Our Brands

The Armstrong brand has been around since 1931, when craftsman William Teasdale Armstrong founded a small flute repair shop in Elkhart, Indiana, later passing his heritage to son Edward, who addressed the need to make instruments for student and community musicians. Armstrong revolutionized a new flute scale and created a much-improved instrument with pitch, alterations, and tune.

Instruments: Flute

Born in New York and with over 50 years of manufacturing in Elkhart, Indiana, Bach brass has set the standard for trumpet, trombone, and mouthpiece sound for a century. Vincent Bach's pioneering designs have influenced music from Casablanca to Star Wars and continue to shape the brass instrument landscape of the 21st century.

Instruments: Trumpet, Cornet, Trombone, Mouthpieces

This American musical instrument manufacturer, incorporated in 1915 in Elkhart, Indiana by Charles G. Conn, emerged from a serendipitous event: a lip injury that led Conn to improve his mouthpiece while playing the cornet in the community band. Conn converted a discarded sewing machine frame into a simple lathe and started to turn out his mouthpieces and was soon in full production The Conn brand preserves its rich history, including the founding of Conn Conservatory, which trained brass instrument teachers, by continuing to manufacture several iconic instruments for which it is known.

Instruments: Trombone, French Horn, Single Horn, Double Horn, Flugelhorn, Sousaphone, Tuba

With a legacy dating back to 1885, Henri Selmer Paris clarinets are known for their beautiful craftsmanship and exceptional, consistent intonation across all registers. These clarinets produce a dark, warm, and resonant sound with a crisp presence, facilitating advanced technical playing and highlighting every nuance and articulation.

Instruments: Saxophone, Clarinet

Frank Holton, renowned for his engagements with Sousa’s great band, established a small Chicago shop in 1896. By 1898, he introduced the "Holton Special" trombone. In 1917, he established a factory in Elkhorn, Wisconsin. His instruments gained popularity among professionals like Vincent Bach. After his passing in 1942, the company continued to thrive, focusing on military components during World War II. In 1964, the company transitioned ownership to G. Leblanc Corporation, maintaining its manufacturing in Elkhorn until 2008 when it moved to Eastlake, Ohio. Today, Holton remains a leader in low brass manufacturing.

Instruments: Baritone, Euphonium, Tuba, Double Horn

Founded in 1893 in Cleveland, Ohio by Henderson White, an engraver and instrument repairman, King Instruments initially gained success with a trombone designed for local player Thomas King. During World War I, many of the earliest instruments supplied were made for military bands. Following Henderson White's passing, his widow, Edna White, took over as President. Edna's daughter, Cathryn White Ludwig, later became Vice President in 1945, making it one of the few American companies headed by two women. Today, King's brasswinds are manufactured in Eastlake, Ohio.

Instruments: Marching Trumpet, Mellophone, Baritone, Euphonium, Tuba, Trumpet, Trombone

The Leblanc company traces its roots back over 250 years. Toussaint Noblet sold the company to Georges Leblanc in 1904, who later moved it to America in 1921. Partnering with Vito Pascucci, the company began patenting groundbreaking clarinet technology in 1933, revolutionizing a new smooth sound for the clarinet. Today's Leblanc instruments combine the brand's rich history with the most advanced manufacturing processes, resulting in precision engineering and a beautifully rich sound.

Instruments: Clarinet, Oboe, Saxophone

The Ludwig Drum Company was established in 1909 by brothers William and Theobald Ludwig. The company's catalog expanded during the early 1900s and included manufacturing snare drums to support World War I. Ludwig experienced a global breakthrough in 1964 when Ringo Starr played a Ludwig bass drum during The Beatles' American TV debut on The Ed Sullivan Show. In 1965, Ludwig acquired the Musser Mallet Company, and today both Ludwig and Musser instruments are manufactured in Monroe, NC.

Instruments: Concert Snare Drum, Bass Drum, Concert Tom, Drum Kit, Snare Drum, Timpani

The Musser Mallet Company was founded in Chicago shortly after World War II by Clair Omar Musser, a visionary mallet percussionist, composer, designer, and engineer. Musser's design work, from bars to frame, helped refine and standardize the marimba. Additionally, Musser developed the Musser grip, a new technique for playing the marimba with four mallets. In 1965, the Musser company was acquired by Ludwig Drum Company. Today, Musser instruments are manufactured in Monroe, NC.

Instruments: Bell Lyra, Marimba, Xylophone, Vibraphone, Chimes, Concert Bells, Octave Bells

Heinrich Roth, a seventh-generation violin maker, brought his family's renowned craft to the United States from Germany in 1922, where he spearheaded Scherl & Roth. In 1938, the company moved from New York to Cleveland, Ohio. Aiming to provide students with the finest instruments possible, Roth brought young, skilled violin makers from Europe to his Cleveland violin shop. Scherl & Roth became one of the largest string shops in the world as well as the nation’s largest supplier of string instruments and accessories.

Instruments: Violin, Viola, Cello, Bass

Henri Selmer founded the enterprise in 1885, starting with manufacturing reeds and mouthpieces. Alexandre, his younger brother and also a clarinetist, ventured to the United States, performing with orchestras in Boston and Philadelphia. By 1898, Henri Selmer began producing his first clarinets, earning a gold medal just six months later at the St. Louis World's Fair for his design. His innovative spirit extended to saxophones in 1922. Based in Mantes-la-Ville, France, Henri Selmer Paris is renowned worldwide for crafting professional-grade woodwind and brass instruments. Conn-Selmer now serves as the North American distributor of Henri Selmer Paris woodwinds.

Instruments: Oboe, Bassoon, Clarinet, Saxophone, Flute, Piccolo

The history of woodwind manufacturing in Japan traces back to 1894 when Tokutaro Yanagisawa began repairing imported woodwinds for military band members. Tokutaro's repair shop evolved into an instrument factory—the first to build woodwind instruments on Japanese soil. Following in his father's footsteps, Tokutaro's son Takanobu crafted his first prototype saxophone in 1951. Yanagisawa has introduced innovations including detachable straight and curved necks and a high G key for its soprano saxophones. Today, Conn Selmer is the North American distributor of Yanagisawa saxophones.

Instruments: Saxophone