 | |
| Company type | Division |
|---|---|
| Industry | Musical instruments |
| Predecessor | Kaman Music Corporation |
| Founded | 1966 |
| Headquarters | , United States |
Key people | Charles Kaman |
| Products | String instruments Brass instruments Percussion instruments Amplifiers |
| Brands | |
| Parent | Exertis JAM |
| Website | kmcmusic.com |
KMC Music is an owner and distributor of several brands of musical instruments. The company is currently a subsidiary of Canadian corporate group Exertis | JAM. [1]
The company began as Kaman Music Corporation /kəˈmɑːn/ , a part of the Kaman Corporation founded by Charles Kaman. In addition to his business interests in aviation, Kaman was a guitarist who came to explore the use of composite materials technologies in guitar building. He and his engineers created the round-backed, composite-body Ovation guitar in 1966.
In January 2008, Kaman Corporation sold Kaman Music Corporation to Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) for $117 million. [2]
In 2011, Kaman Music Corporation and Musicorp, sister companies under the FMIC umbrella, united their sales and catalog divisions as KMC Musicorp.
As of 2018, Hamer has moved its facilities to China. [3] [4] [5]
In 2014, FMIC sold KMC's Gretsch Drums, Toca Percussion, Latin Percussion, KAT Percussion, Ovation Guitars, and Gibraltar Hardware brands to Drum Workshop. [6]
In February 2015, Fender Musical Instruments Corporation sold KMC to JAM Industries, [7] which rebranded as Exertis | JAM in 2021.
Some of the companies that are currently subsidiaries of KMC are: [8]
| Brand | Products |
|---|---|
| Ampeg | Bass and guitar amplifiers, pickups |
| Daisy Rock Girl | Electric guitars, basses, ukuleles |
| Hamer | Electric guitars |
| Randall | Guitar amplifiers |
| Remo | Drum kits and heads |
The Fender Musical Instruments Corporation is an American manufacturer and marketer of musical instruments and amplifiers. Fender produces acoustic guitars, bass amplifiers and public address equipment; however, it is best known for its solid-body electric guitars and bass guitars, particularly the Stratocaster, Telecaster, Jaguar, Jazzmaster, Precision Bass, and the Jazz Bass. The company was founded in Fullerton, California, by Clarence Leonidas "Leo" Fender in 1946. Andy Mooney has served as the chief executive officer (CEO) since June 2015.
The Bigsby vibrato tailpiece is a type of mechanical vibrato device for electric guitar designed by Paul Bigsby and produced by the Bigsby Electric Guitar Company. The device allows musicians to bend the pitch of notes or entire chords with their pick hand for various effects.
Jackson is a brand of guitars sold by the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. Jackson was originally an independent manufacturer of electric guitars and electric bass guitars named after its founder, the American luthier Grover Jackson. The company was acquired by Fender in 2002, which manufactures Jackson-branded guitars in its Corona, California, US and Ensenada, Mexico facilities. Low-priced "budget" models are produced by sub-contractors in Indonesia and China.
The Ovation Guitar Company is a manufacturer of string instruments. Ovation primarily manufactures steel-string acoustic guitars and nylon-string guitars, often with pickups for electric amplification. In 2015, it became a subsidiary of Drum Workshop after being acquired from KMCMusicorp.
Gretsch is an American company that manufactures and markets musical instruments. The company was founded in 1883 in Brooklyn, New York by Friedrich Gretsch, a 27-year-old German immigrant, shortly after his arrival to the United States. Friedrich Gretsch manufactured banjos, tambourines, and drums until his death in 1895. In 1916, his son, Fred Gretsch Sr. moved operations to a larger facility where Gretsch went on to become a prominent manufacturer of American musical instruments. Through the years, Gretsch has manufactured a wide range of instruments, though they currently focus on electric, acoustic and resonator guitars, basses, ukuleles, and drums.
Washburn Guitars is an American brand and importer of guitars, mandolins, and other string instruments, originally established in 1883 in Chicago, Illinois. The Washburn name is controlled by U.S. Music Corp., a subsidiary of Canadian corporate group Exertis|JAM.
Drum Workshop, Inc. is a drum kit and hardware manufacturing company based in Oxnard, California. Current products by DW include drum sets, snare drums, and hardware.
Charvel is a brand of electric guitars founded in the 1970s by Wayne Charvel in Azusa, California and originally headquartered in Glendora, California. Since 2002, Charvel has been under the ownership of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation.
Latin Percussion, also known as LP, is a brand of percussion instruments, specializing in ethnic instruments and Latin percussion.
Hamer Guitars was an American electric guitar manufacturer founded in 1973, in Wilmette, Illinois, by vintage guitar shop owners Paul Hamer and Jol Dantzig. The company's early instruments featured guitar designs based on the Gibson Explorer and Gibson Flying V (Vector), before adding more traditional Gibson-inspired designs such as the Sunburst. Hamer Guitars is generally considered the first "boutique" vintage-style electric guitar brand that specifically catered to professional musicians, and was the first guitar manufacturer to produce a 12 string bass guitar.
Gibraltar Hardware is a maker of drumset and percussion hardware. The company sells drumset frames and cages as well as hi-hat stands, drumset thrones, and other products. Artists who use Gibraltar hardware on their drums include Rob Bourdon, Chris Adler, and Luis Conte. Gibraltar hardware packs are standard for current Gretsch Drums kits.
The Guild Guitar Company is a United States–based guitar manufacturer founded in 1952 by Alfred Dronge, a guitarist and music-store owner, and George Mann, a former executive with the Epiphone Guitar Company. The brand name currently exists as a brand under Córdoba Music Group. In February 2023, The Yamaha Guitar Group acquired Cordoba Music Group.
U.S. Music Corp. is an American musical instrument company based in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, United States, a suburb of Chicago, that manufactures and distributes products worldwide. The company is currently a subsidiary of Canadian corporate group Exertis | JAM.
Kay Musical Instrument Company is an American musical instrument manufacturer established in 1931 by namesake Henry "Kay" Kuhrmeyer and based in Chicago, Illinois. It was formed when Kuhrmeyer bought out his financial backers in the instrument manufacturer Stromberg-Voisinet. They produced guitars, mandolins, banjos, ukuleles and were known for their use of lamination in the construction of arched top instruments.
Gretsch Drums is a division of American musical instrument manufacturer Gretsch. The company was founded in Brooklyn, New York, in 1883. Gretsch drum kits have been used by many notable drummers including Max Roach, Tony Williams, Art Blakey, Vinnie Colaiuta, Mark Guiliana, Phil Collins, Charlie Watts, Taylor Hawkins, Mitch Mitchell and Steve Ferrone.
Jay Turser Guitars is an American musical instruments manufacturer, currently a brand of Davitt & Hanser, a division of JAM Industries. Since its inception, Jay Turser has been producing electric and acoustic guitars.
Randall Amplifiers is a manufacturer of solid-state and tube guitar amplifiers. Randall Amplifiers is currently a brand of U.S. Music Corp., a subsidiary of Canadian corporate group Exertis | JAM.
Martin Cohen is an American inventor, entrepreneur, mechanical engineer, and photographer, best known as the founder of the Latin Percussion company. He invented many percussion instruments used in the Latin, Jazz, World, for which he was awarded 8 patents. Cohen has captured and documented thousands of Latin and jazz musicians and performances through photography, videos, and audio recordings.
Bigsby is a brand of guitars and guitar accessories that operated as an independent company by Paul Bigsby until 1966 when it was purchased by ex-Gibson executive Ted McCarty. In 1999, the brand was acquired by Gretsch from McCarty, which owned it until 2019, when Bigsby was sold to Fender Musical Instruments Corporation.
In 2007, FMIC acquired KMC Music, one of the largest independent U.S. distributors of musical instruments and accessories. In 2011, KMC Music and Musicorp united their sales and catalog divisions as KMCMusicorp, creating a leading wholesaler of musical instruments, accessories and lighting equipment. KMCMusicorp produces and/or distributes Ovation®, Takamine® and Hamer® guitars; Latin Percussion®, Gretsch® Drums, Gibraltar® Hardware, Toca® Percussion, Sabian® cymbals and Genz Benz® amplifiers and more. ...
Drum Workshop, Inc. and Fender Musical Instruments have finalized an asset sale agreement to purchase owned and licensed percussion brands from Fender's KMC subsidiary, including Latin Percussion, Toca Percussion, Gretsch Drums, Gibraltar Hardware, and KAT Percussion. Ovation Guitars and exclusive U.S. distribution rights for Sabian Cymbals are also included in the transaction.
Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) announced on Feb. 10 that it has completed an asset sale of the KMC Music wholesale distribution business, including the trade name B&J Music, and certain proprietary brands, to JAM Industries, Ltd. JAM Industries is a global leader in the MI, pro-audio and consumer electronics wholesale distribution business.
