All Topics  
Orville Gibson

 
Orville Gibson

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Orville Gibson
 
 
  Topics Orville Gibson Topic Home

Orville H. Gibson (1856 - August 21 1918, Chateaugay, New York) was a luthier
Luthier

A luthier is someone who makes or repairs stringed instruments. The word luthier comes from the French language word wikt:en:luth#French which is French for "lute"....
 who founded the Gibson Guitar Corporation
Gibson Guitar Corporation

The Gibson Guitar Corporation, of Nashville, Tennessee, USA, is a manufacturer of Steel-string guitar and electric guitars. Gibson also owns and makes guitars under such brands as Epiphone, Kramer Guitars, Valley Arts Guitar, Tobias , Steinberger, and Gibson Kalamazoo Electric Guitar....
 in Kalamazoo, Michigan
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Kalamazoo is the largest city in the southwest region of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Kalamazoo County, Michigan. As of the United States 2000 Census, the city had a total population of 77,145....
 in 1902, makers of guitar
Guitar

The guitar is a musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles. It typically has six Strings , but Tenor guitar, Seven-string guitar, Eight-string guitar, Ten-string guitar, Eleven-string guitar, Twelve-string guitar, Thirteen-string guitar and doubleneck guitar string guitars also exist....
s, mandolin
Mandolin

A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It is descended from the Mandora, a soprano member of the lute family. It has a body with a teardrop-shaped soundboard, or one which is essentially oval in shape, with a soundhole, or soundholes, of varying shapes which are open and are not decorated with an intricately carved grille lik...
s and other instruments.

Gibson began in 1894 in his home workshop in Kalamazoo, Michigan. With no formal training, Orville created an entirely new style of mandolin and guitar, with tops carved and arched like the top of a violin. His creations were so different that he was granted a patent on his design.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Orville Gibson'
Start a new discussion about 'Orville Gibson'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


Orville H. Gibson (1856 - August 21 1918, Chateaugay, New York) was a luthier
Luthier

A luthier is someone who makes or repairs stringed instruments. The word luthier comes from the French language word wikt:en:luth#French which is French for "lute"....
 who founded the Gibson Guitar Corporation
Gibson Guitar Corporation

The Gibson Guitar Corporation, of Nashville, Tennessee, USA, is a manufacturer of Steel-string guitar and electric guitars. Gibson also owns and makes guitars under such brands as Epiphone, Kramer Guitars, Valley Arts Guitar, Tobias , Steinberger, and Gibson Kalamazoo Electric Guitar....
 in Kalamazoo, Michigan
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Kalamazoo is the largest city in the southwest region of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Kalamazoo County, Michigan. As of the United States 2000 Census, the city had a total population of 77,145....
 in 1902, makers of guitar
Guitar

The guitar is a musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles. It typically has six Strings , but Tenor guitar, Seven-string guitar, Eight-string guitar, Ten-string guitar, Eleven-string guitar, Twelve-string guitar, Thirteen-string guitar and doubleneck guitar string guitars also exist....
s, mandolin
Mandolin

A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It is descended from the Mandora, a soprano member of the lute family. It has a body with a teardrop-shaped soundboard, or one which is essentially oval in shape, with a soundhole, or soundholes, of varying shapes which are open and are not decorated with an intricately carved grille lik...
s and other instruments.

Gibson began in 1894 in his home workshop in Kalamazoo, Michigan. With no formal training, Orville created an entirely new style of mandolin and guitar, with tops carved and arched like the top of a violin. His creations were so different that he was granted a patent on his design. More importantly, they were louder and more durable than contemporary fretted instruments,and musicians soon demanded more than he was able to build in his one-man shop.

On the strength of Orville Gibson's ideas, five Kalamazoo businessmen formed the Gibson Mandolin Guitar Mfg. Co., Ltd., in 1902. Within a short period after the company was started, the board passed a motion that "Orville H. Gibson be paid only for the actual time he works for the Company." After that time, there is no clear indication whether he worked there full-time, or as a consultant. Orville Gibson was considered a bit eccentric and there has been some question over the years as to whether or not he suffered from some sort of mental illness.

Starting in 1908, Orville Gibson was paid a salary of $500 by Gibson Mandolin-Guitar Manufacturing Co., Limited (equivalent to $20,000 a year in modern terms). He had a number of stays in hospitals between 1907 and 1911. In 1916, he was again hospitalized, and died on August 21 1918 in St. Lawrence State Hospital, a psychiatric center in Ogdensburg, New York
Ogdensburg, New York

Ogdensburg is a city in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The population was 12,364 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from land owner and developer Samuel Ogden....
.

Gibson is buried at Morningside Cemetery in Malone, New York
Malone, New York

Malone, New York is the name of two locations in Franklin County, New York:*Malone , New York*Malone , New York...


See also

  • luthier
    Luthier

    A luthier is someone who makes or repairs stringed instruments. The word luthier comes from the French language word wikt:en:luth#French which is French for "lute"....
    s
  • Gibson Guitar Corporation
    Gibson Guitar Corporation

    The Gibson Guitar Corporation, of Nashville, Tennessee, USA, is a manufacturer of Steel-string guitar and electric guitars. Gibson also owns and makes guitars under such brands as Epiphone, Kramer Guitars, Valley Arts Guitar, Tobias , Steinberger, and Gibson Kalamazoo Electric Guitar....
  • Archtop guitar
    Archtop guitar

    An archtop guitar is a steel-stringed acoustic guitar or semi-acoustic guitar guitar with a full body and a distinctive arched top, whose sound is particularly popular with blues and jazz players....
  • Gibson Cocktail


External links