page_title: Farfisa
section_title: Production
hierarchical_section_title: Farfisa / History / Production
caption_attribution_description: Farfisa is a brand name for a series of electronic organs and later multitimbral keyboards, made in Ancona in the Marche region of Italy. The organs were marketed for years in the United States by the Chicago Musical Instrument Company. With several compact, easily-portable, and inexpensive models available, and their distinctive "cheesy" sound, Farfisa organs became popular among rock bands and other combos during the 1960s. Many listeners first heard a Farfisa on 1966's "Talk Talk" by Sean Bonniwell and The Music Machine. The instrument was integral to the sound of Pink Floyd's early albums, from The Piper at the Gates of Dawn through Dark Side of the Moon. Clint Boon of Madchester band Inspiral Carpets was also famous for using a Farfisa, giving the band its signature sound. (Though often claimed as Farfisa pioneers,&#160;? and the Mysterians actually used a Vox organ on "96 Tears", their best-known work.) Rod Argent of The Zombies was pictured using a Farfisa on stage during the band's later years (although it seems the Farfisa never made it onto any Zombies recordings). John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin used a Farfisa on Dancing Days from Houses of the Holy, as well as occasionally using a VIP-255 or a professional model onstage. With the advent of synthesizers, organs such as the classic Farfisa seemed to be headed for obsolescence, but time proved otherwise. In the late 1970s, with older models going cheap, numerous punk rock and New Wave bands, such as Blondie, The B-52s, Suicide, and the Talking Heads embraced Farfisas as substitutes for more sophisticated keyboards. Their classic sound, in turn, became a staple on multitimbral instruments, first synthesized, then sampled from the originals. The Farfisa sound is today used to impart a stereotypically kitschy, 1960s-retro essence to music, and has appeared recently on albums by artists such as Electrelane, Green Day, The Blood Brothers, Smash Mouth, Stereolab, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The American Analog Set, Cadallaca, Tom Waits,Yo La Tengo and Neptune Towers. The Farfisa brand name, meanwhile, continues to appear on contemporary MIDI keyboards. -wikipedia-
context_page_description: Farfisa is a manufacturer of electronics based in Osimo, Italy. The Farfisa brand name is commonly associated with a series of compact electronic organs and later, a series of multi-timbral synthesizers. Today, the Farfisa brand mainly produces intercom systems with the company ACI Farfisa which makes and distributes systems for video intercoms, access control, video surveillance, and home automation. The Bontempi group owns the keyboard division Farfisa brand name.
  At the height of its production, Farfisa operated three factories to produce instruments in Camerano in the Marche region of Italy. Farfisa also made radios, televisions, and other electronic items. The Farfisa brand name is an acronym for "FAbbriche Riunite di FISArmoniche", which translates to "united factories of accordions".
context_section_description: Farfisa began manufacturing electric organs in 1964. Distribution in the U.S. was handled by the Chicago Musical Instrument Company, which also owned Gibson, and the instruments were originally known as CMI organs when introduced there. Unlike combo organs such as the Vox Continental, Farfisa organs have integrated legs, which can be folded up and stored inside its base. The first models produced were the Compact series of organs between 1964 and 1968. The line of FAST (Farfisa All-Silicon Transistorized) organs was launched at the 1968 NAMM show, and production of the Professional series appeared around the same time. Production of combo organs ended in the late 1970s after synthesizers had become more commonplace.
caption: Farfisa made in Ancona, Italy
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