-
The earliest documented instrument
The earliest documented instrument is made by Orville Gibson, a restaurant clerk in Kalamazoo, MI. Working in his home woodshop, Orville appropriates the carved, arched top design of the violin and applies it to mandolins and guitars. He designs two new mandolin shapes: the scroll-body F style and the teardrop-shaped A, both of which are the standard mandolin styles today. He is granted his one and only patent in 1898. -
Gibson company establishment
As the demand for Gibson instruments increases, Orville Gibson enters an agreement with 5 Kalamazoo financiers to create The Gibson Mandolin-Guitar Manufacturing Company. Orville Gibson remains company consultant until 1904. He died later in 1918. -
Two of the greatest guitar
Ted McHugh, a Gibson employee, created 2 of the greatest guitar innovations in history. These were the adjustable truss rod and the height-adjustable bridge. All Gibson instruments still use truss rods which are based off of Ted McHugh's design. -
F-5 Mandolin and L-5 Acoustic guitar
In 1922 one of Gibson's sound engineers Lloyd Loar designed the F-5 Mandolin and the L-5 Acoustic guitar. By the end of the 1920s Gibson is producing many flat top models and an economy series called The Kalamazoo Line. -
Gibson's first electric guitars
Gibson's first electric guitars are introduced- a Hawaiian style EH-150 and the ES-150 the year later. The ES-150 became quickly known as the "Charlie Christian" model, due to the famous Charlie Christian using the guitar as his primary instrument. -
J-200
Ray Whitley a film star ordered a super-large acoustic guitar from Gibson. From this the J-200 or Super Jumbo were created. Along with the Super jumbo with 2 cutaway models were also created - the Super 400 Premier and the L-5 Premier and the legendary J-45 and Southern Jumbo. -
Gibson was bought
The Chicago Musical Instrument Company buys Gibson. -
Period: to
ES-175，the L-5CES and Super 400CES
Gibson perfects the P-90 single-coil pickup and leads the industry in the development of new electric archtops with such classic models as the ES-5 (the first triple-pickup guitar) and ES-175 in 1949, followed by the L-5CES and Super 400CES (“CES” for Cutaway Electric Spanish) in 1951. -
Les Paul
Les Paul ( a popular recording artist of the era) helped Gibson in the launch of the companies first solid body electric guitar. This was known as the "Les Paul Model", which became one of the most successful "signature" guitar in history. After Les Paul Models became a family of 4 models which consisted of The Junior, The Special, The Standard and The Custom. -
Tune-o-matic bridge
Ted McCarty invents the Tune-o-matic bridge, which featured individually adjustable saddles. -
ECL
ECL, an Ecuadorian company with interests in concrete and beer manufacturing, takes over Gibson and its parent company CMI. The new entity is named Norlin, a combination of the name of ECL’s Norton Stevens and CMI’s M.H. Berlin. -
The Nashville plant
The Nashville plant opens and production is split between Nashville and Kalamazoo. In 1984, after 65 years as the home of Gibson, the plant at 225 Parsons St. in Kalamazoo is closed and headquarters are moved to Nashville. -
Period: to
the first real reissues
Norlin is falling fast, but the creative spark remains at Gibson. Gibson recognizes a growing demand for vintage guitars and introduces the first real reissues: the F-SL in 1978, the Les Paul Heritage 80 in 1980, Heritage Korinas in 1982 and the Earl Scruggs Granada-style banjo in 1984. Market demands for innovations are also met with the first B.B. King models in 1980 and the first Chet Atkins solidbody acoustics in 1982. -
Henry Juszkiewicz and David Berryman
Henry Juszkiewicz and David Berryman guitar enthusiasts purchase the Gibson company in January 1986 and immediatel began to restore Gibson's reputation as manufacturer of the best stringed instruments in the world. -
Period: to
a detailed replica of the '59 and '60 flametop Les Paul
Gibson demonstrates the combinaton of tradition and innovation that has been synonymous with the Gibson name since 1894. Growing interest in the vintage market prompts a detailed replica of the '59 and '60 flametop Les Paul. And as Gibson celebrates its Centennial, a new model, the Nighthawk, wins an award for Most Innovative Guitar at the January NAMM show from Music and Sound Retailer for designer J.T. Riboloff. -
an award at NAMM
To mark their centennial Gibson debuts the Nighthawk, a new model which wins an award at NAMM for the Most Innovative Guitar. -
Baldwin Piano joined
Gibson Guitar Corporation announces acquisition of the Baldwin Piano & Organ Company. Baldwin Piano, America's Favorite Piano, becomes a member of the prestigious Gibson Family of Brands -
the 50th anniversary
Gibson celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Les Paul Model and introduces the world’s first digital guitar. Utilizing proprietary MaGIC transport protocol developed by Gibson Labs, the Gibson Digital Guitar represents the greatest advance in guitar technology since the invention of the electric guitar 70 years earlier. -
"Coolest Inventions" of 2003
In 2003 Gibson's digital guitar is named by Time Magazine as one of the "Coolest Inventions" of 2003. The same year Gibson opens up a plant in China which creates Epiphones. The company also forms the Gibson Foundation, the official charitable arm of the company. Another innovation Gibson releases is the worlds first guitar with robotic technology. -
Billboard Humanitarian Award
Gibson introduces the HD.6X Pro, the most advanced guitar-based digital controller ever produced at the time. Gibson awarded the Billboard Humanitarian Award. -
Les Pau passed away
On August 12, the legendary Les Paul, grandfather of the electric guitar, passes away at the age of 94. Gibson Guitar commits itself to preserve the legacy of Les Paul forever. The most revolutionary guitar of all time, the Gibson Dusk Tiger, launches on December 7 and further solidifies Gibson Guitar’s place in musical instrument manufacturing history. This next generation of Gibson Robot technologies was produced in limited quantity of 1,000 worldwide. -
120th Anniversary
2014 Marked Gibson's 120th Anniversary. -
PRISM PR Award
Gibson Guitar changes the world of the electric guitar with its introduction of the world's first guitar with robotic technology, the Gibson Robot Guitar. The guitar which was produced in a very limited edition sold out in only two days worldwide. Gibson awarded PRISM PR Award.
