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Guitar Center, popular American music retailer chain, finally added a ‘G’ to its logo, the brand’s first real upgrade since the 1960’s.
One of the leading musical instrument retailers, Guitar Center, was founded in Hollywood in 1959 by Wayne Mitchell. Originally called The Organ Center, it primarily sold electric organs for both churches and home use in the area. Today, the chain has stores in over 294 locations with headquarters in Westlake, California.
The retail chain does not only sell musical instruments such as guitars, drums, keyboards, and basses, they now also sell lighting equipment, live performance tools, and studio gear.
Aside from selling musical instruments and accessories, Guitar Center is also known for hosting a talent search called the Guitar Center Drum-Off that helps find undiscovered musical talent. Famous drummers today such as Travis Barker from Blink-182, Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Questlove from The Roots participated in the program.
Guitar Center makes about $2.1 billion in revenue annually.
Guitar Center’s in-house team reportedly spent six months giving the decades-old logo its update. Jeannine D’Addario, Guitar Center’s Chief Marketing and Communications Officer in an interview said, “[The previous logo] was designed in the ’60s without a computer, which is challenging when you move into a digital environment.” which explained the change.