Gibson Acoustic Guitars

If you were to ask 1,000 people about Gibson acoustic guitars, the vast majority of them would say that this venerable company has always led the field in acoustic guitars. While Gibson has manufactured some of the finest acoustic instruments ever made, the early years of the company were filled with efforts to build great banjos and mandolins. Guitars were just one of the products coming out of Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Orville Gibson founded the company in the early 1890s and operated the company on his own for a relatively short time – about 8 years. Just after the turn of the last century (1902) he sold the rights to some Michigan businessmen, who named the company for its two primary products – mandolin and guitar. Gibson was personally associated with the business for a few more years. Company history shows that, during the first couple of decades, the tenor banjo and the mandolin were keys to success.

In the first half of the 20^th century, the company produced some of the finest mandolins and guitars ever made. One of the engineers of this quality line was Lloyd Loar. He was the prime mover behind the L-5 mandolins and the L-5 guitars that are treasured by collectors and musicians today. Prices for original L-5s in good condition take them out of the price range for many players and instrument fans.

It’s safe to say that the attention to detail and the focus on strong sound provided the foundation for the Gibson company. Even today, Gibson acoustic guitars are preferred by many musicians, professional and amateur alike.