Vic Firth
| Vic Firth | |
|---|---|
| legal form | Incorporated |
| founding | 1963 |
| Seat |
 Boston , Massachusetts Manufacturing Newport, Maine
|
| management |
Founder Vic Firth |
| Number of employees | 25th |
| Branch | Musical instrument making |
| Website | http://www.vicfirth.com/ |
Everett Joseph "Vic" Firth (born June 2, 1930 in Winchester , Massachusetts , † July 26, 2015 in Boston , Massachusetts) was an American percussionist and founder of the drumstick manufacturer Vic Firth . As a producer of 12 million drumsticks annually, the company is the world's largest manufacturer of drumsticks and mallets .
Live and act
Firth came from a musical family; he first learned the trumpet, which was also his father's instrument, but soon switched to percussion instruments . He studied with Roman Szulc at the New England Conservatory , where he taught himself between 1952 and 1995. From 1956 to 2002 he worked as a percussionist, especially on the timpani , with the Boston Symphony Orchestra , with whom he also recorded albums as a soloist. In 1958 there were recordings with Max Roach and The Boston Percussion Ensemble . He is also involved in albums with Harold Farberman's All Star Percussion Ensemble and the Tanglewood Festival Chorus .
In 2015 he died of pancreatic cancer.
History of the company
In 1963, Firth was of the opinion that the drumsticks that were used at the time were not of the necessary processing quality. Firth therefore decided that same year to carve his own drumsticks. Vic Firth sent two of these drumsticks to a woodturner in Montreal . From these prototypes , the models SD1 and SD2 emerged, the first drumsticks made by Vic Firth. Initially, the sticks were only intended for Firth's own use, but they quickly gained popularity with his students, so that retailers also added his product to their range. The company's product range now includes around 300 products.
On December 20, 2010, Vic Firth announced that it would merge with cymbal manufacturer Zildjian . However, according to CEO Craigie Zildjian, no differences should be noticeable for the customer and both companies should continue to operate independently of one another.
Selection of well-known Vic Firth users
- Steve Gadd
- David Garibaldi ( Tower of Power )
- Sperie Karas
- Thomas Lang
- Jojo Mayer
- Nicko McBrain ( Iron Maiden )
- Buddy Rich
- Christoph Schneider ( Rammstein )
- Roger Taylor ( Queen )
- Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson
- Charlie Watts ( The Rolling Stones )
- Dave Weckl
- Ingo Klinkhammer ( The Forgers )
- Pete York
Web links
- Official website (English)
- Vic Firth at Allmusic (English)
- Vic Firth at Discogs (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Obituary Boston Globe .
- ↑ a b History of the Vic Firth company ( Memento of the original from February 13, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Vic Firth Stick Test ( Memento of the original from September 16, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Announcement on the merger of Zildjian and Vic Firth ( Memento of the original from December 22, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Directory of Endorsers by Vic Firth
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Firth, Vic |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Firth, Everett Joseph |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American percussionist and founder of the drumstick manufacturer Vic Firth |
| DATE OF BIRTH | June 2, 1930 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Winchester, Massachusetts |
| DATE OF DEATH | July 26, 2015 |
| Place of death | Boston , Massachusetts |