How Has Gibson Guitar History Shaped Popular Music?

Gibson guitar history spans over a century, from the dawn of the 1900s. Throughout this saga, many conventions we consider commonplace were invented. Founded by restaurant clerk Orville Gibson in 1902, the Gibson Guitar Manufacturing Company became a world leader in fretted instruments within the space of a few years.

In 1936 Gibson shipped its first electric guitar, the ES 150. This guitar was favored by guitar pioneer Charlie Christian, whose innovative use of the guitar as a lead instrument had a profound effect on guitar players everywhere. The ES 150 is widely considered to be the first successful electric guitar, and a music revolution had begun.

Fast forward to 1952, when Gibson's collaboration with guitar master Lester Polfuss resulted in the release of the Les Paul solid body electric guitar. This guitar would go on to become one of, if not the, most iconic guitars the planet had ever seen. From Led Zeppelin to Guns n' Roses and countless other bands, the Les Paul guitar was played on more hits than you can count. Despite being over 50 years old, this guitar design remains relatively unchanged even to this day.

The eighteen years between 1948 and 1966 are considered to be Gibson's "Golden Years." Engineer Ted McCarty was at the helm for this historic period, which saw the introduction of the Les Paul, the tune-o-matic bridge, the Flying V, The Explorer, and the humbucking pickup, among other things. Each of these is cemented in music history as a milestone in its own right, and McCarty's influence on music will be felt countless years in to the future.

The mid 1980s saw the near-collapse of Gibson, and the company was rescued mere weeks from bankruptcy by current owners Juszkiewicz & Berryman in January 1986. The company turned around under this new ownership, and continues to flourish to this day.

The future of Gibson is bright: the initial release of the Robot Guitar sold out within days, and new developments that leverage technology in music are underway. While the history of Gibson is rich, the road ahead looks even better.