Samick Musical Instruments Co., Ltd. (Hangul: 삼익악기, also known as Samick) is a South Korean musical instrument manufacturer. Founded in 1958 as Samick Pianos, it is now one of the world's largest musical instrument manufacturers and an owner of shares in several musical instrument manufacturing companies. Apart from its own brand, Samick manufactures musical instruments through its subsidiary brands such as Wm. Knabe & Co., Pramberger, Kohler & Campbell, and Seiler (pianos), Greg Bennett, Silvertone, Stony River, and San Mateo (guitars). Operations 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 newly constructed (completed July 2007) North American Corporate Headquarters, located in Gallatin, TN. This 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 recently began the manufacture of a small number of acoustic pianos, which will be sold under the Knabe brand. Guitar manufacturing and OEM supply 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). Some other Samick-built guitars are sold under Squier, Epiphone, Washburn, Hohner, Silvertone, and other brands. Greg Bennett Guitars 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. Bennett died on June 29, 2020 at the age of 69. Piano manufacturing and brand management 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. 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. From 2003 to 2009 Samick was associated with German C. Bechstein Pianofortefabrik. In addition, Bechstein and Samick have a joint venture factory in Shanghai,