Paiste (English pronunciation:, ) is a Swiss musical instrument manufacturing company. It is the world's third largest manufacturer of cymbals, gongs, and metal percussion. is an Estonian and Finnish word that means "shine". Apart from cymbals and gongs, Paiste has also manufactured other percussion instruments, including crotal bells, finger cymbals, and cowbells, which were later discontinued.

History

The first Paiste cymbals were produced in 1906 by Estonian musician Toomas Paiste in his instrument repair shop in Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire. Toomas had served in the Russian Imperial Guard and retired in 1901 to open a music shop and publishing business. The cymbal-making aspect of the business expanded with the passing years, despite the disruption of several moves necessitated by war. The company opened a factory in Tallinn, Estonia, in 1917, where Toomas' son Michail M. Paiste decided to concentrate on cymbal production and export. In 1940, after the annexation of Estonia by the USSR, the family and the cymbal-making operation moved to Poland, where they continued under extremely difficult conditions, and in 1945 to Germany. Finally, in 1957, a new headquarters and production facility was established in Switzerland. The business was continued by Michail's sons, Robert and Toomas (born Kurt), with both the Swiss and German operations as the main manufacturing centres. Since 2003, the company has been headed by Toomas' son, Erik. Robert Paiste died in 2016, aged 84.

Innovations

Paiste has developed several innovations to cymbal design and manufacture. Among these are: Many of these innovations were used by other manufacturers when the applicable patents expired. For example, almost all the larger modern cymbal companies offer a flat ride cymbal and an alternative to the Sound Edge Hi-Hat.

Notable artists

Patents