The mega mondo guitar conglomerate

Back not so long ago, when you went to a guitar store, you had different brands to choose from. These brands differed from one to the next in various ways and you chose which guitar or amp suited you best. (or you just bought what your guitar hero of the day was playing) Today you still have choices between brands but these brands are increasingly becoming little more than a logo on a headstock. The companies that make these products are merging, acquiring,taking each other over etc..

I write this with the Fender acquisition of Groove Tubes hitting the headlines in the guitar world this week. This seems a logical step since Fender has been using GT’s in their amps for a number of years. This is just the latest for Fender. They own a great many other brands that you may not know about. Brands like Charvel/Jackson, Guild, Gretsch, SWR, to name a few.

Fender is not alone in the musical conglomerate game. Gibson may out do them yet. Everyone knows that Gibson bought the Epiphone brand years ago. Did you know they also own Kramer, Steinberger, Tobias, Baldwin Pianos, and Wurlitzer jukeboxes. Jukeboxes?

My point is, how far these companies have strayed from their roots. Fender made Fenders and Gibson made Gibsons. Now they make quite a few brands of guitars amplifiers and other musical equipment. but at what cost? Can they sustain quality control while trying to manage so many brands. Are they in effect competing with themselves?

I think this is one reason the boutique market has grown so much in the last decade. People are looking for the unique instrument to suit them. I’m not saying the guitars that Fender and Gibson make are inferior, In fact there are quite a few good ones. It just has a lot less appeal to some people to know that the (insert your brand name guitar here) they bought was made in the same factory as (insert the other brand name here).

Scott