Gibson Brands to Take Over Legendary Tower Records Sunset Strip Location

Nashville-based Gibson Brands has signed a 15-year lease on the historic Tower Records Sunset Strip location, beginning in January 2015. Gibson Brands will undertake a lengthy renovation process to update the space, while still paying homage to the music store that dominated the Los Angeles music scene for many years.

The Tower Records retail store chain began in 1960 in Sacramento. A decade later, it had become a power player in the music retail market. In 1971, the location at 8801 Sunset Blvd was built; the location would become a popular place for artists including John Lennon, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, and the many others who visited and performed there.

By the 1990s, Tower Records had 213 stores worldwide. The music chain closed its doors in the United States in 2006.

“Gibson Brands and Tower Records have both always been about the music,” commented Chairman and CEO of Gibson Brands Henry Juszkiewicz. “We want to reinvent this site to be the international phenomenon that its legacy deserves. Gibson Brands is dedicated to innovation, prestige and improving the quality of life and music for its customers. Our goal is to provide the most exceptional customer audio products and experiences in the world.”

Gibson Brands is home to more than 100 instrument, electronics and audio brands, including the guitar brand Gibson. Other brands include Epiphone, Dobro, Valley Arts, Kramer, Steinberger, Tobias, Slingerland, Maestro, Baldwin, Hamilton, Chickering and Wurlitzer. In professional audio, KRK Systems, TASCAM, Cerwin-Vega, Stanton, and Cakewalk also continue Gibson’s tradition of quality in their respective markets. Consumer electronics brands include Onkyo, Integra, TEAC, and Esoteric.