Gibson Brands Acquires HarmonyCentral.com

Promises made that site neutrality and extensive community involvement will continue   14-Apr-15

Gibson Brands, who describe themselves as the fastest-growing company in music and sound, has acquired the HarmonyCentral.com web site for musicians. According to Gibson CEO and Chairman Henry Juszkiewicz, "The industry needs a neutral, entertaining, informative site where musicians can exchange opinions and knowledge, ask questions, get answers, be controversial, and have a great experience. Harmony Central will not be a 'Gibson site'; we already have that. Think of it as Gibson providing a place to throw a party, and everyone--musicians, the industry, competitors, educators, anyone involved in music and sound--is invited and welcome."

Harmony Central has operated continuously since 1995. In 2005 it was purchased by Musician's Friend, Inc.  A spokesperson for Musician's Friend stated "Harmony Central has been a great partner for us, but with the renewed focus on our core business, we felt Harmony Central needed a home that was a better fit. Gibson's desire to grow the industry and spread the joy and excitement of making music means that Harmony Central will be in great hands, and even better, remain true to its mission."

The current editorial team of Dendy Jarrett, Phil O'Keefe, and Chris Loeffler will remain onboard and Gibson's Craig Anderton, who was at HC's helm during its period of greatest success, will serve as Editorial Director. According to Anderton, "This is a dream come true for all of us who love Harmony Central. We have a lot of work ahead of us, and it will take time for Harmony Central to reach its full potential. But having seen the environment Gibson has provided for recent acquisitions like TASCAM, Cakewalk, Neat Microphones, and Philips, we have no doubt Harmony Central will enjoy the same kind of rejuvenation. With Gibson's support, Harmony Central will be able to create new ways to both inform and entertain. Stay tuned."

About Gibson Brands:
Gibson Brands has a portfolio of over 100 well-recognized brand names starting with the guitar brand, Gibson. Other instrument brands include Epiphone, Dobro, Valley Arts, Kramer, Steinberger, Tobias, Slingerland, Maestro, Baldwin, Hamilton, Chickering and Wurlitzer. In professional audio, KRK Systems, TASCAM, Cerwin-Vega, Stanton, and Cakewalk also continue Gibson's tradition of quality in their respective markets. Consumer electronics brands include Onkyo, Integra, TEAC, and Esoteric.

Gibson Brands recently expanded its reach into consumer markets with the acquisition of Philips' Home Entertainment based in Hong Kong--a company that invented the cassette tape, the CD format, the DVD format and the MP3 format.

More information:

• Gibson