FMIC dumping more brands

[Dave W]

Getting out of the percussion business and Ovation too.

[slinkp]

So DW now owns Gretsch drums?  That's kinda cool... I don't know about the recent management, but at least once upon a time, Gretsch was  a maker of really good drums.

[Granny Gremlin]

Hmmn, I was considering trading my kit in for a DP on a Gretsch kit (they're still good, if not as good).  ... And I wonder if this will take Gibraltar upmarket - depends if DW keeps their own hardware as a separate deluxe line or merges them.

.... so who the heck owns Ovation now?

[Dave W]

Fred Gretsch still owns Gretsch. It's a licensed brand. He licensed marketing and production of guitars to FMIC and drums to KMC which was later bought by FMIC. So DW will produce and market the drums now.

Looks to me like DW will own Ovation too. Since all US Ovation production was dropped last year, it's not as if DW will have to build production facilities for the brand.