Baldwin Years
All Good Things Come To An End
At the very height of their popularity the Gretsch company was sold to Baldwin pianos. Sadly, as so often happens, the new ownership proved detrimental to the brand. Gretsch went through a number of changes most notably including the relocation of manufacturing away from the Brooklyn factory that had been Gretsch headquarters for many years.
Leaving behind a skilled and experienced workforce caused a lot of problems. The quality of Gretsch guitars was reduced and soon the reputation of the company suffered as a result. Amazingly, three major guitar manufacturers suffered the same fate during the same era. Fender, Gibson and Gretsch all had changes in ownership that resulted in problems for the brand. In the case of Gibson and Fender new ownership arrived in time to salvage the company name but in the case of Gretsch guitars there was no such salvation in the offing. The brand ceased production in 1981 after years of quality issues and customer disillusionment. Even Chet, the most visible and valuable of Gretsch's endorsers, had stayed only out of a sense of loyalty to the Gretsch family. He went on to endorse Gibson guitars for many years.
Yet Another Fred Gretsch
In most cases this would have been the end of the story but Fred Gretsch III wanted to get the company back into the hands of his family and he worked in that direction. Amazingly, he was able to accomplish this in 1986 and he began to work at making Gretsch guitars more than just a name. He had help from an unlikely source and it didn't cost him a penny at the time.
A Stray Cat and an Orphan Guitar
Brian Setzer loved the music of the '50s, especially the raucous sound of Rockabilly. He searched for a big orange Gretsch much like the one that Eddie Cochran had played and found one for $100. Against all odds Brian Setzer's Stray Cats brought Rockabilly back to life during an era when synthesizers and drum machines were all the rage. He also exposed a new generation to the sight and sound of a big, orange Gretsch guitar which paved the way for a Gretsch comeback.
