Jean C. Verdier, French turntable pioneer, passed away earlier this week.
Verdier was born in 1938. He started to manufacture turntables in 1963, during his time with the French company ERA. In 1972, Jean Verdier created his own company called (perhaps unsurprisingly) “J.C.Verdier”, and by the end of the 1970s, he pioneered a concept of using magnetic repulsion in the bearing. The result was the Platine Verdier turntable, which has been in continuous production for the past 35 years, is still manufactured today with few changes from the original design, and has sold more than 2,000 worldwide.
A smaller, and a larger, turntable completed the vinyl reply line. In the 1980s, J.C. Verdier turned his attention to amplification, producing a small but popular range of valve electronics, which is again still made (with little significant change) to this day.
Jean Verdier retired from active work more than five years ago, and the brand continues as a family interest. Verdier’s wife has managed the company’s finances since the foundation of the company 42 years ago, and in retiring, Verdier handed the technical reins of the brand over to his son, Eric. The company has a loyal following among owners and staff alike, and many have remained with the brand for a very long time. Jean Verdier’s legacy means the “J.C.Verdier” brand will continue to reflect the quality and “philosophy” of the products he instilled in the company from the outset.
J.C. Verdier’s UK distributor Jack Durant of BD Audio said, “I for one will be playing some records on my ‘Platine’ and I would ask if you have the time to play a track or two on whichever turntable you own in memory of this wonderful pioneer in the world of analogue reproduction.”
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By Alan Sircom
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