Gretsch

Article summary

Gretsch is an American company that manufactures and markets musical instruments. The company was founded in 1883 in Brooklyn, New York, by Friedrich Gretsch, a 27-year-old German immigrant, shortly after his arrival to the United States. Friedrich Gretsch manufactured banjos, tambourines, and drums until his death in 1895. In 1916, his son, Fred Gretsch Sr., moved operations to a larger facility where Gretsch went on to become a prominent manufacturer of American musical instruments. Through the years, Gretsch has manufactured a wide range of instruments, though they currently focus on electric and acoustic guitars and drums. Gretsch instruments enjoyed market prominence by the 1950s. In 1954, Gretsch began a collaboration with guitarist Chet Atkins to manufacture a line of electric guitars with Atkins' endorsement, resulting in the Gretsch 6120 hollowbody guitar and other later models such as the Country Gentleman. Electric guitars before 1957 used single coil pickups that have significant hum problems as an inherent part of their design. Frustration with the hum of these pickups prompted Atkins to collaborate with American inventor and engineer Ray Butts on the development of a new "humbucking" pickup by connecting two single-coil pickups serially and out of phase.…

Key claims

1. date of death: 1948 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
2. date of foundation: 1883 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
3. date of foundation: 1883 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
4. release date: 1988 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95

Discussion questions

1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
2. The record states that the date of death is "1948". What evidence would count against this claim?
3. The record states that the date of foundation is "1883". What evidence would count against this claim?
4. The record states that the date of foundation is "1883". What evidence would count against this claim?
5. The record states that the release date is "1988". What evidence would count against this claim?
6. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
7. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

Bibliography

1. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1372121881