John Packer Musical Instruments Welcomes Renowned Smith-Watkins Brand to Growing Stable
John Packer Musical Instruments, one of the UK’s largest specialist brass and woodwind retailers and manufacturers, has announced the acquisition of Richard Smith Musical Instruments – the company behind the famous Smith-Watkins brand.
The news sees Smith-Watkins, renowned for its cornets and trumpets which are performed all over the world, become part of the family which includes treasured names such as JP Musical Instruments, Rath Trombones, Taylor Trumpets, Sterling Musical Instruments, and Rudall Carte Woodwinds.
Smith-Watkins instruments will continue to be manufactured at their facility near York. Alongside Rath Trombones in Yorkshire and Taylor Trumpets in Norfolk, the acquisition further strengthens UK brass instrument manufacturing.
Richard Smith Musical Instruments has a global reputation for producing world-class brass instruments hand-made in the UK, and performed in diverse settings from jazz and chamber music to big band, orchestra and studio recordings.
Smith-Watkins instruments can be found in many of the world’s leading military bands in the UK and beyond, including bands belonging of the British Army, Royal Marines and Royal Air Force.
Smith-Watkins fanfare trumpets have been seen in spectacular form at a variety of prominent public occasions, including heralding the beginning and end of the Grand National (the world famous horse race held annually in Britain), the wedding of the Prince and Princess of Wales in 2011, ceremonies to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012, the opening of the London 2012 Olympics and the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018.
The acquisition is the latest chapter in a longstanding relationship between JP Musical Instruments and Richard Smith Musical Instruments stretching back to 2008, when the companies first embarked on a collaboration to create the JP Smith-Watkins range of trumpets and cornets, resulting in an extremely popular line of instruments that combined cutting edge instrument design with economic attainability.
Commenting on the acquisition, Rob Hanson, managing director of John Packer Musical Instruments, said: “It’s a huge honour to welcome the Smith-Watkins brand to the John Packer Musical Instruments family.
“With his groundbreaking acoustic research, Dr Richard Smith was a pioneer and the result has been outstanding musical instruments which light up concert halls, recording sessions and military parades all over the world.
“These beautiful instruments will continue to be handcrafted in the UK, helping strengthen the future of UK brass manufacturing, and ensuring musicians all over the world can enjoy playing Smith-Watkins for generations to come.”
Dr Smith wrote a doctoral thesis on trumpet acoustics before joining Boosey and Hawkes, where he worked for 12 years as chief designer and technical manager responsible for the world famous Besson brass range.
This included the original trumpets used by Derek Watkins (906) and John Wallace (907), trombones for Roy Williams and Don Lusher (937), and the cornets used by most brass and military bands (Sovereign/Besson 928).
Dr Smith’s research work into the acoustics, testing and development of brass instruments has been widely publicised in the scientific literature and on TV and radio, and he has travelled in Europe, the United States and Japan, testing instruments with top professional symphonic and session players, and presenting papers at international conferences on acoustics and instrument design.
In 2000, his cornet ‘The Soloist’ was awarded Millennium Product Status by the U.K. Design Council, recognising its enduring place among the best of British design, creativity and innovation, as “a brass cornet with a unique system of interchangeable leadpipes, providing several instruments in one body that match changing playing conditions and genres”.
Dr Richard Smith, founder of Richard Smith Musical Instruments, said: “Seeing Smith-Watkins instruments performed on the world stage has been an honour, and it gives me great pleasure knowing they are the choice of many of the world’s leading trumpet players.
“I have known Rob Hanson for many years, and with his drive, passion and inimitable business acumen, I know he will help ensure the company can thrive and continue to reach new audiences all over the world.”
John Packer Musical Instruments has won the King’s Award for Enterprise in the International Trade category on two occasions; firstly in 2018 (then known as the Queen’s Award) and more recently, in May 2025, recognising the outstanding international growth of the flourishing business.
More information on John Packer Musical Instruments is at: https://jpmusicalinstruments.com
More information on Smith-Watkins is at: https://smithwatkins.com
About JP Musical Instruments
UK-based John Packer Musical Instruments has grown to become a manufacturer, distributor and retailer of the world’s finest brass and woodwind instruments, distributed worldwide via its global network of dealers.
John Packer Musical Instruments has its head office in Somerset and celebrated its 50th anniversary year in 2024 with a series of milestones. The company announced the acquisitions of Rath Trombones in Yorkshire and Taylor Trumpets in Norfolk, ensuring sustained UK manufacturing of high-end, hand-crafted musical instruments played the world over.
Also in 2024, John Packer Musical Instruments won a prestigious Best in Show award at the NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) Show in Anaheim, California.
Further expansion for JP Musical Instruments came with the purchase of historic brands in Sterling Musical Instruments, and the Rudall Carte woodwind range. Strengthening and building on the legacy of those treasured UK brands will see Sterling and Rudall Carte continue to reach new generations of brass and woodwind players all over the world.
The company has won the King’s Award for Enterprise in the International Trade category on two occasions; firstly in 2018 (then known as the Queen’s Award) and more recently, in May 2025, recognising the outstanding international growth of the flourishing business.
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Source: musicinstrumentnews.co.uk
