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History of Gibson Publications
Gibson Publications: In 1911, Gibson began publishing its own in-house magazine called "The Sounding Board" and the name was later changed to "The Sounding Board Salesman" sometime around 1919. Lewis A. Williams, one of Gibson's founding members, was the first editor and that role was later taken over by C.V. Buttelman. In 1926, Gibson put out another magazine called "The Mastertone". Gibson also published sheet music, teaching materials, and instruction books. Unfortunately, few copies of the early publications still exist, but here are samples from several different magazines, sheet music and more from 1911-1965.
The Sounding Board and The Sounding Board Salesman - 1911-1923
The Sounding Board was the in-house magazine Gibson put
out starting in 1911 to around 1923. In an age before Gibson had a large network of musical instrument dealers, this magazine was mainly geared toward the teacher/agent who were recruited by Gibson’s General Manager, L.A. (Lew) Williams for selling Gibsons to their students and promoting Gibson as a brand. The magazines contained many articles extolling the virtues of Gibson's instruments, plus pictures of prominent performers such as the very popular mandolin orchestras of the day, as well as sheet music for these groups. After the name change to "The Sounding Board Salesman" sometime around 1919, Gibson’s sales and marketing manager C.V. Buttelman was the person in charge of the magazine and most of its content. The magazine was discontinued around 1923 or 1924, after both Williams and Buttelman resigned from Gibson. Buttelman left to work for a large Boston-based music publisher, Jacob’s Publishing, who published The Cadenza magazine (see our music publications section for more on The CadenzaBelow: The cover of Vol. 1 No. 1 of "The Sounding Board" from 1911, plus one of the interior pages advertising the new Gibson L-4. Courtesy of Scott Kern.
Below: The cover of the January, 1920 issue of the Sounding Board Salesman with the couple holding the harp-guitar and mandolin that was used for many Gibson advertisements as well.
Below: An odd little cartoon from the same issue attempting to explain delays in filling orders from the factory.
Below left: The same couple on the cover used for an illustrated ad within the issue. Below right: The all girl Spokane Hawaiian Mando Orchestra, one of many such groups featured in Gibson publications.
The Sounding Board Salesman pages courtesy of Dan Beimborn
The Gibsonite - 1923-1926
Not a lot is known about "The Gibsonite". It appears to be a smaller newsletter that was published in between the demise of "The Sounding Board Salesman" and the start of "Mastertone Magazine". Here is one cover from August, 1923. Courtesy of Joe Spann
Mastertone Magazine - 1926-1937
Mastertone Magazine basically picked up where The Sounding Board Salesman left off. It was first published in October, 1926 and was the
responsibility of Gibson’s new sales and marketing manager, Frank B. Campbell. Campbell started working for Gibson just prior to the resignation of C.V. Butelman, and the new general manager, Guy Hart promoted Campbell to that position in early 1925. The name “Mastertone” was Gibson’s new brand name on their line of high-end banjos. The magazine was geared toward Gibson dealers as there was a major shift in Gibson’s sales strategy relying on dealers & wholesalers, rather than the teacher/agent network. It was designed to keep dealer up to date on all the latest and greatest from Kalamazoo and featured many articles and promotional pictures of Gibson players, employees, and the like. It ceased publishing sometime in 1937.
Below: The cover of Volume 1 No. 1 from October, 1926 featuring a store display of Gibson dealer J.W. Jenkins in Kansas City, MO.
Below: The cover of Volume 1 No. 2 indicates that Mastertone Magazine was being issued every month.
Below: The cover of the May, 1927 issue of the Mastertone informing dealers about the upcoming convention in New York.
Above: The back cover of the May, 1927 issued featured many prominent Gibson players like Nick Lucas, and Albert Bellson.
Not a lot is known about "The Gibsonite". It appears to be a smaller newsletter that was published in between the demise of "The Sounding Board Salesman" and the start of "Mastertone Magazine". Here is one cover from August, 1923. Courtesy of Joe Spann
Mastertone Magazine - 1926-1937
Mastertone Magazine basically picked up where The Sounding Board Salesman left off. It was first published in October, 1926 and was the
responsibility of Gibson’s new sales and marketing manager, Frank B. Campbell. Campbell started working for Gibson just prior to the resignation of C.V. Butelman, and the new general manager, Guy Hart promoted Campbell to that position in early 1925. The name “Mastertone” was Gibson’s new brand name on their line of high-end banjos. The magazine was geared toward Gibson dealers as there was a major shift in Gibson’s sales strategy relying on dealers & wholesalers, rather than the teacher/agent network. It was designed to keep dealer up to date on all the latest and greatest from Kalamazoo and featured many articles and promotional pictures of Gibson players, employees, and the like. It ceased publishing sometime in 1937. Below: The cover of Volume 1 No. 1 from October, 1926 featuring a store display of Gibson dealer J.W. Jenkins in Kansas City, MO.
Below: The cover of Volume 1 No. 2 indicates that Mastertone Magazine was being issued every month.
Below: The cover of the May, 1927 issue of the Mastertone informing dealers about the upcoming convention in New York.
Above: The back cover of the May, 1927 issued featured many prominent Gibson players like Nick Lucas, and Albert Bellson.
Below: In 1930, Gibson changed the look of Mastertone Magazine with the bold Old English style lettering, but was still geared toward the teachers and dealers, as well as players alike.
Below: Also from the May, 1930 issue, an ad featuring the Nick Lucas Special that actually used an old illustration from the smaller 1928 model indicating that Gibson may not have gone to the larger body size on the NLS until mid-1930.
Below: The January, 1931 issue features renowned banjoist Harry Reser on the cover.
Below: Helping to keep dealers up to date on current events, the Jan. 1930 issue contained stories on players on a regional basis.
Below: The February, 1936 issue with a somewhat patriotic theme including a story "The Spirit of '36"
Below: The centerfold of the Feb. 1936 issue contained several well-known guitar players of that era.
Below: By the end of publishing The Mastertone magazine, Gibson was putting out b-monthly issues with the last known issue being Dec. 1936-Jan. 1937.
Below: Some more odd little cartoons from Mastertone Magazine.
Gibson Guitar Instruction Books
During the 1930’s, Gibson setup the Mastertone Publishing Company, as a subsidiary of the musical instrument manufacturing company’s operations. It’s main focus was putting out instructional books and teaching materials, as well as several pieces of sheet music. General manager Guy Hart was also in charge of publishing, but it appears that Gibson ceased all publishing operations at the outset of WWII.
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Mastertone Publishing - Sheet Music (Gibson, Inc.) - 1936-1939
Gibson Gazette - 1949-1970s
After the new general manager Ted McCarty took the reigns of Gibson in 1948, they started publishing a new in-house magazine called the Gibson Gazette. It was more of a newsletter than a magazine, but all the same, it was geared toward Gibson dealers as a way of keeping them informed about new models and other events. In fact, a 1958 issue of the Gazette featured a new model Gibson was introducing, The Explorer, which never appeared in any other Gibson catalog or brochure until many years later. It ceased publishing around the same time that McCarty resigned from Gibson in 1966.
