Gibson Custom

The earliest documented Gibson products date to 1894, when Orville Gibson created his first hand built acoustic instruments at his woodshop in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The company was officially founded in 1902 as The Gibson Mandolin-Guitar Mfg. Co., Ltd. in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Orville Gibson officially founded the company in 1902 as The Gibson Mandolin-Guitar Mfg. Gibson invented archtop guitars by constructing the same type of carved, arched tops used on violins. By the 1930s, the company was also making flattop acoustic guitars, as well as one of the first commercially available hollow-body electric guitars. The history of Gibson, simply put, is one of the great stories of American enterprise. From its humble beginnings, more than a century ago, to its “golden age” in the ‘50s and ‘60s, to its phoenix-like return to glory in the late ‘80s, the company’s iconic reputation and inventive spirit have made it an American institution. In 1986, the company was acquired by its present owners, who have since impressively grown the company into a “new golden age,” celebrated by professional artists, musicians and collectors worldwide.