Diversi Musical Products, Inc was a manufacturer of

electric organ An electric organ, also known as electronic organ, is an electronic keyboard instrument which was derived from the harmonium, pipe organ and theatre organ. Originally designed to imitate their sound, or orchestral sounds, it has since develop ...

s. It specializes in making clones of the

Hammond organ The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert, first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding #Drawbars, drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, sound was created ...

and became popular when jazz organists "Papa" John and

Joey DeFrancesco Joey DeFrancesco (April 10, 1971August 25, 2022) was an American jazz organist, trumpeter, saxophonist, and occasional singer. He released more than 30 albums under his own name, and recorded extensively as a sideman with such leading jazz perfo ...

"defected" from Hammond to using their organs instead.

History

The company was formed by former Hammond-Suzuki Northeast Regional Sales Representative and Marketing Services Manager Tom Tuson, who had been impressed by a drawbar

MIDI Musical Instrument Digital Interface (; MIDI) is an American-Japanese technical standard that describes a communication protocol, digital interface, and electrical connectors that connect a wide variety of electronic musical instruments, ...

module manufactured by Voce, which used physical modelling instead of samples. He became friends with Voce's Dave Amels, and the two decided to collaborate on a project to create their own organ. They came up with the Diversi DV, which earned immediate critical acclaim for its accuracy. In an interview with '' Keyboard'' magazine, Don Bosco said the DV "feels to me exactly how a vintage Hammond would have when it was new." The company received a major boost when Joey DeFrancesco, self-described as "the finest jazz organist on the planet", publicly announced he had "defected from Hammond" and was now actively endorsing Diversi and owning a stake in the business. His 2008 album ''Joey D!'' was recorded entirely on a Diversi, with sleeve note author Michael G Nastos declaring that "the instrument DeFrancesco plays acts and sounds like an organ, if possible with a richer, deeper tone, especially in the bass foot pedals.” His father, Papa John DeFrancesco also used the Diversi to record ''Big Shot''. Tom Tuson had made a specific point in interviews, that Diversi could offer a more affordable drawbar organ with a better sound engine alternative than Hammond Suzuki's "New B3," while being at a lower price and including a built-in

Leslie speaker The Leslie speaker is a combined amplifier and loudspeaker that projects the signal from an electric or electronic instrument and modifies the sound by rotating a baffle chamber ("drum") in front of the loudspeakers. A similar effect is provided ...

simulator. Though he once, like many organists, thought the Hammond and Leslie were inseparable, he now thinks the simulation on the Diversi is so good that "I don't care if I ever see another Leslie in my life". Diversi sponsored the Bobby Jones Gospel on the B.E.T. Network and had provided equipment for the show since 2003. Joey and John DeFrancesco died in 2022 and 2024, respectively. In 2024 Diversi announced that it was no long selling products.

References

;Books * {{refend American musical instrument makers Manufacturing companies established in 2003 Electronic organ manufacturing companies Manufacturing companies disestablished in 2024 American companies established in 2003 American companies disestablished in 2024