It’s no mystery that the Gibson brand has been resting on its laurels for some time now. Talk to any knowledgeable guitar geek who isn’t a Gibby fanboy, and you’ll likely hear something about how quality control is hit-or-miss, and how even the custom shop stuff upwards of $5000 has no business being so outrageously expensive. In a nutshell, if you gotta go Gibson, buy oldish secondhand.
Well, right after a hilarious marketing blunder in which they showcased a chipped/damaged version of a new $4799 Les Paul finish, they’re back at it again with an equally laughable misstep. Priced at $5699 is the 2017 Les Paul Burstdriver: a custom shop guitar with a built-in overdrive circuit. Da fuck?

The gaping hole in this massively pricey guitar would be better stuffed with an old sock.
Forget the recessed Level, Tone, and Gain controls that require a tiny screwdriver to access anytime you wanna make an adjustment. Who the hell spending 5 racks on a guitar doesn’t have a quality amp and/or dedicated overdrive pedal? Has anyone ever felt like the one thing that would take their bitchin’ axe over the top is a drilled-in OD circuit? I’m already anti-battery compartment as is, so this thing is just a monstrosity. I have so many questions, but the best I can do right now is shake my head in humored disbelief.
And no, sadly this is not a drill. If you’d like to laugh more at “A Premium Les Paul with a Powerful Secret” (gag), you’ll wanna check out the Burstdriver here.
[via Gear News]