Gibson vs Yamaha Guitars:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Gibson had more branded searches than Yamaha Guitars among guitar brands in New Zealand. Gibson had about 2,420 branded searches, while Yamaha Guitars had 710. Gibson made up 18.9% of all guitar brand searches we track, and Yamaha Guitars accounted for 5.6%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about guitar brands, Yamaha Guitars appeared in four of the five answers and Gibson in three. Yamaha Guitars was mentioned before Gibson in three out of five answers.
Who do people search for more?
Gibson, about 3 searches for every 1 for Yamaha Guitars
Who does AI mention more?
Yamaha Guitars, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, Gibson in 3
Who does AI recommend more?
Yamaha Guitars, named ahead of Gibson in 3 of 5 answers
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Top guitar brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Yamaha Guitars was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Gibson was mentioned in three out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. Yamaha Guitars was listed before Gibson in three out of five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Fender1st
Yamaha Guitars2nd
Cort3rd
Ibanez4th
Gibson5th
Epiphone6th
PRS7th
Taylor Guitars8th
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Fender5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Ibanez5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Yamaha Guitars4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Cort4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Gibson3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Epiphone2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Taylor Guitars2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
PRS2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about guitar brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which guitar brand should I buy in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best guitar brands in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best guitar brand in New Zealand for a beginner player?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“electric guitar nz”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best guitar brand”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 21, 2026.
Is Gibson or Yamaha Guitars more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Gibson and Yamaha Guitars by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight guitar brands we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.
Share of searches by month for Gibson, Yamaha Guitars. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Fender | Gibson | Ibanez | Epiphone | Yamaha Guitars | Taylor Guitars | PRS | Cort |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 32.5% | 20.4% | 19.1% | 12.6% | 5.3% | 5% | 3% | 2% |
| Nov 2025 | 32.1% | 20.3% | 17.1% | 12.2% | 5.3% | 7.4% | 3% | 2.5% |
| Dec 2025 | 32.5% | 19.1% | 18.6% | 14.2% | 5% | 5.1% | 3.1% | 2.5% |
| Jan 2026 | 30.9% | 19% | 20.3% | 12.5% | 5.2% | 6% | 3.6% | 2.4% |
| Feb 2026 | 32.6% | 20.1% | 16.2% | 12.9% | 6.1% | 6.2% | 3.8% | 2% |
| Mar 2026 | 36.8% | 20% | 16.5% | 10.3% | 5.3% | 5.7% | 3.5% | 1.9% |
| Apr 2026 | 37.5% | 17.9% | 18.2% | 11.2% | 5.4% | 4.9% | 2.9% | 2% |
| May 2026 | 38.4% | 18.7% | 16.5% | 10.3% | 5.6% | 5.5% | 3.3% | 1.8% |
| Jun 2026 | 36.9% | 18.1% | 16.6% | 10.8% | 5.3% | 5.5% | 5% | 1.8% |
| Jul 2026 | 35.4% | 18.8% | 17.3% | 10.7% | 6.5% | 5.8% | 3.6% | 1.9% |
| Aug 2026 | 33.7% | 19.6% | 18.4% | 11% | 5.7% | 5.9% | 3.6% | 2% |
| Sep 2026 | 34.2% | 18.9% | 18.6% | 11.5% | 5.6% | 5% | 3.8% | 2.5% |
How has the Gibson and Yamaha Guitars comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Gibson was ahead of Yamaha Guitars in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Gibson’s share of searches among guitar brands in New Zealand moved from 20.4% to 18.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 2.6K to 2.4K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Yamaha Guitars’ share of searches among guitar brands in New Zealand moved from 5.3% to 5.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 690 to 710.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand guitar brands in September 2026?
2 changes

In September 2026, Gibson lost share of searches among guitar brands in New Zealand, from 19.6% to 18.9%.

In September 2026, Yamaha Guitars rose from 6th to 5th among guitar brands in New Zealand.
How are branded searches counted?
13 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Gibson’s and Yamaha Guitars’ names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Gibson
10 branded search terms
- gibson acoustic guitar
- gibson bass
- gibson electric guitar
- gibson explorer guitar
- gibson firebird guitar
- gibson guitar company
- gibson hummingbird guitar
- gibson les paul
- gibson sg
- gibson sg standard
Yamaha Guitars
3 branded search terms
- yamaha acoustic guitar
- yamaha guitar
- yamaha guitars bass
Other head-to-heads among guitar brands

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