GUITAR- GIBSON ...a guitar they could make with zero down side to company or player

WHY DOESN'T GIBSON MAKE ...

First I am talking about an entry level Gibson guitar.

What it is a guitar Gibson would have a good reason to make. 

All their other guitars are either single cut or they are SG in shape so those that have to have that will bite the bullet and buy one at the current price.

This MM can be done cheaply by using a 3 piece African mahogany body painted in a low gloss solid color. The neck would be maple that is great for tone and is unmatched for strength but one quarter the price of mahogany. Indian rosewood or even a baked maple fret board would both keep it cheap without killing the tone. The narrow headstock does not need the added costs of widening it with glued on 'wings' that the standard headstock uses. The PU should be a standard size humbucker. Basic Kluson tuners will do. Like the '71 the PU, the pots and output jack should be all on the pick guard as it means only one routing of the body.

All these choices would give them a healthy profit margin and still keep the price under $1000.00 USD.

1971 Gibson Melody Maker
...gone is the '61 model with the egg shaped
back half of the body

THE BIG WHY

I have had ample experience with making and marketing guitars.

I choose all the manufacturing techniques used or indeed not used

to keep the costs at it's lowest without dumbing down things like a 

fitted neck and tone woods that would impact on the 'Gibson' sound.

My choice of HB, PU is critical in allowing the buyer to change or upgrade 

the sound with a simple drop in PU. There are hundreds of choices,

including a P90 in a HB size. In fact the P94T is just such a PU and

is made by Gibson.