[quote name='spinynorman' post='552189' date='Jul 26 2009, 11:10 PM']Just doesn't sound to me like a company that's serious about making musical instruments.[/quote]
And Fender are or have ever been?
Fender mass produce a product which just so happens to be an instrument, I wouldn't class that as producing musical instruments in the way you mean it, that award goes to some of the smaller companies and luthiers ala Celinder, Sadowsky, ACG, RIM, Shuker, Status etc....
Gibson at least do seem to fall somewhere inbetween those areas, and also seem to be pushing new technology now they've stopped pushing designs, those Robot guitars are at least innovative.