12"
Paiste production history time
1901-1916: Russia
Michail Toomas PAISTE, composer and musician founded a sheet music publishing house and music shop in Saint Petersburg in 1901, which also made simple instruments and carried out repairs.
His father was from Estonia and was a member of the Tsar's Guard. The business flourished very well for many years until the Russian Revolution forced it to close.
1917-1939: Estonia
Mikhail Toomas returned to his homeland and opened a new shop in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia.
This is also where the first cymbals for concert and brass music were designed and manufactured. The demand for PAISTE products increased.
In 1930, at the same time as the new trends in music, his son, Michail M. began making cymbals.
Michail M. chose the Turkish form of production and developed his own concept with which he gave the PAISTE cymbals a new sound direction. He quickly became the driving force behind the still small company and eventually took over the business.
In addition, Michail M.PAISTE also developed the first PAISTE gongs that came into the market. His award-winning products, both the cymbals and gongs, soon had a very good international reputation, so he began exporting to Europe and the USA.
In 1945 Michail M. and his family fled Poland and settled in northern Germany near Rendsburg. Michail M. began to build up a cymbal and gong production for the third time and the start was successful. At the beginning of the 50s he was able to reactivate the old business relationships and the export business began to develop again.
The relocation of production to Burg (Dithmarschen) failed, and finally, in 1957, Michail M. founded a manufacture in Switzerland.
1932: STAMBUL series
The STAMBUL comes onto the market in 1932 and is made of nickel silver until approximately 1964 (in Estonia from 1932 to 1941, in Germany from 1948 to 1957 and in Switzerland from 1957 to 1964). The STAMBUL is an absolute upper class cymbal for the era up to the Second World War and the quality of these PAISTE cymbals speaks for itself. The name PAISTE already enjoys an excellent reputation.
1945: German production facility
Today all PAISTE gongs and budget cymbal series "Made in Germany" are manufactured in Schacht-Audorf near Rendsburg by approx. 30 employees, from ALPHA down to the 101 BRASS series.
1957: Swiss production facility
In 1957 Michail M. founded a new production workshop in Switzerland with his two sons Robert and Toomas (the 3rd generation).
A new era began under the direction of Robert (* 1932) and Toomas (* 1939) and Nottwil, located on Lake Sempach in the canton of Lucerne, developed into the center of all international activities.
In 1970, a new factory was built next to the existing one. In 1995 Toomas took over the role of President from Robert.
1981: North American distribution center (greater Los Angeles area)
In1981, PAISTE gained a foothold in the world's largest music market with the founding of PAISTE America, Inc. in Brea, California. Toomas lived in the USA for some time in the 80s and was instrumental in founding and developing the pure sales branch.
In August 2002 Toomas had a fatal accident in Spain, his son Erik (the 4th generation) took over all his functions. Today Nottwil is the headquarters of PAISTE AG and supplies the whole world with high-quality, mostly hand-made basins "Made in Switzerland" from the 2oo2 to the SIGNATURE series. PAISTE is the largest manufacturer of musical instruments in Switzerland.
Information from the Paiste.com site[1]
Return to the Paiste Series Portal
Return to the Paiste Cymbal Type Portal
