In 1894 Orville Gibson, a restaurant clerk in Kalamazoo Michigan, working in his home wood shop made his earliest known musical instrument. He carved the archtop design of the violin and added this to his mandolin and guitar. These designs, the A shape and an F shape remain a standard for Gibson guitars as of today.

He then started his company the Gibson Mandolin -Guitar Mfg. Co. Ltd. His models were built extremely well and so popular that he could not fill the growing orders, with his one man workshop. In 1902 five Michigan music store owners bought his patent and the rights to his name for $25,000 and kept him on as a consultant. He received a pension and royalties until he died in 1918.

The Golden Age of Gibson Mandolins

Gibson dominated the world in mandolin musical instruments during the golden age of mandolins. They used non-conventional ways of retailing with photos of ensembles and orchestras in catalogues and ads. In 1921 a woodworker who worked for Gibson had played music with Orville Gibson named Ted McHugh invented two things that would change guitar history, the Truss Rod and the Adjustable Bridge. They are still in use today