Behind the Scenes at Gibson USA Factory! 

Every time Lee visits a factory. It's like seeing a toddler visiting Disney World for the first time.

I know this facility intimately. I spent the last 8 years of my 47 year industrial maintenance electrician career there. It takes every skill imaginable to keep it going. Jim always does a great tour and has a wonderful relationship with the maintenance team. I’m feeling very nostalgic and a little terrified watching this. ☮️

Jim is such a passionate dude, shame Lee couldn't give him the attention he deserves when he talks to him instead of just thinking about what he wants to say next, the dude deserves the respect

I'm blown away by Jim's knowledge on every department. Usually people working at higher level only knows things at higher level. He knows all the processes and that shows that he is very passionate about his work.

Love how Lee takes the time to talk to the workers. It's the first time I watch a factory tour video in its entirety! I usually get bored after 10 min but Lee's contagious enthusiasm made may stick till the end!

What an incredible host Stanley Tucci is. Great behind the scenes.

You can tell Lee's enthusiasm is genuine. Films like this do more for Gibson's reputation than any advertising campaign.

The part about that single ES press machine pressing every single ES Gibson guitar ever made…🤯🤯🤯 Incredible

Halfway into the video I must say, the craftsmen in this video are absolute legends… so much manual and physical labor where people really care to make something nice. Gotta respect it!

Gibson didn't strike me as a company that would be so open to show almost all of their process. Very impressive!

it's awesome to not just see the factory, but also see and hear the workers. Gibson is clearly not a place, where people would go because of need. But rather because of passion for instruments and music and you can feel that.

Outstanding video. I could listen to Jim DeCola all day. What a gent and truly knowledgeable guy.

guy is putting his heart and soul into teaching Lee the process but Lee's so in awe at the factory it barely seems like he's paying attention lol

I didn't expect to be here for two hours, but I ended up watching the whole thing and it was indeed fascinating. One of the better comprehensive tours I've seen!

That was the best Sunday night TV for many a year! Who needs Netflix or Amazon when you can watch stuff like this? Shows just how much work goes into making a Gibson, incredible time and effort.

Many moons ago when I was driving cross country I stopped in at the Memphis location to do a factory tour. I was the only person who showed up for the tour so they said hell with it and took me everywhere around the factory and let me play tons of amazing guitars while I was there. It was a really awesome experience I'll never forget.

These factory warehouse blogs are so effective. I kind of want to get a flame top 335, as if I were a rich man. The Captain’s true excitement and enthusiasm are what makes him such a great salesman.

I absolutely love these factory tours. They also help realise why certain guitars have to come in at the price point they do.

Good to see Gibson back at full strength doing a great job 👏

Best video by far of the Gibson factory clearly shows why Gibson Guitars-costs so much fantastic insight into how your Gibson was made and processed I love mine even more now

Having bought an SG Standard 10 months ago, I found it fascinating to see the sheer craftsmanship and diligence that goes into these instruments. What a great tour, I could almost smell the wood while watching. I appreciate my SG all the more since seeing this.❤

El Capitano & the Danish one, on tour.... Proof that they can both actually survive outside of the Anderton's studio, without any additional life support.

I love how Lee takes the time and opportunity to talk to all these employees on the lines. Genuine passion and love for guitars and people who make them

What a wonderful tour with Jim being so passionate about all the processes. Lee and Pete were both in awe. The pink irokez dude was totally right - like a child in a candy shop 😍

This is the best tour of the Gibson plant I've seen by a long way. Lee asked all the fanboy questions we would all ask, and they gave him incredible access being such a great distributor for them.

Every time I see videos about the how Gibson builds there guitars just reinforces why they’re worth every penny

Jim Decola is a fantastic ambassador for Gibson. A wealth of knowledge from every singe department from top to botton of Gibson.

This is by far the best Gibson factory tour i´ve ever seen. Thanx a lot, captain Lee.

Lee’s doing his best Greg Wallace impression!

I like how at 1:18:00 Pete is just wandering around the factory un-escorted like he owns the place.

What a breath of fresh air to see how much manual labor still goes into producing these guitars. Now I know why they are priced as such. If I could, I would. Nice job.

10 years of my life was spent in the Rough Mill at Gibson. Its a very cool process and a great group of people to work with.

A couple of years after hearing about gibson's potential bankrupcy, etc, its heartening to see that this special company is now in great hands. Jim is a great example of how a person should rise to the top, having done the hard yards himself understanding the process inside out. all the staff seems highly motivated and most seem to be guitar people truly appreciative of their surroundings and putting care into the instruments they send out to the world

What a fantastic video! Thank you Andertons. Lee’s genuine enthusiasm is so infectious!!

Not everyone gets to do what they love. You two are truly blessed.

It's insane to know that my 3 guitars were created in that factory. Awesome video. Thanks!

Lol I flew from Seattle to London caught the train out to guildford to check out the coolest guitar shop in the UK thinking maybe I’ll get to meet these guys and they’d flown to Memphis 😂. No worries the shop was cool and crammed full of gear. That and Guildford is a jem of a town!

A child in a candy store! That's what Lee must be feeling like! I'm just as excited by just watching this video, so thank you Andertons and Gibson for this!

Man what an impressive individual Jim is. Fascinating to spend some time listening to a master explain his craft. Bravo

My favorite moment... "Wow! This place is like a T.A.R.D.I.S.!" Love it!

It is awesome to see how much care and attention Cesar has put into getting Gibson back to being a brand everyone can respect, and appreciate again.

Thank you, Lee, Pete, and Jim for this wonderful tour around Gibson, enjoyed every minute of this journey.

Gibsons are my favorite guitars and I was mind blowing watching this video! Absolutely fantastic! Congratulations Gibson Guitars, congratulations Andertons TV, Lee and Pete! Thank you!

As a design and process engineer, I found this fascinating, I am retired now and learning to play guitar, this is the intersection of many of my interests, I missed my calling, I should have worked in a guitar factory, maybe in another life. This was a great tour, I have already watched the Custom Shop video and found it equally entertaining, thanks again to Andertons and Gibson!

Absolutely Fascinating. Im so glad Gibson has the quality control that it has these days.

I love seeing Lee's excitement at each process. He's definitely someone who's living his best life! Beautiful stuff.

Love how Lee goes to the gibson factory and talks about the fender factory. The reaction is priceless.

Makes me appreciate the people who designed all the automated machinery. Huge respect to the people who actually make it happen in the factory as well 👌

Jim Decola - a nice guy full of knowledge - great tour!👍

This is the first time ever in all Andertons channel history when Lee never stopped smiling for entire video. Lee thank you for what you’ve doing. I was enjoying every second of this video too. Little Lee in a sweet shop. Sorry Lee I had to say it:)

1) Love the factory-tours 2) Quite easy to see when Lees attention moves from whats being said to what his next question will be.

Lee, your enthusiasm is what makes this incredibly special. We are all geeking out together with you in this historical company's factory. This is what makes Gibson and Gibson.

Simply one of the best RU-vid videos I've seen. Thank you Andertons!

Amazing tour, and a reminder why it's so important to support the brands we love, being built by the people that know them best.

I love seeing all the Gibson employees who are so great at their jobs. Also love hearing how long people have been with the company. Must be a good place to work.

I have an es-335 that was pressed on that top press in 1976 or 1975. It's so cool to see a piece of machinery that helped build the guitar my grandfather bought new in '76.

Well done boys, I’ve seen a bunch of Gibson factory tour videos but this is by far the best one.

Have seen so many factory tours lately....refreshing to finally have one that gets into more details and questions we all have. The premier guitar ones in particular don't really go into any of the process. Thanks for actually asking questions like "who and how do you grade the tops?"

I will never complain again about the price. So much human touch. Beautiful

THIS is why we need to bring manufacturing back to our countries. It’s wonderful seeing people have work in a good western factory.

Noticed a huge difference to Gibson factory tours from some years ago, in general organisation and tidiness, and friendliness and engagement of the colleagues. I think the new management is making a real difference.

So Bobby decides the tops of all your Gibsons in all the world :). So be nice to Bobby .

Have to say not really being a Gibson enthusiast but having spent 4 years as an Industrial Systems Engineer in very high tech heavy engineering CNC manufacturing facility I'm impressed with the Gibson factory. Very interesting video. Luv and Peace.

I honestly did not know how much hand-done work was done on these guitars even despite the price. Very cool to see stuff still made in the US

So cool to see they have a stage right in the factory!

This is a great in-depth factory tour and it’s good how they include the employees and get them to describe their jobs. I’ve worked in big wood working factories where the head in charge and bosses don’t even know their employees names

Fascinating! Thanks so much. And thanks to Jim and all for a great tour!

Totally incredible! It's like a dreamland! That's why Gibson is unique!

Just picked up my Les Paul Junior. Awesome to see the background of where it came from. If you want something bad enough you'll save up and get it. People spend stupid money on phones, clothes, cars. I love guitars. I found a way to make it happen.

Thanks Andertons & Gibson, absolute joy to watch. It's blown my mind seeing how much skilled work is done by hand!

Lee’s pure joy makes the video all the better. You can’t fake that level of excitement and passion.

In 1982, I happened to be passing through Kalamazoo, Michigan and stopped over for the night. When I woke up, I remembered that Gibson was based in that city, looked them up in the phone book (remember those?), and called up, inquiring if I could pop in and buy some parts. Whoever answered the phone said that actually, they were closed to take inventory (I gather in preparation for the closure of the facility and handover of assets to the Memphis/Nashville facilities), but I was welcome to come by and they'd show me around. I hustled over, and got a full tour of the place, including the now-empty adjacent expansion for the folk-guitar boom of the '60s. Some years later, in the final episodes of the show "Mad Men", when they had moved out of their Manhattan offices and all that was left was early '60s steel-tubing office furniture, I saw a similar landscape in Gibson's empty when-folk-was-king building. The floorboards in the original Parsons street facility were wooden and worn down. At that point, the folks there focused on repair of legacy/heritage instruments (probably why they renamed it Heritage Guitars, when they collectively bought the facility from Gibson), and production of the more involved semi-acoustic electrics. I saw 80 year-old harp guitars, and got to try the Epiphone "map" guitar (you can seriously hurt yourself on Florida!). The tour culminated in being shown what was, at that time, Gibson's highest-end instrument - the Kalamazoo Award archtop. My tour guide didn't let me hold it, but he encouraged me to "Just breathe on it", and the strings vibrated for longer than most of us would wait to pick up the phone. He gave me a copy of Julius Bellson's Gibson History book, that is somewhere in my basement, wedged in between too many other things. One of the parts I was hoping to get was a spring for my B5 Bigsby unit. The fellow told me they didn't carry that sort of thing, but the Bigsby factory was actually just the other side of the highway, and I could probably get it there. I went there, as instructed, and who should greet me at the door but Ted McCarty, who had transitioned from his presidency of Gibson to a similar role at Bigsby. The esteemed Mr. McCarty gave me a tour, proudly pulled some gold-plated palm-pedals off the shelf and out of their boxes to show me, like a child eager to show you what they got for Christmas. He gave me one of his business cards, which I proudly still have, framed. Quite the day. Gibson used to have a store in the Opry MIlls Mall, adjacent to the Grand Ol' Opry. Naturally, it sold only Gibson and Epiphone products, but it also had a small production facility, viewable through a large windowed wall, where you could see craftsmen making smaller acoustic instruments of various sorts: mandolins, banjos, and such (larger production of flat-tops having moved out to Bozeman, Montana). Sadly, the big flood of 2010, that hit so much of the city and outlying areas (including nearby storage warehouses where "name" musicians kept their touring gear) also hit that mall, and when it was finally re-opened, that Gibson store was no more.

This is the kind of video I live for. Love seeing how everything is put together. Thanks Captain, Pete n crew.

This was an amazing watch! Thanks to you and Gibson for allowing it. Just awesome to see.

This is going to the the most epic series of video Anderton has ever put out.

IMHO it's a graceful equilibrium, as ever. And, more important, their goodbye. They're in their 80s not under 30, as for their last efforts together. Different people, different world. I just say thank you.

Thousands of dreams and memories they are creating with every guitar. Thanks to all are involved on that. And thanks guys for this great video

Seeing all of these smiling southern faces, and incredible craftsmanship has completely made my day. Thank you Lee and Pete, you guys have made my internet experience so entertaining and informative, for many years ,

I don’t play guitar but I do like to listen to people who are enthusiastic and passionate about what they do and Jim truly seems like such a guy. I watched the entire video with interest and this tour of the production line has left me a thoroughly positive impression of the brand Gipson. Thank you for the video👍

I have 4 Gibson Les Pauls including a custom model and they are just beautiful and they all sound different. The work involved in making these great guitars is inspiring. This was so nice to watch.

Thanks to the awesome Jim DeCola and an enthusiastic Lee (and production crew) for this thorough and fascinating Gibson USA factory tour! As a long time Gibson owner this was really instructive and gratifying. Nice to see some new SG finish colors (especially British Racing/Emerald Green and TV Yellow), hopefully they will be available in Canada in 2024 but probably they are UK/US dealer exclusives only.

Jim is so knowledgeable and a great communicator! Fantastic video- thank you!

The dedicated, skilled & talented "Craft Persons" take pride in their individual roles to collectivelly produce sonic guitar wondors. Finally, I see that the Company invests heavily in thier people & cutting edge automation ensuring instrument perfection. Made in America does not get any better ! Very, Very nice; Bravo Gibson Team.

Nice to see the Greeny featured a few times , I just brought a Greeny USA a few weeks ago , incredible guitar

Shoutout to Lee for being extremely real and unphased by execs when talking to these factory workes. For a well-off guy who runs a business this guy is so kind and unpretentious, really appreciated.

The filming, edit, colour grading and everything about this is next level stuff. It's a beautiful looking film 👌

I could never spend too much time in a wood shop. Working with wood is a rewarding art.

These craftsman deserve every penny they make. Call me old fashioned, but I am glad to see there are still American companies manufacturing great products.

Great tour! The best one I've seen so far. Makes me appreciate my Gibsons even more. Especially the 335.

Well done! Lee & the boys. Really enjoyed this tour. Jim is a walking encyclopedia! I appreciate my Les Paul Studio all the more now.

That same machine pressed my '74 Gibson 335, amazing stuff

Watching that luthier set that neck in the SG while I admire my SG was one of the most satisfying things I've ever seen.

That was an incredibly great & detailed tour. Makes one better appreciate the amount of effort and skill that goes into making these beautiful instruments. Thank you.

Amazing video. Thinking of what each of my Gibsons went through to eventually land in my hands…. gives me a deeper appreciation for the work required.

Great buzz around the place with Jim giving literal pats on the back to the staff. He makes it pretty clear early on that he was over the old management. The last year or so is the first time I've ever actually considered buying a Gibson (know other curious Fender guys too) , so the good vibes are radiating outwards.

I enjoyed watching this extensive tour. I still have that Guitar Player issue in the 80's with the Gibson Factory Tour article. Factory techniques really go a long way. Jim de Cola really knows his stuff by the way he talks and shows the processes shown during the tour.

I'm holding my absolutely perfect 2022 50's Standard as I'm watching this!😂 Anyone else? I'm talking to my guitar like......See!!!! this is where you were born!!😂

Wonderful video guys! I’ve been waiting for the Lee and Pete Tour America episodes to drop! Seeing the people behind the brand and the craftsmanship and pride that they put into these guitars always makes me proud to be an owner of the brand. Can’t wait for the PRS and Martin tours!

As a Gibson acolyte I can say this was super awesome. Thanks loads!

Lee's head was on a constant swivel! Truly a candy store for guitarists. What a privilege to get to go through this factory and see how the magic is created.