Firebird X, and now this.
My 10 year old daughter is a fan of The Jonas Brothers – well not that big a fan, but she does watch the TV show, although she’d rather watch Billy Ray Cyrus’s daughter if she had to choose.
What has this got to do with Gibson I hear you ask?
Not much – and that’s the point.
Gibson have just released “The Jonas Brothers Melody Maker” for pocket money with an msrp $1,165.
It’s a limited run of 300, my cynical side tells me this is because they’ll be lucky if they sell that many, but I guess some lucky kids with wealthy parents are going to wake up with a Gibson shaped stocking on Christmas morning.
[ ] This will enhance the Gibson brand
[ ] There is an obvious market here due to the overlap of 10yo girl fans and expensive guitar purchases
[x] Gibson’s “I’m so cool I have a blog and can nearly smash a guitar” CEO may soon be increasing the unemployment stats
The feedback at on the Gibson site hasn’t been very good. One of my favorite comments was…
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To think that a guitar that was played and is still played by legends like Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, BB King..
jonas brothers signature model…{palmface}
I’m not begrudging The Jonas Brothers their success – I just reckon these are two brands that don’t go together.
If you want more information, you’ll find it at Gibson.
Related News:
Gibson acquires the Stanton Group which includes KRK Systems, Stanton DJ and Cerwin Vega
I used to think Gibson was the brand whose guitars were played by legends like Randy Rhoads,Jimmy Page,Jon Nödtveidt but after I saw this guitar the first thing which came in my mind is ‘What’s the fuck?What’s wrong with Gibson nowadays??Have they forgotten their glorious history?’….really this guitar is a blot on Gibson’s name.Hunh!!!Nowadays B.C.Rich is much better,atleast they still carry the tradition which made them famous……
I’m an old guy who has wanted to add a P-90 guitar to my stable for a long time. I’m kind of a snob when it comes to the headstock not looking like a genuine Gibson and therefore have shunned the melody maker. So here’s the Jonas Brothers axe with a real headstock, not just one, but two P90s, ebony fretboard and an affordable price. I could give a shit about the jonas brothers, but I know this guitar has the goods, and even if it doesn’t, the limited run is going to make it worth a lot more down the road. The current 12-year-old jonas brothers fans are gonna be 30 someday and get all sentimental when they see it on Ebay. I’d probably buy a Monkees guitar if I saw one now. Anyway, I just ordered one and am looking for a cool sticker to cover the JB shield. I have a feeling this axe is gonna rock–it’s a great combination of features–overshadowed by the JB association for a few here (who probably are still playing the first three notes of smoke on the water on an out of tune squier). So, i’m looking forward to it getting here and being my P90 axe for now and a profit maker in 20 years.
Gibson, and Fender to a degree have both been in the business of devaluing their brands for some time now. Fender with it’s MIM, MIJ, MIA – who the hell knows what the real difference is anymore – who cares! And Squier – those guitars range from passably good to wouldn’t use it to prop open a door bad.
Gibson though, has gone a similar route with Epiphone clones, some of which sell as Les Pauls for under $200 and others that sell as Les Pauls for $800. Meanwhile Gibson Les Paul sells for anywhere from $1100 – $5000 all based on some arbitrary marketing of “features” as opposed to actual value. And Signature model guitars should be for guitar players of a quality and calibre that stand above the rest. regardless of your personal tastes, when a guitarist is that good – you don;t care about the style they choose. But now Gibson is just going on popularity instead of quality. And like all pop – here today – gone tomorrow.
Perhaps we’ll see less name brands and more quality gear soon.
My first and obvious question is “who the fuck are the Jonas Bros.? I’ve never heard even one note of their music, and now this? Gibson should have left this to Epiphone. No…Wait….Epiphone is way above this, so that wouldn’t work. I GOT IT!!! This should have been an exclusive DAISY ROCK model. At least there would be some connection between the maker and the brothers.
Well said Neksweek.
WHY, why, why are there some musos who have expectations about the diversity of products that a company should offer? Aren’t we in the “land of the free”? (I’m from OZ) No expectations no disappointments. A few us have created in our heads a business model for Gibson and we get all uptight if they do not follow it. Why is it that Gibson products which are so passionately roasted compared to manufacturers who sell handbags, furniture or washing machines? I have never heard a negative comment about someone from a certain type of person driving a BMW. Why are some musicians so passionate in their OPINIONS that they want to talk about image rather than the qualities of an instrument? When the Marauder was released in the 70’s there was so much negative talk about that guitar. I happen to have a Marauder (all maple) which I just love playing. When I pick it up and play it, it sounds so magical! it It has a beautiful tone and I much prefer its sound to the cliched sound of a Les Paul. Don’t get me wrong Les Pauls are a great guitar but I prefer having a tone which doesn’t have sameness about it.
At the end of the day music is about entertainment and do you think the audience gives a hang what type of guitar is being played if the sound is mixed well and the band plays a nice tight set?
It is a pity that online comments from people who think they are so exclusive have led to Gibson altering its Jimi Hendrix signature “Fender” and deprived some poor kid from owning a Gibson.
Sometimes I think that some of Anonymous’s comments could be applied to Gibson for bowing to pressure from comments from egoic, strongly opinionated individuals who criticize a product for reasons other than its qualities as a musical instrument.
Can someone please write an honest review of the Melody Maker and how it plays and sounds and feels as a guitar?
Anyone who buys a guitar because ‘so and so’ used one is dreaming anyway. If it feels right and sounds good it doesn’t matter if it’s a Barbie & Ken signature model. For $5 you can buy sandpaper and less than 5 you can buy wax to protect the wood. If it doesn’t find buyers it’s going to be a cheap ticket to a Gibson guitar by the end of spring.
I just had to say, when I read that comment, I feel out laughing my ass off! =) The “Barbie & Ken Signature Series Gibson”, that made my day! Outrageously funny! People are correct though in stating if it is made with quality and it feels right in YOUR hands, then maybe that is the guitar for you. A certain guitar will just speak to you when you hold it, like a long lost friend.
Google: 26.5 notes per second and everyone have a great day!
-Randall Padilla
Congratulation on your record! I’ve just posted a link to your news story at
http://news.hitsquad.com/Electric/Randall_Padilla_deemed_worlds_Fastest_guitarist_of_2010
You make a strong point – it’s really all about what feels good in your hands and what brings out the best in your playing
Jonas Sisters? Oh, really? it’s not april 1st, so…
poor Satan has a cold, with that frozen hell 🙂 shame on you, gibson!
NEXT: Gibson Guitar Hero controller ?!? Hey, IF they want kids to play Gibson guitars, why not a real small size gibson?
but hey! the price is not that bad, I think I’ll set a shop to change the pickgard for a small fee 🙂
It looks okay.
If it sounds good and is comfortable playing :
Who cares …
I’m more a Fender guy anyway.
I should go checkout the Squier Avril Lavigne signature series …
See ya later boy…. 🙂
HOLY SHIT! ARE YOU KIDDING ME? ARE YOU GUYS TRYING TO BE GAY NOW WITH THE ROBOT GUITARS AND SHIT! ITS A MELODY MAKER, PLAYED BY THE CLASSIC KINGS OF ROCK AND YOU GUYS ARE WILLING TO PUT 3 TALENTLESS TRANSVESTITES? I SWEAR YOU GUYS AT GIBSON ARE RETARDS THAT SHOULD BE LICKING THE WINDOWS OF A PINK SHORT BUS! FIRST NICKLEBACK NOW THIS? FUCK GIBSON, ME AND MY FRIENDS ARE BOYCOTTING YOUR PRODUCTS!!!!
Beyond Joan Jett, if they’re going to make an autograph model Melody Maker, there are 2 obvious choices:
The Eric Carmen – Raspberries White double cutaway w/ white pickguard & 2 humbuckers w “Gibson” embossed in the tops. (technically, it’s the same guitar he sold to Joan Jett and she altered it to the “stickers” model Gibson first made an autograph model of.) This guitar deserves to be commorated if only for the iconic sound of it on “Go All The Way”.
A “Pat Travers” double cutaway w/ dual humbuckers would also be appropriate!
I agree that it seems a strange choice for Gibson to create this guitar with the Jonas Brothers. But Gibson either went crazy, or they must feel that there is a market of guitarists just waiting to buy this guitar? With Gibson not doing so well in the last couple of years, this new guitar must be a step in a direction that Gibson feel will open their brand to a whole new group of guitarists.
That is a possibility – that they’re trying to create entry level products for guitarists who will grow into the Gibson brand as they grow up – we’ve seen similar strategies from other premium brands in recent years like Mercedes-Benz.