Farfisa
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| Industry | Electronics |
|---|---|
| Fate | Music division purchased by Bontempi |
| Founded | 1946 |
| Founder | Silvio Scandalli |
| Headquarters | Osimo, Italy |
| Products |
Historical products:
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Historical products:
Farfisa is a manufacturer of electronics based in Osimo, Italy.
The Farfisa brand name is commonly associated with a series of compact electronic organs, and later, a series of multi-timbral synthesizers. At the height of its production, Farfisa operated three factories to produce instruments, in Camerano in the Marche region of Italy. Farfisa also made radios, televisions, and other electronic items.
Today the Farfisa brand mainly produces intercom systems with the company Aci Farfisa which makes and distributes systems for video intercoms, access control, video surveillance and home automation.
The Bontempi group owns the keyboard division Farfisa brand name.
The Farfisa brand name is an acronym for "FAbbriche Riunite di FISArmoniche", which translates to "united factories of accordions".
Farfisa first started manufacturing electric organs in 1964. Distribution in the U.S. was handled by the Chicago Musical Instrument Co, which also owned Gibson, and the instruments were originally known as CMI organs when first introduced there. Unlike other combo organs, such as the Vox Continental, Farfisa organs have integrated legs, which can be folded up and stored inside its base. The first models to be produced were the Compact series of organs between 1964 and 1968. The range of FAST (Farfisa All-Silicon Transistorized) organs was launched at the 1968 NAMM show, and production of the Professional series appeared around the same time. Production of combo organs ended in the late 1970s after synthesizers had become more commonplace.
One of the first rock organists to play and spotlight the Farfisa was Domingo Samudio, better known as "Sam the Sham", who with his group The Pharaohs had their first hit "Wooly Bully" in the summer of 1965. In 1966, a Farfisa was prominently heard in "Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love)" as recorded by the South Carolina-based group The Swingin' Medallions.
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Wikipedia