If you ever wondered why they're so expensive (and given the frequent QC problems, you'd be right to) just bear in mind that the cost of making and then destroying these shitboxes partially came out of what you paid for your instrument :laugh:
It's disgraceful really. They were a shit design, but to destroy the pickups, tuners, etc just because they couldn't sell them without substantially dropping the price is criminal. Gibson have issued a bullshit statement saying they were "unsafe" but they're full of shit. They had to drop the price to sell that crap. Doing that would devalue the brand so, in order to keep prices high, they destroy unwanted stock rather than lower the price.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AHhKRqdtGs
What absolute cuntish and wasteful behaviour. How is there no action taken on companies who do shit like that!!!
Interview with the guy who shot the video, a former employee,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ft5J1lX4-o