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Fender acquires Bigsby
Call it a return – of sorts – to the Gretsch family.
In the biggest music industry story of the day, Fender has announced its acquisition of the Bigsby brand and all its assets from Fred Gretsch Enterprises.
Not much has been shared about the future of the brand and how Fender plans on integrating it into its portfolio. But the company stated that Bigsby will “continue to run as a standalone business under Fender Musical Instruments Corp’s Speciality Brands” division.
“We are excited to acquire Bigsby and add to our esteemed portfolio of specialty brands,” said Jeff Cary, Senior Vice President of Fender Specialty Brands. “There is such a rich history with the vibratos, and a mystique around the guitars, pedals and steel instruments that is fascinating.”
The move marks a homecoming of sorts for Bigsby. The company’s history stretches back to the 40s, when founder P.A. Bigsby started building guitars and the famous vibrato unit. P.A., as he went by, sold his company to Gibson in 1966; it changed hands again when the Gretsch Guitar Company purchased the company in 1999. And Gretsch, of course, has been a part of Fender since 2002.
So with this acquisition, it looks as though Bigsby is back alongside Gretsch in the Fender stable. Could we possibly see a Bigsby-equipped Strat soon?
More information at fender.com.