Samick

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In 1992, Samick built its P.T. Samick factory in Cileungsi, near Bogor, Indonesia. This factory produces the majority of instruments that Samick makes.

North American operations are performed from its North American Corporate Headquarters in Gallatin, Tennessee (completed July 2007). This {{convert|214000|sqft|m2|abbr=on}} facility is responsible for all administrative activities for the North American market, as well as acting as a distribution center for its guitars and acoustic/digital pianos. The facility manufactures of a small number of acoustic pianos, sold under the Knabe brand.{{citation needed|date=August 2024}}

File:Greg Bennett Avion AV1 with Roland Cube 15x.jpg

Samick guitars are manufactured under different brand names and made by a number of different makers, including Greg Bennett and J.T. Riboloff (a former luthier at Gibson).{{cite news|url=http://www.vintageguitar.com/jt-riboloff/|title=JT Riboloff|work=Vintage Guitar|access-date=2 February 2012}} Some other Samick-built guitars are sold under Squier, Epiphone, Washburn, Hohner, Silvertone, and other brands.

American luthier Greg Bennett designed a line of guitars for Samick. The guitars have pickups designed by Seymour Duncan, machine heads from Grover, and bridges by Wilkinson. Woods used include ovangkol and ebony from Africa, rosewood from India, and rock maple from North America. Instruments under the Greg Bennett label are electric, acoustic and archtop guitars, electric and acoustic basses, mandolins, banjos, ukuleles and autoharps.

{{cite web

| title= About Greg Bennett

| work= Greg Bennett Guitars

| publisher= Samick

| url= http://www.gregbennettguitars.com/about.html

| access-date= 12 November 2011

}}

Bennett died on 29 June 2020, at the age of 69.{{cite web|url=https://www.williamsonhomepage.com/obituaries/gregory-burr-bennett/article_cdc548b6-b585-11ea-b990-93fca99d166f.html|title=Gregory Burr Bennett|work=Williamson Home Page|date=23 June 2020|access-date=19 November 2020}}

Samick also has a wide range of pianos. Its acoustic piano brands include Samick, Pramberger, Wm. Knabe & Co., Kohler & Campbell, and Gebrüder Schulze; and it has digital piano brands of Kohler, Samick Digital, and Symphonia. Samick recently announced the discontinuation of the Sohmer & Co. brand.{{When|date=June 2021}}

In 2004, Samick gained controlling interest in competitor Young Chang, but antitrust rulings in the U.S. and Korea ended the merger a year later.Fine, Larry. (editor.) Acoustic and Digital Piano Buyer. Fall 2010. p. [http://www.pianobuyer.com/fall10/193.html 193]. From 2003 to 2009 Samick was associated with German C. Bechstein Pianofortefabrik.

In addition, Bechstein and Samick have a joint venture factory in Shanghai, China. In October 2008, Samick announced its purchase of Seiler, another German piano company, that is generally agreed to compete with Bechstein at both price point and overall quality. The announcement raises questions about the continued viability of relationship between Samick and Bechstein [http://www.pianobuyer.com/fall11/154.html].

In late 2009, Samick acquired a 16.5% share of Steinway Musical Instruments. By November 2010, Samick's share in Steinway Musical Instruments increased to 32%.Snowdown, Ross. "[http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/businessnews/Snooker-baize-firm-pockets-1m.6625969.jp Snooker baize firm pockets £1m orders in China.]" Yorkshire Post, 15 November 2010. In 2013, John Paulson outbid Samick when Steinway and Sons was taken private.{{cite news| title=Steinway Agrees to Be Bought by Paulson for $512 Million| first1=Lauren S.| last1=Murphy| first2=Jodi| last2=Xu| date=14 August 2013| url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2013-08-14/paulson-co-to-buy-piano-maker-steinway-for-512-million| publisher=Bloomberg News}}

In 1975, Samick Pianos, as the company was known at that time, created an archery department and began building bows. In 1990, this division was spun off as Samick Sports Co., Ltd. In 2016, the company was restructured and its name changed to Samick Archery Co., Ltd. Since 1996, its products have been used to attain several Olympic gold medals, mostly by Korean athletes.{{Cite web|title=About Samick|url=http://www.samicksports.com/em41.php|access-date=27 November 2021|website=Samick Archery Co., Ltd}} Besides Olympic-level archery equipment, Samick also manufactures the very popular budget-oriented Sage and Polaris hunting bows.

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{{Commons category|Samick}}

• [https://www.smcmusic.com/ Official website]

{{Guitar brands}}

Category:Piano manufacturing companies

Category:Guitar manufacturing companies

Category:Musical instrument manufacturing companies of South Korea

Category:Manufacturing companies established in 1958

Category:South Korean companies established in 1958