1976: A Year in Guitar History

The early Norlin era. After ECL/Norlin acquired Gibson in 1969, cost-cutting led to "pancake" laminated bodies, three-piece maple necks, and a volute at the headstock joint. These changes are considered a low point in Gibson quality.

Gibson began shifting production from Kalamazoo to Nashville during this period. When the Kalamazoo factory closed in 1984, some of its craftsmen stayed behind and started Heritage Guitars in the same building.

The CBS era. After CBS purchased Fender for $13 million in 1965, they prioritized volume over craftsmanship — introducing the larger headstock, heavier polyester finishes, and the three-bolt neck. Quality is generally considered lower than pre-CBS production.

Built by Matsumoku Industrial Co. in Japan — one of the first guitar factories to use CNC mills. These Matsumoku-era Epiphones featured thin finishes and solid construction, and are increasingly collectible.

The "lawsuit era." Ibanez produced near-exact copies of Gibson Les Pauls. In 1977, Gibson's parent company sued for over $6 million. By 1978, Ibanez agreed to stop copying and began developing original designs — a turning point that led to some of the most iconic guitars of the 1980s.

Martin reintroduced scalloped bracing for the first time since 1944 with the HD-28 (the "H" stands for herringbone) — rather than modifying the D-28, they created a separate model.

Among the earliest Taylors. Bob Taylor and Kurt Listug bought a failing guitar shop for $3,000 — Bob was just 19. Guitars from this period are extremely rare, pure hand-built luthiery before any CNC tooling.

Built at Yamaha's Kaohsiung, Taiwan factory, which produced millions of acoustics over 35 years. These "Green Label" guitars were workhorses — affordable, consistent, and used by countless beginners and professionals. The factory closed in early 2007.

The era of the SG2000, co-developed with Carlos Santana. He told Yamaha the prototype was too light, leading to a heavier body and a patented brass "Sustain Plate." The SG2000 was marketed as a Les Paul killer and is one of the most acclaimed Japanese electrics ever made.

Built at Yamaha's Hamamatsu custom workshop, which has operated continuously since 1966. These are individually handmade by master luthiers — the same shop that produced the original Red Labels.

From ESP's earliest days as a replacement parts shop in Tokyo — not a guitar manufacturer. Any complete guitar from this period is extremely rare.

Built at Baldwin's Booneville, Arkansas facility. Almost none of the skilled Brooklyn workforce relocated. Two factory fires in 1973 further disrupted production. Chet Atkins withdrew his endorsement in 1979. Production ceased entirely in 1981.

Built at Rickenbacker's Santa Ana, California factory, where they've been for over 60 years. Rickenbacker has never outsourced production — every instrument is built by roughly 60 employees producing only 8,000–12,000 guitars per year.

Features the Hi-Gain pickup, introduced in 1969 to replace the Toaster with a hotter output suited to heavier rock. Vintage reissue models still use the original Toaster design.

Built at Guild's legendary Westerly, Rhode Island factory — widely considered their golden age. While competitors suffered quality dips in the '70s and '80s, Westerly production maintained consistently high standards for 35 years.

A Japanese-made Washburn from the Terada factory — built when Beckmen Music revived the Washburn name in 1974. These mid-1970s Japanese Washburns are well-regarded for their quality.

The Adamas era. Its top was a sandwich of two carbon graphite sheets with birch between them — only 1.27mm total, one-third the thickness of a normal guitar top. The carbon fiber came directly from Kaman Aerospace's satellite and supersonic aircraft program.

The Mass Hirade era. Master luthier Hirade joined in 1968 and transformed the company from folk instruments to concert-level classical guitars. The "Hirade" sub-brand of high-end classicals bears his name.

The Leo Fender era. Fender couldn't put his name on guitars due to a non-compete clause, so he operated through "CLF Research" (his initials: Clarence Leo Fender). The StingRay was the first production instrument ever to feature active electronics.