Gibson guitars in the 1980s

Through the 1980s, Norlin Corporation (ECL) and Gibson Guitar Corp. / Gibson Brands, Inc. (2013) / Gibson, Inc. (2024) controlled the Gibson name, and 3 plants built it: Gibson Nashville (Massman Dr), Kalamazoo 225 Parsons St (1917 Gibson building) and Gibson Bozeman (acoustic plant).^{[1, 2, 3]}

6 eras touch the 1980s across 2 lines. The version changed in 1983, 1984, 1986 and 1989. A guitar from either side of those years can be a different Gibson.

Year by year

Year	Controlled by	Built at	Changed
1980	Norlin Corporation (ECL)	Kalamazoo 225 Parsons St (1917 Gibson building), Gibson Nashville (Massman Dr)^{[1, 2]}
1981	Norlin Corporation (ECL)	Kalamazoo 225 Parsons St (1917 Gibson building), Gibson Nashville (Massman Dr)^{[1, 2]}
1982	Norlin Corporation (ECL)	Kalamazoo 225 Parsons St (1917 Gibson building), Gibson Nashville (Massman Dr)^{[1, 2]}
1983	Norlin Corporation (ECL)	Kalamazoo 225 Parsons St (1917 Gibson building), Gibson Nashville (Massman Dr)^{[1, 2]}	yes
1984	Norlin Corporation (ECL)	Gibson Nashville (Massman Dr)^{[1, 2]}	yes
1985	Norlin Corporation (ECL)	Gibson Nashville (Massman Dr)^{[1, 2]}
1986	Gibson Guitar Corp. / Gibson Brands, Inc. (2013) / Gibson, Inc. (2024)	Gibson Nashville (Massman Dr)^[1]	yes
1987	Gibson Guitar Corp. / Gibson Brands, Inc. (2013) / Gibson, Inc. (2024)	Gibson Nashville (Massman Dr)^[1]
1988	Gibson Guitar Corp. / Gibson Brands, Inc. (2013) / Gibson, Inc. (2024)	Gibson Nashville (Massman Dr)^[1]
1989	Gibson Guitar Corp. / Gibson Brands, Inc. (2013) / Gibson, Inc. (2024)	Gibson Nashville (Massman Dr), Gibson Bozeman (acoustic plant)^{[1, 3]}	yes

Eras in the 1980s

Line	Years	Controlled by	Built at	Grade
Gibson Custom Shop	1983–1986	Norlin Corporation (ECL)	Gibson Nashville (Massman Dr)	unverified^{[1, 2]}
Gibson Custom Shop	1986–2018	Gibson Guitar Corp. / Gibson Brands, Inc. (2013) / Gibson, Inc. (2024)	Gibson Nashville (Massman Dr)	unverified^[1]
Gibson USA	1969–1984	Norlin Corporation (ECL)	Kalamazoo 225 Parsons St (1917 Gibson building)	unverified^{[1, 2]}
Gibson USA	1975–1986	Norlin Corporation (ECL)	Gibson Nashville (Massman Dr)	unverified^{[1, 2]}
Gibson USA	1986–2018	Gibson Guitar Corp. / Gibson Brands, Inc. (2013) / Gibson, Inc. (2024)	Gibson Nashville (Massman Dr)	unverified^[1]
Gibson USA	1989–2018	Gibson Guitar Corp. / Gibson Brands, Inc. (2013) / Gibson, Inc. (2024)	Gibson Bozeman (acoustic plant)	unverified^{[1, 3]}

Other brands in the 1980s

Gibson, year by year

1900s

1910s

1920s

1930s

1940s

1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

2020s

Sources

Every numbered marker on this page points here: the document, its grade and the passages relied on. An era is computed, so it cites the facts it was derived from. A fact marked “no source” has no claim attached yet.

1
Wikipedia: wiki/Gibson (guitar company)graded community
2
Wikipedia: Norlin Corporationgraded community
3
Gibson guitars manufacturing expansion, Bozeman, Montanagraded secondary

See something wrong, or know a better source?