The History of Gretsch Guitars4926296
The Gretsch Firm actually started out creating tambourines. The Brooklyn New York company 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 operating of the organization was still left to his sons Fred Jr. and at some point Bill Gretsch. By the mid 1920's the company was making ukuleles, banjos and drums. They introduced a line of tenor guitars in 1927.
The firm opened an place of work in Chicago in 1930 for income and distribution. They did not produce instruments in Chicago. By the mid 1930's Gretsch was distributing various brand names of band and string instruments such as drums. In 1933 they presented a line of Gretsch-American archtop guitars that they bought with other manufacturers that incorporated Kay-Kraft, Rex and Harmony.
