D'Addario
Encyclopedia
D'Addario is a manufacturer of musical instrument string
s, primarily guitar
strings, currently headquartered in Farmingdale
, Long Island, New York. It is a family-owned and -operated business that is one of the largest string manufacturers in the world, not only producing several lines of strings under their own brand names, but also making OEM
strings for other musical instrument companies. They also produce and distribute other musical accessories under the companies Planet Waves (guitar cables, tuners, straps, picks, humidification products, polish/cloths and other accessories), Evans Drumheads (drumheads), Puresound and HQ Percussion (Premium Snare wires / Practice Pads and Drum Mutes), and Rico Reeds (reeds for woodwind instruments.)
or /dadˈdaɾio/ in Italian
) family of string-makers originated in the small Italian
town of Salle in the province of Pescara
. A baptismal form from 1680 names a Donato D'Addario as a cordaro, where cordaro is a regional variant of Italian cordaio meaning "maker or seller of ropes and strings". From other historical records it appears that the town's primary occupations were farming and string-making. At the time strings were made of sheep or hog gut, and making them was a laborious process.
After an earthquake devastated the town in 1905, two brothers-in-law, Rocco and Carmine D'Addario emigrated to Astoria in Queens, New York in an attempt to expand their market, importing and selling the strings made by their family in Salle. By 1918 Rocco had returned to Salle, and Carmine (or Charles) began making his own strings in a small shop behind the family home. Still made from gut, the process of making strings involved all members of the family.
The guitar
saw a major rise in popularity in the early part of the 20th century, and sometime in the 1930s the family began making strings for this instrument, producing strings made to order for individual musicians or for guitar manufacturers.
The development of nylon
by DuPont
during World War II
produced a major change in the family business. Sent samples by Dupont in 1947, the D'Addarios immediately began experimenting with this new material, consulting with many of its regular customers in developing the strings.
During the late 1940s and early 1950s (especially after the birth of rock and roll
) nylon-stringed "classical" guitars
were being eclipsed in popularity by the steel-string guitar. Some of the younger members of the family wanted to expand into steel strings, but Charles was reluctant to risk the family business on what he considered an uncertain market. In 1956 a new company (the Archaic Musical String Mfg Co.) began to make steel strings, run by Charles' son, John D'Addario Sr. The company made strings for several of the major guitar makers of the time, including Gretsch
, D'Angelico, Martin, and Guild. In 1962 the two companies were merged together under the name Darco.
The guitar had become the most popular instrument in the U.S., and the Darco company came up with many innovations in the manufacture of guitar strings, including the first automated equipment to wind strings and the first roundwound bass guitar
strings.
In the late 1960s Darco was approached by Martin Guitars regarding a merger in order to pool resources and development efforts. While the partnership was beneficial for both companies, by 1974 the D'Addario family decided it was time to market strings under their own name, and the J. D'addario & Company corporation was formed. Darco is still a brand name used by the Martin Guitar company.
Originally located in Lynbrook, New York
, the business continued to expand and in 1994 moved to its current facility in Farmingdale, New York
. The company is still owned and operated by the D'Addario family, with 13 family members among the 900 employees of the company.
Strings (music)
A string is the vibrating element that produces sound in string instruments, such as the guitar, harp, piano, and members of the violin family. Strings are lengths of a flexible material kept under tension so that they may vibrate freely, but controllably. Strings may be "plain"...
s, primarily guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
strings, currently headquartered in Farmingdale
Farmingdale, New York
The Village of Farmingdale is an incorporated village on Long Island within the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York in the United States...
, Long Island, New York. It is a family-owned and -operated business that is one of the largest string manufacturers in the world, not only producing several lines of strings under their own brand names, but also making OEM
Original Equipment Manufacturer
An original equipment manufacturer, or OEM, manufactures products or components that are purchased by a company and retailed under that purchasing company's brand name. OEM refers to the company that originally manufactured the product. When referring to automotive parts, OEM designates a...
strings for other musical instrument companies. They also produce and distribute other musical accessories under the companies Planet Waves (guitar cables, tuners, straps, picks, humidification products, polish/cloths and other accessories), Evans Drumheads (drumheads), Puresound and HQ Percussion (Premium Snare wires / Practice Pads and Drum Mutes), and Rico Reeds (reeds for woodwind instruments.)
History
The D'Addario (phonetically pronounced /dəˈdɛɹio/ in American EnglishAmerican English
American English is a set of dialects of the English language used mostly in the United States. Approximately two-thirds of the world's native speakers of English live in the United States....
or /dadˈdaɾio/ in Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
) family of string-makers originated in the small Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
town of Salle in the province of Pescara
Pescara
Pescara is the capital city of the Province of Pescara, in the Abruzzo region of Italy. As of January 1, 2007 it was the most populated city within Abruzzo at 123,059 residents, 400,000 with the surrounding metropolitan area...
. A baptismal form from 1680 names a Donato D'Addario as a cordaro, where cordaro is a regional variant of Italian cordaio meaning "maker or seller of ropes and strings". From other historical records it appears that the town's primary occupations were farming and string-making. At the time strings were made of sheep or hog gut, and making them was a laborious process.
After an earthquake devastated the town in 1905, two brothers-in-law, Rocco and Carmine D'Addario emigrated to Astoria in Queens, New York in an attempt to expand their market, importing and selling the strings made by their family in Salle. By 1918 Rocco had returned to Salle, and Carmine (or Charles) began making his own strings in a small shop behind the family home. Still made from gut, the process of making strings involved all members of the family.
The guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
saw a major rise in popularity in the early part of the 20th century, and sometime in the 1930s the family began making strings for this instrument, producing strings made to order for individual musicians or for guitar manufacturers.
The development of nylon
Nylon
Nylon is a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers known generically as polyamides, first produced on February 28, 1935, by Wallace Carothers at DuPont's research facility at the DuPont Experimental Station...
by DuPont
DuPont
E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company , commonly referred to as DuPont, is an American chemical company that was founded in July 1802 as a gunpowder mill by Eleuthère Irénée du Pont. DuPont was the world's third largest chemical company based on market capitalization and ninth based on revenue in 2009...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
produced a major change in the family business. Sent samples by Dupont in 1947, the D'Addarios immediately began experimenting with this new material, consulting with many of its regular customers in developing the strings.
During the late 1940s and early 1950s (especially after the birth of rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
) nylon-stringed "classical" guitars
Classical guitar
The classical guitar is a 6-stringed plucked string instrument from the family of instruments called chordophones...
were being eclipsed in popularity by the steel-string guitar. Some of the younger members of the family wanted to expand into steel strings, but Charles was reluctant to risk the family business on what he considered an uncertain market. In 1956 a new company (the Archaic Musical String Mfg Co.) began to make steel strings, run by Charles' son, John D'Addario Sr. The company made strings for several of the major guitar makers of the time, including Gretsch
Gretsch
The Gretsch Company was founded in 1883 by Friedrich Gretsch, a twenty-seven year old German immigrant recently arrived in the US. Friedrich Gretsch manufactured banjos, tambourines, and drums, until his death in 1895. His son, Fred, moved operations to Brooklyn, New York in 1916...
, D'Angelico, Martin, and Guild. In 1962 the two companies were merged together under the name Darco.
The guitar had become the most popular instrument in the U.S., and the Darco company came up with many innovations in the manufacture of guitar strings, including the first automated equipment to wind strings and the first roundwound bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
strings.
In the late 1960s Darco was approached by Martin Guitars regarding a merger in order to pool resources and development efforts. While the partnership was beneficial for both companies, by 1974 the D'Addario family decided it was time to market strings under their own name, and the J. D'addario & Company corporation was formed. Darco is still a brand name used by the Martin Guitar company.
Originally located in Lynbrook, New York
Lynbrook, New York
Lynbrook is a village in Nassau County, New York, USA. The population was 19,427 at the 2010 census. The Village of Lynbrook is inside the Town of Hempstead. The Village of Lynbrook's current mayor is William Hendrick....
, the business continued to expand and in 1994 moved to its current facility in Farmingdale, New York
Farmingdale, New York
The Village of Farmingdale is an incorporated village on Long Island within the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York in the United States...
. The company is still owned and operated by the D'Addario family, with 13 family members among the 900 employees of the company.