Where Wire Begins

From the mid-1800s to the mid-1970s National Standard Wire of Worcester, MA was one of the only reliable suppliers of high-carbon steel specialty wires. In fact, they were one of the three bidders selected for wires to make the cables on the Brooklyn Bridge. Fine round and hexagon-shaped high-carbon steel music wire has always been a very challenging material to produce—and National Standard was known as the standard for music wire in America. In 1977 they decided to move their plant to Mount Joy, PA and unfortunately never replicated the quality of the music wire produced in the original mill.

An Alliance Bound

Recognizing an opportunity, three former National Standard factory workers founded Truspec Wiren in Oxford, MA. They built their business on machinery purchased from their former employers. Soon after, the D'Addario family helped re-organize the fledgling company while assuming two-thirds ownership. D'Addario & Company, Inc., dedicated financial and engineering resources to turn Truspec into a viable business, sustaining production vital to the entire string industry.

Re-Engineering Renaissance

During the year which followed, Truspec Wire became Renaissance. Despite the new name and some structural changes, D'Addario continued to uphold the quality of the operation. In 2008, when the last remaining original partner retired, D'Addario purchased his shares for 100% ownership of Renaissance Wire. At that time, D'Addario was in the early stages of a significant company-wide commitment to a lean manufacturing transformation, which they successfully implemented at Renaissance Wire, enhancing both efficiencies and product quality. In 2012, consistent with D'Addario's vision of developing superior raw materials, and with support from New York State, Suffolk County and the Town of Babylon, D'Addario made an unprecedented commitment to re-engineer the entire high-carbon steel music wire manufacturing process, led by a team of D'Addario experts and engineers.

Introducing D'Addario Wireworks

On June 1, 2014, D'Addario moved the former Truspec wire mill into its Farmingdale-based operations. With the move came massive changes. New digitally-controlled wire drawing machinery, specifically engineered to draw fine size round and hex-shaped high carbon steel music wire, was created in cooperation with one of Germany's premier wire machinery builders. The straightening process was retooled with new tensioning and wire straightening roller technologies and the coating process was completely re-invented. Founded on a history of quality and elevated by modern technological improvements, D'Addario WireWorks remains committed to producing the finest musical instrument wire on the market.