Trade Regrets: Herb Brochstein
Pro-Mark founder Herb Brochstein passed away on Wednesday of this week. In addition to launching the Houston-based Pro-Mark drumstick company in 1957, throughout his long career Brochstein was an accomplished drummer who recorded, performed, taught, and also at one point owned a drum shop.
On the Pro-Mark website, in a segment called “The Pro Behind Pro-Mark,” Brochstein described what inspired him to create his own line of sticks: “I had bought six pairs of Japanese-made drumsticks from a passing salesman. I didn’t remember who sold them to me, and I didn’t know what kind of wood they were made from. All I knew was that they were much better quality than domestic sticks.” With the help of Tat Kosaka, Brochstein sought out the Japanese factory that had produced the sticks, and soon afterwards Pro-Mark was born.
To see a clip from Herb Brochstein’s NAMM Oral History interview, click here.
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