Gibson Guitar has officially announced their new pro audio division, in an effort to diversify their product line and move forward with their transformation as a “lifestyle brand”.
This new product line up is called Gibson Pro Audio, and was built with the acquisition of the Stanton Group, which consists of KRK Systems, Cerwin-Vega! and Stanton DJ. It’s definitely an interesting move for a guitar company to buy out what is primarily a DJ brand, and I’m sure some of you might consider it as two worlds colliding. However, adding DJ gear, monitors and loudspeakers to their lineup will surely expand their client base, actually reaching out more on a “consumer level” basis as opposed to the pro audio segment. According to Henry Juszkiewicz, Chairman and CEO of Gibson Guitar
“Right now…the musical instrument category is inherently limited because people who purchase instruments also need to know how to play them. This new division…expands our reach to fellow music lovers and allows us access to 20 in 20 consumers instead of the one in 20 we currently hit.”
On another note however, Gibson can expect to receive criticism from musicians and music enthusiasts alike, for describing their new company image as a “lifestyle brand.”