Orville Gibson
Orville Gibson | |
|---|---|
Orville Gibson (pre-1910) | |
| Born | Orville H. Gibson May 8, 1856 Chateaugay, New York, United States |
| Died | August 19, 1918 (aged 62) Ogdensburg, New York, United States |
| Occupation(s) | Luthier, inventor, and company founder |
Orville H. Gibson (May 8, 1856 – August 19, 1918) was an American luthier who founded the Gibson Guitar Company in Kalamazoo, Michigan in 1902, makers of guitars, mandolins and other instruments.
His earliest known instrument was a 10-string mandolin-guitar, which bears the date 1894. Gibson's mandolins were "unlike any previous flatback instrument," according to music historian Paul Sparks. His company's manufacturing standards were very high, and his instruments heavily marketed.