History & Overview

In 1996, Dark Horse Percussion was born over some good laughs and food at Sunnyfields Bar and Grill in Linden, New Jersey and a starting cash contribution from beloved friend, Sean Holton. Our first drums bore the signature name "Cartinella Custom Percussion" and were predominately fabricated for local area drummers out of a residential basement by father and son duo Louis and Anthony Cartinella. With limited funding and operational space, our efforts concentrated on retail sales of marching band and concert percussion products from notable drum companies such as Pearl, Zildjian, Vic Firth, DW, and OCDP. It wasn't long before that changed.

As word spread about our affordable top-notch custom crafted drums, demand grew. Focus of our operations shifted to custom drum products, enabling us to position Dark Horse Percussion as a full-fledged custom drum company. By 2005, Dark Horse Percussion had outgrown the basement makeshift facility and upgraded to a studio in Union, New Jersey. This was followed by another move to a boutique shop in Westfield, New Jersey in 2008 and, most recently, to our new full facility in Kenilworth, New Jersey. With each move, Dark Horse Percussion grew its staff and strived to ramp up quality and processes in response to increased demand and better and better market position.

Years of development, honing the craft, top-notch customer service, competitive pricing, and artist growth have put Dark Horse Percussion in the forefront of the custom drum market today. Over 150 endorsed artists now reside on our every-growing international roster. Coupling the roster with the continuous feedback we receive from players, sound engineers, drum techs, managers, and enthusiasts confirms the integrity of our products and demonstrates that Dark Horse Percussion has firmly positioned itself as a heavyweight in the percussion craft.

"Dark Horse Percussion is committed to each and every drum we build and the sound it produces. It's so much more than just our quality, durability, and uniqueness. We are driven by perfection to produce exactly what our costumers desire to help them reach their full potential as artists." -- Anthony L. Cartinella, Owner / Builder

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