I have been sick with Covid, I'm starting to feel better and I can edit and upload videos. I hope to be ready for this Friday's Podcast and hope to see you all then.

Hey Phil! Former Gibson employee! I can confirm with you that after working over the past year at Gibson, they have slowly started to care less and less about quality and more about quantity, to the point of threatening to write people up if they noticed blemishes or scratches or jams. I watched a slash les Paul go out the doors with a flat head screwdriver jam directly left of the pickup, right on the top where it’s clearly visible. :) they DO NOT CARE.

Gibson has gone the way of Harley Davidson. Quality is way down, prices are way up, and brand snobbiness is at an all-time high

Even though I will never be in the market for a guitar at this pricepoint, I found this interesting. Makes me appreciate just how good my budget guitars are.

Sorry to hear you got a Friday guitar, Phil. At that price any of the issues you had are inexcusable to me. Get well soon!

Phil,first of all best wishes for your health, and your family's well being😍 Second of all,I'm 68,been playing since I was 13.,can't imagine a knob falling off of a Gibson,or any parts flying off,just out of the case. I live in Tennessee, and I know that buying a Gibson these days,is simply buying the name on the headstock.

I own a Gibson Les Paul Standard and this is probably the most accurate video on Les Paul’s QC issues. From rough fretboards to minor problems like reflective knobs falling off. It’s always repairs and more repairs, I have just ordered an Edward’s LP Custom and got gently reminded how a guitar with no issues should feel like. Thanks Phil for an honest video.

To put it in the words of Bad Santa himself, "They can't all be winners." Good honest review, Phil.

clearly, nothing has changed at gibson. hope you're healing quickly, Phil.

Thank You for The Honest Review, PHIL. Couldn't agree more with YOU! For that Company, and That Guitar, and that amount of $$$$, there's no reason for it not to be PERFECT. I too would send it back!

I don't blame you at all!! You want what you pay for and that guitar is very expensive. Great job pointing out the flaws!

Get better quickly! Really missed you last Friday. Hope all in the family are well!

I love my R9. I read somewhere the Custombuckers are not sold separately. That scratch on the neck is just horrible and should have never left if a proper Q&A was done.

If my 2019 R9 wasn’t a gift from my now deceased grandmother, I would have returned it. There was a huge chip in the fingerboard past the 22nd fret from day one. The binding turned pink anyway that was touched by my hands or strap. The neck tone pot was bad. The “Custombuckers” in mine are complete crap. The toggle switch pocket is a disaster. Now, after a few years of ownership in a controlled climate, the lacquer is literally flaking off on the neck and top. I just can’t recommend these guitars to anyone. You are either going to spend thousands in electronics and finish repair, be without the guitar for a year for Gibson to fix it OR live with the bullshit. I’m in a position that the only value of the instrument to me is who gave it to me. I can’t trust the shipping to send it to Gibson to repair. It’ll get even more damaged or go missing.

Glad you're feeling better! Thanks for posting your amp settings, that is super helpful!! Thanks Phil!

1st: hope u feel better asap. 2nd: great bud. Most of us wouldn’t b able to do this comparison. You’re experience is very helpful for the rest of us. 🍻

For the price point you would think Gibson would include a free tube of glue with your purchase...LOL

I love when you tell it like it is...I think we all appreciate your honesty and integrity when you make these videos for us.

Jeepers Phil! I had covid over the holidays myself. I'm sorry you caught it. :( Your KYG podcast and KYG 'family' lifted my spirits a whole lot while I recuperated. Nevertheless, glad you're feeling better and on the mend. Take care of yourself, and hope your family is well too. :) Thanks for the honesty about the R0 vs that sweet R9, much appreciated. Those custom shop reissues cost a pretty penny for so much lack of attention to detail.

Thanks for the honest reviews as always!

I'm glad you're feeling better Phil.

Thank you for another upfront and honest review Phil, that’s what we depend on you for! The truth.

Glad you are feeling better Phil!! Hope to see you Friday man!

Good to hear you're doing better! Hoping I can make the Friday live show before work. Meanwhile, I look forward to other posts between now and then

I have proof that Gibson sold Epiphone parts as Gibson parts. I needed a new black, silver insert, top hat knob for my 2010 Gibson SG Standard. I went to the music store (this was in about 2013 so the "specs change over time" excuse was highly unlikely) and bought a set of Gibson "Genuine Parts" knobs sealed on a rack mount blister card. When I put one of the knobs on my SG I noticed it didn't match, the font on the silver insert didn't match. The white numbers were less defined and didn't line up the same with the insert. On closer inspection I found out this set of replacement knobs were a perfect match for the knobs on an Epiphone Casino that I own. To say I was not satisfied with this purchase is an understatement. I also posted this revelation with a picture on the Gibson forum and there was no response from Gibson. Buyer beware.

Wow. I’m surprised by that. I have been considering an R0 especially given all the hype about increased quality control and attention to detail. No way that should have left their shop, let alone the custom shop, like that.

Get well soon - sending energy from Germany! Thanks for the upload.

Be well! much love and good vibes to you and your family.

Glad you're feeling better. Shocked at those Q/C issues on such a pricey guitar...My Epiphone 59LP had no such problems and it was $800 (still a lot of money but nowhere near a CS...).

You're a straight shooter Phil Keep up the great work Love your Ch.

This video was helpful, thank you! I have a Gibson Slash Appetite Les Paul Standard, and it plays amazing. Very happy with it. Glad to know I may not be missing out on not owning an R model

I bought two Les Paul standards one in 2020 and one in 2021 because I missed my old one from years ago. Both were returned due to QC issues. The first one was returned as soon as I opened it, the guitar had the A String out of the bridge groove, and they set it up with the action of the A string, so the other strings were crazy high. My thought was if they were so lazy to set up the guitar based on a string that wasn't seated correctly that speaks volumes. I did seat it and lower the action just out of curiosity, and the nut was never cut, or was insanely high by any standard and packed it up and returned it. A year later I was reading good things and tried my luck with Sweetwater since they inspect them. This one didn't have the obvious setup issues, but the nut was still higher than a squire, the fret work was terrible, and there were finish issues everywhere. Sorry no way for $2500, I returned it and picked up a Custom Shop Stratocaster off reverb that was returned by a customer for $2700, and the quality between the two were insane. The custom shop, a 2021 1960, had the best fret work I ever seen, it was setup out the box to perfection, the nut was perfect, the finish was flawless, and sounded great.

Careful with that Snark on the headstock, I've seen them leave imprints in fresh nitro.Get well soon!!

@Phillip McKnight, as a guy who has purchased 6 guitars since the change to the new Gibson management (2019, 2020, and 2021), I am saddened by this. The co-guitarist in my band just got a new (2021) Custom Shop Explorer and he couldn't be happier. That thing is a ripper. I most recently purchased a 2021 Alpine White Les Paul Custom, also an excellent and flawless guitar. I can't believe the shop didn't catch this and slap Gibson first. Not that it's an excuse, in no way do I excuse this experience, but it is incumbent on the shops to send back the rejects so they can get repaired, modded, or scrapped. This is too bad and does not speak well to a large number of people, because regardless of how much good is out there, it only takes on bad apple to spoil the whole bunch.

Great, honest review, thanks, Phil. I wish I could like your videos more than once!

Hope you're feeling better Phil. I cant believe this is happening in 2022. Admittedly I read the comments before writing mine and watching the whole video. I have a Giibson LP Studio in smokehouse burst 2020 and a Gibson LP Standard in HCB 2021 and they are perfect. I am in Sydney Australia. Cant fault them. Anyway, Ill now move onto watching the rest of the video.

I must have just lucked up with my Gibson purchases! I’ve got 9 and they all had perfect QC and played and felt awesome! From 1982 to 2021!

I recently purchased a figured Gibson es-335 (not cheap) and only when I conditioned the fretboard as part of a complete set up, did I notice a small divot in it, at the top of one of the small block fret markers. I reluctantly decided to "live with it" as it does not affect the playability and I didn't want to get a replacement in worse condition. I reported it to Gibson, in the event that it worsens over time and as a learning tool for the people in their Quality Control Department. All customer service said is that they would "let them know". They are definitely not proactive and they seemingly are more interested in sales over customer satisfaction. I see a lot of this...Gibson is back hype...I'm not so sure unfortunately.

Get well Phill ,Thank you for a honest review.Much Appreciated

Get well soon Phillip! Thanks for all your videos!

Really hope you're doing better Phil. This was most likely filmed prior. I know there's at least a thousand other fiends that desperately missed your podcast this weekend lol. But I'm glad you decided to rest!

I hope Gibson reaches out to you regarding this and makes it right. The guitar should never have left the factory with those issues.

Thanks for the honest review Phil. As soon as that reflector fell out the knob I knew this was not gonna be good. Feel better man! I've been wanting a custom shop 335 this helped bring me back to reality.

Best wishes Phil to get well soon. Health and family first. We all need you back fully fit! Cheers, Ky

Disappointing that a "custom shop" instrument, sold at a premium, has so many flaws. Feel better Phil, I enjoy your take on the whole scene. Your MI background, understanding of retail, manufacturing, marketing & hype is noted and appreciated.

Glad to hear that you are better! Missed you on Friday and worried you had Covid-19. Thank you for all that you do for the guitar community. Keep Gibson on their toes. WTF Gibson?

Get well soon Phil. I really enjoy your reviews.

Phil, I have learned many things from your channel. Your work is priceless. Please, take the time to get 100% recovered; you are an essential voice for musicians. Be blessed!

Thank you for an honest review that doesn’t fall into hype. I’m sure there are guitars coming out of the custom shop that are glorious. That R0, for whatever reason, was not. These guitars, for their price point, are increasingly just expensive window dressing for doctors and accountants- and no longer getting into the hands of actual players.

I cant stress how much of a sucess ive had putting high quality p-ups in a budget guitar. I have several more expensive guitars than my Ibanez GRG (insert letter salad) that I've put a tonerider PAF, tonerider p90, and a dimarzio super distortion in. The toneriders are more budget than the dimarzio (about 50 bucks vs about 80), but that was some of the best money ive ever spent, since the build quality is great and it feels exceptional. I definitely got a gem of the Gio line, but this guitar is epic and now with the new wiring and pickups, sounds great too

Sorry to hear you were sick Phil, I hope you are back in good health by now. Truly sad to see. Gibson really have lost the plot. The break angle on the neck was wrong, hat falling off the knob, pickups unevenly "aged", scratch under the finish. Any one of these things you might expect to see on a sub $500 guitar but the combination really is disgusting, the break angle being the absolute worst offender. This thing shouldn't have left the factory. I guess they are catering to the wall hanger collector market now, the people who wouldn't know a good guitar if it fell on their foot. I must have tried a dozen Gibson LPs over the last few years (since Covid) and I haven't found a single one that appealed enough to warrant the price tag. Every single one had some kind of issue, QC for the most part. I think there were maybe 2 that I just didn't like the feel of, too heavy and neck too thin (I like em chonky). That is selecting "the best" ones in a store, I wouldn't dream of ordering one online with this kind of track record. A Gibson used to be an investment but I am afraid that if I buy one now they will implode and the value will tank. If the resale value dies then there is literally 0 point to a new Gibson anymore, better to just go with another brand because the "used" models sell for more than new ones.

Glad you are feeling better and back. Covid is crazy.

If they were to sell these as factory seconds with a reduced price they could expand their userbase and get back a lot of goodwill.

That's a shame it didn't come in nicer condition. My 2015 R0 is a Guitar Center limited edition, and while I wouldn't say it's flawless it's pretty nice, and is by far my best sounding guitar!

Hey hope you are feeling better missed you this weekend and my family too hehe

Sorry to hear that you were sick, get well soon, Greetings from Tanzania, East Africa

Gibson Guitars: "Imperfection by design" Perfect slogan.

Hope your feeling better Phil...I do not play so I'm here strictly hear for guitar education so I can share in conversations w my daughter who plays. That being said and correct me if I'm wrong but if I'm shelling out thousands for a custom shop guitar it better be flawless. Thanks Phil for a great review and education

Feel better Phil!!! Love what your doing…. Stay human!

Phil, sorry to hear about the COVID got it in November and was a one step away from the hospital. Get better soon and take care.

Get well Phil. Your health is first . There's plenty of time for vids when you're well.

Thanks for sharing this, Phil. Gibson seems to prioritize cranking out guitars faster over maintaining a level of quality that other brands deliver at that custom shop price level. I love my 2019 R9 but it has some silly flaws (like back of the neck heel is rough and seems like it never got buffed.)

Hope you feel better soon Phil. Sorry about the R0 that's a little messed up.

Glad to hear you’re feeling better!

Glad you’re feeling better. It’s ridiculous that QC at Gibson is so bad that even their custom shop can’t build a quality item. On the other hand PRS core guitars are basically flawless. Fender Custom Shop while not as good as PRS in QC are excellent.

That pickup ring would be a dealbreaker easily if I was considering one,and that sucks because it’s not something you’d think about whe ordering it

Praying for you buddy, take care and get better soon

Hope you are ok Phil and feeling better. 👍🤘🏻🎸👍🤘🏻🎸

Guitars will be hit and miss but the issues you found I would consider unnacceptable on a squier at this point considering how good quality and QC is on lower end guitars. For a guitar that people buy because it's had the thought and the attention to detail given to it to have such glarring problems is really a concern for Gibson's QC. For a USA guitar it'd be bad enough but a £5K+ CS..???

I ordered a Les Paul Std 60's from my local guitar shop, I must say that I'm worried after seeing this, if this is the level of quality control for custom shop, I can't imagine what it can be for the production models.

I had COVID in the beginning of December. Hope you feel better. I appreciate your efforts to get a video uploaded. But don't overdo.

Hope you’re recovering well Phil. Thank you for your excellent and honest review. Even one of those quality issues on a guitar in this price bracket is totally unacceptable, looks like there are some deep rooted issues still going on at Gibson. Looking from the outside in, these QC issues appear to be a company who think that their customers will pay a lot of money for the Gibson name and legacy in the form of sub-standard guitars.

I think it is an important service you do for the whole industry when you hold companies feet to the fire regarding qc. I’m not sure how much this guitar cost, but I’m sure it was more than my entire collection put together, so there is no excuse for skimping on the fine details. I hope you are feeling better, I’m getting over COVID myself and it is bad news.

I made a choice long ago to stay away from Gibson . Seeing reviews like this just confirms what I saw on Gibsons out in the wild for a long time. I scratched my itch for a les paul with an Epiphone version that I bought as a “B” stock guitar . Paid around 500 USD for it a few years ago and I’ll be damned if I can find anything wrong with it. Very stable neck and action can be set up lower than I’d ever want it with no buzz or fretting out anywhere on the neck. I own 30 ish guitars mostly Ibanez - I can easily attest to their QC standards across all ranges. Rg655 (Japan),RG1070 (Indonesia), S670(Indo) , RG 920 (Indo), RG4 and RG420 , and a 7 string Iron Label S series are all from different price points BUT they all play and feel on par with each other and just what you’d expect with the Ibanez badge on the headstock. Will these instruments resell for close to what I paid ? I think not. But with the consistency and reliability I don’t see them being sold anyway so that doesn’t bother me. In my opinion Gibson needs to up their QC game to a level thats above a 300 dollar guitar with a 4700 dollar logo on it . They couldn’t give me any guitar for free and expect me to play it or even keep it. Return to sender with packaging tape still intact . Oh and they can pay for the return shipping too.

I hope you’re feeling much better!

Hi Phill, so glad that you are better, take care.

Years after years Gibson create itself a legacy of overpriced poorly made guitars. It's sad they can not see that. It feels like they intentionally switched their marketing strategy toward posers who don't really care about the guitar but just want it to hang on a wall and be looked at from 5feet away, but they want the logo on it. Sure there is a market for that and sure Gibson serve that market. As people who want to actually play the guitar we just have to acknowledge they do not build musical instrument anymore.

Ah! So it was Covid! Damn! Sorry to hear it. You do you, and when you feel better we'll be here for you!

Hope you feel better Phil, great video!! I have tried so many Gibsons and wanted to by one and I have never said wow this is one. I'm going to stick to my PRS McCarty and AMPII Strat for now.

I have been watching your videos while recovering from surgery. Yeah, that’s how much I enjoy your show. Lay low, get well Phil.

Glad to hear your getting better sorry you were sick is your family all ok?

Dealing with Covid right now too, it's not fun! I picked up a 2020 Gibson LP Standard 60s last year. I put some Vaughn Skow 59/60 PAF pickups in it. Although they aren't well known they really give the LP an amazing sound!

Hope you get better. Just went through it. Get the rest you need!!!

I gave up on Gibson in 2013, had a trans Amber plus top that the binding separated from the neck slightly and would catch and hold a string until it was plucked out. I returned it for a replacement which did exactly the same thing. Changed that sucker for a prs and haven't looked back. Great vid Phil 👍

We missed you last weekend, hope you get well soon, keep it tight!

Get Well Soon, Phil! Missed you last week! Covid Sucks!

Get well soon dude. I love my KYG mug by the way.

Hope you’re feeling better Phil. Take care of yourself.

Well that was a glowing endorsement, I bought a 2021 original 60's from the mod shop and am very happy thou I probably have a less discerning eye . Maybe I got lucky .thanks for your honesty

Great review! Very honest appraisal.

Beautiful guitars. Thanks for the review!

Gibsons are nice guitars, and I wouldn’t mind owning a R9 someday BUT, I feel like every video I watch of these guitars makes me appreciate my Epiphones with Gibson pickups and wiring. They have some of the same flaws but at 1/5 the price. As always a great video Phil, I know I’m late to the game on this one but thank you!!

Hope you get well soon!

Feel better Phil!

Thanks for being honest in your reviews. These manufacturers need to know these things to improve the quality of their guitars. After all people are paying big dollars for these Gibson's today and you should only ever receive the very best.🍻👍 And hope you recover fast from Covid.

My 2017 Gibson EB4 bass is a gem. I love it and everyone loves the tone.

When covid kicked my ass I really enjoyed watching your Livestreams. Got my mind off it.

STOKED you're feelin' better, buddy ;-)

Feel better, Phil!

Any imperfections on a custom shop instrument are completely unacceptable. Just about every unboxing video I’ve watched lately have revealed imperfections, custom shop and regular. I’ve been contemplating buying another Gibson, but I might switch to Dusenberg instead. I’m very disappointed with Gibson. I wish you a speedy recovery.