Diversi
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Musical instrument manufacturing |
| Founded | 2003 |
| Founder | Tom Tuson, Dave Amels |
| Defunct | 2024 |
| Fate | Discontinued all product sales |
Area served | United States |
Key people | Joey DeFrancesco (part-owner) |
| Products | Electric organs (Hammond organ clones) |
Diversi Musical Products, Inc was a producer of electric organs, focusing primarily on creating clones of Hammond organs. The company gained notable recognition when renowned jazz organists "Papa" John and Joey DeFrancesco transitioned from Hammond instruments to Diversi models.
History
Diversi was established by Tom Tuson, formerly the Northeast Regional Sales Representative for Hammond-Suzuki, alongside Dave Amels from Voce. Their development of the Diversi DV utilized physical modeling technology instead of relying on sampled sounds. The DV was highly praised for its authentic tonal quality; Don Bosco remarked that it replicated the experience of a vintage Hammond organ "exactly as it would have sounded when new."
The brand’s visibility increased considerably after Joey DeFrancesco, a prominent figure in jazz organ performance, publicly endorsed Diversi and became a part-owner. His 2008 release, Joey D!, was recorded exclusively on a Diversi organ and received acclaim for its rich and resonant sound. Similarly, Papa John DeFrancesco recorded the album Big Shot using Diversi instruments.
Tom Tuson marketed Diversi as providing a more cost-effective drawbar organ option with advanced sound technology surpassing that of Hammond Suzuki's "New B3." This included an integrated Leslie speaker simulator, which he regarded as highly effective.
Since 2003, Diversi sponsored the Bobby Jones Gospel program on the B.E.T. Network by supplying musical equipment.
After the passing of Joey DeFrancesco in 2022 and John DeFrancesco in 2024, Diversi announced in 2024 that it would discontinue all product sales.
References
- Books