COMPANYHISTORIES
NAIC 339992

Musical Instrument Manufacturing

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

15companies1857–1978founding years15still active0no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedMatth. Hohner AG
1857
FoundedConn-Selmer, Inc.
1874
FoundedTA Triumph-Adler AG
1896
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
FoundedHoshino Gakki Co. Ltd.
1908
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
1925
EconomyThe Grand Ole Opry begins broadcasting from Nashville.
FoundedAvedis Zildjian Co.
1929
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
FoundedG. Leblanc Corporation
1946
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedGuangzhou Pearl River Piano Group Ltd.
1956
FoundedErnie Ball, Inc.FoundedSamick Musical Instruments Co., Ltd.
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
FoundedAllen Organ Company
1961
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedKaman Music Corporation
1966
FoundedRoland Corporation
1972
FoundedTaylor Guitars
1974
FoundedJ. D'Addario & Company, Inc.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
FoundedLaSiDo Inc.
1978
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
1999
TechnologyNapster ignites the digital disruption of recorded music.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

Matth. Hohner AG →
Active · founded 1857 · Germany
Matth.
Conn-Selmer, Inc. →
Active · founded 1874
Conn-Selmer, Inc.
TA Triumph-Adler AG →
Active · founded 1896 · Germany
TA Triumph-Adler AG is Germany's leading supplier of distribution services for printing, copying and presentation…
Hoshino Gakki Co. Ltd. →
Active · founded 1908 · Japan
Hoshino Gakki Co.
Avedis Zildjian Co. →
Active · founded 1929
Avedis Zildjian Co.
G. Leblanc Corporation →
Active · founded 1946
The G.
Guangzhou Pearl River Piano Group Ltd. →
Active · founded 1956 · China
Guangzhou Pearl River Piano Group Ltd.
Ernie Ball, Inc. →
Active · founded 1958
Ernie Ball, Inc.
Samick Musical Instruments Co., Ltd. →
Active · founded 1958 · Korea
Samick Musical Instruments Co., Ltd.
Allen Organ Company →
Active · founded 1961
Company Perspective: When a congregation expresses its faith through music, there is only one instrument equal to…
Kaman Music Corporation →
Active · founded 1966
Kaman Music Corporation manufactures Ovation, Adamas, and Hamer guitars and is also the largest independent distributor…
Roland Corporation →
Active · founded 1972 · Japan
Roland Corporation is one of the world's leading designers and manufacturers of electric musical instruments, focused…
Taylor Guitars →
Active · founded 1974
Taylor Guitars is a leading maker of acoustic guitars for the mid-price and high-end market.
J. D'Addario & Company, Inc. →
Active · founded 1975
J.
LaSiDo Inc. →
Active · founded 1978 · Canada
With its head office located in Montreal, Canada, LaSiDo Inc.
Build It Today

Starting a musical instrument manufacturing company now

Each week we rebuild one of these stories with today's tools and capital.