Ellen Cavanaugh
Ellen Cavanaugh brought her innovative business ideas and skillful communication and marketing concepts to expand the historic brands that make up the Super-Sensitive Musical String Company. Formed in the 1930s and established on the Red Label line of strings, Super-Sensitive was purchased by Ellen...
Music Manufacturing, Band and Orchestra, Violins, String Instruments, Instrument Strings, Women in the Music Industry, Deceased
John Cavanaugh
John Cavanaugh and his father bought the Super-Sensitive Musical String Company in 1967 and worked long and hard to bring the products into new and international markets. John created the research and development department for the company, designing new products such as the Old Fiddler line. John...
Music Manufacturing, Band and Orchestra, Violins, String Instruments, Instrument Strings
John Connolly established the Connolly Music Company (originally Connolly & Co., Inc.) back in 1970. Best known for distributing such brands as Thomastik-Infeld and König & Meyer, the company remains a family owned enterprise, with John's son, Jake, now at the helm. In 1954 John was hired...
Classical Guitar Strings, The Beatles, Music Manufacturing, Music Wholesale-Distribution, New York State, String Instruments, Instrument Strings, Hofner Bass, Deceased
John D'Addario
John D'Addario's family history in the music industry can be traced back to the 1670s when Donato D'Addario worked as a "cordaro" – the Italian word for "string maker." Since that time the family has perfected the art of handcrafting strings as well as other music accessories. John's father had a...
Classical Guitar Strings, The Beatles, Strings, Bass Strings, Music Accessories, Instrument Strings, D'Addario & Co., NAMM Board of Directors-Interviewed, Don Johnson Industry Service Award, Full Interview
Peter D'Addario
Peter D'Addario is proud of his family's long association with the music industry. In fact, his family's string making goes back to the seventeenth century. Peter recalls going to the warehouse as a kid and helping with the shipping of musical accessories. His father, Richard, is the brother of...
Instrument Strings, Music Accessories, Strings, Bass Strings, Classical Guitar Strings, Music Manufacturing, Music Wholesale-Distribution, D'Addario & Co.
Arnold Davidson
Arnold Davidson was born in Port Elizabeth, South Africa where he began playing in area bands. He was given the opportunity to distribute the strings he special ordered from England and found himself in the music products business. He later opened his own wholesale firm, based largely on...
Music Accessories, Canadian Music Industry, Music Wholesale-Distribution, D'Addario & Co., Instrument Strings, Strings, South African Music Industry, Full Interview
Mark Dronge
Mark Dronge is the President of DR Strings and a veteran of the music products industry, having been involved since he was four years old in his father's retail store! Mark recalled the accordion boom of the 1940s in his father's store, which was sold in 1948. The money his father made in selling...
Instrument Strings, Strings, Music Manufacturing, Guild Guitar
Roberto Giannini
Roberto Giannini is part of the third generation running Giannini Musical Instruments alongside his brother, Flavio. Their company has thrived on being innovative and working around issues. During WWII when supplies were cut off, they began making their own strings and then between the 1960-1990s...
Music Manufacturing, Guitars, Brazilian Music Industry, Luthiers, World War II, Instrument Strings
Flavio Giannini
Flavio Giannini is part of the third generation running Giannini Musical Instruments alongside his brother, Roberto. One of their most well-known designs is the Craviola, which is designed to be a smaller and therefor more comfortable instrument to play. As they introduce new products, they strive...
Bernard Maillot
Bernard Maillot's grandfather was a musician and worked at the SAVAREZ String Company, as did his father after him. Bernard's father saw the potential of a new market for strings and designed a series of packaging aimed to the jazz musicians of the 1930s and 40s. Bernard studied accounting in...
French Music Industry, Instrument Strings, Music Manufacturing, SAVAREZ