The Heritage of Gretsch Guitars2182557
The Gretsch Organization in fact began out creating tambourines. The Brooklyn New York firm was launched by Friedrich Gretsch in 1883. Friedrich died unexpectedly in 1895 and his son Fred Sr. headed the business. Fred retired in 1942 and the jogging of the business was left to his sons Fred Jr. and sooner or later Bill Gretsch. By the mid 1920's the organization was creating ukuleles, banjos and drums. They introduced a line of tenor guitars in 1927.
The company opened an business office in Chicago in 1930 for income and distribution. They did not produce instruments in Chicago. By the mid 1930's Gretsch was distributing different brands of band and string instruments including drums. In 1933 they launched a line of Gretsch-American archtop guitars that they bought with other brands that included Kay-Kraft, Rex and Harmony.
