Gretsch is an American company that manufactures guitars, basses and drums. The company was founded in 1883 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, Friedrich Jr. moved operations to Brooklyn, New York where Gretsch went on to become one of the most prominent manufacturers of American musical instruments.