Meinl History

"Meinl company is a family-owned manufacturer and distributor of musical instruments based in Gutenstetten, Germany. The brand portfolio of Meinl comprises Meinl Cymbals, Meinl Percussion, Nino Percussion, Meinl Sonic Energy, Meinl Stick & Brush and Ortega Guitars."

Meinl’s founder, Roland Meinl, launched Meinl Cymbals in 1951 as a one-man operation in his basement.
He was a natural born entrepreneur with a passion for high quality musical instruments. Through focused development, he was able to reach steady growth and establish a family business with a core of loyal employees that are still the very heart of all Meinl operations and the basis for the company’s success.
Now in its third generation of family ownership, Meinl company is still putting the passion for music and instruments in the center of all business.

1951
Meinl Cymbals is founded by Roland Meinl. Roland bought metal sheets, cut the cymbal shapes by hand, used a hand drill to drill the mount hole, and made cymbals from 4 a.m. to 10 p.m..

1959
Roland Meinl bought a two family house, where he manufactured cymbals in the basement.

1963
Meinl starts distribution of Star Drums from the Japanese company Hoshino Gakki

1964
Expansion begins. Until this year, Meinl's entire production was done by Roland Meinl, his mother, his sister and brother.

1970
Production moves to a new production facility to meet increased demand. Meinl receives the first shipment of Ibanez guitars from Hoshino Gakki.

1972
Reinhold Meinl starts working at Meinl, launches an extensive rebuilding and expansion

1974
Meinl's products began a partnership with Ambico to be their distributor in the U.S.A.. Meinl starts selling the first Japanese TAMA Drums from Hoshino Gakki.

1977
Ingrid Meinl starts at Meinl, takes over accounting and HR

1978
Meinl Percussion gets founded, starts production in Thailand

1980
Building of a new administration building and warehouse in Neustadt an der Aisch, Bavaria, Germany

1982
Launches the Avanti cymbal line, which was a great success.
Meinl re-vamps their production quality; returns 30-40 thousand finished cymbals back to their metal supplier to be melted down, in order to adhere to their new quality standards; Meinl dealers in Germany were able to return old stock to receive new Meinl cymbals of the new higher production standards.

1984
Meinl invests in more modern machinery to be competitive in the cymbal market. The first Meinl-branded cymbal lines - Meinl Profile & Meinl Dragon - are launched the same year.

1994
Launch of the nylon string brand Ortega Guitars

1998
Meinl‘s assortment of children’s percussion, NINO Percussion®, is launched

2000
Meinl USA is founded in Miami,FL

2001
Start of the Byzance production in Türkiye

2002
Meinl USA moves to Nashville, TN

2003
Meinl builds new cymbal production in Gutenstetten/Germany

2005
First Meinl Drum Festival

2007
Alexander Meinl starts working at Meinl

2007
Construction of the fully-automated logistics centers in Gutenstetten (build time: 7 months)

2007
Move of the Meinl company headquarter from Neustadt/Aisch to Gutenstetten

2011
Expansion of the logistics center

2011
60 year anniversary celebration - completion of a new exhibition hall next to the logistics centre

2012
Foundation of Meinl Polska, a sister-company of Meinl, and start of distribution in Central Europe

2012
Meinl expands the distribution territory to Hungary

2013
Mona Meinl joins Meinl

2014
Launch of Meinl Sonic Energy

2015
Start of distribution business in Czech Republic and Slovakia

2017
Launch of Meinl VivaRhythm®

2017
Construction and move into the new Meinl administration building

2018
Launch of Meinl Stick & Brush, Meinl’s brand for drumsticks and brushes

2018
Foundation of Meinl UK and start of the direct distribution to dealers in the UK for Meinl Cymbals & Percussion and NINO Percussion from April of this year

2018
first Meinl Percussion Festival

2019
Meinl UK starts distribution of Ortega Guitars in the UK

2019
Construction of a new Meinl Byzance cymbal production in Samsun, Turkey

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Sources: "Inside Meinl" - Modern Drummer (Feb. 1985, pp. 22-25; 90-96) Meinl.com