![]() As part of this impetus, Gretsch made a pact with Harry DeArmond, purveyor of state-of-the-art pickups at the time. decided the time was right to stop messing around with subcontract work for other brand names and start getting serious about building and marketing high-quality guitars under the Gretsch name. In the booming economy that took hold in the year right after the end of World War II, Fred Jr. Bill Gretsch died in 1948 and was succeeded by his brother, Fred Gretsch, known as Fred Jr. left the company in 1942, and leadership of the company passed to his son, William Walter “Bill” Gretsch, the father of the company’s current head. Gretsch underwent a series of managerial changes during the Forties. While Gretsch put their name on instruments made by Kay and Harmony, they also made instruments that were sold under the Montgomery Ward and Sears & Roebuck brand names. That same year saw the release of the first Gretsch electric, the Electromatic Spanish, which was actually manufactured by Kay. None of these early guitars attracted much attention, but in 1939 Gretsch brought out the Synchromatic Series-stylish archtops with flashy “cats eye” sound holes that did much to put Gretsch on the map. But in 1933, the first guitars bearing the Gretsch name hit the marketplace: the American Orchestra Series of archtops and a line of flattops that included the Broadkaster. During the Twenties, these Gretsch-made guitars were marketed under the Rex and 20th Century brand names. Like most other early 20th century manufacturers of string instruments, Gretsch became increasingly involved in guitar making during the Twenties and Thirties as guitars eclipsed banjos as the instrument of choice for dance band rhythm sections. ![]() built new headquarters for itself, a 10-story building at 60 Broadway in Brooklyn. Mandolins were added to the line in 1900, and in 1916 the Fred Gretsch Mfg. Together they brought the business forward.” My great grandmother must have been a heck of a businesswoman: the mother of seven children and helping a 15-year-old son to run the company. Fred III says, “Even though my grandfather was only 15 in 1895, my great grandmother brought him into the business, rather than closing it down. When Friedrich Gretsch died suddenly in 1895, leadership passed on to Friedrich’s eldest son, Fred-known as Fred Sr.-who was only 15 at the time. He worked briefly for a drum and banjo manufacturer, but by 1883, he’d Americanized his first name to Fred, started the Fred Gretsch Manufacturing Company in Brooklyn and began to build a product line that included drums, banjos, tambourines and toy instruments. Friedrich Gretsch arrived in the city from Mannheim, Germany, in 1873. The origins of Gretsch are an archetypal New York story. We’re being faithful to those recipes, which are now more than 50 years old.” Growing up, I had a chance to work with the guys who developed the Gretsch guitar recipes of the Thirties, Forties and Fifties that turned out to be real hits. We have a daughter who works in the office here with us as well, and grandchildren in college now who are also interested in working in the business. In running Gretsch’s daily operations he is assisted by his wife of many years, Dinah.įred says, “There’s a very strong thread of family running throughout Gretsch history, from Grandpa, my dad, my uncle, and me and Dinah. Fred Gretsch III is the great grandson of the company’s founder, Friedrich Gretsch. Although the company is presently part of the vast Fender empire, there’s still a Gretsch at the helm. That’s a lot of music history for one company, but then Gretsch has been around for 126 years now. These sleek instruments that never seem to go out of style have also been a vital part of country, jazz and other genres. ![]() Today you’ll find Gretsch guitars in the hands of new-traditionalists like Jack White, Bono, the Edge, Brian Setzer, the Jayhawks, Fountains of Wayne, Rancid’s Tim Armstrong and Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy. Gretsch has been an essential part of rock history ever since, heard on landmark recordings by the Who, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and AC/DC, among others.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |