Gibson Guitars made a strong comeback at this year’s NAMM show after skipping 2018. After a tumultuous year, Gibson seems to have refocused their efforts. Under new leadership, their focus is on “historical accuracy, contemporary solutions, limited runs, customized creations, new levels of artist and fan engagement with new energy, products and focus”. That is a mouthful, but they seem to have supported this with a stunning new product line-up for 2019 introduced at Winter NAMM.
The Gibson guitars exhibition at NAMM 2019
We took a few photos off the Gibson guitars exhibition at NAMM 2019 to show some of the new electric and acoustic guitars on offer.
According to Gibson, they will “continue to closely collaborate with and service its legacy roster, at the same time looking to the future with instruments that will nurture new players across generations, genders and genres.”
Guiding the iconic brand into this fresh era is a newly-appointed leadership team of global professionals, headed by President and Chief Executive Officer James “JC” Curleigh. Curleigh brings with him decades of experience in building world-class brands, as well as a player’s passion and reverence for the guitar. His vision for Gibson is simple: “We want to be the most relevant, the most played, and the most loved music brand in the world.”
Gibson claims that their unrivalled share of sound is at the core of their vision-the reach and influence of the brand’s legacy and instruments. “Gibson has been shaping sound since 1894,” says Cesar Gueikian, the company’s newly-appointed Chief Merchant Officer. “And so, we stand here in 2019 and say, ‘We want to take that ideal into the future to continue to shape music and own the share of sound for the next 125 years.” This involves Gibson looking back as much as looking forward.
After a bit of a reshuffle, Gibson retained the following brands under their umbrella: Epiphone, Kramer, Steinberger, KRK Systems, Cerwin Vega, and Stanton. “It all starts and ends with the creation of a compelling product,” Curleigh says. “Our new classics are true classics, and our modern guitars will provide contemporary solutions. We are also excited about the progress we have made on Gibson acoustics, Epiphone expansion, and KRK innovation. Curleigh continues, “Heading into 2019, we are confident we are off to a solid start and we are proud of the progress we have made towards our vision.”
Cesar Gueikian, Chief Merchant Officer of Gibson
