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Gretsch Learn More +
It's that Great Gretsch Sound developed by four generations, now more than one hundred years better where better is possible. The Great Gretsch Guitar Classics are back in limited production, in celebration of the history of stringed instruments and in tribute to the great family that made so much of That Sound possible.That's the sound, the anthem that began when Friedrich Gretsch, an immigrant from Mannheim Germany, founded a small shop in Brooklyn in 1883. He was to create a dynasty lasting to this day. Yet Friedrich Gretsch died unexpectedly in 1895 before he could see it bloom.In 1967 the Gretsch Company was sold to Baldwin, a music industry giant. But without the family dedication that had driven the business for so many years the company began to drift.Determined to return the company to family ownership, it was in 1985, when Fred W. Gretsch, the great-grandson of the company founder, made good on his promise. The Gretsch Company was once again in capable family hands.Operations moved to Savannah, where the revitalized company began to offer new, vintage styled, Gretsch guitars and classic Gretsch drums. The success of the new products was immediate and Gretsch instruments were quickly back in demand.
With its emphasis on hand-craftsmanship and commitment to quality over a storied 135 years and counting, Gretsch has pioneered new designs and manufacturing techniques, winning endorsements from some of the music industry’s most respected artists, including Chet Atkins, Eddie Cochran, Billy Duffy, Bono, Duane Eddy, George Harrison, Brian Setzer, Stephen Stills and Malcolm Young.
It all began in 1883, when 27-year-old Friedrich Gretsch, a German immigrant, founded his shop in Brooklyn, New York, and began to make banjos, drums and tambourines. Only 12 years later Friedrich died, leaving the fledgling company in the hands of his teenage son Fred.
While it may be an unlikely start for a century-plus long musical legacy, young Fred wasn't the typical teen. By 1916 he had built the company into one of America's leading importers and manufacturers of musical instruments, and the operations moved into a 10-story building at 60 Broadway in Brooklyn.Fred Gretsch, Sr. retired from the company in 1942, leaving the day-to-day operations to his sons Fred Jr. and William. In the late-'60s, Fred Gretsch retired and sold the company to Baldwin Manufacturing. But ever since the company had left the family, Fred W. Gretsch, the great-grandson of founder Friedrich Gretsch, had vowed it would return. In 1984, Fred W. Gretsch, along with his wife, Dinah, purchased Gretsch back from Baldwin, returning it to the family after a 17-year absence. Throughout the 1990s, Fred and Dinah brought Gretsch back into the limelight with a series of successful reissues and new models. In late 2002 a deal was struck for Fender Musical Instruments Corp. to handle Gretsch Guitars manufacturing and distribution, allowing "That Great Gretsch Sound" to be heard in even more places around the world.
Savannah, Georgia
Billy F Gibbons, Bo Diddley, Bono, Brian Setzer, Chet Atkins, Chris Cornell, Elliot Easton, Eric Johnson, George Harrison, Joe Perry, KT Tunstall, Marty Stuart, Mike Campbell, Pete Townshend, Robert Smith, Sheryl Crow, Stephen Stills, The Edge, Tom Petty
Country Gentleman, Tennessee Rose, White Falcon, Country Club, Duo Jet, Power Jet, Silver Jet, Sparkle Jet, White Penguin, Rancher, Synchromatic, Electromatic, Signature Models
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