The Schulmerich Legacy
Eighty years ago, a young electrical engineer named George J. Schulmerich revolutionized the art of bell making. Schulmerich invented the “electro-mechanical” carillon when he discovered that tiny rods of cast bronze struck with miniature hammers produced audible and pure bell tones that could be amplified electronically to produce a rich, sonorous tone. He called his invention carillonic bells. The carillon can be played manually from an organ-like console or can be programmed to play automatically.
Schulmerich Early Innovations and Patents
Over the years, Schulmerich has earned a reputation not only for outstanding craftsmanship and quality, but for product innovation. The company’s history is marked by a number of firsts. George Schulmerich was the first to conceive of electronically amplifying bells, and the first to develop the electro-mechanical carillon. Today, Schulmerich’s state-of-the-art electronic carillons are recognized as the first digital bell music in the industry.
A Pioneer of Beautiful Bell Sounds
Schulmerich electronic carillons are widely known to have the most realistic bell sounds of any manufacturer in the world. Schulmerich pioneered the field of electro-mechanical bells and carillons, providing the rich tones of cast bells, but at a fraction of the cost and weight. Schulmerich carillon bell sounds are actually truer tonally than cast bells —because modern techniques make it possible to hold each bell to much closer tolerance in tuning.
Part of The Verdin Family
In 2014, Schulmerich Carillons was acquired by The Verdin Company™. Since 1842, six generations of the Verdin family have been dedicated to creating fine cast bronze bells, carillons, digital bells, tower clocks, street clocks, organs, and streetscape furnishings that enrich communities and become cherished legacies to enjoy.
For more information on The Verdin Company, click here.