| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Musical instruments |
| Founded | Kalamazoo, Michigan |
| Founder(s) | Orville Gibson |
| Headquarters | Nashville, Tennessee, USA |
| Area served | Global |
| Key people | Orville Gibson, Ted McCarty, Les Paul, Seth Lover |
| Subsidiaries | Aeolian, Baldwin, Chickering, Electar, Epiphone, Garrison, Gibson Amphitheatre, Hamilton, Kramer, Maestro, MaGIC, Slingerland, Steinberger, Tobias, Valley Arts Guitar, Wurlitzer |
| Website | Gibson.com |
The Gibson Guitar Corporation,[2] formerly of Kalamazoo, Michigan and currently of Nashville, Tennessee, manufactures guitars and other instruments which sell under a variety of brand names.[1] With a history of over a century, Gibson has been one of the companies that have revolutionized the development of the acoustic and the electric guitar, and along the way have built one of the world's most iconic guitars, the Gibson Les Paul. Many of their instruments continue to increase in value, and some Gibsons are among the most collectible guitars.
The company was founded by Orville Gibson, who made mandolins in Kalamazoo, in the late 1890s. He invented archtop guitars by using the same type of carved, arched tops found on violins. By the 1930s, the company was also making flattop acoustic guitars, as well as one of the first commercially available hollow-body electric guitars, used and popularized by Charlie Christian. Gibson was at the forefront of innovation in acoustic guitars, especially in the big band era of the 1930s; the Gibson Super 400 was widely imitated. In the early 1950s, Gibson introduced its first solid-body electric guitar and in 1952 began producing its most popular guitar to date—the Les Paul, designed by Ted McCarty and Les Paul. After being purchased by the Norlin corporation in the late 1960s Gibson's quality and fortunes took a steep decline until early 1986, when the company was acquired by its present owners. Gibson Guitar is a privately held corporation owned by its chief executive officer Henry Juszkiewicz and its president David H. Berryman.
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Orville Gibson (born 1856, Chateaugay, New York) started making mandolins in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. The mandolins were distinctive in that they featured a carved, arched solid wood top and back and bent wood sides. Prior to this, mandolins had a flat solid wood top and a bowl-like back similar to a lute. These bowl-back mandolins were very fragile and unstable. Disdainful of the shape, Orville Gibson characterized them as "potato bugs". Gibson's innovation made a distinctive, darker-sounding mandolin that was easier to manufacture in large numbers. Orville Gibson's mandolin design, with its single-pieced carved sides and a single-pieced neck, was patented in 1898; it would be the only innovation he patented. Orville Gibson died in 1918 of endocarditis (inflammation of the inside lining of the heart chambers and valves).[3]
Orville Gibson began to sell his unique instruments in 1894 out of a one-room workshop in Kalamazoo Michigan. In 1902 Gibson Mandolin-Guitar Mfg. Co, Ltd. was incorporated to market the instruments. Initially, the company produced only Orville Gibson's original designs. Aware of changing trends, the company hired designer Lloyd Loar in 1919 to create newer instruments.[4]
During the 1920s Gibson was responsible for many innovations in banjo*, guitar and mandolin design. In 1922, the Gibson F5 mandolin model was introduced. That particular model later became known as the ultimate bluegrass mandolin. Gibson soon became the leading manufacturer of archtop guitars, particularly the L-5 model, also a Loar design. Loar left the company in 1924.[5]
In the 1930s, Gibson began exploring the concept of an electric guitar. In 1936 they introduced their first "Electric Spanish" model, the ES-150. Other companies were producing electric guitars but the Gibson is generally recognized as the first commercially successful electric guitar. Other instruments were also "electrified"; such as steel guitars, banjos and mandolins.
During World War II, instrument manufacturing basically stopped at Gibson due to shortages of wood and metal. Only a few instruments were made with whatever parts were at hand. Gibson did war production instead, making wood parts for various military needs. Such shortages continued for a few years after the war and the only notable change occurred in 1946 when the Gibson name on the instrument headstock changed from a cursive script to the block style used to this day. This is seen at the head of the information block at top.
In 1944 Gibson was purchased by Chicago Musical Instruments, which took over marketing and sales of Gibson products while allowing the Kalamazoo factory to operate largely independently.
The ES-175 was introduced in 1949. The model has seen some variations over the years but it is still in production.
In 1948, Gibson hired music industry veteran Ted McCarty, who was promoted to company president in 1950. During his tenure (1950–1966), Gibson greatly expanded and diversified its line of instruments. The first notable addition was the "Les Paul" guitar. McCarty was well aware of the strong sales of the Fender Telecaster. In 1950, Gibson decided to make a solid-body guitar of its own according to its own design philosophy despite the fact many other guitar manufacturers were contemptuous of the concept of a solid-body guitar. Designed by the guitarist Les Paul, it was released as his signature model in 1952. The "Les Paul" was offered in several models, including the Custom, the Standard, the Special, and the Junior.[6]
In the mid-50s, the Thinline series was produced. Many guitarists did not like the bulk of a full-size archtop and wanted a thinner guitar. The first to be produced was the Byrdland. The first Byrdlands were slim, custom built, L-5 models for guitarists Billy Byrd and Hank Garland. Later, a shorter neck was added. Other guitarists who tried Gibson samples liked the idea and the model went into production. Other models such as the ES-350T and the ES-225T were introduced as less costly alternatives.[7]
In 1958, Gibson introduced the ES-335T model. Similar in size to the hollow-body Thinlines, the ES-335 family had a solid center, giving the string tone a longer sustain.
In the late 50s, McCarty was aware the Gibson was perceived as a "conservative" company, generally making traditionally shaped instruments. He decided to change that. In 1958, Gibson produced two new designs: the eccentrically-shaped Explorer and Flying V. These "modernistic" guitars did not sell initially. It was only in the late 1960s and early 70s when the two guitars were reintroduced to the market that they sold very well. The Firebird, in the early 60s, was a reprise of the modernistic idea, though less extreme. In the 1950s, Gibson also produced the Tune-o-matic bridge system and its version of the humbucking pickup, the PAF ("Patent Applied For"), first released in 1957 and still sought after for its sound.
In 1961 the body design of the Les Paul was changed, due to the demand for a double-cutaway body design.[8] Les Paul did not care for the new body style and let his endorsement lapse, and the new body design then became known as the SG (for "solid guitar"). The Les Paul returned to the Gibson catalog in 1968 due to the influence of players such as Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Peter Green. Both the Les Paul and the SG became very popular with rock and roll and blues guitar players.
In 1969 Gibson parent Chicago Musical Instruments was taken over by a South American brewing conglomerate, E.C.L., which changed its name to Norlin Inc. (for ECL president Norton Stevens and CMI president Maurice Berlin). This began an era widely perceived as being characterized by corporate mismanagement and decreasing product quality similar to Fender's period under CBS ownership.
Between 1974 and 1984 production of Gibson guitars was shifted from Kalamazoo to Nashville, Tennessee. Early Nashville-built guitars suffered from both inexperienced workers, and climate-control problems in the humid South. The Kalamazoo plant was kept going for a few years as a custom-instrument shop, but was closed in 1984; several Gibson employees led by plant manager Jim Duerloo established Heritage Guitars in the old factory, building versions of classic Gibson designs. The company was within three months of going out of business before it was bought by Henry E. Juszkiewicz, David H. Berryman, and Gary A. Zebrowski in January 1986.[9] The survival and success of Gibson today is largely attributed to this change in ownership. Currently, Juszkiewicz is CEO and Berryman is president. More recently new production plants have been opened, such as Memphis, Tennessee, as well as Bozeman, Montana. The Memphis facility is used for semi-hollow and custom shop instruments, while the Bozeman facility is dedicated to acoustic instruments.
In mid 2009 Gibson reduced its work force to adjust for a decline in guitar industry sales in the United States.[10]
In 2011, Gibson acquired the Stanton Group, including Cerwin Vega!, KRK Systems and Stanton DJ. Gibson then formed a new division, Gibson Pro Audio, which will deliver professional grade audio items, including headphones, loudspeakers and DJ equipment.[11]
Gibson also owns and makes instruments under such brands as Baldwin,[1] Epiphone,[1] Kalamazoo, Kramer,[12] Maestro,[13] Slingerland,[1] Steinberger,[14] Tobias,[15] Valley Arts and Wurlitzer.[1]
Gibson purchased Garrison Guitars in 2007.[16]
Gibson models may not be easily identified by serial number alone,[17][18] and as of 1999 the company has used six distinct serial numbering systems.[17] By 2006, that number had risen to seven.[18]
In 1977, Gibson introduced the serial numbering system in use until 2006.[18] An eight digit number on the back shows the date on which the instrument was produced, where it was produced and its order of production that day (e.g. first instrument stamped that day, second, etc.).[17]
An exception is the year 1994, Gibson's centennial year; many 1994 serial numbers start with "94", followed by a 6-digit production number.
The Gibson website provides a book to help with serial number deciphering.[19]
In 2006 Gibson introduced a 9 digit serial number system.[18] The system is largely the same as the 8 digit system used since 1977,[17] but the 6th digit now represents a batch number.[18]
In 2003,[20] Gibson debuted its ethernet-based[21] communications protocol, MaGIC, which it had developed in partnership with 3COM, Advanced Micro Devices and Xilinx.[20] Replacing traditional analog hook-ups with a digital connection that would, "satisfy the unique requirements of live audio performances" may have been the goal of this project.[21]
This system may require a special pickup,[20] but cabling is provided by standard Cat-5 ethernet cord.[20][21]
The Gibson "self-tuning guitar", also known as a "robot model", an option on some newer Les Paul, SG, Flying V and Explorer instruments, will tune itself in little more than two seconds using robotics technology developed by Tronical GmbH.[22]
Gibson's corporate social responsibility efforts include a participation in Music Rising, which facilitated the replacement of tens of thousands of privately-owned, hurricane-damaged instruments.[1]
Gibson has sought legal action against those that make and sell guitars too-similar to their own.
In 1977 Gibson sued Hoshino/Elger for copying the Gibson Les Paul.
In 2000, Gibson sued Fernandes Guitars in a Tokyo court for allegedly copying Gibson designs. Gibson did not prevail.[23]
Gibson also sued PRS Guitars to stop them from making their Singlecut model. The lawsuit against PRS was initially successful. However; in 2005, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit reversed the lower court decision and ordered the dismissal of Gibson's suit against PRS.
Gibson makes authorized copies of its most successful guitar designs. They are less expensive than those bearing the Gibson name. A former competitor, Epiphone was purchased by Gibson and now makes competitively-priced Gibson models, such as the Les Paul, sold under the Epiphone brand, while continuing to make Epiphone-specific models like the Sheraton and Casino. In Japan, Orville by Gibson once made Gibson designs sold in that country.
Gibson has come under scrutiny for rare wood purchases and were investigated for violating the Lacey Act, particularly in relation to illegal logging in Madagascar. The Lacey act was amended in 2009 to include wood products. On November 17, 2009 federal authorities seized six guitars and several pallets of alleged endangered and illegal, rare ebony wood purchased by Gibson which was stored at the company's factory.[24][25] Until the investigation has been concluded, Henry E. Juszkiewicz, CEO and Chairman of Gibson Guitar Corporation, has taken a leave of absence as a board member of the Rainforest Alliance.[26] In June 2011, the United States Department of Justice filed a civil case against Gibson, stating: "Gibson sourced its unfinished ebony wood in the form of blanks (for use in the manufacture of fingerboards for Gibson guitars) from Nagel (in Germany), which obtained it exclusively from Roger Thunam (a supplier in Madagascar). Madagascar prohibits the harvest of ebony wood as well as the exportation of unfinished ebony wood." The filing also made mention of internal emails from 2008 and 2009 that discussed ebony species from Madagascar and plans to harvest it.[27][28] The case against Gibson Guitar was the first under the amended Lacey Act, which requires importing companies to purchase legally harvested wood and follow the environmental laws of the producing countries regardless of corruption or lack of enforcement.[28]
In January 2011, Gibson Guitar filed a motion to recover the materials seized in the raid and to overturn the charges made by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.[29][30] This motion was denied, and according to reports quoting a special agent on the case, the material is expected to be used by the prosecution in anticipated indictments.[30]
Gibson Guitar's offices and factories in Nashville and Memphis were raided again by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife on August 24, 2011, although no details were released about the nature of the raid or what was found due to the ongoing legal proceedings.[24] However, according to a statement issued by Gibson Guitar the following day, these raids focused on rare wood imported from India.[31][32] In the release, Juszkiewicz lashed out at the Justice Department, claiming that it was "bullying Gibson without filing charges" and stating further: "Gibson is innocent and will fight to protect its rights. Gibson has complied with foreign laws and believes it is innocent of any wrong doing. We will fight aggressively to prove our innocence." He also criticized the government's use of the Lacey Act because it interprets and enforces the laws of other nations, in this case India.[31][33]
The charges against the company constitute a felony, and if proven, the company could face large fines and the executives involved could face jail terms.[34] Gibson Guitar is considered a progressive company for its promotion of sustainability and forest certification.[34] Although the Rainforest Alliance certified the wood used by Gibson Guitar,[28] its FSC certificates only applied to specific product lines. In the case of the wood from Madagascar, the wood could not have been used in products labeled or sold as FSC-certified.[34]
According to a story in the Wall Street Journal, the case has also caused concern for musicians who lack documentation of vintage instruments made of traditional, non-sustainable materials.[35][36] However, senior officials from the Justice Department and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have stated that musicians who unknowingly possess instruments made from illegal wood would not be treated as criminals. Instead, they insisted that the government's aim is to target individuals and businesses that profit from the trafficking of these protected species. Despite these assurances, lobbying efforts by Juszkiewicz resulted in a proposed bill that would protect musicians who unknowingly possess materials that violate the Lacey Act, while also exempting wood supplies purchased by companies before May 22, 2008 and requiring the government publish a database of illegal wood sources for the public.[37]