Disqus - Latest Comments for ericgarland

Re: Guitar Center bonds crater on news of financial performance

Eric Garland — Tue, 30 May 2017 16:52:28 -0000

May I suggest: https://www.sweetwater.com/...

Re: Conspiracy theory about the Trump conspiracy

Eric Garland — Wed, 15 Feb 2017 11:31:16 -0000

Criminal conspiracy has a nice ring to it.

Re: Conspiracy theory about the Trump conspiracy

Eric Garland — Wed, 15 Feb 2017 11:31:02 -0000

Pence receives intelligence briefings. He was briefed on this matter. He's complicit. And he's toast.

Re: Intelligence analysis basics – how data becomes actionable insight

Eric Garland — Mon, 16 Jan 2017 14:29:31 -0000

Thanks Elizabeth! It's an arcane subject, and not really anybody's fault that they can't just follow along without some help. Thought I'd step up and spread the dorky wealth.

Re: What we do next

Eric Garland — Tue, 22 Nov 2016 10:04:26 -0000

This is really enriching stuff - thanks for this comment.

Federalist 68, baby

Re: What we do next

Eric Garland — Sat, 12 Nov 2016 02:45:20 -0000

So the country is over? Dammit.

Re: Gibson Guitars’ new rating from Moody’s means some ugly stuff

Eric Garland — Sat, 01 Oct 2016 08:53:04 -0000

I think this notion of Epiphone's quality cannibalizing Gibson's offerings because the chasm in pricing could offer a lot of insight into the trouble in the brand's overall strategy. Still - it's important to remember that a lot of bond stuff appears to be from acquiring companies, NOT from trouble with selling Les Pauls and 335s. Anyhow - I always marveled at Epiphone's like the Joe Pass, which was a incredibly functional jazz box on a budget that sounded way better than its price tag. For all the criticism, this company as a whole is still making very good products for working musicians. Now, if you want a $13,000 korina Explorer...well, that's on you.

Re: Gibson Guitars’ new rating from Moody’s means some ugly stuff

Eric Garland — Sat, 01 Oct 2016 08:50:00 -0000

Tonetwisters, baby, you seem to know a little. :-)

Re: Gibson Guitars’ new rating from Moody’s means some ugly stuff

Eric Garland — Sat, 01 Oct 2016 08:49:34 -0000

Pickups shouldn't fall out in the store. That is a very reasonable criticism of QC. ;-)

Re: Gibson Guitars’ new rating from Moody’s means some ugly stuff

Eric Garland — Sat, 01 Oct 2016 08:49:05 -0000

Say what you will about our Chinese overlords - 25 years ago, $113 would NOT buy you an Epiphone LP that almost nailed Slash's sound. The quality of instruments are probably higher than they ever have been. We live, essentially, in a freaking golden age for this stuff.

Re: Gibson Guitars’ new rating from Moody’s means some ugly stuff

Eric Garland — Sat, 01 Oct 2016 08:47:02 -0000

I think that if you're a partner in a law firm who always wanted to be the sixth Beach Boy and you remember that 1959 Strat in the window and your Dad wouldn't buy it from you and you just got a partnership bonus and dammit you want a REAL guitar, then you're the exact guy who drops $37,000 on a vintage axe. At least that's how the guys in the vintage business tell it. There are the collectors and speculators as well, but a healthy amount of love for the old axes is from emotional income. Because let's face it - a John Suhr or Grosh is almost uniformly a better instrument on every level. And yes, yes, aging the instrument, it finds its voice, old wood, all of that. But 99% of the time, the modern boutique builds of similar price and quality (in constant dollars) are almost always better because the design flaws have been dealt with. (D string that jumps out of the nut, the hum of single coils, etc.) Nobody Needs a Guitar, except for on an emotional level Of Course I Need a Guitar. It's not a rational business, which is why I think the standard MBAs come into the industry and lose their pants on a regular basis.

Re: Gibson Guitars’ new rating from Moody’s means some ugly stuff

Eric Garland — Fri, 30 Sep 2016 11:38:56 -0000

It's Microsoft Zune of the guitar world - an epic, historic clusterf**k.

Re: Gibson Guitars’ new rating from Moody’s means some ugly stuff

Eric Garland — Fri, 30 Sep 2016 11:38:08 -0000

Vinnie and Joey know how to make a bass, I'll tell you whut.

Re: Gibson Guitars’ new rating from Moody’s means some ugly stuff

Eric Garland — Fri, 30 Sep 2016 11:37:41 -0000

Is their $200 Slash LP that good? Asking for a friend.

Re: Gibson Guitars’ new rating from Moody’s means some ugly stuff

Eric Garland — Thu, 29 Sep 2016 10:43:44 -0000

I totally agree with this. The Les Paul was $375 in 1960, which is about $3000 in constant 2016 dollars. But new Gibson Les Pauls sell for all manner of price points, from $799 to $12,999. All of those are good quality, playable guitars, but they obviously have major variations. I'm not sure there is a perfect formula. All I know is...no robot tuners. There I'm drawing a line, but so did the rest of our species.

Re: Gibson Guitars’ new rating from Moody’s means some ugly stuff

Eric Garland — Thu, 29 Sep 2016 10:38:31 -0000

Oh, that's just Guitar Center. I got bored of calling them that, so I just write Zither Barn and Lutes 'R' Us instead.

Re: Gibson Guitars’ new rating from Moody’s means some ugly stuff

Eric Garland — Thu, 29 Sep 2016 10:37:36 -0000

Heritage - never picked up a hunk of mahogany from them that wasn't a killer guitar.

Re: Gibson Guitars’ new rating from Moody’s means some ugly stuff

Eric Garland — Thu, 29 Sep 2016 10:36:38 -0000

Bill - I thought it was caché - as a professional French translator, thank you for this enlightenment.

Re: Gibson Guitars’ new rating from Moody’s means some ugly stuff

Eric Garland — Wed, 28 Sep 2016 17:39:44 -0000

Insert a debate about the stability of Suhr Classic Pros versus pre-CBS Strats versus...versus...versus...

This is why I'm a bassist. I don't like to argue - I like deep grooves and harmony.

Re: Gibson Guitars’ new rating from Moody’s means some ugly stuff

Eric Garland — Wed, 28 Sep 2016 17:38:04 -0000

Then that's literally the best kind of compliment to receive. Thank you.

If you came here for guitar, you might want to skip to this one: http://www.ericgarland.co/2...

Re: Gibson Guitars’ new rating from Moody’s means some ugly stuff

Eric Garland — Wed, 28 Sep 2016 14:42:54 -0000

Guitar is a tough business, and it's shifting rapidly. I've heard that acoustic guitar is the only segment really cruising with six-strings. And for people playing ukelele who are *not* Jake Shimabukuro or other native Hawai'ians...I just don't know what to say.

Re: Gibson Guitars’ new rating from Moody’s means some ugly stuff

Eric Garland — Wed, 28 Sep 2016 14:19:09 -0000

You're talking about David Kalt and Chicago Music Exchange, and I gotta demur - every single instrument in the place is set up nicely and the employees are super knowledgable. Of course, I think ALL vintage instruments are stupidly overpriced, but you're not buying guitars - you're buying childhood dreams.

Re: Gibson Guitars’ new rating from Moody’s means some ugly stuff

Eric Garland — Wed, 28 Sep 2016 14:17:46 -0000

I'm Eric Garland, and I approve of this pun.

Re: Gibson Guitars’ new rating from Moody’s means some ugly stuff

Eric Garland — Wed, 28 Sep 2016 14:17:32 -0000

Fodera...yeah, but dag nabbit, they sure are worth it. Every time I touch the thing, it sounds and plays PERFECT.

I'm gonna keep an eye out on Behringer. I agree, the company continues to make interesting moves at interesting price points.

Re: Gibson Guitars’ new rating from Moody’s means some ugly stuff

Eric Garland — Wed, 28 Sep 2016 14:16:02 -0000

While that's definitely the story of private equity and Guitar Center, I'm not sure that it fits the Gibson narrative. While PE shops have loaned them money, I don't think that adequately explains Gibson's current position, even though Henry Juskiewicz originally ran such a financial shop. They have complex financial moves, more than most MI companies, but this hasn't been that classic Bain "roll-up" strategy, usually done in 3-5 years. In fact, I think that HJ's strategy has been more specific, even more compelling - not to say workable - than the average "let's make it biggerer" of PE. Perhaps the next phase of Gibson will need to be less vertical, and better focused. Then again I like my whisky straight and my guitar companies nice and simple. Seems the market agrees - on both.