Greg Bennett

For almost 40 years, Samick has manufactured product for the leading brand names in the guitar business. In the process, we learned a great deal about not only what goes into a great guitar, but how to produce it at an affordable price. We also realized that the ability to produce quality product at an affordable price was only half the equation. There needed to be an all out effort to develop a powerful new identity for the product and our company.

We needed an entirely new line. For this enormous task, we called on Greg Bennett, an industry marketing and design veteran of almost 30 years. Greg’s experience in high level marketing positions with the industry’s leading manufacturers and retailers, coupled with a formal design and performance background, made him uniquely qualified. The challenge was to take the majority of credible design or style categories and design product that in effect paid tribute to the original designs while creating a new and unique perspective.

Players want to have something special or unique, but they want it to have a familiar feel. Because of the sheer scope of the project, there needed to be an intense point of view in order to create a sense of continuity across the entire line. The designs were conceptualized, designed and refined in Greg’s studio in Nashville. Once the designs were completed, the challenge shifted to sourcing and manufacturing. Professional caliber electronics and hardware as well as distinctive tone woods were sourced from exotic locations over the entire globe: ovangkohl and ebony from Africa, rosewood from India and rock maple from North America, pickups from Duncan™ and Fishman®, tuners by Grover™ and bridges by Wilkinson™. We performed a complete upgrade in wiring and onboard electronics. The acoustic guitars also received a thorough structural overhaul. Finally the instruments were set up and inspected before going out to the player. This has truly been a labor of love for both Greg and the people at Samick.