Why Are Gibson Guitars More Expensive? A Guitarist’s Take
One of the most common questions I hear in the shop is, "Why are Gibson guitars so expensive?" Some people chalk it up to branding or marketing hype, or just assume Gibson is greedy. But the truth is, there’s a lot more going on beneath the surface when it comes to how Gibson guitars are made—and why they cost what they do.
The Gibson SG is a solid-body electric guitar model introduced by Gibson in 1961,[1] following on from the 1952 Gibson Les Paul. It remains in production today in many variations of the initial design. SG stands for "solid guitar".
Let’s take the Gibson SG, for example. You might think that every SG shares the same body design, but that’s far from the case. If you’re using P-90 pickups, the body needs to be routed entirely differently than if you’re using humbuckers. Even the control cavities—where the pots, switches, and wiring go—have to be laid out differently depending on the model. That means each guitar essentially needs to be built from the ground up to match its final spec. There’s no “modular” shortcut like you often get with Fender guitars.
Compare that to something like a Stratocaster, where many models share the exact same body. You can bolt on a different neck, drop in a different pickguard or pickups, and you’ve got a new variant with minimal retooling. Strat bodies are usually routed generically to fit multiple pickup configurations, which allows Fender to be super efficient in production. That’s not a knock on Fender—they build brilliant guitars—but the approach is very different.
Gibson guitars are also far more time-intensive when it comes to things like binding and finishing. If a guitar has binding, the body has to be carved with a channel, then the binding glued on and wrapped tightly to dry correctly. It’s fiddly, slow work that takes skill and time.
The Gibson SJ-200 is the world's most famous acoustic guitar and earned its designation as the "King of the Flat-Tops." Since its release in 1937, its wide use by American artists has made the Super Jumbo one of the most widely played acoustic guitars of our time.
Then there’s the finish. Gibson uses nitrocellulose lacquer (nitro), which is more labour-intensive than polyurethane or polyester. It has to be sprayed in multiple thin coats with proper curing time in between. It’s a slower process, but it allows the guitar to “breathe” more and age gracefully over time. Nitro finishes can develop beautiful checking and patina with age—something many players, myself included, love.
While Gibson has adopted CNC machines where possible, there’s still a huge amount of hand work involved—especially in shaping, finishing, binding, and setup. It’s not a fully automated process by any means.
Duane Allman's 1957 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop, famously used on the Derek and the Dominos' "Layla" album, sold for $1.25 million at auction in 2019. This guitar was also Allman's primary instrument during the Allman Brothers Band's early years and was featured on their debut album and "Idlewild South".
As a player, I still love Gibson guitars. They’ve been played on so many of the greatest albums of all time, by artists like Jimmy Page, Angus Young, Slash, Duane Allman, Gary Moore, and countless others. There’s just something about the feel and sound of a Gibson—the midrange punch, the weight, the sustain, the history. Sure, the finishes sometimes aren’t perfect, and that can be frustrating. But they have a soul to them that’s hard to explain and even harder to replicate.
Greeny is a 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard, named after its first famous owner, Peter Green in 1964/5. He used it during his time in John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers and Fleetwood Mac, before selling it to Gary Moore in the early 1970s. Moore used the guitar throughout his career, both as a solo artist and in bands, such as Thin Lizzy. Due to financial troubles, he was forced to sell it in 2006, after which it passed through several private collectors and guitar dealers. In 2014, Greeny was acquired by Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett, who has since used it both in the studio and during live performances.
I get it—people often say, “They’re overpriced.” And yeah, they are expensive. But they’re also built differently. If you compare a Chinese-made Epiphone Les Paul to a USA-made Gibson Les Paul, you’re looking at a guitar made with lower-cost materials and parts by workers paid a fraction of what American luthiers earn. That’s not a criticism—Epiphones are fantastic for the money, and they serve a huge part of the market. But it’s kind of like comparing a Toyota to a Lexus. Both are great, but they’re built for different expectations.
At the end of the day, a Gibson isn’t for everyone, and that’s okay. But when someone falls in love with a Gibson, they’re often in it for life. And once you’ve played one that really connects with you, the price starts to make a bit more sense.
