There were plenty of big unveilings at the 2019 NAMM Show but perhaps the biggest of all was over at the Gibson booth. For years, Gibson’s unorthodox management style – and financial woes – garnered more attention than their guitars. Of course, quirks like mandatory robot tuners and a shrinking dealer base didn’t help matters. 

Gibson’s debts were mounting and things were looking pretty dire when, in 2018, Gibson’s new owners took over. CEO Henry Juszkiewicz – long the butt of many industry jokes – left the company he had helmed since 1986 and new management was put in place....