Brief History Of Orville Gibson & The Gibson Company

Orville H. Gibson was a musician and a woodcrafter (luthier) who enjoyed Building musical instruments such as arch-top guitars, mandolins, and harps. The earliest electric Gibson guitar ever recorded or seen had a perfectly solid wooden rectangular one piece body.

In 1896 Orville Gibson opened a little store and kept on experimenting and creating innovating new ways on how to build stringed instruments. 

In 1902 Gibson was bought out by investors who called their business Mandolin Guitar Manufacturing Company From 1902 to 1944. Some of the finest Gibson guitars were produced during these years and now are considered highly collectible. A brief list of these guitars include the:

• Gibson L-5 arch-top introduced in 1922
• Gibson f-5 mandolin - 1923
• Super Jumbo flat top guitars - 1934
• Gibson Es-150 with Charlie Christian Pickups - 1936-37
• The First Single Gibson arch-tops -1939
• J-45 Flat top introduced in 1942

In 1944 the company was purchased by CMI which stands for Chicago Musical Instrument Company. In 1944 to 1968-69 more fabulous Gibson guitars were produced that are now household names like:

• The single cut Gibson es-175 guitar - 1949
• Les Paul solid body p-90 pickups - 1952
• Eb-1 Violin - 1953
• Les Paul Customs With PAF hum-buckers - 1955
• Single cut thin-line es-225t - 1955
• The ever famous Gibson Byrd-land - 1955
• Double Cutaway semi hollow es-335 - 1958
• Gibson flying v explorers - 1958
• First EDS 1275 Gibson double necks - 1958
• Gibson Hummingbird -1959
• Gibson Barney Kessel - 1960
• Sg Les Paul - 1961
• Gibson Thunderbird Bass - 1963

Note : In 1957 CMI then purchased Epiphone guitar company transferring production from Philadelphia to the Gibson plant in Kalamazoo until 1969 when Epiphone guitars were built in Japan .

In 1968 Gibson started making reissues of the Les Paul customs and standards.

In late 1969 The company was purchased by a company called Norlin. During 1969 to 1984 more outstanding Gibson guitars were made such as :

• Gibson L series were introduced in 1972
• Nashville Tennesse Guitar - 1974
• Gibson BB KING - 1980
• Chet Atkins -1982

In 1984 production at kalamazoo Ended.

In 1985 Gibson sold to a group called Henry Juskewiscz. In 1985 to this present day Gibson is always strong , introducing more models such as Chet Atkins country gentlemen and many more .

When you buy a vintage Gibson guitar you are not only buying a fine guitar but the history that goes with it as well .

Theres no other manufacturer that has produced a greater variety of professional and prestigious quality guitar models than Gibson. Every guitar model that Gibson ever built has its own history and story, there are no two alike even if they share the same name.