Guitar brands in 1969

7 brands on record in 1969: Epiphone, Gretsch, Guild, Harmony, Ibanez, Martin and Ovation. Epiphone and Ibanez changed owner or plant on at least one line that year.

A snapshot of the trade in 1969. 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 1969

• Epiphone, Epiphone Kalamazoo: new era under Norlin Corporation (ECL)^{[1, 2, 3]}
• Epiphone, Epiphone Kalamazoo: the 1957–1969 era ends^{[37, 38, 2, 39, 40, 41, 42]}
• Ibanez, Ibanez Japan (FujiGen: J Custom, Prestige): new era under Hoshino Gakki Ten, Inc. at FujiGen^{[19, 20, 21, 22]}

The 1960s

• 1960
• 1961
• 1962
• 1963
• 1964
• 1965
• 1966
• 1967
• 1968
• 1969

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
   Wikipedia: wiki/Gibson (guitar company)graded community

   • "Gibson was owned by Norlin Corporation from 1969 to 1986"Epiphone in 1969
2. 2
   Epiphone history 1957-present (Gibson era) - Blue Book of Guitar Valuesgraded secondary

   • in the last few days of 1969, ECL bought CMIEpiphone in 1969
   • For the sum of $20,000, Gibson had acquired its once mighty rivalEpiphone Kalamazoo, 1957–1969
3. 3
   more info about norlingraded community

   • In December of 1969, E.C.L. Industries, Inc. took control of CMI.Epiphone in 1969
4. 4
   acousticmusic: guitar music research/guitar information/large shop guitar builders/gretschgraded secondary

   • "In 1967, Fred Gretsch, Jr. sold the Gretsch Company to… D. H. Baldwin"Gretsch in 1969
   • "merged Gretsch with Kustom in November 1979… Baldwin went bankrupt in 1983"Gretsch in 1969
   • "Manufacturing continued for 3 years at the 60 Broadway factory"Gretsch in 1969
5. 5
   GretschTech: The Baldwin Eragraded primary

   • The sale was completed on July 31, 1967.Gretsch in 1969
   • parent company Baldwin United declared bankruptcy in late 1983.Gretsch in 1969
6. 6
   guitarinsite: gretsch factoriesgraded community

   • 60 Broadway, Brooklyn (1916)Gretsch in 1969
7. 7
   craveguitars: brands gretsch six-string synopsisgraded community

   • in 1916, manufacturing and offices moved to larger premises, still in BrooklynGretsch in 1969
8. 8
   acousticmusic: research/guitar information/large shop guitar builders/guildgraded secondary

   • "bought by Avnet for about $5,000,000 in July of 1966"Guild in 1969
   • "By the end of 1971, all factory operations had been transferred to Westerly"Guild in 1969
9. 9
   Guild (manufacturer history) - Blue Book of Guitar Valuesgraded secondary

   • In 1966, electronic parts producer Avnet Inc. bought Guild Musical Instruments, and Alfred Dronge stayed on as president.Guild in 1969
   • In mid-August of 1986, Avnet sold Guild to a management/investment group from New England and Tennessee.Guild in 1969
10. 10
    A Brief History of Guild Guitarsgraded secondary

    • In 1966, Guild was sold to the Avnet Corporation, albeit with Alfred Dronge still at the helm overseeing production.Guild in 1969
11. 11
    The Convoluted History of Guild Guitarsgraded community

    • Guild was bought by Avnet for about $5,000,000 in July of 1966.Guild in 1969
12. 12
    Guild Guitar Factoriesgraded community

    • Guild was sold to the Avnet Corporation in 1966Guild in 1969
13. 13
    bluebookofguitarvalues: electric guitars/manufacturers/guildgraded secondary

    • "larger workshop in Hoboken… late 1956"Guild in 1969
14. 14
    mmone: guild guitarsgraded secondary

    • "opened in 1967 in Westerly"Guild in 1969
15. 15
    Harmony Companygraded community

    • "In 1975 the Harmony Guitar Co. in Chicago ceased operations and had a huge three-day auction."Harmony in 1969
16. 16
    Department Store Guitar History: The Long Shadow of the Sears Harmonygraded community

    • Harmony was a major player until around 1940, when the company was sold back to Harmony executives.Harmony in 1969
17. 17
    Melody Instrument Companygraded community

    • until December 21st, 1940 when The Harmony Company, under Sears Roebuck, ceased operationsHarmony in 1969
18. 18
    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 1969
19. 19
    Wikipedia: wiki/Hoshino Gakkigraded community

    • "1929: The Hoshino company starts Hoshino Gakki Ten Inc."Ibanez in 1969
    • "1969: Hoshino Gakki Ten starts to use the FujiGen… factory"Ibanez in 1969
20. 20
    特集！Ibanezインタビュー！～歴史編～ (Ibanez interview: history)graded community

    • 昭和4年（1929年）には別会社として星野書店から独立したのですがIbanez in 1969
21. 21
    Ibanez (Ibanez Wiki)graded community

    • The Ibanez brand name dates back to 1929 when Hoshino Gakki began importing Salvador Ibáñez é Hijos guitars from Spain.Ibanez in 1969
22. 22
    Hoshino Gakki Co. Ltd. Company Historygraded secondary

    • By 1929, Hoshino established its own musical instruments company, Hoshino Gakki Ten,Ibanez in 1969
23. 23
    Wikipedia: wiki/Ibanezgraded community

    • "After the Teisco String Instrument factory closed in 1970"Ibanez in 1969
24. 24
    Wikipedia: wiki/C. F. Martin %26 Companygraded community

    • "run by the same family for six generations"Martin in 1969
25. 25
    A Family Business (The Martin Story)graded primary

    • Since 1833, C. F. Martin & Co.® has remained family owned and operated—six generationsMartin in 1969
26. 26
    C. F. Martin & Co. Announces Retirements & New Leadership Appointmentsgraded primary

    • Owner and Chairman of the Board of the 192-year-old companyMartin in 1969
27. 27
    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 1969
28. 28
    Martin Guitar CEO Chris Martin IV announces retirementgraded secondary

    • Family ownership of the Nazareth, Pennsylvania-based company... will continue.Martin in 1969
29. 29
    guitar: features/martin guitar historygraded secondary

    • "62,000-square-foot Sycamore Street facility… That was in 1964."Martin in 1969
30. 30
    themunicipal: 2023/12/stringing along at the martin guitar factory and museumgraded secondary
31. 31
    Hamer Guitarsgraded community

    • "acquired by… Fender… on December 31, 2007"Ovation in 1969
32. 32
    Kaman Corporation Form 10-K for fiscal year ended December 31, 2007graded primary

    • On December 31, 2007, we completed the previously announced saleOvation in 1969
33. 33
    Kaman Corporation Form 10-K for fiscal year 2008graded primary

    • On December 31, 2007, we completed the sale of all of the capital stock of our wholly owned subsidiaryOvation in 1969
34. 34
    Kaman Corp. 8-K exhibit 99.1 (Ovation/KMC sale closing)graded primary

    • on December 31, 2007, the company completed its previously announced saleOvation in 1969
35. 35
    Fender to close Ovation factory in Connecticutgraded secondary

    • "built Ovation… for the last 47 years"Ovation in 1969
36. 36
    Fender to cease US production of Ovation guitarsgraded secondary
37. 37
    guitarinsite: epiphone factoriesgraded community

    • "In 1957, Chicago Musical Instrument Company (CMI), the parent company of Gibson, acquired Epiphone."Epiphone Kalamazoo, 1957–1969
38. 38
    How Gibson rescued Epiphone in the late-1950sgraded secondary

    • once everything was on the move, CMI set up Epiphone Inc. of Kalamazoo.Epiphone Kalamazoo, 1957–1969
39. 39
    Gibson Guitar Corp. Company Historygraded secondary

    • McCarty also led CMI to purchase rival Epiphone in 1957, giving Gibson greater control of the market.Epiphone Kalamazoo, 1957–1969
40. 40
    brief epiphone historygraded community

    • Chicago Musical Instrument (CMI) purchases Epiphone (announced May 10, 1957).Epiphone Kalamazoo, 1957–1969
41. 41
    fandom: wiki/Epiphonegraded community

    • "made beside the Gibson factory at 224 Parsons"Epiphone Kalamazoo, 1957–1969
42. 42
    Wikipedia: wiki/Epiphonegraded community

    • where production of both ranges took place until 1969Epiphone Kalamazoo, 1957–1969

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