The Once and Future Story of The Gretsch Company

MMR’s May issue “Century Club” story highlighted several venerable MI companies on the basis of their unbroken history of family ownership. But there’s another manufacturer that holds the distinction of being the only major American MI company to be returned to family ownership after a break. That company is Gretsch – which has had someone named Gretsch at the helm for 116 of its 133- year history, and still does today.

It Started In Brooklyn…

The Gretsch Company got its start in 1883, when a young German immigrant named Friedrich Gretsch opened a small shop in Brooklyn, New York. There he made banjos, drums, and tambourines with an emphasis on hand-craftsmanship and a commitment to quality.

When Friedrich passed away unexpectedly in 1895, his fifteenyear-old son, Fred, took over the business, ultimately moving the operation to a ten-story building at 60 Broadway in Brooklyn. Innovations created in that factory included the industry’s first multi-ply drum shell. By 1920, the Gretsch Company could justifiably claim to be, “The Largest Music Instrument Manufacturer in the United States.”

Fred Gretsch Sr. retired in 1942. His eldest son, Fred Jr., managed operations briefly before leaving to serve in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Younger son William “Bill” Gretsch stayed to run the family operation, but passed away unexpectedly in 1948. Command of the company was returned to Fred Jr., who proceeded to lead the business into a new age of prosperity.

In the 1950s, Gretsch drums became the choice for the great drummers of the day – including big- band veterans like “Papa” Jo Jones, Louie Bellson, and Dave Tough, as well as jazz stars Art Blakey, Max Roach, Elvin Jones, and a young phenom by the name of Tony Williams. A pinnacle of this association is the landmark Gretsch Night At Birdland album recorded in 1960 by Art Blakey, Elvin Jones, “Philly” Joe Jones, and Charlie Persip.

Guitar stars of the period also made Gretsch their instrument of choice. These were led by the guitar operation’s first signature artist: the incomparable Chet Atkins. Chet signed with the company in 1954 and helped to design many models bearing his name. In 1957 “twang” was born when Duane Eddy purchased a Gretsch 6120 at Ziggie’s Accordion & Guitar Studio in Phoenix, Arizona.

The 1960s saw the explosion of rock ’n’ roll music ushered in by Elvis Presley, Bo Diddley, and other artists of the day. In 1961, a young British guitarist by the name of George Harrison bought a 1957 Gretsch Duo Jet and used it on the first album by his band: The Beatles. Three years later George played another Gretsch guitar – a Country Gentleman – on the “The Ed Sullivan Show,” helping to launch “Beatlemania” and sending guitar sales soaring. After George was seen playing a Gretsch Tennessean in the 1965 Beatles movie “Help!,” guitar production hit its highest point in company history. Not long thereafter another British band invaded the U.S.: The Rolling Stones, with the inimitable Charlie Watts anchoring the group on a Gretsch drumkit.

But British bands weren’t the only ones to benefit from “That Great Gretsch Sound.” In 1966, Gretsch supplied drums and guitars to The Monkees. Their hit TV show was regularly viewed by over thirty million teenagers, many of whom were motivated to start playing music themselves.

A Brief Break

In 1967 Fred Gretsch, Jr. decided to retire, and in that year he negotiated the sale of the Gretsch Company to piano giant Baldwin. Production of drums and guitars was moved from Brooklyn, New York, to Booneville, Arkansas. Over the next few years, guitar models like the Chet Atkins Super Chet (1972) and Super Axe (1977) were introduced, but eventually production of professional guitars was put on hold. Drum introductions in the Baldwin period included a 24-karat gold-plated snare drum and a distinctive octagonal Gretsch badge.

Without the family dedication that had driven the business for so many years, the Gretsch Company began to falter. Meanwhile, as a testament to his passion for the family business, Fred W. Gretsch (son of William “Bill” Gretsch), vowed to one day regain control. In 1984 Fred made good on his promise when he and his wife Dinah bought the Gretsch Company back from Baldwin. This brought the company once again under the control of the family that founded it – an accomplishment unique in the annals of music-industry history.

Back In Operation

Fred moved his headquarters to Savannah, Georgia, and relocated high-end drum production to nearby Ridgeland, South Carolina. With the help of endorsements from drumming stars like Phil Collins (Genesis), Jack Gavin (the Charlie Daniels Band), and the late studio great Tommy Wells, Gretsch drums regained their reputation for quality and unique musical character. The roster now includes Foo Fighters’ Taylor Hawkins, Toto’s Keith Carlock, Tom Petty’s Stephen Ferrone, New Orleans funkmaster Stanton Moore, rock great Matt Sorum… and the venerable Charlie Watts, who’s been playing Gretsch drums for more than fifty years with the Rolling Stones.

In 1988, George Harrison collaborated with Gretsch Guitars to create the unique Traveling Wilburys collector guitar. One year later, a full line of professional electric and acoustic guitars was re- established. In 1993, rockabilly star Brian Setzer became the first Gretsch signature guitar artist since Chet Atkins. He was quickly followed by stars like Malcolm Young (AC/ DC), Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top), and Stephen Stills (CSN&Y).

In 1999 Gretsch purchased Bigsby Accessories from owner (and former Gibson CEO) Ted McCarty. Bigsby tailpieces had been a fixture on many Gretsch guitar models for decades; now they were officially part of the Gretsch operation. In 2002 Gretsch and Fender announced an alliance that granted Fender exclusive rights to develop, market, and distribute Gretsch guitars. Five years later, after a 28-year absence, Gretsch introduced an extensive line of Chet Atkins electric guitars. In 2011 a George Harrison Tribute Duo Jet guitar was introduced, honoring the Beatle who had been so important to Gretsch Guitars history.

In 2013 Gretsch celebrated its 130th anniversary with the re-introduction of the iconic round badge on many drumkits. In January of 2015, the company entered into a partnership with Drum Workshop, giving DW exclusive rights to develop, market, and distribute Gretsch drums. At that time Fred Gretsch commented, “Like Gretsch, DW is a family- owned company run by people who have a genuine understanding of – and respect for – the art of top-quality custom drum manufacturing. I’m confident that this new partnership will generate continued expansion of the world-wide market for Gretsch drums, while honoring the time-tested design and unique legacy that are so much a part of ‘That Great Gretsch Sound.’”

Today, Gretsch drums and guitars are the preferred instruments of countless studio musicians and recording artists seeking exceptional tonal quality and hand-made craftsmanship. That craftsmanship is part of the lineage of the Gretsch brand – which can be directly attributed to the lineage of Gretsch Family continuity.

All In The Family

Commenting on that family continuity, Fred says, “When you add it all up, it’s a whole lot of years, with the company guided by a series of exceptional leaders. My great-grandfather, Friedrich Gretsch, was an exceptional leader. My grandfather, Fred Gretsch Sr., was also an exceptional leader, with forty years in the business. His two sons – my father, William Gretsch, and my uncle, Fred Gretsch Jr. – were both exceptional leaders. My uncle had forty-nine years in the business, and now there’s me with fifty-one years, my wife Dinah with thirty-seven, and our daughter Lena with twenty-two.

“I was fortunate,” Fred continues, “to get a gift from my grandfather. When he took me into the factory as a young boy in the 1950s, I got his spirit for the business. It may be that spirit, as much as anything else, that has motivated our family through at all these years.”

Dinah Gretsch adds, “When I’m asked what the most important aspect of the Gretsch Family’s connection to the business is, I always say it’s ‘the three Ps:’ passion, pride, and persistence. We have such passion for the business, and we’re so proud of it. But perhaps persistence is the key… because we know that we always have to be the best. And no one can ever tell us we cannot do something. As an example, look at Fred’s dream of buying the Gretsch business back from Baldwin. It was his persistence in pursuing that dream that ultimately made it a reality.”

Among the classic American drum brands, Slingerland and Rogers are long gone, and there’s no longer a Mr. Ludwig at Ludwig. Likewise with Fender and Gibson guitars. Only Fred Gretsch is still actively involved with the brand that bears his name. Are the legacies of the Gretsch brand and the legacy of the Gretsch Family inseparable?

“They certainly are,” Fred replies emphatically. “Here in our office we have a banjo made in the Gretsch factory in Brooklyn, back in the 1920s. It has a die-cast rim – which ultimately led to the introduction of the die-cast hoops that are a key feature of Gretsch drums. It’s that commitment to innovation and quality, whether on a banjo or a drum, that’s the core strength of the family legacy. We’re fortunate that today, in the fourth and fifth generation of the family, we’re able to keep that commitment strong in order to keep the business strong. There are sixteen grandchildren and two great-grandchildren in the family now, and we hope that I’ll be able to seed that love and enthusiasm for the family legacy in the fifth and sixth generations. I have to believe that fifty years in the future one of them will be feeling as enthusiastic as I am after my fifty years.”