Gibson Guitars are one of the most popular and well-made guitars in history. In 1894, Orville Gibson created the Gibson Guitar Corporation in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Gibson had previously been manufacturing mandolins with arched tops. He is credited with being the inventor of the archtop guitar that is so commonly seen on Gibson guitars to this day. During the 1920s, Gibson created and manufactured mainly banjos, mandolins, and archtop guitars.

In 1936, the Gibson Guitar Corporation released their first electric guitar, called the Electric Spanish ES-150. While other electric guitars had been previously manufactured, the Electric Spanish is considered to be the first commercially successful guitar that was produced.

Production halted during World War II due to shortages, and in 1950 company president Ted McCarty introduced newer lines of Gibson guitars, most notably the Les Paul, to compete with the popularity of the Fender Telecaster. The guitar was designed by the legendary guitarist Les Paul himself, and came in four models: the Custom, Junior, Special, and the Standard.

In the mid-1950s, the Thinline series was introduced, to some criticism due to its large size. As a replacement for the Thinline guitars, the Byrdland series was first produced. In the late 1950s, McCarty wanted to produce a breakthrough and modern guitar body, and the Flying V and Explorer were introduced. Initially, sales were not successful, but in the 1970s, these two guitars became popular with the advent of harder rock and heavy metal. Other successes in the 1950s include the invention of the Tune-o-matic bridge and humbucking pickup.

In the 1960s, the body of the Les Paul was changed, to Paul’s chagrin, and he revoked his endorsement. This new style of Les Paul became known as the SG, or “solid guitar.” However, in 1968, the original Les Paul returned to the shelves, due in part to popular artists of the day like Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton.

Gibson has not changed much from the 1970s to present day. Ownership has changed hands several times, but the designs still remain the same. One of their first models, the ES-175, is still in production, and has been since 1949. In 2011, Gibson founded Gibson Pro Audio, which sells audio products such as DJ equipment and headphones. The Les Paul still remains one of the most popular models of guitar in the history of the instrument, and many Gibson models are used by many artists, such as Bob Marley, Lenny Kravitz, Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), Carlos Santana, Pete Townshend (The Who) and More!

Keep Rockin’!!!