Theodore McCarty (October 10, 1909 – April 1, 2001) was an American businessman who worked with the Wurlitzer Company and the Gibson Guitar Corporation.
In 1966, he and Gibson Vice President John Huis bought the Bigsby Electric Guitar Company.
[1] Born in Somerset, Kentucky in 1909, McCarty earned a degree in engineering from the University of Cincinnati before joining the Wurlitzer Company in 1936.
McCarty was also responsible for the development of the Tune-o-matic bridge system, the humbucking pickup, and the Explorer, Flying V, Moderne, SG and Firebird guitars.
In addition to his numerous inventions, he also is responsible for increasing Gibson's production from 5,000 guitars a year to more than 100,000.
[3] [4] Business Wars from Wondery (June 24, 2019) - Season 24 Episode 2 - Gibson vs Fender “Loud and Clear”