In lieu of their ever expanding range of musical gear and equipment, Gibson Guitar Corp. has now become Gibson Brands.
Founded in 1894 in Kalamazoo, MI, Gibson continues to extend its reach from music into lifestyle orientation via acquisitions and investments.
Having some of the most iconic guitars under their belt, including the Les Paul, SG, ES-335, Flying V among many others, Gibson has the luxury of eyeing growth opportunities in other music related markets. They have already taken the steps required to do this, by acquiring and investing on big name brands that offer gear for DJs, live music production and recording.
The obvious concern for a guitarist like me this: is will the quality of Gibson guitars be affected? Gibson already answered this question on their press release by saying that they will still prioritize their guitar products, its just that Gibson Guitars will now be under the Gibson Brands umbrella.
Henry Juszkiewicz, Gibson Brands Chairman and CEO, is quoted saying “Of course, the Gibson Guitar Corp. remains a vital, and crucially important, division of Gibson Brands. But with the recent acquisitions of TEAC, the Stanton Group, KRK, and Cerwin-Vega!, as well as a major investment in Onkyo, Gibson now encompasses the entire music and sound chain—from the first chord played by a songwriter on a Gibson guitar, until the music reaches the consumer through Onkyo’s premium high-fidelity systems.”
Juszkiewicz continues, “Gibson guitars have always represented a fusion of technology, art, innovation, and craftsmanship, resulting in a premium range of musical instruments. Gibson Brands will continue to carry that ethos into all our products. Most importantly, we’ve never forgotten that Gibson Brands are about bringing the joy of music and sound to a world hungry for a positive quality of life.”
Love them or hate then, Gibson continues to keep its dominant position in the guitar market, they have Gibson guitars covering the mid-priced to high-end market, while the Epiphone brand pleases the low-end to mid-priced guitar consumers. Backed with almost 120 years of experience, they continue to produce acoustic guitars, electric guitars, banjos and mandolins that cover multiple price ranges.
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Oh, Gibson. We knew this was coming at some point. It’s a strategic move, but it’s also upsetting that Gibson isn’t primarily focused on making guitars anymore. Now it’s about making money.