By Alex Evans/The Conversation
Following months of rumors, Gibson, the legendary guitar manufacturer, has filed for bankruptcy with debts of between $100 million and $500 million. More significantly, the company also announced plans to reorganize and restructure its business, saying it has agreements with holders of more than 69% of its debt that would allow it to continue to operate. To me, this is the real story here and it speaks volumes.
When the opportunity arose to write this article, I was asked what my angle would be. My initial response was: “Quite simply, Gibson is the sound of rock.” But it’s so much more than that. The warm tones of the 335, one of their earliest electric guitars, dominates jazz and blues music. B.B. King was a lifelong player – his famous guitar “Lucille” is still a popular signature series instrument.
And when reggae pioneer Bob Marley first appeared on Top of the Pops he was playing a Les Paul Special, a guitar he was to become forever associated with, its offbeat choppy attack helping define the genre.
Posted on May 10, 2018