Gretsch Guitar
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| Private | |
| Industry | Musical instruments |
| Founded | 1883, Brooklyn, New York City, New York |
| Headquarters | Savannah, Georgia, United States |
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Key people
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Friedrich Gretsch Fred Gretsch, Sr. Fred Gretsch, Jr. William Walter "Bill" Gretsch Fred W. Gretsch Dinah Gretsch |
| Products |
Drum kits Banjos Mandolins Ukuleles Guitars Bass Guitars Lap steel guitars Guitar amplifiers |
| Divisions | Gretsch Drums Gretsch Guitars Bigsby Vibratos Leedy Drums |
| Website | gretsch.com |
Gretsch is an American company that manufactures guitars, basses and drums. The company was founded in 1883 in Brooklyn, New York by Friedrich Gretsch, a 27-year-old German immigrant, shortly after his arrival to the United States. Friedrich Gretsch manufactured banjos, tambourines, and drums until his death in 1895. In 1916, his son, Fred Gretsch Sr. moved operations to a larger facility where Gretsch went on to become one of the most prominent manufacturers of American musical instruments.
Most modern-era Gretsch guitars are manufactured in the Far East, though American-made "Custom Shop" models are available. In 2002, Gretsch entered a business agreement with Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC). Under the terms of that agreement Fred W. Gretsch would retain ownership while FMIC would handle most of the development, distribution and sales.
Gretsch was founded in 1883 by Friedrich Gretsch, a young German immigrant who opened his own musical instrument shop on 128 Middleton Street in Brooklyn, New York in 1883.. His Brooklyn shop was designed for the manufacture of banjos, tambourines, and drums. The operation moved to South 4th Street in 1894. In 1895, Gretsch died at the age of 39, and company was taken over by his wife and fifteen year-old son Fred Sr. B
Fred Gretsch expanded the business, adding Gretsch Building #1 at 109 South 5th Street in 1903, Gretsch Building #2 at 104-114 South 4th Street in 1910, and a new ten-story Gretsch Building #4 at 60 Broadway in 1916. The company ultimately owned or operated six properties in the immediate area, including a warehouse on Dunham Place. Gretsch Building #4 was owned by the Gretsch family until 1999, at which time it was sold and redeveloped into luxury condominiums.
Guitar production by the Gretsch Company began in the early 1930s, and Gretsch guitars became highly sought after, most notably in the 1950s and 1960s.
Fred Gretsch Sr. handed over the family business to his son, Fred Gretsch Jr., after retiring in 1942. Soon after taking over, Fred Jr. left to serve in WWII as a Navy commander, leaving the business in the hands of his younger brother, William Walter "Bill" Gretsch. Bill Gretsch died in 1948 and the company was again run by Fred Jr.
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Wikipedia