Guitar Story
Guitar Story
In 1983, Norlin Corporation (ECL) controlled the Gibson name. Its 2 lines on record were built at Kalamazoo 225 Parsons St (1917 Gibson building) and Gibson Nashville (Massman Dr) (USA).[1, 2]
A Gibson guitar from 1983 belongs to whichever era was running on its product line that year. An era is a stretch when the company that controlled the name and the plant that built the line both stayed the same. If you know the line, the table below tells you which version of Gibson you have. The name dates from 1894[1], 89 years before.
| Line | Controlled by | Parent | Built at | Era | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gibson Custom Shop | Norlin Corporation (ECL) | — | Gibson Nashville (Massman Dr) | 1983–1986 | unverified[1, 2] |
| Gibson USA | Norlin Corporation (ECL) | — | Kalamazoo 225 Parsons St (1917 Gibson building) Kalamazoo, MI, USA[5] | 1969–1984 | unverified[1, 2] |
| Gibson USA | Norlin Corporation (ECL) | — | Gibson Nashville (Massman Dr) | 1975–1986 | unverified[1, 2] |
Gibson Nashville (Massman Dr) and Kalamazoo 225 Parsons St (1917 Gibson building). See every brand each plant built for, and every plant in the same country:
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.
See something wrong, or know a better source?