The former chief legal officer for Newegg Inc. is playing a different tune these days.

Lee Cheng has left the online electronics retailer to become chief operating officer at guitar manufacturer Gibson Brands Inc. Cheng, who had worked the past 11 years at Newegg, says his first day with Gibson was Sunday.  Cheng has defended Newegg in several patent infringement lawsuits and disputes. He also has been a speaker at the Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibition.

Cheng says he’s proud of his time at Newegg, No. 17 in the Internet Retailer 2016 Top 500 Guide, and the timing was right to pursue other career opportunities. Privately held Gibson doesn’t do much direct-to-consumer online business, says Cheng.

“I’ve known [Gibson’s] visionary CEO and chairman Henry Juszkiewicz for several years from my service on the board of the Consumer Technology Association,” Cheng says. “When I mentioned to him that I was thinking about exploring different career challenges, he said, ‘Why don’t you come [to Gibson]?’”

A Newegg spokesman did not immediately return a request for comment on who will replace Cheng.