the eplphones are pretty decent gibson lookalike/soundalikes.

i'm not really sure the problem lies in that direction. when i was a kid gibsomn were the remote objects of desire.

the last time r.eally a gibson captured a major artists imagination was probablt the period where Mark Knopfler used a Gibson Chet Atkins for the Private Investigations album.

The Atkins model was probably the first acoustic model you could plug into small PA and fill reasonable sized hall. I bought one straightaway in '82. The japs had one on the market for a third the price by the end of that year.

I think that's when they realised that R and D wasn't the way forward.

Everything has changed. Good guitars are the right of everyone in affluent countries. The specialist music shop and manufacturer is under the same threat, Music retailers deal on the net Quality control is a given. Music wholesalers and retailers basically sell boxes. The guitars are made in China.

What Gibson could bring to the game is going to take some seriouis thought.

Top grade guitars for the main part are sold to rich non professional musicians.