May 19, 2022 I Acquisition
Korg USA Acquires Majority Interest in Darkglass
From left: Korg USA's Diana Cecchini, Darkglass's Marcos Barilatti, Korg USA's Joe Castronovo, Darkglass's Douglas Castro and Korg USA's Brian Piccolo.
Korg USA has acquired a majority interest in Darkglass Electronics, a Helsinki, Finland-based manufacturer of handmade bass guitar equipment. Korg USA has served as the U.S. and Canadian distributor for Darkglass products since late 2019, and the acquisition furthers the company’s long-term strategy of growing its portfolio of brands in the bass market. In recent years, Korg USA has purchased Spector Bass and Aguilar Amplification. The announcement was made by Korg USA President Joe Castronovo.
“This acquisition is aligned with our strategy to position Korg USA as a leader in the bass gear category,” Castronovo said. “We have developed a deep admiration for the brand’s cutting-edge reputation of being innovative and player-centric. Korg USA is proud to invest in the future of Darkglass, and we are excited to share their products with the music community, alongside our other respected brands.”
Marcos Barilatti, Darkglass’s managing director, will remain in his current position, overseeing the day-to-day operations and manufacturing at the Darkglass headquarters in Helsinki. Since CEO Douglas Castro founded Darkglass in 2009, the company has built a reputation as one of the fastest-growing bass brands.
“As a bassist, I started Darkglass to engineer the products I always dreamed of having. Shortly after, the dream grew to become a top player in the bass segment,” Castro said. “Having worked with Korg USA for many years and seeing first-hand their incredible work empowering the brands that have joined their group, I do not doubt that they will help fulfill all of these ambitions and beyond. As a former owner and now future user, I’m incredibly excited to see the next chapter in the Darkglass story. I’m sure that the best is yet to come.”
