I can't believe it....

[NomadMike]

From what I understand Henry J micro manages and is calling all the shots, and he's upfront about expanding Gibson Brands to non-guitar players. So both companies are headed with one guy making the final call.
. On the other side PRS is a guitar company looking to make the best instrument for the money. Gibson makes some great instruments but also a lot of models that it's hard to imagine any guitar guy releasing.

Funny thing about LP fans- they complain about something and when Gibson does something about it, they complain. The volute on Norlins, chambering, etc.

True Fenn, and I was one of them. I just stumbled upon the Gibson guitar that I was looking for, turns out they made it in the late 70's and I passed on it because it wasn't a "normal" Les Paul.

 

[FennRx]

We like to call him King Henry over at MLP. =)

And yes, Gibson is becoming (or already has become) a lifestyle company like Harley-Davidson. Henry has said as much.

 

[László]

It isn't necessary to dislike Gibson or Fender to prefer PRS guitars. Or vice-versa. We each have our own criteria for what works for us.

In 1979 I bought a new Alfa Romeo Spyder Veloce. At the time, I remarked to a friend who asked about it that it was a terrific 1962 automobile. There were certainly more modern cars for less money than the Alfa, cars that it couldn't really compete with. But I liked the 1962-ness of the car, right down to the rubber floor mats with drain plugs, instead of carpeting, to let out water if it rained and you had left the top down.

I played Gibson from 1967 or so until 1991, when I got my first PRS.

The last Gibson I bought was a Custom Shop 335, about 5 or 6 years ago. It reminded me of that Alfa. It was the nicest 1958 guitar I ever owned. Compared to my PRSes, it felt like I was driving an old Buick with a gigantic steering wheel, drum brakes, windup windows, no air conditioning, and whitewalls.

Although I was nostalgic about the guitar, the nitro finish was sticky, as was usual with my old Gibsons, and the guitar was so clunky that I realized that time had passed it by (for me at least). Sounded like you'd expect a 335 to sound, though. That is to say, it sounded pretty sweet. But no sweeter than my PRSes, just different.

To my way of thinking, different can be good. No need for this one to be bad for that one to be good. It's a big world, and there's room for many different approaches.

 

[NomadMike]

For sure Les, but I'll admit to be one of those guys who "tradition" was the utmost and "different" something to be snickered at. Now I'm regretting that as I missed some gems.
I am fascinated by the approaches of G, F & P to how they build and what they build. And at least with Gibson and PRS you have two guys who are interesting in what they're doing.