continue to serve the Cakewalk community. Monthly updates to SONAR from Cakewalk will however cease during this time. We will continue to post notifications to keep you informed with any relevant developments. A sincere thank you to everyone in the Cakewalk community.

Sincerely,
Noel Borthwick,
CTO, Cakewalk

http://www.cakewalk.com/announcement



---

http://www.cakewalk.com/Gibson-Announcement

November 17, 2017
GIBSON BRANDS ANNOUNCEMENT REGARDING CAKEWALK, INC.
Gibson Brands announced today that it is ceasing active development and production of Cakewalk branded products. The decision was made to better align with the company's acquisition strategy that is heavily focused on growth in the global consumer electronics audio business under the Philips brand.

Cakewalk has been an industry leader in music software for over 25 years by fusing cutting-edge technology with creative approaches to tools that create, edit, mix, and publish music for professional and amateur musicians. Gibson Brands acquired Cakewalk in 2013.

Gibson Brands, a growing company in the music and sound industries, was founded in 1894 and is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. Gibson Brands is a global leader in musical instruments, consumer electronics, and professional audio, and is dedicated to bringing the finest experiences to consumers by offering exceptional products with world- recognized brands.




Henry figures Sonar owners can migrate to a new comparable 2017 Philips SpeechEXEC app

even comes with a Footpedal ( Guitarists will feel right at home in their new role) !

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?A=details&O=&Q=&ap=y&c3api=1876%2C%7Bcreative%7D%2C%7Bkeyword%7D&gclid=Cj0KCQiAus_QBRDgARIsAIRGNGgs1NraP9MmuH0qc3p-ZUn-LVdmSMr1UbEPZh6j2mzYiVXWc_st2vcaAjuEEALw_wcB&is=REG&sku=1328675


But the editor is extra cost

Cakewalk will transition to the name Philips SpeechEXEC to underscore the new emphasis on taking dictation. 



https://gizmoregadget.com/products/philips-digital-pocket-memo-with-speech-exec-pro-dictation-and-transcription-software-with-sr-module










https://www.usa.philips.com/c-p/DS8900_37/m1x-dj-sound-system

https://www.results.philips.com/publications/ar16/downloads/pdf/en/PhilipsFullAnnualReport2016-English.pdf?v=20171123083733


http://www.gibsoninnovations.com/en/our-brands/philips
http://www.2014.annualreport.philips.com/downloads/pdf/PhilipsFullAnnualReport2014_English.pdf

shawnb

Oh crap...

Same here, lots of historical files & CAL scripts...   
Address the process rather than the outcome.  Then, the outcome becomes more likely.   - Fripp

Elantric

#3
I'm reluctant to say I saw this coming 4 years ago when Roland sold Cakewalk to Gibson

=========

Gibson acquires-Cakewalk / Sonar
« on: September 23, 2013, 11:36:34 AM »
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=9570.msg68715#msg68715


https://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Gibson-Brands-Reviews-E6869.htm
http://www2.gibson.com/News-Lifestyle/News/en-us/Cakewalk-for-Gibson.aspx

http://www.gibson.com/News-Lifestyle/Press/FAQ-Gibson-Brands-Cakewalk.aspx

FAQ: Gibson Brands Announces Intention to Acquire Cakewalk Inc.
09.23.2013
 
Gibson Brands logo
Why would a guitar company want to acquire Cakewalk?

Gibson Brands encompasses not only Gibson guitars, but also high-end consumer electronics (Onkyo, TEAC) and pro audio (TASCAM, KRK, Stanton, and Cerwin Vega). Cakewalk will be a vital part of the pro audio group.

Will the name Cakewalk be retained?

Cakewalk will transition to the name Cakewalk Development to underscore the emphasis on R&D and new product development, but a new brand, TASCAM Professional Software, will be created to support, promote, and publish Cakewalk's professional line of products. As TASCAM is the company that launched a revolution in recording, the pairing with Cakewalk is a natural.

Will SONAR continue to be developed?

Of course! As a market and technology leader with many industry firsts, SONAR will be the flagship product of TASCAM Professional Software. The program will continue to innovate in exciting, unique, and even surprising ways.

Who will handle technical support and questions about the program?

Cakewalk will continue to handle customer support and questions.

Will Cakewalk develop a Mac version of SONAR?

Many musicians already run SONAR on the Mac using Boot Camp and various other solutions, so there are no plans for a Mac version at this time. However, Mac and iOS support for other products will play an important part in Cakewalk's future.

What will happen with Cakewalk's consumer-oriented software, like Music Creator?

Cakewalk has been developing a family of extremely exciting consumer-oriented products, and now has the resources to bring these to market in parallel with the company's professional software. We plan to continue branding them as Cakewalk products to differentiate them from our professional products.

Will Cakewalk be absorbed physically into Gibson or TASCAM?

No. Cakewalk will retain its offices in Boston, its current staff, its management, and its highly popular web site. Gibson Brands wanted to acquire Cakewalk because of its people, not just the products they've created.

Can we expect to see Cakewalk's software expertise in products from other Gibson Brands?

Yes. One of the main strengths of Gibson Brands is the constant dialog among its divisions. As just one example, the possibilities of combining TASCAM's leadership in professional audio hardware with Cakewalk's industry-leading software are virtually unlimited.

Will there be additional new products?

In addition to continuing the great work they've done in the past, we believe there are new areas where Cakewalk can apply their expertise, leading to exciting new products for current Cakewalk fans as well as those who are about to become Cakewalk fans.






http://createdigitalmusic.com/2013/09/breaking-gibson-acquire-cakewalk-creating-rd-division-tascam-pro-audio-software/

     Sep 23 2013    Breaking: Gibson to Acquire Cakewalk, Creating R&D Division, Tascam Pro Audio Software      by Peter Kirn
     Guessing a bunch of people are going to start talking about the 1990s. But that may be premature. Photo (CC-BY-ND) reducer, via Flickr.Guessing a bunch of people are going to start talking about the 1990s. But that may be premature. Photo (CC-BY-ND) reducer, via Flickr. Gibson's buying spree through the music and sound industry continues, creating a giant serving audio creators, pros, and musicians. And while the acquisition of a DAW manufacturer is likely to bring up the specter of Gibson's ultimately-fruitless acquisition of a failing Opcode and Studio Vision in the 90s, this seems different. It ends years of ownership or investment by Japan's Roland, returning ownership to the USA via the Nashville-based name, associated with guitars but now diversified across audio products. And unlike Opcode, Cakewalk remains a healthy business serving both consumers and high-end users. Now, the question is, what next?
The acquisition marks some changes for Cakewalk – like the end of the name's appearance on the pro products, after decades as one of the marquee brands for music making on computers – and will presumably bring big changes, primarily, in distribution and marketing, as they shift from Roland infrastructure to Gibson infrastructure.
The Boston office and employees will remain, Gibson says, and development will continue on both pro and consumer products. The pro products will be re-dubbed TASCAM Pro Audio, while the consumer products become Cakewalk. SONAR is the new TASCAM computer flagship and standards-bearer, as the lucrative consumer product line remains as Cakewalk. (Don't underestimate the consumer products, one of which recently appeared even on the Steam site associated with gaming. They're big sellers.) Cakewalk itself will become Cakewalk Development.
The acquisition is best understood in the context of recent Gibson strategy, not the 1990s. Gibson has lately bought Onkyo, TEAC, TASCAM, KRK, Stanton, and Cerwin Vega. Gibson CEO Henry Juszkiewicz talks mainly about human assets and technologies. He even appears to imply in the press release that Cakewalk's innovations were ripped off by others (or, at least, leveraged by rivals rather than successfully marketed by Cakewalk). Juszkiewicz says in the announcement, "If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Cakewalk must be very flattered that so many of their innovations have become industry standards." (Certainly, I would argue there's fairly liberal borrowing of features in the DAW market in general – often, by necessity, as users have long lists of demands. But there's no question Cakewalk deserves some credit here, and there aren't that many big shops doing this kind of development.)
Gibson has been on public campaigns for years touting re-imagined guitars for the digital age, with Ethernet ports and so on, even if that direction hasn't translated into a popular product. (Certainly, it's delivered nothing like the Les Paul, which Gibson naturally brings up in the press release). In any event, it seems R&D is the thrust of the press announcement and the re-labeling of Cakewalk, as Gibson says the new division will "pursue provocative R&D initiatives" as well as continue to develop the pro product line. Gibson also says they might leverage technologies in other divisions, though it's not obvious what that would mean in practical terms.
Yes. One of the main strengths of Gibson Brands is the constant dialog among its divisions. As just one example, the possibilities of combining TASCAM's leadership in professional audio hardware with Cakewalk's industry-leading software are virtually unlimited.
That last bit remains to be seen. Collaborations between Roland and Cakewalk and Yamaha and Steinberg didn't necessarily lead to "virtually unlimited" possibilities. But as far as the health of the company, that may be more a matter of whether the new distribution and marketing apparatus works well, and whether it can support development that keeps the product competitive with other offerings.
For now, the acquisition has only a letter of intent. The biggest test may be if Cakewalk can remain healthy through any transition, up against competition from a variety of developers selling similar products.
And we will also see how this impacts Roland strategy and products, since Cakewalk was that company's main gambit in the computer realm.
Cakewalk has already changed their website to read "Cakewalk Development," with the footer reading "developers of TASCAM Professional Software."
Gibson FAQ [Spoiler alert: no SONAR for Mac. Sorry.]
Gibson Brands Announces Intention to Acquire Cakewalk Inc.


Further reading
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?action=downloads;sa=downfile&id=69

http://forum.cakewalk.com/Goodbye-Roland-Hello-Gibson-m2890757.aspx

http://www.gearslutz.com/board/music-computers/871552-gibson-buys-cakewalk-3.html

Elantric


Elantric

Here is what Perter Kirn at CDM says

http://cdm.link/2017/11/gibson-just-killed-cakewalk-philips/
Gibson just killed Cakewalk, because Philips?!
Peter Kirn - November 21, 2017  Add comment     
Gibson, the company known for legendary guitars and killing your favorite DAW in the 90s ... now gets the chance to remind the pro audio crowd of the latter.

Gibson is discontinuing all development of Cakewalk products, which would include the SONAR flagship DAW. The explanation: they want to focus on consumer audio electronics, namely Philips:

Gibson Brands announced today that it is ceasing active development and production of Cakewalk branded products. The decision was made to better align with the company's acquisition strategy that is heavily focused on growth in the global consumer electronics audio business under the Philips brand.

Cakewalk has been an industry leader in music software for over 25 years by fusing cutting-edge technology with creative approaches to tools that create, edit, mix, and publish music for professional and amateur musicians. Gibson Brands acquired Cakewalk in 2013.

For perspective, this means Gibson is pointing to an acquisition that took place just one year after the acquisition of Cakewalk, namely WOOX Innovations. That sale, which cost US$135 million (plus an unspecified brand licensing fee), covered home audio and music accessories, with video products moving to Gibson this year.

And it means that just as Dutch giant Philips moves to "health and well being," Gibson is moving from being a guitar company into being a consumer electronics megacorp.


Armin van Buuren selling his collaboration with Philips – a product included in the acquisition.
Cakewalk's SONAR DAW, while it may not be relevant to each reader here personally, had retained a passionate following with many producers, particularly because of its focus on the Windows platform. It's also one of a handful of tools that has survived multiple decades of technological change. (From the same generation: Logic, Cubase.)

It may be a mistake to focus on the high end here, though. Cakewalk's entry-level products were a generally overlooked cash cow. As the entry-level market has refocused on mobile, it's unclear whether a desktop tool aligned with higher-end products makes sense in the same way. To their credit, Apple has managed to position their GarageBand product across iOS and desktop – but, then, Apple gives away that product and they make iOS.

The announcement comes on the heels of Momentum, a tool for capturing ideas on mobile and then translating them to a DAW. But then, discontinuing the Cakewalk products means Momentum doesn't have a DAW vendor to migrate to – only a plug-in. And it loses the Cakewalk name.

Momentum already was a questionable investment: for anything better than MP3-quality audio, you pay a hundred bucks a year, which is a steep price to pay given the fact that tools like GarageBand are free or a few bucks on iOS, and $100 a year easily buys you massive amounts of storage for hwatever you want.

Now, Momentum's future is called into question, which I think makes investing in the subscription downright insane.

The other puzzling thing is mentioning Philips-branded consumer electronics in this context. In 2013, the Cakewalk acquisition was meant to complement pro, not consumer, products. And Gibson at the time promised to rebrand Cakewalk software as Tascam – which never happened. Now, it's using a 2014 acquisition to justify the 2017 discontinuation of the 2013 discontinuation as a "realignment" with the 2014 acquisition. Right – got it.

So, where did the pro products go? Why did Tascam software products never materialize? It would seem that Gibson are themselves pivoting to consumer electronics.

At the risk of being blunt and making some enemies, though, I think musicians might well be suspicious of corporate acquisitions and whether they really further innovation. There's reason for users to be hurt and angry. And telling users of a professional music creation product line with a 30-year history that some branded speakers are the new direction adds to the sting.

There's some business risk for Gibson, too. Consumer sound electronics are commodity markets – and big players can set themselves up for big failures.

For pro music creation, of course, terrific alternatives abound on Windows, including software developed by independent companies, from Reaper to Renoise, FL Studio to Ableton Live. And it seems independence and longevity go hand in hand.

But I have to be personally nostalgic. Cakewalk for DOS was the first sequencer I ever used, the first music software I ever owned. (My parents actually bought me the box.) Greg, the developer, had his name right on the screen.

To this day, I still like knowing the engineers behind the tools we use by their first names. I wish everyone at Cakewalk the best – and I'm certainly happy to keep getting to know individuals who work on stuff, and not just faceless brands.

And thanks, Greg – because without your work, I probably wouldn't be writing this now.



PS – hey, by the way, Gibson, my second DAW wound up being Opcode Vision, so this is what I've got to say to you:




Elantric

#6


https://www.philips.com/a-w/about/news/archive/standard/news/press/2014/20140428-Philips-to-sell-WOOX-Innovations-to-Gibson-Brands.html

Philips to sell WOOX Innovations to Gibson Brands
April 28, 2014
 
Philips-branded audio and home entertainment innovations will continue to be available to consumers worldwide
Transaction supports Gibson Brands' ambition to become global leader in music and home entertainment

Amsterdam, the Netherlands and Nashville, USA – Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) today announced that it has signed an agreement regarding the sale of WOOX Innovations, its Audio, Video, Multimedia and Accessories business, to Gibson Brands, Inc., a global music and lifestyle company. Under the terms, Gibson Brands will pay $135 million and a brand license fee, relating to a license agreement for an initial period of 7 years. The deal is expected to close in the second half of 2014, subject to customary conditions, including regulatory filings and works council procedures.

Gibson Brands, based in Nashville, USA, has most recently invested in audio brands including Onkyo and TEAC as part of its ambition to become the global leader in music and sound. This transaction will leverage Gibson Brands' strong market presence in the U.S. and Japan, and WOOX Innovations' market strength with Philips-branded audio and home entertainment products in Europe, China, Latin America and other growth geographies.

"With this transaction, we are taking another important step in Philips' transformation to become a leading technology company in health and well-being," said Philips Chief Executive Officer Frans van Houten. "Philips and Gibson Brands have played significant roles in shaping the home entertainment and music industries and with this agreement the Philips brand will continue to be associated with innovative products in this space."

"This agreement is the most significant step yet in Gibson Brands' journey to become the largest music and sound technology company in the world," said Gibson Brands Chairman and CEO Henry Juszkiewicz. "By acquiring Philips' audio and home entertainment business, our goal is to continue to provide the most exceptional consumer audio products and experiences in the world. I am thrilled to extend the reach of Gibson Brands around the world and to welcome this great team to the Gibson family."

The Video business will stay with Philips until a transfer to Gibson Brands in 2017, related to existing intellectual property licensing arrangements.

WOOX Innovations, headquartered in Hong Kong with approximately 1,900 employees worldwide, is a global and profitable business driving the Philips brand in sound, home entertainment and related accessories.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WOOx_Technology
http://www.deoindia.com/philips/start.htm

Elantric



shawnb

Sounds like an immediate subscription cancellation...
Address the process rather than the outcome.  Then, the outcome becomes more likely.   - Fripp

chrish

Does not make sense for a company to piss off its customer base.

I doubt anybody's saying with the money I save from not having to buy any more updated Cakewalk products I'll take that money and buy a Les Paul.

gumbo

Quote from: chrish on November 21, 2017, 06:38:03 PM
Does not make sense for a company to piss off its customer base.



I thought Gibson had already developed that to an Art Form...    ::)
Read slower!!!   ....I'm typing as fast as I can...

Kevin M

What friggin a-holes! I've used some form of Cakewalk for 20+ years now. Simply cannot believe this. Fingers and toes crossed that some company sees an opportunity here to make an offer for it.


gumtown

I moved to Cakewalk after upgrading from MSDos to WIndows 286, I was previously using Voyetra Sequencer.
https://voyetrasequencer.wordpress.com/
My first soundcard was a mono bit SondBlaster, then the Blaster 16, then the awesome SoundBlaster AWE32 with the built in EMU sampler/synth.
Cakewalk and the AWE32 kept me busy for a few years.
Free "GR-55 FloorBoard" editor software from https://sourceforge.net/projects/grfloorboard/

Rhcole

Don't get yourselves too tied up in knots over this. You are only watching the warmup act. Wait until the headliners come out on stage, likely a few months from now...

RIP Cakewalk/Sonar though. Used them for many years.


germanicus

Ok, any gurus out there familiar with exporting DAW files from one platform to another?

I understand saving as an OMF allows you to save some parameters beyond simply just the audio files. I don't believe it saves Midi information.

OMF can be opened by different DAW software.

My albums done with modeling/guitar synth at http://music.steamtheory.com

JTV69/59P/Godin LGXT/Multiac ACS/Variax 700 AC
Helix/FTP/GP10/VG99/SY1000
Traynor k4


HAMERMAN409

So Gibson killed my DAW (Sonar) and one of  my favorite Guitar companies (Steinberger).
Fender killed a cool amp company (Genz-Benz) and another of my other favorite Guitar companies (Hamer).

I hope any small and medium cool/interesting/innovative companies out there are taking note of this trend. These bigger companies may seem like a savoir in desperate times but they are just technology vampires!

BTW: While on my rant I will add that GM killed Saab. Thanks goodness they didn't own enough of Subaru to take them down too. :-)


admin

#20
Quote from: HAMERMAN409 on November 22, 2017, 08:13:55 AM
While on my rant I will add that GM killed Saab. Thanks goodness they didn't own enough of Subaru to take them down too. :-)

That would be Isuzu
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isuzu_Motors

Quote

1972,  The first result of GM taking a 34% stake in Isuzu is seen in 1972, only months later, when the Chevrolet LUV becomes the first Isuzu-built vehicle to be sold in the United States
.

.

1981  -  Two Isuzu model lines (Gemini, Impulse) were marketed as part of the Geo division (Spectrum, Storm) when it was initially launched as a Chevrolet subsidiary.

.

.


January 30, 2008 – Isuzu announces complete withdrawal from the US market,[20] effective January 31, 2009. It will continue to provide support and parts. The decision was due to lack of sales.[21] Some of the lack of sales have been blamed on consumer experiences with low quality engines and service.[22] Isuzu had been experiencing a slow decline since the late 1990s. In less than 10 years, they had gone from selling a complete line of cars, trucks, and SUVs, into being a specialized SUV maker, and finally selling only a pair of rebadged, General Motors Trucks.[23] They will continue to sell commercial vehicles in the U.S.[24]


shawnb

Address the process rather than the outcome.  Then, the outcome becomes more likely.   - Fripp

Kevin M

Quote from: admsustainiac on November 22, 2017, 08:13:22 AM
Sonar can export as *.BWF  = multichannel Broadcast Wave files
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadcast_Wave_Format
https://www.cakewalk.com/Documentation?product=SONAR%20X3&language=3&help=Mixing.48.html

RF64
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RF64

OMF Open Media Framwork
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Media_Framework_Interchange



Important References
Transferring Projects Between Different DAWs
https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/transferring-projects-between-different-daws
https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=41255


http://www.aatranslator.com.au/

Yes, I've used that file format going from Sonar to Protools. You basically get all of your tracks as audio files that start at 0:00 (regardless of whether audio data starts there or not). I also exported a single MIDI track so I could get time data (tempo and time signature) to accompany the project. It's a bit of work to do, but it can be done. I never had any luck going the OMF route.

admin

Quote from: Kevin M on November 22, 2017, 08:51:03 AM
Yes, I've used that file format going from Sonar to Protools. You basically get all of your tracks as audio files that start at 0:00 (regardless of whether audio data starts there or not). I also exported a single MIDI track so I could get time data (tempo and time signature) to accompany the project. It's a bit of work to do, but it can be done. I never had any luck going the OMF route.

Lets share file transfer strategies moving forward to a different DAW here

Transferring Projects Between Different DAWs
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=22190.msg160456#msg160456


Elantric

#24
I can confirm all this below as part of my job interview process  in 2010


http://gawker.com/gibson-guitar-is-a-remarkably-unpopular-company-1713072808

Gibson Guitar Is a Remarkably Unpopular Company

186.08K

Hamilton Nolan
06/22/15 03:21PM
Filed to: RUMORMONGER

The iconic guitar company Gibson faces seemingly endless troubles, which include an easily enraged micromanaging CEO and a product line perceived as shoddy and overpriced. Based on what we've heard lately, it is not a great employer or maker of guitars.

What the Hell Is Happening at Gibson Guitar?
Today is the 100th birthday of guitar god Les Paul, whose innovations helped to make Gibson one of...
A few weeks ago, after hearing a steady trickle of rumors about mismanagement at Gibson, we asked for contributions from you, the Gibson employees and/ or customers. We got quite a few. They do not paint a rosy picture of this company. Based upon our tipsters, Gibson faces two main problems: their employees hate them (particularly CEO Henry Juszkiewicz), and their customers think they're crap.

The first sign that something might be wrong with the way Gibson is run is that not one but two of our tipsters said that their experiences at Gibson were so bad that they are planning to write a book about them. One woman who had traveled from the UK in order to interview for a job at Gibson earlier this year sent us a brief excerpt about the Gibson hiring process, complete with a cameo by the CEO himself:

I just got a glimpse [of] what felt like the world's most baffling hiring process. 'The psychometric test takes approximately three hours to complete. If you have any questions in this process or problems with the testing, please let me know,' said the email when it plopped into my inbox yesterday. I promptly responded: 'I don't really have three hours spare to take tests before tomorrow. Also, please can I have a job description because you haven't actually sent me anything about the role, and I'd really rather know exactly what you expect before I succumb to being tested for THREE WHOLE HOURS.' Or something to that effect. It wasn't quite as stroppy. But seriously, I had other admin to attend to, like answering my Tinder messages.

Anyway, what happened was, HR invited me to meet with three different people in the company in one day (all of whom would explain more), and in the time between these meetings she suggested I take these tests at their headquarters. I hadn't really planned to spend the majority of a day in a corporate cellblock ...

I'll admit, I forgot about the test when the CEO stepped into the gigantic conference room, if only because he was even more baffling. It was all I could do to sustain eye contact. The silver-haired, seventy-ish-year-old man looked as though he was having some sort of epileptic fit in front of me as he blathered on and on and on about his history in and before he started with the company. His eyes were rolling around the room, landing everywhere but on me. I wasn't entirely sure he was sober.

'So, do you have a social media strategy already?' I asked him.

'Oh yes,' he said, sitting back and smiling knowingly.

'I'd like to know what it is.'

'I bet you would,' he smirked.

'Well, it would help,' I replied, trying to meet his eyes, and failing.

'I'm sure it would,' he answered.

'Well... what do you want to be, as a brand, that you think you're not already?'

'Even more awesome. We're already awesome. We just want to be more awesome.'

'Right.'

As he spoke, the words I read on Glassdoor.com rushed back to me: 'Run, don't walk away from even considering working here. The CEO is HORRIBLE - mean, nasty, uber-controlling. If anyone in the company dares to have a different idea than his, you can pretty much guarantee that they will be fired - on the spot.'
She has not taken the job.

And from another person who's experienced the hiring process:

I saw your latest post on Jun 9 about Gibson and laughed my ass off. I worked for Henry in 2012 and shared much the same experiences that others have detailed. I lasted about 9 months before I had to bail and that was longer than about 20 other guys that year. After you join, co-workers admit that "you are the class of 2012/2013/2014/2015 etc." and that you are basically toast. Great way to treat people. Move them and their family to Nashville and then trash them. I found a way to stay in Nashville and actually like it here now. However, I would never want to relive the sequence of events I lived through.
We also heard from quite a few of Gibson's customers. Some, of course, would be more accurately described as former customers. Echoing comments that can be found across the internet, they did not seem to be fans of the company's current value proposition.

I'm a long time Gibson player and collector. Last year I went into a Sam Ash store to buy either a Les Paul Standard or a Traditional. The sales guy who knows me well told me to open the control cavity first. He knows I like to change pickups and sometimes capacitors to get variations in tone. This is very common among guitar players. When I opened up the control cavity, instead of seeing metal potentiometers and capacitors, I saw a plastic circuit board that the pickups plug into. The sales person told me that they have been turning away customer after customer that wants to change out pickups because the parts to do so aren't available. Ebay is littered with the new pickup and circuit boards because folks are pulling them out and replacing the guts with what used to come standard in every Les Paul. So, if someone buys a new Les Paul and they would like to change out the pickups, they now have to replace everything which adds an entire new layer to the cost of a pickup replacement.

Thanks to the CEO of Gibson the secondary used market is exploding as the market for new Gibson's is declining. Gibson has always been the largest manufacturer of highly sought after "boutique guitars". I was dumfounded when Gibson decided to celebrate Les Paul's 100th birthday with a lame marketing gimmick of buy a Les Paul and enter a contest to reimbursed. For the purchase price. They could have taken the opportunity to do something special to commemorate the event. The bottom line for me is this: I'm done buying new Gibson Guitars. In my opinion the company has become very exploitative of their customer base and is experimenting and destroying perfection. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. The world is full of great used pre bad decision Gibson.
Ouch.

I have been playing guitar for 20 years. The current Gibson lineup and overall status is a complete laughing stock. WAY too expensive, horrible quality control and I would never support them because the CEO is a total jackass. The new auto tuning system sounds like a good idea but a lot of people don't want it yet its forced – they should make it an option if you want it...

It's sad that a once iconic brand is run by such a terrible CEO. He is ruining the company.
Dang.

I used to work at a guitar store in Richmond, VA. It was a mom and pop shop that grew to be one of the top selling Taylor retailers in the country. All the while staying in a town home duplex. There isn't a lot of space, but the guitars never stayed on the wall very long. We sold Martin, Taylor, Fender, Huss & Dalton (custom acoustics from Stanton, VA) and for a short period, Gibson. The shop stopped carrying Gibson for the exact reason you have written here. The quality was crap and working with them was a nightmare. Even after we stopped carrying Gibson, we would have people bring them in, brand new, to be setup. The tuners on the $1,000+ models were as cheap as the Chinese knockoffs. The necks were incredibly off and difficult to keep straight. The frets needed a level & dress from day 1.
Woof.

I have an early 90's SG. I would never buy another gibson, I'd rather buy a knock off and modify it to my liking (which I have) than spend $4,000-5,000 on a robot made les paul. They are worth maybe $400 at most. If ever a company should disband itself since it sunk into the gutter in the late 70's it's Gibson. Over-rated hack company. Try playing one in the store, the frets look like they were put in by chimps, the QA team must drink on the job. Their quality has been a joke since 1975, don't they get it?
Meow.

Henry Juszkiewicz, call your office (if there's anyone left).


https://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Gibson-Brands-Reviews-E6869.htm