Discover Gretsch Collections
Housed within the Special Collections at Georgia Southern University Libraries are a variety of archival materials documenting the history of the Gretsch Company as well as the personal papers of Fred W. Gretsch. To conduct research or view materials, please Schedule a Research Appointment or contact Special Collections at specolle@georgiasouthern.edu.
Gretsch Family in the Musical Instrument Universe Collections
The finding aids below contain listings of the material contents and their locations in the collections. They describe and summarize the contents of each collection including aspects of its arrangement, the scope of its subject matter, organizations and persons of relevancy, and its chronology. The collections are being continuously processed, therefore the finding aids will update periodically to reflect materials that are open for research.
- Fred W. Gretsch papers This collection consists of the papers of Fred W. Gretsch in both his personal and professional life. Materials span the years 1982 to 2022. Processing is ongoing. This link will open a new tab with a pdf.
- Musical Industry Reference collection This collection contains materials acquired by the Gretsch company. The forms of the material include printed materials including magazines, newsletters, catalogs and ephemera. Major subjects include guitar, drums, other musical instruments, music industry, and popular music. Publication dates span the years 1983 to 2021. Processing is ongoing. This link will open a new tab with a pdf.
- Gretsch Company records This collection contains catalogs, price lists, advertisements, and correspondence relating to the Gretsch Company. This link will open a new tab with a pdf.
View Gretsch Collections in Georgia Southern Commons
Digitized and digitally-born Gretsch materials are housed in Georgia Southern Commons.
Gretsch Musical Merchandise Catalog 36 Introduction
The Fred Gretsch Manufacturing Company, Gretsch Musical Merchandise Catalog 36, 1936., Henderson Library Special Collections, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA
Access and Use of Gretsch Collections for Researchers
Special Collections staff provides access to the Gretsch materials housed within Georgia Southern University Libraries and provide research assistance in-person or by email, phone, or fax. Researchers may request in-person assistance during operational hours.
Visit "Plan Your Research" on the Special Collections LibGuide to learn more.
In order to keep secure and preserve the materials, all researchers, including administrators, faculty, staff, students, and alumni are asked to observe the following rules:
- All Special Collections materials must be used in the respective reading room open Monday through Friday from 8:00PM-5:00PM.
- Materials may not be checked out or circulated.
- Only one box of a collection may be used at a time. Only one item or folder may be removed from a box. Replace the item or folder before removing another. Materials are arranged in a specific manner which will make your research easier. The arrangement of folders and the materials within folders must be preserved. When removing a folder from a box, use the insert provided to mark its place.
- Materials must be handled with care. You may be asked to put on provided cotton gloves or to wash your hands before handling materials. This is to help protect materials.
- Only pencils may be used for taking notes.
- Digital scans of materials may be obtained from Special Collections staff using the Reproduction Request Form. Depending on the number of scans requested, you may be asked to wait 48 hours or longer for the job to be completed. Special Collections staff have the right to refuse the scanning of materials due to size, condition, or copyright restrictions.