In 1926 the Liberty Rawhide Company of Chicago combined with two Massachusetts companies - banjo and drum makers Nokes & Nicolai of Boston and Joseph Pacheco of Malden, a maker of stringed instruments - to form the Liberty Musical Instrument Company. Pacheco remained with the new company, manufacturing instruments . The new venture, which was located at 1431-35 West Austin Avenue in Chicago, was not a success, and in August, 1927 the company's assets were purchased by Slingerland.