The theft of George Harrison's Gibson Les Paul, Lucy, led to an international, televised chase and the divisive sale of a "ransom guitar." ...

By now, Gibson was the market leader among American guitar makers. At the end of ’35, the Kalamazoo firm introduced the EH-150 steel and amp set, its first foray into electric instruments.

Mat: “I think eventually they were [competing]. But, you know, with Gibson making guitars in Kalamazoo, [its development as a maker] was steeped in the techniques of immigrant furniture makers ...