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Old 09-07-2019, 08:35 AM
Red_Label Red_Label is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wade Hampton View Post
That they were very focused and businesslike and had a product flow in their work station assembly line that was quite efficient.



I haven't visited Martin's factory, but visited both the Tacoma Guitar Company's plant and the Larrivée factory in Vancouver, BC, on several occasions. I also visited Yamaha's Taiwan factory in Kao Hsiung and also their headquarters in Hamamatsu, Japan back in 1985.

In addition to those large scale factory operations, I've visited some small shop operations like the Santa Cruz Guitar Company's headquarters, and quite a few workshops used by handbuilders like Roy McAlister. I visited the small shop operation where the best quality Kentucky mandolins were made, in the Japanese Alps, and wrote about it for Frets Magazine. And I've been to National Reso-Phonic's small shop operation, mostly when I was working with them to develop what became National's RM-1 mandolin.

On none of those occasions was I on anything like a formal tour. I did just pop in on Santa Cruz because I was in the area and Roy McAlister, who used to work for them, told me it would be fine to just stop by. But all the other guitar factory tours I've taken have been arranged beforehand, and never as part of a formal tour group.

Of the large scale acoustic guitar factories I've visited, the GibsonMontana plant is in the smallest building. Even the Tacoma Guitar Company's plant was larger and had more room between work stations. The Gibson plant is all on one level, and even though there isn't as much room as the other factories I've visited, it's all laid out very efficiently, all on one level.

But it's bare bones. As we got to the end of the tour, I told Don Ruffato that I wanted to buy a Gibson tee shirt to commemorate the occasion. He said:

"That's S.W.A.G - which stands for "stuff we ain't got!"

There's no gift shop there, no tee shirts for sale, no company merchandise, no place for visitors to sit and play a bunch of Gibson guitars, no accommodation for visitors at all. It's strictly business.

And I understand and agree with their policy of not giving tours to the public. The layout of the work stations is logical, but there isn't enough room for a group of people to walk through. Don and I walked mostly single file and we were fine, but if you were to get some doofus too busy watching the screen as he records the tour on his iPad instead of watching his feet and where he's going, there could be potential for severe accidents.

It's a workspace, pure and simple.

I hope that answers your questions, Duff, but if not, get more specific and I'll do my best.


whm
The swag shop and customer playing room for the Gibson Montana facility is across town at Music Villa. ;-)

I live in Billings, MT and make the drive "over the hill" to Bozeman often, to patronize Music Villa and go to MSU Bobcats games and cheer them on. Paul and the guys at the Villa are great and run a helluva operation.

P.S. I majored in classical guitar performance at MSU in the 80s (when the Gibson Montana plant was built). It was a wonderful town back then. But its growth rate has been INSANE over the past 30 years. Some refer to it as "Bozangelas" now. I wouldn't wanna live there now. I'd choose to live near Livingston instead, if I wanted to be closer to the action there.

Last edited by Red_Label; 09-07-2019 at 08:44 AM.
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