On August 9th, we received the following message from NAMM’s Dan Del Fiorentino:
John Craviotto, the founder of Craviotto Drum Company, passed away last month at the age of 69.
He helped pioneer the handcrafted solid-shell snare drums, a leading product for his company and a tool he sought as a young drummer in the 1960s. As a musician, John worked for a host of top artists such as Neil Young, Ry Cooder, Buffy St. Marie and Moby Grape. He studied the kits he loved and became a student of woods from around the world. He also spent many hours building and re-building snare drums to better understand what made the “sound” he sought. For about a decade beginning in the 1990’s, John’s snare drums were available as part of Drum Workshop’s catalogs, which greatly expanded the brand name and resulted in a life-long friendship with Drum Workshop founder Don Lombardi. John worked hard on perfecting his products and listening to the needs of his customers.
To view a clip from John Craviotto’s 2010 NAMM Oral History interview, click here:
