Guitar brands in 1920

5 brands on record in 1920: Epiphone, Gibson, Gretsch, Harmony and Martin. Epiphone changed owner or plant on at least one line that year.

A snapshot of the trade in 1920. Each row is one brand: the companies that controlled the name that year and the plants that built it. Open a brand’s year for the line-by-line detail.

Who owned what, and where it was built

What changed in 1920

• Epiphone, Epiphone New York/Philadelphia: new era under Epiphone, Inc. (Stathopoulo family) at Epiphone NYC factory^{[1, 2]}
• Epiphone, Epiphone New York/Philadelphia: the 1904–1920 era ends^[1]

The 1920s

• 1920
• 1921
• 1922
• 1923
• 1924
• 1925
• 1926
• 1927
• 1928
• 1929

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. 1
   Gibson Brand Book: Epiphone overviewgraded secondary

   • "STATHOPOULOS EMIGRATE TO AMERICA (1904)"Epiphone in 1920
2. 2
   Wikipedia: wiki/Epiphonegraded community

   • In 1951, a four-month-long strike caused a relocation of the company from New York City to Philadelphia.Epiphone in 1920
3. 3
   Wikipedia: wiki/Gibson (guitar company)graded community
4. 4
   gretschguitars: support/historygraded primary

   • "in 1883… Friedrich Gretsch… founded his shop in Brooklyn"Gretsch in 1920
5. 5
   acousticmusic: guitar music research/guitar information/large shop guitar builders/gretschgraded secondary

   • "Manufacturing continued for 3 years at the 60 Broadway factory"Gretsch in 1920
6. 6
   guitarinsite: gretsch factoriesgraded community

   • 60 Broadway, Brooklyn (1916)Gretsch in 1920
7. 7
   craveguitars: brands gretsch six-string synopsisgraded community

   • in 1916, manufacturing and offices moved to larger premises, still in BrooklynGretsch in 1920
8. 8
   A brief history of Harmony guitarsgraded secondary

   • "In 1916, Sears purchased the Harmony Guitars brand"Harmony in 1920
9. 9
   Department Store Guitar History: The Long Shadow of the Sears Harmonygraded community

   • Sears-Roebuck acquired the guitar maker ostensibly to take control of the ukulele market.Harmony in 1920
10. 10
    Melody Instrument Companygraded community

    • The Harmony Musical Instrument Company was purchased by Sears, Roebuck & Co in 1916Harmony in 1920
11. 11
    Harmony history threadgraded community

    • "Between 1945 and 1975, the Chicago firm mass-produced about ten million guitars… peaked in 1964-1965, selling 350,000"Harmony in 1920
12. 12
    Wikipedia: wiki/C. F. Martin %26 Companygraded community

    • "run by the same family for six generations"Martin in 1920
13. 13
    A Family Business (The Martin Story)graded primary

    • Since 1833, C. F. Martin & Co.® has remained family owned and operated—six generationsMartin in 1920
14. 14
    C. F. Martin & Co. Announces Retirements & New Leadership Appointmentsgraded primary

    • Owner and Chairman of the Board of the 192-year-old companyMartin in 1920
15. 15
    C F Martin Co Inc (International Directory of Company Histories)graded secondary

    • Located in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, since 1839, the company has been run by the same family for six generations.Martin in 1920
16. 16
    Martin Guitar CEO Chris Martin IV announces retirementgraded secondary

    • Family ownership of the Nazareth, Pennsylvania-based company... will continue.Martin in 1920
17. 17
    bluegrasstoday: original martin factory added to national register of historic placesgraded secondary

    • "primary site… until 1964 when a new plant was opened… on Sycamore Street"Martin in 1920

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