NAMM 2019: After its no-show last year caused much consternation among the guitar community - and rightly so, given the fact the company filed for bankruptcy back in May - Gibson is returning to NAMM.
The NAMM directory lists Gibson as returning to a familiar spot at 207 on NAMM’s second floor, in amongst other big players such as ESP, PRS, Marshall and Taylor.
Along with the company’s flagship 2019 models, Gibson will be bringing guitars from its sub-brands Epiphone, Kramer and Steinberger.
We’ll be expecting new signature models and hoping for a curveball or two, even if the results end up dividing opinion (see: the Modern Double Cut and Flying V).
The move reinforces Gibson’s renewed commitment to its guitar business - a stark contrast to last year, which saw the brand focus on the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
Either way, it will be interesting to see how the guitar giant presents itself following the appointment of former Levi’s CEO James ‘JC’ Curleigh to the hotseat and Slash to the role of global brand ambassador.
In other Gibson news, the company will no longer be building its hollowbody guitars in Memphis, instead moving production to Nashville.
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