There were two CMI brands. CMI (Cleartone Musical Instruments - the top logo above) was a UK distributer of Japanese made guitars and was owned by Jim Marshall. CMI was also a brand used by Chicago Musical Instruments Co. (the script logo with a star above) a musical instrument distributor founded in 1920. In 1944, CMI took a controlling interest in Gibson. In 1969, ECL, a South American company, acquired a majority of CMI shares, and the two companies merged to form a new company called Norlin Corp. CMI Electronics continued as an amplifier brand and guitar brand into the 1970s (again with Japanese made guitars).