- GRETSCH
- chevron_right COMPANY HISTORY 1973-PRESENT
In January of 1973 the Booneville plant suffered a serious fire. Baldwin made the decision to discontinue guitar building operations. Three months later, long-time manager Bill Hagner formed the Hagner Musical Instruments company and formed an agreement with Baldwin to build and sell Gretsch guitars to Baldwin from the Booneville facility. Baldwin would still retain the rights to the trademark. Another fire broke out in December of the same year, but the operation recovered. Baldwin stepped in and regained control of the operation in December of 1978, the same year that they bought the Kustom Amplifier company in Chanute, Kansas. Gretsch production was briefly moved to the Kansas facility, and by 1982 they moved again to Gallatin, TN. 1981 was probably the last date of guitar production, but Gretsch drum products were continued at Tennessee. In 1983 the production had again returned to Arkansas.
Baldwin had experimented briefly with guitar production at their Mexican organ facilities, producing perhaps 100 Southern Belle guitars (basically renamed Country Gentlemans) between 1978 and 1979. When Gretsch production returned to Arkansas in 1983, the Baldwin company asked Charles Kramer to come out of retirement and help bring the business back (which he did). In 1984, Baldwin also sold off their rights to Kustom amps. In 1985 Kramer brokered a deal between Baldwin and Fred Gretsch III that returned the trademark back to the family.
Kramer and Gretsch III developed the specifications for the reissue models that are currently being built by the Terada company in Japan. The majority of Japanese-produced Gretsch models are brokered in the U.S. market; however, there has been some "grey market" Japan-only models that have been brought into the U.S. One such model, the White Penguin Reissue, was briefly offered through Gretsch to the U.S. market - it is estimated that perhaps a dozen or so were sold through dealers.
In 1995, three models were introduced that were built in the U.S: Country Club 1955, Nashville 1955, and the White Falcon I - 1955. In 2000, Gretsch introduced the Synchromatic Collection (renamed Electromatic Collection in 2003) that is a budget line of popular Gretsch guitars built in overseas factories (Korea and/or China).
On January 1, 2003, Gretsch guitars was sold to Fender (FMIC) as the exclusive distributor, producer, developer, and marketer of Gretsch. Currently, the bulk of Gretsch production occurs in Japan with only custom instruments coming from the U.S. Fred is still consulting for Gretsch guitars. (Later company history courtesy Michael Wright, Guitar Stories, Volume One).
Baldwin had experimented briefly with guitar production at their Mexican organ facilities, producing perhaps 100 Southern Belle guitars (basically renamed Country Gentlemans) between 1978 and 1979. When Gretsch production returned to Arkansas in 1983, the Baldwin company asked Charles Kramer to come out of retirement and help bring the business back (which he did). In 1984, Baldwin also sold off their rights to Kustom amps. In 1985 Kramer brokered a deal between Baldwin and Fred Gretsch III that returned the trademark back to the family.
Kramer and Gretsch III developed the specifications for the reissue models that are currently being built by the Terada company in Japan. The majority of Japanese-produced Gretsch models are brokered in the U.S. market; however, there has been some "grey market" Japan-only models that have been brought into the U.S. One such model, the White Penguin Reissue, was briefly offered through Gretsch to the U.S. market - it is estimated that perhaps a dozen or so were sold through dealers.
In 1995, three models were introduced that were built in the U.S: Country Club 1955, Nashville 1955, and the White Falcon I - 1955. In 2000, Gretsch introduced the Synchromatic Collection (renamed Electromatic Collection in 2003) that is a budget line of popular Gretsch guitars built in overseas factories (Korea and/or China).
On January 1, 2003, Gretsch guitars was sold to Fender (FMIC) as the exclusive distributor, producer, developer, and marketer of Gretsch. Currently, the bulk of Gretsch production occurs in Japan with only custom instruments coming from the U.S. Fred is still consulting for Gretsch guitars. (Later company history courtesy Michael Wright, Guitar Stories, Volume One).