Few years back, went into Guitar Center and played the new Gibsons, stuff they keep high on the racks so you can't get them without salesman help. Major bummer. They were crap. Not the slightest integrity of the ancient icons their good reputation was built upon. Neck was crap. Sound was crap.
Revelation made worse by a good friend whose late mother was a master luthier for Gibson. This lady was great, incredible. Worked even into her late 80's to do the hi end designer contracts. Means like if you wanted a 10k Gibson mandolin, she was the artist that delivered the axe to you.
She revealed off the record and in private that the mass production of the Gibson axes screwed you as a consumer hoping to get a quick sale on the Gibson name. She mentioned as an example the Guitar Center Gibson Humming Bird acoustic. What a deal at Guitar Center. Way cheaper than anywhere else. The venerable lady revealed from inside the company, how these Hummingbirds were mass produced with inferior quality, inferior materials. Borderline pieces of junk slopped together to get you starry eyed at the discount. But hey, had the Gibson logo and hope that you didn't have the resources or reference point to know something was not right.
Happy with my 40 year old Ibanez acoustic. Bastardized MIM strat does everything electric I could ever want. Not worth to spend a couple thousand more to have some withering logo on the head stock.
3 grand on a recent Gibson is no option. IMHO, Gibson quality has gone to the sewer. Maybe they will regroup and get it together like Fender was faced with, circa 2000 or so. The trouble Gibson is facing is unfortunately deserved, although not celebrating in the problems of employees trying to support and feed their families. Gibson is a joke of something that was once so beautiful, powerful and precise.
John