Andy Mooney, CEO of Fender Musical Instruments Corp., was asked to weigh in on the reported financial struggles currently facing Gibson Brands during a panel discussion that took place on March 20. According to Mooney, Gibson’s travails can be attributed to its acquisition of several consumer electronics brands from Royal Philips in 2014, and not to greater trends affecting the guitar market. Rather, Mooney stressed that the fretted instrument market has been growing over the past four to five years, thanks in large part to the success of products like the ukulele. Mooney added that he expects Gibson’s well-established brand name to see the company through its difficulties.
Mooney offered these comments during the question-and-answer portion of a panel discussion promoting the launch of Fender’s new California Series of acoustic guitars. The panel discussion, entitled “Defining Acoustics: The Evolution of Music and Culture,” was moderated by Matt Sweeney, musician and host of “Guitar Moves.”
Fender’s California Series acoustic guitars.
Other participants in the discussion included Doc McKinney, producer and songwriter; Gina Gleason, lead guitarist of Baroness; Scott Igoe, VP, alternative series and specials, for ABC Entertainment; Caiti Green, marketing director for Atlantic Records; and music journalists Alan Light and Kathy Iandoli.