Interview with Aaron Cowles

Interviewee

Aaron Cowles

Files

Interviewers

Jay Gavan

Description

Interview with Aaron Cowles recorded on April 9, 2012 at his guitar shop, Aaron's Music, in Vicksburg, Michigan. Recorded by interviewer James 'Jay' Gaven for a Kalamazoo Valley Museum exhibit on Gibson Guitars. Aaron grew up in Battle Creek, Michigan, and started working at Gibson's in 1962 as a fret-filer/adjuster, which required his ability to tune a guitar. He moved to Customs in 1963, working on custom repairs for ten years, moving to a job inspecting. When Gibson started reducing staff in 1976, he was sent to the Mandolin Department. He recounts his memories at the factory, including:

• bonus system, incentives
• handling walk-in repairs
• rare times the power went out in the factory
• working on Epiphone guitars, manufactured in Japan
• famous customers: Les Paul, Merle Travis, Ted Nugent, Ernest Tubb
• Gibson Amplifier, monthly staff newsletter
• starting his own guitar company in 1984 when the Kalamazoo factory closed
• contracting with Gibson to assemble mandolins
• piecework for Heritage Guitars

Date of Interview

4-9-2012

Location of Interview

Vicksburg (Mich.)

Series

Gibson Guitar Factory Oral Histories

Keywords

Gibson Inc., Epiphone, Inc., Heritage Guitars, Gibson guitar, Guitar makers, Guitar history, Mandolin, Factories, Personal narratives

Disciplines

Oral History | Other Music | Public History

Language

ENG

Document Type

Book

Recommended Citation

Cowles, Aaron, "Interview with Aaron Cowles" (2012). Kalamazoo Valley Museum - Gibson Guitar Factory Oral Histories. 1.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/gibson-guitar-oral-histories/1

Length of video

00:53:17

Length of video log

24 pages