Gibson hits high note in Stanton deal

Gibson, the iconic American guitar maker, is to push into the audio market after acquiring a brand revered by disc jockeys the world over.

Stanton Group – which makes loudspeakers, mixers and turntables among other kit – will form the basis of the new Gibson Pro Audio division,

Terms of the deal were not disclosed by Nashville-based Gibson, whose guitars have been played by artists including Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan and Mark Knopfler.

The Stanton stable encompasses the Cerwin-Vega, KRK Systems and Stanton DJ brands.

Henry Juszkiewicz, chairman and chief executive of Gibson, said: “This new division is perfectly aligned with our core. It 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.”

Timothy Dorwart, chief executive of Stanton Group, added: “This partnership will allow our brands and core management team to continue our growth and momentum in the marketplace within our shared channel.”

The new division will also be based in Nashville.