Meridian-based Peavey Electronics Corp. says it will add 25 new jobs locally to accommodate a new line of guitars.

    Hartley Peavey, founder and chief executive officer, says in a news release that the expansion comes after the recent purchase of the hard assets and intellectual property of Composite Acoustics of Lafayette, La. He says Peavey is moving the company’s equipment to Meridian where Peavey will manufacture the high-end guitars.

    Composite Acoustic (CA) is a manufacturer of carbon fiber acoustic guitars in Lafayette. Composite Acoustics (CA) uses proprietary carbon fiber technology and designs to produce guitars with excellent tone, high durability and resistance to elements.

    Scott Mire, who is head of marketing for Peavey said, “The Composite Acoustics line allows Peavey the unique opportunity to create  additional manufacturing jobs here in Meridian. Composite Acoustics is a unique offering in the high end acoustic guitar market and introduces new manufacturing techniques and skill sets to our existing manufacturing capacities.”

    According to a biography of the company written by Ellis Seal, who is the lead engineer for CA, in 1997, he started working on a process to build carbon fiber guitars in his shed in Bay St. Louis.

    “Almost everything has changed to take advantage of new technology except the acoustic guitar, which still uses 1930s designs and 1800s technology,” Seal said in the biography written from Dream Guitars website. “CA was born of a belief that technology can deliver acoustic guitar

players everything they love in their wooden acoustic, without the hassle of caring for wood.”

    Seal said in 2005 CA moved to Lafayette.

    Peavey is one of the largest manufacturers of musical instruments and professional sound equipment in the world. It holds more than 130 patents and produces more than 2,000 products, which are distributed throughout the United States and to 136 other countries.