Vater Percussion

Last updated
Vater Percussion
Company type Private
Founded1956;69 years ago (1956) in Boston
FounderJack Adams and Fred Maichle
Headquarters Holbrook, United States
Products Drum sticks and mallets
OwnersRon, Alan Vater
Website vater.com

Vater Percussion is an American manufacturing company based in Holbrook, Massachusetts. The company has always focused on percussion instruments, producing drum sticks, brushes and mallets. It was founded by Jack Adams, and later run by his two grandsons Ron and Alan Vater.

Contents

Although the company began producing sticks in 1956, it did not officially become "Vater Percussion" until much later.

History

In the 1950s, Boston area drummer Jack Adams opened Jack's Drumshop in Boston, and in 1956, Fred Maichle began hand-turning drum sticks for the shop, sometimes supplying custom drumsticks to musicians touring through the area, including Philly Joe Jones, Louie Bellson, and Buddy Rich. [1]

Eventually Jack Adams set up shop in the C. Vater Music Center, a music store opened by his son in law, Clarence Vater in Norwood. Vater's sons, Alan and Ron, worked at the store with their father and grandfather. In the late 1970s, the supply of popular Regal Tip drum sticks was disrupted by a labor dispute, so the family decided to rent lathe time locally to turn their own drumsticks for the store. Then in the early 1980s, musical instrument distribution company Harris Fandell approached the Vater family to manufacture drum sticks, which were marketed under the Power Sonic Drumsticks brand. Ron and Alan Vater began working with Vic Firth to design and manufacture drum sticks for the brand, after which they were approached by Zildjian, launching that company's line of drumsticks in 1986. Vater expanded into manufacturing deals with Tama and Pearl, as well as private label drum sticks for distributors in the Netherlands, Denmark, France, Australia, and New Zealand. [1]

On 22 October 1988, Vater expanded with a new factory in Holbrook, Massachusetts and shortly thereafter Vater's relationship with Zildjian and Vic Firth ended. The company decided to launch their own brand, launching Vater-branded drumsticks in 1990. By the mid-1990s, Vater had become one of top 5 American drum stick manufacturers. [1] [2]

Vater guarantees their sticks to be "straighter, more consistent and of higher quality than all other leading drumstick manufacturers". Vater sticks typically have a higher moisture content than other drumsticks, which is intended to create more durable drumsticks, though this does result in a slightly heavier stick.

Besides drum sticks, Vater also manufactures a variety of timpani mallets, marimba mallets, vibraphone mallets, brushes, specialty sticks, silence mutes, stick bags, drink holders, educational products and other accessories.

Notable Vater Artists

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avedis Zildjian Company</span> Musical instruments manufacturer

The Avedis Zildjian Company, simply known as Zildjian, is an American musical instrument manufacturer specializing in cymbals and other percussion instruments. Founded by the ethnic Armenian Zildjian family in the 17th-century Ottoman Empire, the company relocated to the United States in the 20th century. Today, it is the largest cymbal and drumstick maker in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snare drum technique</span> Percussive instrument technique

Snare technique is the technique used to play a snare drum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Percussion mallet</span> Object used to strike or beat a percussion instrument

A percussion mallet or beater is an object used to strike or beat a percussion instrument to produce its sound.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jon Fishman</span> American drummer

Jon Fishman is an American drummer and co-founder of the band Phish, which was, in part, named after him. He is credited with co-writing nineteen Phish songs, eight with a solo credit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brooks Wackerman</span> American drummer

Brooks Wackerman is an American musician. He is the current drummer of heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold, which he joined in 2015. His first album with Avenged Sevenfold was The Stage (2016). He was previously the drummer for the punk rock band Bad Religion. Wackerman has also performed, either as a member or a session or touring member, with Blink-182, Bad4Good, Infectious Grooves, Glenn Tipton, Mass Mental, Suicidal Tendencies, The Vandals, Avril Lavigne, Korn, Kidneys, Fear and the Nervous System, Tenacious D, Farmikos, Tom Delonge, and Big Talk. His brothers, Chad Wackerman, and John Wackerman, are also drummers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andy Newmark</span> American session drummer (born 1950)

Andrew Newmark is an American session drummer who was a member of Sly and the Family Stone and has played with George Harrison, John Lennon, Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Carly Simon, Ron Wood and Roxy Music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Gadd</span> American drummer (born 1945)

Stephen Kendall Gadd is an American drummer, percussionist, and session musician. Gadd is one of the best-known and most highly regarded session and studio drummers in the industry, recognized by his induction into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 1984. Gadd's performances on Paul Simon's "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" (1976) and "Late in the Evening" (1980), Herbie Mann's "Hi-jack" (1975) and Steely Dan's "Aja" (1977) are examples of his style. He has worked with other popular musicians from many genres including Simon & Garfunkel, James Taylor, Chick Corea, Chuck Mangione, Eric Clapton, Michel Petrucciani, and David Gilmour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason McGerr</span> American drummer

Jason McGerr is an American musician, best known as the drummer for the indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joey Castillo</span> American drummer (born 1966)

Joseph William Castillo is an American musician. He is best known for being the drummer of the hard rock band Queens of the Stone Age from 2002 to 2012. He is currently a member of Circle Jerks, The Bronx, DOOM Regulator, Zakk Sabbath and Sugartooth, with former bands including Danzig, Wasted Youth, California Breed, Zilch, and Scott Weiland and the Wildabouts.

Ralph Hardimon is a percussionist, teacher, composer, and clinician. He is best known for his work in the areas of marching percussion, rudimental drumming, drum & bugle corps, and marching band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chad Szeliga</span> American drummer

Chad Szeliga is an American drummer from Elyria, Ohio. Formerly the drummer of rock band Breaking Benjamin, he joined Black Label Society in 2013, replacing Mike Froedge. In 2017, Szeliga replaced Jimmy DeGrasso in Black Star Riders, leaving the band in 2021. Szeliga cites Vinnie Colaiuta, John Bonham, Steve Gadd, Dennis Chambers, Tony Williams, Manu Katche, Stewart Copeland and Neil Peart as his main influences.

Grant Collins is a professional drummer and drum clinician.

John Bennett is a British drummer, and a founding member of the progressive doom/death metal band, The Prophecy. With The Prophecy, Bennett has completed several tours of Europe and the United States, and has also recorded three albums.

George Lawrence Stone (1886–1967) was an American drummer and author.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drum stick</span> Type of percussion mallet

A drum stick is a type of percussion mallet used particularly for playing snare drum, drum kit, and some other percussion instruments, and particularly for playing unpitched percussion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vic Firth</span> American drummer (1930–2015)

Everett Joseph "Vic" Firth was an American musician and the founder of Vic Firth Company, a company that makes percussion sticks and mallets. He was also known for his association with the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grip (percussion)</span> Percussion playing technique

In percussion, grip refers to the manner in which the player holds the sticks or mallets, whether drum sticks or other mallets.

Regal Tip is one of the world's largest manufacturers of drum sticks and other percussion mallets. They produce a range of beaters, but are particularly noted as a manufacturer of premium steel brushes and nylon tipped drumsticks. In 2003, the company was the largest manufacturer of brushes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joey Muha</span> Canadian drummer

Joey Muha is a Canadian drummer, best known for his YouTube videos, many of which have millions of views and have been featured on multiple websites. He is a member of the industrial metal band Threat Signal, death metal band Jungle Rot. and pop band Liteyears. He has also played for bands associated with Nuclear Blast Records, Victory Records, MapleMusic Recordings, etc.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Budofsky, Adam (August 1995). "Inside Vater: The Country's Oldest "New" Drumstick Maker" (PDF). Modern Drummer. pp. 91–104. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  2. ↑ "Ron Vater, drumstick pioneer, dies aged 63". MusicRadar. 29 January 2020. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.