The wood-hoop kit I received consisted of a 22" x 20" kick, 12" x 8" and 13" x 9" toms, 14" x 14" and 15" x 15" floor toms, a 14" x 6.5" snare as well as an additional 12" x 8" snare, and a full set of hardware.

The finish is a black to natural burst that reveals the beautiful grain striations of the wood. The hoops have a matching black finish and the entire kit has a smooth high-gloss lacquer. All the hardware on the shell (lugs, claws, suspension bands) has a black chrome finish, which next to the wood creates a very attractive and expensive-looking finish. The shell interiors are also finished in a black sealer (paint), which I don’t normally like since I usually prefer to see the interior ply, but it does look great and enhances the overall aesthetic effect of the kit.

CONSTRUCTION

The drums have 10-ply birch shells with 4-ply maple reinforcing rings. Like Taye’s maple drums, these 14-ply wood hoops are made of sugar maple, which is a harder variety of the wood prized for drum making. Speaking of the hoops, these are rectangular bass drum–style hoops, not the clawless, squarer style found on, for instance, Tama and Yamaha drums, where the tension screws pass through the hoop.

With Taye’s flatter-style hoop, the lugs sit on slightly thicker gaskets a little further off the shell so the claws can come around and pull down from the top of the hoop. Fortunately, these are low-rise hoops and come only about a half-inch above the head. This is similar to a metal hoop, so you won’t have to lower or tilt your drums any differently than you otherwise would, or position them further apart from one another as that other design requires. However, with this design you may occasionally hit the claw and will probably want to aim between them for your rim-clicks.

Aesthetically, this style hoop has a more classic, traditional look than squarer wood hoops do. All the shell hardware, lugs, leg brackets, and even strainer and butt plate have shell-protecting gaskets. However, none of the drum claws use them between the claw and hoop, creating unfortunate metal-on-wood contact.

THE BASS DRUM

The 22" x 20" bass drum has rock written all over it. It’s a deep, impressive-looking drum that isn’t exactly, um, versatile. If you play a variety of venues like arenas (need a sub?) and coffee houses (sorry, I’m already booked), you may want to use a smaller drum for your quieter gigs.

The kick came fitted with a clear Taye Dynaton batter head that has a muffling ring around it’s perimeter and a similar solid white logo head. It’s loud, deep, and provides a defined sound with enough low end to get the job done. For a meatier sound, a thicker head should do the trick. With the supplied heads the drum didn’t require additional muffling, though I often like to port my bass drumheads to make the soundman’s job easier.

The toms have to be hung from cymbal stands or a rack since the bass drum shell is virgin (without tom-mounting hardware), just as I’d expect in a custom kit of this quality. Taye doesn’t use foldout bass drum spurs in its high-end kits since the company feels they rob the bass drum of resonance compared to its preferred style of springier, sculpted L-arms. The drum doesn’t include a hoop protector, which seems like an oversight on a kit this nice.

THE TOMS

The rack and floor toms use suspension-mounting bands for hanging, allowing them to resonate fully. The floor toms don’t use a suspension system, but that’s fine in my book since floor toms rarely benefit from them. In fact, all the toms had the right amount of sustain. Peering through the clear tom heads supplied, the shells appear very thick due to the combination of hoops and reinforcing rings. The suspension bands and hoops require the toms be a little further apart than some other designs, but unless you use a really large kit it’s probably not an issue.

The 1" difference in tom diameter made it easy to find each drum’s natural pitch, which on each one tended toward loud, bright, and very cutting. Some toms have more thud than pitch and seem designed for you to pound out muddy jungle grooves, but this kit’s clearer pitches helped me discover several melodic tom grooves that I’ll use again. These toms had just enough low end and would be easy for soundmen to work with. Switching to two-ply heads would dial down the brightness and bring out a little more bass for heavier music. For most rock, this combination would work really well. If Taye ever makes a jazz version of this kit, I’d love to check out one with thin maple shells and no reinforcing rings.

THE SNARES

As mentioned, this kit came with two snare drums: a primary and an auxiliary model. The primary was a 14" x 6.5" with ten lugs/claws per head. As mentioned, since the claws sit on top of the hoops you may prefer to aim away from them when doing rim-clicks since you’ll get a better sound striking the hoop. I didn’t notice any hoop wear during the course of the review, although since the hoops are black they’d be easy to touch up.

The drum was lively and had some extra ring during rimshots. I prefer snare drums to be more lively than dead since it’s easy to muffle a drum (add Moon Gel, tape, or change to a thicker head), but little you can do to liven up a dead drum. The combination of hoops, shell material, and shell thickness resulted in a very sensitive drum that responded to light or heavy playing with crisp snare response and the brightness that birch is known for. I loved playing this snare. I tried slamming rock backbeats, played marches, and threw some jazz and Latin grooves at it, and this baby handled it all with ease, and was a blast to play. This snare held a seductive power over me, and I tended to lose track of time whenever I played it. What better way to increase your practice time?

The 12" x 8" auxiliary snare was equally nice. This drum has six offset lugs/claws per head. It has a suspension mount like the rack toms, to hang it from a cymbal stand or off a rack. Despite having just six lugs, though, the drum was easy to tune high, had lots of tone, and sounded every bit as good as the larger drum. For some styles, I actually preferred it as the primary over the 14" snare.

The 12" drum had lots of woody tone and would be great for reggae, pop, or any other time you want a high-pitched snare that doesn’t sound like a choked, small, or inferior snare drum. It could also work as your primary snare since despite its small size I was still able to easily coax out good rim-clicks. Cranking the wires made the drum extra sensitive and crisp for busier playing, but like the larger snare it had plenty of ring that some might want to tame. I was surprised that the strainer and butt on each snare had a natural chrome finish rather than the black chrome used for the lugs.

Fortunately, I’m not in the market and won’t have to make the difficult choice of which one to buy. But since they complement each other so well my financially reckless advice would be to buy both!

VERDICT

This kit is unique, beautiful, sounds great, and has two killer snare drums guaranteed to make you popular at any gig. So far so good. In fact, the only thing I didn’t like about the kit was the price. It’s just too rich for my bank account. Though if you’re lucky, not yours.

DETAILS

SHELLS 10-ply birch with 4-ply maple reinforcing rings and 14-ply maple hoops.

CONFIGURATION 12" x 8" and 13" x 9" toms, 14" x 14" and 15" x 15" floor toms, a 22" x 20" bass drum, and 14" x 6.5" and 12" x 8" snare drums.

FINISH Black to Natural Burst with matching black hoops; dozens of other custom finishes available.

FEATURES Wood hoops; black chrome hardware; black shell sealer on shell interior; die-cast grommets for the air-vent holes; a variety of sizes and finishes; unique shell reinforcing ring combination.

LIST PRICE Kit with hardware $16,700.

CONTACT

Taye Drums

tayedrums.com

Gretsch Unveils Its Very First Beech Kit

By Andy Doerschuk Published August 26, 2010

I hope you’re sitting down. For the first time in its 126-year history, Gretsch is offering a drum kit featuring shells made of 100 percent beech wood. This first-of-its-kind Renown Purewood Beech 6-piece kit features 7-ply beech shells, 30-degree bearing edges, die cast hoops, and triple chrome-plated hardware fittings. To retain the natural beauty of the beech, the kit is finished in a medium/dark cherry stain sealed by the standard Renown gloss lacquer finish — including the matching bass drum hoops. The configuration includes a 22" x 18" bass drum, 10" x 8" and 12" x 9" toms, 14" x 14" and 16" x 16" floor toms, and a 14" x 6.5" 10-lug snare. It’s pure yumminess at a retail price of $3,690.

Wrap Your Drums In Actual Gold Flakes

By Andy Doerschuk Published August 24, 2010

If you love your drums — and we mean really love ’em — give them the gift of gold. No, we’re not talking about an engagement ring, for heaven’s sake! We mean a new sparkle wrap finish made of 100 percent real gold flakes, which you can currently procure only from Real Gold Inc., a purveyor of all things that could possibly include gold flake (including fingernail glitter — just sayin’). This 30mil (720 micron) polycarbonate laminate is easy to cut and apply, is delivered in 24" x 54" and 24" x 78" sheets, and is available in an assortment of vibrant colors. So go for the gold!

Zildjian ZBT And ZHT Cymbals

A TREASURE CHEST OF BUDGET BRONZE

By John Nyman
Originally published in DRUM! Magazine’s January 2009 Issue

Just in time for all you jammers (aka pre-professionals), here’s a mixed collection of recent new releases, not a boxed set, from Zildjian, some of which you’re sure to treasure.

For professional drummers, the definition of “treasure” includes a perfect cymbal. A pro drummer will play hundreds of cymbals, searching for “the one.” The pro treasure hunter seeks specific, aggravatingly precise details in the sound of cymbals. Fortunately, I recently worked with an amateur treasure hunter, and it changed my outlook. Now I see that amateurs seek a different sort of treasure.

My amateur buddy Victor broadened my view. He asked me to piece a kit together for him so he could pound out some beats in his garage. Full disclosure: He’s actually a guitar player and doesn’t know drums from accordions. It was easy enough to make him a kit from spares and leftovers. Except for the cymbals, because I started looking for professional cymbals. I told him to wait, and that someday I would find him a good cymbal, maybe a used vintage ride, or a classic pair of hi-hats to replace the student hi-hats I’d found for him. The student hats were all I’d found for him so far.

“Dude,” he told me, “stop telling me all about cymbals. I don’t care. I’ve got a hundred bucks in my Paypal account. I just need a cymbal. I want to play some drums in my garage. Point me at it and I’ll click on ‘pay now.’”

I saw the light. Treasure is relative. He didn’t want to become a cymbal connoisseur. He just wanted to jam! So for Victor and all you other jammers out there, here’s what we’ve dug up.

ZBT 20" CRASH/RIDE
Zildjian’s ZBT line is one of three lines — ZHT, ZBT, ZXT — aimed at the student and/or budget buyer. ZBT is a “sheet” cymbal line, which means the cymbals are punched out of a large sheet of alloy, cookie-fashion. This is common in budget cymbals. And as with cookies, this is not necessarily a bad thing.

The ZBT 20" crash/ride would have been perfect Victor. This ride, with its evenly hammered, widely lathed surface, has a well-defined ping. The low wash under the ping is full, but not harsh. There’s a high-pitched wash too that I found to be a tiny bit shrill. However, that bit of low-budget whistle went away when I was under the headphones, jamming along to iTunes. The bell of the ZBT 20" crash/ride gives off a great rock sound — very distinct, loud, and clear. I also experimented with a small piece of gaffer’s tape, which I successfully stuck under the cymbal for a bit of fine-tuning. Your mileage may vary.

For a budget ride, I give this one both thumbs up and a couple of toes up too.

As a crash, this puppy is more limited. It does a passing job of the old-school shoulder-spank. That is, you flick your wrist and hit the face (not the edge) of the cymbal with the shoulder of your stick. In jazzier ensemble playing (such as you may be doing in school), this is a great technique, and this cymbal handles it just fine. It also handles blunt force trauma, where you take that 5B and grandly fillet of the edge of the cymbal. The cymbals answers this stroke with a large, low, slightly slow explosion of shimmer. Not bad at all.

So, you could take this cymbal to school, play it in stage band, and then take it to your friend’s house afterward and play Slipknot songs. What it doesn’t do well is crash in the lighter, middle volumes. But we don’t expect a 20" cymbal to do that very well anyway. Overall, this is a great student ride that can be crashed, and should cost about a hundred bucks “street price.”

ZBT 16" CHINA
I was having so much fun playing along to Black Sabbath in headphones testing out these new Zildjians. I was so positive about the ZBT 20" crash/ride I thought about maybe putting on a Zildjian hat or something. But then … then I put the ZBT 16" China up on the cymbal stand. Umm … it looks cool. It’s shiny, with concentric hammering on the inside, and a very rounded transition from bow to edge. But it fell short of the fantastic bargain example set by the crash/ride.

To my ears, it had an attack that was nicely hard and metallic, but too short. The decay, what little there was, lacked any of the spreading sonic gravel that should follow the Oriental bark of a good Chinese cymbal. This just went “dong” on one side. I turned it over, got a “whoosh,” but not a very good one — still too short. With headphones on I rocked out on it a while, but it didn’t grow on me. Did I mention that I gave the Zildjian ZBT 20" crash/ride two thumbs up?

I’m moving on now, and looking over my shoulder for irritated manufacturers. Hey, I’ve got to look out for my readers, you know? Both of you. I’m here for ya. Do you need a budget splash? You’ve come to the right place. Here’s three.

ZBT 12" SPLASH

12" is the large end of the spectrum for splash cymbals, and the ZBT 12" splash is, to my ears, more of a “small crash” than a splash. Why? Because it’s a bit heavy sounding, where most splashes give just a slip of a note. A good splash cymbal should fit the drum-tag after a joke’s punchline: ba-da-pssh. The ZBT 12" is a bit more than you need for that. But, as a small crash, it works pretty well. I played it in the bedroom for a while, and it was a ton of fun. My headphones mitigated the slight boxiness of its tone, and it wasn’t so loud that I refrained from really smacking it. If one of these turns up in your pile of birthday presents, don’t send it back!

ZHT 8" & 10" CHINA SPLASH

I believe Zildjian calls these two China splashes because of their sharply angular bells and the straight line of their bow in profile. They look very much like bronze miniatures of coolie hats from Southeast Asia. How do they sound? The 10" ZHT China splash sounds great. It speaks quickly, and whatever harshness you’d expect to find from a budget alloy is sweetly camouflaged by the Oriental kah sound. The sandy attack is mixed well with a sweet, quick decay, making helping it earn the China in its name.

The 8" ZHT China splash is more like a chime or bell sound mixed with a short splash body. Both are definitely “effects” cymbals. So if you’re looking for a regular splash cymbal, keep looking. But if you’re looking for inexpensive fun sounds to add to your kit, stop and give a listen. There’s cheap fun here.

VERDICT
I am able to give a wholehearted endorsement to the Zildjian ZBT 20" crash/ride as an excellent student or amateur cymbal. It is 100-percent good bang for the roughly 100 bucks. The 8", 10", and 12" splashes, both ZBT and ZHT, are worth a listen. But the 16" ZBT China didn’t send me anywhere.

DETAILS

MODELS & SIZES PRICE
ZBT 20" Crash/Ride $188
ZBT 16" China $132
ZBT 12" Splash $90
ZHT 8" China Splash $101
ZHT 10" China Splash $121

FEATURES Budget prices make the whole selection good for students and bedroom bashers; 20" crash/ride has both a clear ping and decent crash performance; China is loud; 12" splash is full-voiced; 8" and 10" China splashes are full of quirky and fun sounds.

CONTACT
Avedis Zildjian Company
781-871-2200
Zildjian.com

Inked By Evans Bass Heads Go Retro With New Crests

By Andy Doerschuk Published August 23, 2010

Coincidence or conspiracy? One the trends we noticed at NAMM — the big music trade show that overtakes Anaheim every January — was the sudden emergence of high-resolution graphics emblazoned on front bass drumheads. More than one company jumped into the fray, including Evans with its “Inked By Evans” program, which offered a wide variety of edgy designs like fabrics, textures, and nature photos. But now the company has reversed course with the introduction of various retro crest designs that will quickly convert your kit into something a Rich or Krupa would adore. Better yet — these babies are customizable. Check them out right here.

Dale Selch’s JM Smith Kit In A Yummy Rootbeer Finish

By Chris Williams Published June 17, 2010

Here’s one for all you custom drum fans out there. This high-gloss kit is one of Dale Selch’s newest acquisitions. As far as we’re concerned, it was definitely a great investment. Dale gives us the details himself of his prized acquisition.

I’m mostly a smooth jazz player, but I also play some alt. country and Southern style rock. The kit I use for all my styles is my custom set built by JM Smith Drum Co. of West Richland, Washington. It is constructed of Keller maple shells wrapped in a curly maple veneer. They used all DW lugs and hardware, and the finish is a classic DW-style Rootbeer fade. It's finished in eight coats of nitrocellulose clear lacquer, with two hand-rubbed final coats. It's really deep, clear, and beautiful.

Here is the configuration:

Drums:

• 22" x 18" Bass Drum
• 12" x 8" Tom
• 16" x 16" Floor Tom
• 13" x 5" Snare

Heads

• Remo heads, Emperor Tops with Black med. resonant bottoms.
• Powerstroke 3 Bass Batter

Cymbals

• 14" Sabian El Sabor Crash
• 16" Zildjian K Medium Dark Crash
• 20" Zildjian Medium Ride
• 6" Zildjian Thin Splash
• 14" New Beat Hi-Hats
• 2" Zildjian Bell

The pedals are vintage Ghost model (’70s gray) and rebuilt ’60s Speed King

All the hardware is Tama and Gibralter. Sticks are Pro-Mark hickory 5A

Roland TD-20SX

E-DRUMMING GOES PRO

By Jake Wood Published June 2010

“What do you feed it?”

“You got a permit to drive that thing?”

“Did I see that on Iron Chef last week?”

“H.A.L.?”

These queries and many more are the typical initial reactions to Roland’s revamped electronic drum kit, the TD-20SX, but don’t be fooled by the colorful confusion of the n00b (sic), because all skepticism is quickly swept away when the bellwether of electronic drum kits is in action, both from the drummer and listener’s perspective.

IF LOOKS COULD KILL

The fine folks at Roland started their redesign with the visual presentation of their sleek new jungle gym, turning what is typically anemic-looking joke fodder for guitarists into an intimidating hot mess of metal and rubber (sans zipper mask). The real eye catchers, however, are the slick brushed-metal shell wraps (which also come in blue and red to match every drummer’s shoe wear), and they can be changed out as easily as swapping a drumhead.

An additional visual upgrade is the size of the kick pad. At 14" in diameter and 20" tall, the KD-140’s size serves two purposes: it’s visually menacing and it’s an anchor. Of course, visual presentation means little when compared to playability, and this kick plays great. The pad moves so little (unlike smaller kick triggers you have to endlessly chase across the stage) it deserves its own mailing address. Its sheer mass is what keeps it planted, and it’s mass that affects the rebound to a point where the feel is strikingly similar to an acoustic kick.

EVERY INCH COUNTS

Taking the “bigger is better” cue from the V-kick, the whole set comes outfitted with refreshingly large pads. The PD-125XS snare is 12" in diameter (designed to sit in a snare basket for maximum maneuverability), as are the two PD-125X floor toms. These extra inches go a long way in the percussion world, as the larger diameters eliminate the stress for drummers of calibrating crosshairs for tiny targets. Another benefit to the dilation is that it puts the rim closer to the hand for more authentic-feeling rimshots.

The most exciting aspect of the snare pad, however, is its geographic sensitivity: Hit the center and it sounds louder and more controlled. Hit it off to the side and it sings with harmonic resonance. The silent mesh heads that have shouldered much of the V-drum’s success have the same “tenability” attributes as real drumheads in that to change the tension, simply tighten or loosen the tension rods. This changes the feel only. Actual pitch tuning is done via the brain.

SWINGING SILVER

Now shipping with a shiny “impress your friends” silver finish that reflects stage lights, the V-cymbal series offers a complete range of expressions. The CY-15R-SV ride, for instance, has a triggering triumvirate that employs the edge, bow, and bell tones of a standard ride cymbal. While it’s really a treat getting to play a V-cymbal that has the three basic tones (the 15" diameter is also a nice touch), the bell could stand to be a tad more pronounced, as it’s a little on the shallow side.

Almost identical to the ride except for being slightly smaller, the CY-14C-SV V-crashes do everything a drummer could ever want in a virtual cymbal: they trigger tones flawlessly, they’re almost entirely silent, and they have the sort of give that beckons for more punishing in the “thank you, sir, may I have another” kind of way. The VH-12-SV hi-hat, which sits on any typical hi-hat stand (not supplied), has the awesome little bonus of hi-hat splashing with the foot, which is particularly great for jazz and solos. Its only drawback is the difficulty of programming just the right balance of pedal sensitivity.

CAGE FIGHT

V-drums are heavy, and they need a sturdy foundation. Roland’s solution is the new MDS-25 rack, a cage that UFC has been courting since its inception. This rack is the linebacker every quarterback wishes they had, and its mounting system follows the basic principle every drummer relishes: sturdy yet flexible. It’s a professional upgrade from the previous flimsier rack, and its hidden cable management system makes for both a better visual statement and a highly expedited setup procedure. As unaccommodating as racks can sometimes be, with a little extra negotiating this rack has enough maneuverability to position things just right, without compromise, to please any feng shui flamadiddle fanatic.

BRAINS OF THE OPERATION

Along with being an excellent source of drum tones (complete with 100 kits and 920 tones that range from resonant bebop kicks to skull-crushing rock toms to lo-fi hip-hop snares), the TD-20X drum module is also a full drum-production suite. It comes complete with a mixer (individual faders for each drum), cheesy but fun play-along sequences (jazz to prog metal), and effects processors to boot (reverb, delay, flanger, phaser, chorus, pitch shift, distortion, lo-fi, ring mod, and a master compressor). It’s essentially the older TD-20 with the once-optional TDW-20 expansion board upgrade (50 additional kits) installed at the factory.

With the plethora of sounds and the various tweaking abilities, one would think a drummer would be fully satisfied. Almost. A rather disappointing limitation is the inability to download or sample new tones. While there is the ability to expand the library of kits with flash cards from third-party manufacturers, they only create new kits by changing parameters of the original tones. That said, there’s definitely more than enough variety within the factory kits, tones, and manipulations to satisfy any quest for the holy kit. Another limiting frustration is the absence of a USB jack, which would eliminate the need for an audio interface when using drumming soft-synths like BFD2.

Limitations aside, the module is an excellent source of sounds with a smart, easy-to-navigate interface and editing sensitivity parameters such as velocity, retrigger, and crosstalk. It takes very little effort because it’s so intuitive. For drummers looking to use hybrid electro-acoustic kits, the unit also has additional preset settings for acoustic triggers. However, this is an area that requires a lot of crosstalk and retrigger fine-tuning. Perhaps the most powerful and professional aspect of the unit is its output configuration. Unlike 95 percent of all other drum modules, the TD-20X has eight individual direct-channel outputs (not including the stereo outs), thus establishing its given right to be in the recording studio. So instead of being married to a stereo drum track during mixing, these drums can be tracked separately (with the exception of the toms and cymbals, which each have their own stereo channels), and thus treated independently.

VERDICT

The bottom line is that this kit is a lot of fun to play. Not only does it feel rewarding when sinking heavy rimshots, it also produces sounds that inspire. And a source of inspiration is priceless (yours truly let the tape roll and on a whim tracked 15 different kernels of new compositions for Super Adventure Club’s next album). The kit, however, is pricey, not priceless: Weighing in at $6,999.99 list, it is the most expensive electronic kit on the market. That said, it’s debatable as to whether or not electronic kits can actually be improved on anymore. For now, anyway, this is as good as it gets.DETAILS

CONFIGURATION

12" PD-125SX snare pad, two 10" PD-105X tom pads, two 12" PD-125X floor tom pads, one 14" KD-140SV kick pad, two CY-14C-SV cymbal pads, one CY-15R-SV ride cymbal pad, and a VH-12-SV two-piece hi-hat pad

FEATURES

Integrated feature set based on TD-20 and TDW-20; new silver-colored V-cymbals and V-hi-hat; custom covering system with attractive brushed-metal look (interchangeable shell-wraps for V-kick and V-pads); newly designed hardware and sturdy MDS-25 stand; TD-20X module features 100 kits and 262 backing instruments, 15 dual-trigger input, 10 audio and digital outputs, 8 group faders, and a built-in sequencer

LIST PRICE

$6,999.99

CONTACT

Roland

323-890-3700

Integrate An iPod Into Your Kit With Gibraltar’s New Mount

By Andy Doerschuk Published August 18, 2010

At last Friday’s DRUM! Magazine Rhythm Night show in San Jose, both Thomas Pridgen and Marco Minnemann jammed along to tracks burned onto their trusty iPods. It’s the new standard for onstage playback, folks, and it hasn’t escaped the attention of the shrewd designers at Gibraltar who introduced the new iPod/MP3 Stand Mount.

The mount’s heavy-duty nylon clamp fits stand tube diameters from 5/8" to 1-5/8", ideal for placement on cymbal and hi-hat stands, thrones, and even some L-rods. The mount also features a 9" gooseneck and is fully padded with adjustable clamping arms that accommodate most sizes and styles of iPods or MP3 players. Simply adjust the mount to any position and lock into place — protection is guaranteed by a security tether. And the nifty little widget can be yours for a mere $99.99 (wonder what I will do with that spare 1¢?).

Chris Morris' Mapex Mars

"This set's a 1998 Mapex Mars series that my parents bought for me when I was 16 years old," says drummer Chris Morris. "It has been through many incarnations, but I'm very happy with the current version. It's traveled all over the Southeastern US and has played in many bands. Currently, I'm using this set with my band East North. We're an instrumental Post-Rock band whose song structure relies heavily on the drums. I like huge tone and this drum set sounds huge!"

• 22x18" Kick w/ DW5000 single pedal
• 14x6.5" Pearl Export Pro Stainless Steel Snare w/ DW strainer
(in the photo for studio use is a 14' x 5" 1960's Slingerland Snare - Buddy Rich style)
• 13x12" Rack Tom - suspended
• 16x16" Floor Tom - suspended

• 14" Zildjian A Custom Mastersound Hi-Hats
• 16" Sabian AAX Crash
• 16" Zildjian A Custom Crash
• 20" Zildjian ZBT Ride

Gretsch New Classic Drums In Ocean Sparkle Burst Finish

By Andy Doerschuk Published November 3, 2009

My old (and I do mean old) buddy John Aldridge — former editor of Not So Modern Drummer Magazine, snare drum engraving master craftsman, and current drum tech with REO Speedwagon — has said to me on many occasions: “The drummer with the prettiest drums gets the gig.” Now, I’m not sure I entirely agree with him, but even if his theory carries a small shred of credibility, I expect to see legions of drummers rushing to their local music stores to snap up Gretsch’s New Classic series drum kits in the new Ocean Sparkle Burst lacquer finish. Using Gretsch’s exclusive Mixed Sparkle Technology, this hand-applied finish incorporates a meticulous blend of small, medium, and large sparkles. Shell color goes from deep blue at the top and bottom to a turquoise shade in the middle of the shell, radiating a rich and glittering finish. Yummy!

Meinl Soundcaster Fusion Cymbals

By John Nyman
Originally published om DRUM! Magazine’s October 2009 Issue

Innovation and expansion rule the cymbal world today, and Meinl is no slouch. The new Soundcaster Fusion cymbals are but the latest confirmation. Bold to behold with ear and eye, they have a two-tone look, with the outside portion lathed and hammered and the inner diameter hammered, not lathed at all, and polished to a gleam. Though this is not exactly a new design, it is a good one that works well in Meinl’s hands. The Soundcaster Fusion cymbals are successful within a range that will appeal to many drummers. Here’s how the bash session with them went.

MEET THE FAMILY
The eight new Soundcaster Fusion cymbals include the 20" Medium ride, the 20" Powerful ride, and the jumbo 22" Powerful ride. There are two crashes, 16" and 18". The Soundcaster Fusion China cymbal population stands at one, an 18", and a notable one at that. There are also a pair of 14" hats and a 10" splash to round things out.

These are cast-sheet cymbals, cut from large sheets of alloy and then pressed, hammered, lathed, polished, blessed, kissed for luck, and all the other secret things cymbal manufacturers do. Meinl describes the alloy as B12, meaning 12 percent tin and 88 percent copper, give or take a secret formula item or two. This is Meinl’s twist on the two popular formulas of B8 and B20.

These are clean, bright, focused cymbals, suitable for rock and pop, including the various sub-genres. The clean focus of their tone left me itching to take them on a loud gig, where they could challenge the Marshall stacks.

The two-tone “fusion” look is cool, though there is a reason for it beyond mere aesthetics. As with other cymbals (including other brands) that employ this two-tone effect, the Meinl Soundcaster Fusion cymbals have a solid attack, a pronounced, beefy core of sound, all surrounded by a shimmer of high frequencies.

CRASHING IN
The two Soundcaster Fusion crash cymbals are great. If they are of a price you like, and if you like the generally clean sound of cast-sheet cymbals, I would recommend you put these on your “to-listen” list. But the two-tone design does alter the sound. The cymbals have an emphasis on the middle-high frequencies — the whump factor — and they give less high, shimmer-y spread than “regular” sheet cymbals of fine alloy.

The 18" crash, for example, doesn’t just raise its hand in the air when you hit it. It pokes you in the chest a bit and waves some high-frequency bling in your face. For rock, I think this could be a plus, helping to keep the high volumes from washing out the attack of the cymbal.

The 16" crash, like its larger stable mate, does not give up a full spectrum when struck lightly. But a gentle touch on the 16" does show the lower high frequencies that dominate its spectrum and give it such good muscle when crashed fully. With cymbals, there seems to be a necessary compromise between soft dynamic response and loud dynamic response. I haven’t met a cymbal yet that is wonderful across the entire gamut from soft brushwork to nuclear holocaust. This 16", even more so than the 18", gives good response at levels ranging from geezer rock in the afternoon to late-night metal with your pals.

The Soundcaster Fusion crashes have a cymbal personality that succeeds and fails in different applications. They don’t have the smooth, even frequency spread for jazz or Broadway, for example. But for rock, well — they rock!

RIDING HOME IN THREE DIRECTIONS
Two out of three of the Soundcaster Fusion rides are really cool, and one is cool but bugged my ear. The 20" Medium ride has a surprisingly high-pitched ping. With the sonic mid-range punch of the Soundcaster Fusion crashes being as they are, I expected a low, manly ping. But no, the 20" Medium has a clear, bright ping, medium-full wash, several dominant overtones (as opposed to an even, broad spectrum of overtones), and a great bell. I love this bell. Crisp, bright, and clean, it is a terrific rock bell. It would also be good for Latin tunes. This is a very “medium” ride cymbal, with a clear, high-pitched ping.

The 20" Powerful ride cymbal, heavyweight cousin to the Medium, is really thick and really heavy. You’ll use two hands putting this sucker on the stand. It, too, has a surprisingly high-pitched ping, but it is quite definite and present. This ping will cut through lots of guitar volume. The question is merely whether or not the pitch of the attack appeals to you. And its bell is on par with the 20" Medium’s bell, but even more macho. It’s a solid, slightly anvil- like, crisp bell, and I think it would be great for rock and roll articulations. The Achilles’ heel of this cymbal is the dominant pitch of its wash, which is a constant thrum of a tone. It bugged me. Your mileage may vary.

The enjoyable clarity and strength of the 20" Powerful ride is cranked up a full notch for the 22" Powerful ride. It’s a draft horse of a rock ride, a clear, medium-pitched, round, and full ride that would cut through most any music. And being as it is also very heavy, I think that if you dropped it on your shoe it would cut through the leather too. This is a “rock-only” cymbal, but a good one. I predict great popularity for its clarity among the metal players.

All three of these rides have dual surfaces, and they do emit different sounds from each surface, lathed and unlathed. But I suspect that such sonic versatility is not as musically poignant in a rock setting as it might be in other settings. I don’t believe Meinl is selling a rock and a jazz cymbal in one, no. These are good rock rides with some versatility available, but not much.

ENJOYING SOME ASIAN FUSION
The Soundcaster Fusion 18" China is a cool cymbal, but I’m not too sure about the name. It has a flat outer perimeter and a vaguely China-style profile, but it is not shaped like most China cymbals. And it doesn’t work well upside down. I like to think of it more as a trash crash, or effects crash, or doomsday crash, or whatever, and I’d compare it to other effects cymbals with holes, or slots, or weird dents. It sounds great, roaring and punching with a delicious, tinny, garbage-can explosion that fills the frequencies nicely, and can be used as punctuation or as a great, aggressive crash/ride with a bad attitude. I recommend it highly.

PUNCTUATING THE SMALL STUFF

I’m quite happy to report that the Soundcaster Fusion 10" splash is crisp, clean, robust, and short. It does require a bit of muscle to get it moving, but once in action it sounds like a good splash from a reggae song, or at the punch line of a joke. I like it. It is too robust for light work, but strong enough for loud environs, and still thin enough to avoid sounding like a small crash. Thumbs up.

CHIPPING AWAY AT THE GLUE
Holding the entire collection together (and the band, too, naturally) is the fine pair of 14" Soundcaster Fusion Medium hi-hats. Hi-hat rhythms are the “glue” that holds beats together, and these hats speak very crisply, with a dominant mid-high frequency, lots of good body, and modest high-end frequencies that increase when you open the cymbals. The foot chick is firm, if a bit old-school in its understated clarity. I enjoyed the responsiveness of these hats, getting a good Bonham impersonation out of them when bashing them half-opened, but without the extra-crisp closing sound of ripple-bottomed hats.

Details

MODELS, SIZES & LIST PRICES

Soundcaster Fusion Crashes

• 16" $370
• 18" $440

Rides

• 20" Medium $510
• 20" Powerful $510
• 22" Powerful $640

Splash

• 10" $204

China

• 18" $440

• 14" $570

FEATURES
Two-tone, mirror-bright finish; strong attack is good for rock; rides have strong, articulate bells; volume is full across the series.

CONTACT

VERDICT

The Meinl Soundcaster Fusion cymbal line is a winner with very few bugs. The particular frequency emphasis they all share makes them especially punchy and good for loud rock. They look cool and the ubershiny finish could be a great way to store your fingerprints for posterity.

Longo Snares: It’s All In The Shell

By David E. Libman
Originally published in DRUM! Magazine’s March 2008 Issue

I’ve often noticed the advertisement in drumming magazines for Longo’s snare drums that quotes Vinnie Colaiuta as saying, “For over 14 years people have been asking me, what is that drum?” I always felt confused about the fact that Colaiuta’s quote didn’t actually tell me what he thinks about Longo’s snares. In my mind, however, if the great Vinnie Colaiuta has been using a Longo snare, it must be worth checking out. Therefore, when DRUM! asked me to review three Longo snares, I was more than happy to oblige – if only to relieve my confusion. I received three solid shell Longo models: a 14" x 5" cherry, a 14" x 6" walnut, and a 14" x 6.5" maple shell drum. Before getting into specifications and sound, however, a little background is in order.

A Longo Time Ago. For the past 16 years, Neil Longo has specialized in making solid shell snare drums. He and his three sons – all of whom are skilled wood workers, seasoned sound engineers, and musicians – now constitute the Pennsylvania family business known as Longo Drums. Longo makes the steam-bent wood shells that eventually come to musical life as Longo Custom Solid Shell snare drums. As is the case with many custom drum builders, Longo doesn’t make hardware and instead opts to give you a choice of other manufacturers’ various snare strainers, flanged or die-cast hoops, and assorted lug types.

Apparently there is an unofficial law somewhere that states: “95 percent of all custom snares made shall be outfitted with chrome tube lugs.” The drums I received came with, you guessed it: chrome tube lugs (ten per drum). They also came with Remo Coated Ambassador batters and clear Diplomat snare side heads. Each snare has an attractive chrome framed air vent over the snare butt. Longo tricked out the snares with Trick’s solid machined aluminum GS007 snare throw-offs.

The cherry and walnut snares sport 2.3 mm chrome flanged hoops, while the maple shell received die-cast hoops. Longo’s shell interiors have wood reinforcement hoops on top and bottom – in this case, cherry hoops for the cherry shell, and maple hoops for the walnut and maple models. Longo finished the interior of the shells I received with oil (not lacquer). These are custom drums, so although I am giving you specs on what I received, presumably, you could order whatever you want.

The Look Of Longo. Longo’s shell exteriors prominently display a classy-looking circular brass badge with the “Longo Custom Solid Shells” logo and a stamped serial number. As with the shell interiors, Longo finished the shell exteriors I received with oil, which gave these snares an organic and refined quality. Unlike a shiny, or glass-like, urethane lacquer finish, the oil reveals to both the eye and the touch the actual texture of the wood graining of the shell. Visually, the Longo family’s skills as woodworkers cannot be ignored. The cherry shell has what Longo calls a Paprika stain, which extracts a lustrous orange/amber color from the cherry wood. The maple and walnut shells weren’t stained, but each has gorgeous graining and color. I’m particularly fond of the milk chocolate brown hue of the walnut, which is complemented by a blackish colored graining. As a nice touch, Longo chose the black-colored Trick strainer for this drum, which helps to bring out the blackish graining even more.

Differences & Similarities. Lots of snare drum builders make gorgeous looking drums. What sets these Longo snares apart is their unique feel and sound. To give some context, I had these snares for more than a month, during which time I took them to almost all of my gigs (which, fortunately, was a lot of gigs). I played them with brushes, multi-rods, sticks, with snares on, and with snares off. I even played conga patterns on these drums with my hands during some Latin songs. I also drooled all over these snares several times, but I wiped them off, I swear. (Thankfully, that oil finish is not saliva-soluble.)

Each of these shells is perfectly round, which was proven by the way these drums tuned up. When a shell is made correctly, it will tune to the same pitch at each lug with relative ease, minimal tweaking, and no dead spots. In this case, tuning each of these Longo snares took less than a minute apiece, and the head rang evenly and fully from lug to lug.

Snare response on each of these models is incredible. I got dynamic and sensitive snare buzz from center to edge with very soft or very loud playing. Because the Trick strainers allow for quick changes from loose, medium, to tight settings, I could adjust the length of that snare buzz from song to song. I ended up using this feature all of the time. For example, if I played a fast jazz tune with brushes, I would use the tight setting for more articulation. On the other hand, when playing a louder slow rock ballad with sticks, I would use the looser snare setting for more length in the sound.

These snares feel bouncy, forgiving, and generally easy to play – no tabletops or choked boxy-feeling models in the bunch. Each also has enough dynamic versatility that I felt I could use them for every style of music that I ever play. (I’ll note that I don’t generally play death metal. If that’s your bag, you might want to check out a cast metal snare.)

Hard maple is heavier than walnut or cherry. Both maple and walnut have a medium hardness. Cherry is the softest and lightest wood of the bunch. In terms of sound, this makes a big difference. To elaborate …

The 14" x 6.5" maple shell barks with lots of lows and mids, a penetrating high-end crack, and a well balanced yet very lively range of overtones. Of the three snares, the maple shell has the most aggressive sounding backbeat with the most crack and the least warmth. I attribute this more forceful sound and feel to maple’s heavier and harder qualities, and also to the die-cast hoops. I could easily control this snare’s numerous overtones with a small strip of Pro-Mark Drum Gum, which I sometimes used at some of my softer gigs. As the volume got louder, however, I took off the dampening to allow the overtones to ring through. The best thing I can say about this particular drum is that I used to own a solid shell maple snare drum made by a well-known manufacturer, which had the same specs as this Longo model: 14" x 6.5" size, reinforcement hoops, tube lugs, die-cast counter hoops, etc. Although my snare sounded good, this Longo model sounded better.

As much as I liked the maple drum, I liked the 14" x 6" walnut more. Like the maple, the walnut shell produces a balanced range of lows, mids, highs, but with just a few less overtones and maybe a few more lows. The walnut shell sings with warmer, drier, and more articulate qualities than the maple shell. Brushes on this drum sound breathy and silky, multi-rods sound crisp but not harsh, and sticks play themselves, producing everything from incredibly articulate patterns to fat-sounding backbeats.

I have purposely saved the 14" x 5" cherry shell for last. As a reviewer, I hesitate to use words like “best” or “perfect,” but to me, this cherry model is the perfect wood snare. Don’t get me wrong, there are other perfect wood snares: it’s just that this is one of them. It’s the combination of everything on this drum that makes it so incredible: (1) It sounds full, warm, crisp, and punchy all at once, at any volume – and with brushes, multi-rods, or sticks. (2) The solid cherry shell is a softer wood, which seems to make it extra responsive and forgiving. (3) The flanged hoops contribute to a generally bouncy and softer feel in this snare’s responsiveness. (4) Sonically, the cherry wood produces lots of lows but not too many mids. (5) The shallower depth of this drum gives a quick response that accentuates the punchy high end that cherry seems to retain despite its softer qualities and lower fundamentals. (6) This snare has that extra, yet intangible, magical quality – like it was made with love. Mind you, most of my gigs range from soft to medium loud settings. If you play loud or very loud, then you might prefer a harder wood like maple or, for example, the bubinga model I noticed in Longo’s brochure. For me, however, this cherry shell is the cherry bomb.

The Verdict. I’ve gushed so much that I feel as though I should say at least a few negative things. In a perfect world, I’d like all custom drum makers like Longo to use their own proprietary, unique-looking lugs instead of standard fare, albeit high-quality, tube lugs. I could also complain that these snares list for close to a grand apiece, but it seems that nowadays, most custom drums of this quality list for slightly below and sometimes well above this $1,500 price range. Therefore, I can mostly only come up with only praise for Longo’s snares. If you’re in the market for a solid shell wood drum that feels incredible to play and sounds even better, and you’re willing to pay for it, then without hesitation, you should give Longo a look. Now I think I finally understand why people have been asking Vinnie about these drums for over 14 years.

Details

Model Longo Maple Snare Drum
Size: 14" x 6.5"
Heads: Remo Coated Ambassador batter/Clear Diplomat snare side
Throw Off: Trick GS007
Hoops: Die-cast
Reinforcement hoop: Maple
Finish: Oil
Price: ?

Company Longo Walnut Snare Drum
Size & Price: 14" x 6"
Heads: Remo Coated Ambassador batter/Clear Diplomat
snare side Throw Off: Trick GS007
Hoops: 2.3 mm triple-flanged
Reinforcement hoop: Maple
Finish: Oil
Price: $960

Company Longo Cherry Snare Drum
Size & Price: 14" x 5"
Heads: Remo Coated Ambassador batter/Clear Diplomat snare side
Throw Off: Trick GS007
Hoops: 2.3 mm triple-flanged
Reinforcement hoop: Cherry
Finish: Oil with a paprika stain
Price: $995

Contact: Longo Drums, P.O. Box 170 – Main Street, Syberstville, PA 18251. 570-788-5820. longodrums.com

We Be Djammin'

By Andrew Lentz Published November 3, 2009

Ever tried tuning a traditional rope djembe? It's not fun. The EZ-Tune Djembe from Pearl combines the traditional look and feel of a rope djembe with the functionality of a mechanical tuning system so now you can adjust tone to your heart's content.

Available in 12.5” or 14” sizes and with Traditional Oak or Lightweight Fiberglass construction, the EZ Tune Djembe provides the excellent low-end response and high-end cut so you'll be heard in any setting.

The Oak model is available in warm Honey Amber finish, the lightweight Fiberglass model is available in Cranberry Fade finish, both topped with Cow Skin heads. $349–$499.

Zero-G Goes Where No Stick Holder Has Gone Before

By Andy Doerschuk Published August 1, 2010

Don’t let gravity pull you down. Maxonix has introduced a nifty stick holder that makes gravitational force a thing of the past — well, at least for drummers. Check out the Zero-G Anti-Gravity Drumstick Holder, which allows drummers to position spare sticks in previously unheard of places, including completely upside down. The secret of the shock-mounted device is found in its FlexiGrip-Clips, which automatically self-adjust to hold different stick sizes simultaneously and keep them from rattling or buzzing. The Zero-G literally mounts onto any surface, including stands, booms, snare and tom hoops, floor tom legs, drum racks, and bass drum hoops.

Tama Star Classic Left Handed Kit Owned By Richie DiMino

By Chris Williams Published June 17, 2010

Richie DiMino has sent us pics and specs of his Tama Star Classic left handed kit. It took him a while to find it, and even then, he still had to customize the set to his tastes. Needless to say, he’s a very determined fellow.

My name is Richie DiMino and I am 54 years old and have been playing the drums since 1966. Here are some photos of my Tama star classic left handed kit. Yes I am a lefty. I had to rig a left handed mount by improvising with a cymbal stand and an L bracket. I purchased this kit in 1996 at a local music store and have held onto it because this maple kit has punch. When I’m not playing in the local band, I like to jam to music cd's or just work the kit. Hope you like my drums!

Richie

Lefty Tom Mount

DRUM KIT TAMA STARCLASSIC MAPLE

• 1996 Transparent green
• 22" x 18" kick drum
• 12" x 9" tom
• 16" x 14" floor tom
• 14" x 5-1/2" steel snare (with after market internal muffler)

CYMBALS

• Zildjian 15" new beat hi hats (circa 1970)
• Zildjian 19" ride (circa 1970)
• Zildjian 18" Ride/crash (circa 1970)
• Zildjian 16" K crash
• Zildjian 8" avedis splash
• Zildjian 10" avedis splash

Thanks Richie!

Paiste Signature & Reflector Cymbals

SOFT, LOUD, SHINY, AND PROUD

By John Nyman Published June 2008

8" Cool Bell

For 2008 Paiste expands its offerings for heavy hitters. Yes, it added some new Wild stuff last year, but this is different. There’s even some new cymbals designed for low-volume work. The unmistakably shiny ones are the Signature Reflector Heavy Full crashes, two Bell rides, and Heavy Full hi-hats. Over in the quieter corner are the Signature Crystal Thin crashes and hi-hats, all with rather squared bells. Also from the Signature Reflector batch, but not heavy, are a couple of splash cymbals and the Signature Cool Bell.

Signature series cymbals, as you may know, are made from the “special” Paiste Signature alloy, which is neither entirely B20 nor entirely B8. Like other cagey cymbal makers, Paiste chooses not to divulge the formulaic details, so this is the best we can surmise. The Signature Full crash cymbals have been quite popular for years, but in super loud situations they can be easily overtaxed and fall short of the mark. The next step up in the line above the Full used to be the Signature Power crash. These new Signature Reflector Heavy Full crashes were designed to fill the vacancy between the Full crash and the Power crash. And, with the Reflector finish, which is almost too shiny, they add a dose of show biz glitz to your kit.

Available in 16", 17", 18", 19", powerful 20", and also frighteningly massive 22" sizes, the Signature Reflector Heavy Full crashes have a low profile, dense and shallow, small-diameter hammering, shallow lathing, and they can all double as shaving mirrors – for a while, at least. Did someone say fingerprints? Get your red-hot fingerprints right here on this shiny new Paiste cymbal! Okay, so these smudge-collectors demand you exercise some caution in handling. But rest assured, you don’t need to exercise any caution while playing them.

SRHF CRASHES

The 16" Signature Reflector Heavy Full crash speaks in a short burst, as a 16" should, but the sound is instantly full and robust, and a bit dry. The 17" is also dry, but quite punchy and strong, with a moderately quick, musical taper. The 18" is muscular but not beefy and has a full, long tail, great body, and shimmer. The 19" is beefy as well, with a lower tone, full spread, and good punch (the guitarist turns up, and you just smile: “Bring it”). The 20" gets us into a specialized sound, with more spread than attack, but it’s still strong and very glassy. Like the 19", it works nice up against a guitar. The 22", which seemed, um, ridiculous when I took it out of the box, actually sounds pretty cool. It’s thin for its size, so it doesn’t work at all as a ride cymbal, and it quickly erupts into a long, wide, glassy explosion. It ripples brutally out into the sound realm. Sort of like the ripples you’d get if you tied a church bell to the roof of a Volkswagen Beetle and dropped it into a pond. Big ripples.

14" Signature Reflector Heavy Full Hi-Hats

RIDING LIKE A ROCK STAR

Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain had a hand in developing the new Signature Reflector Bell ride. In fact, the 22" version has a cute little cartoon “Eddie” on it, just like the Iron Maiden swag your uncle wears. It also has “Powerslave” stenciled on it in that familiar Iron Maiden font. Up close, the 22" Signature Reflector Bell ride has a powerful, large bell, a near-rumbling of an undertone, and a loud, distinct ping. Now that’s all well and good, but I was anxious to hear it from the audience. So I took it to jam night.

Wow. Jam night is loud! And so many (ugh!) guitars! Where do these guitar players come from? How do we stop them? Well, the 22" Bell ride cut through them with a bold, glassy ping, like a fat, shiny ball bearing on a sheet of vibrating ice. It was close to overpowering, but also clean and effortlessly full. That bell is loud, clear, and macho, but still sounded like a cymbal bell, not a leftover auto part. And the drummer was just playing, he wasn’t, you know, putting the pedal to the metal. After a rousing set of blues (some of it even in tune), several positive comments were dropped at my table, including some from guitar players!

I preferred the 20" Signature Reflector Bell ride, but it may just be that the little Eddie stencil scared me. I mean, that 22" cymbal could hurt somebody. The 20" is a bit more manageable, and projected clearly through the mush of jam night and other gigs with a distinct ping. But again, this is not the anvil-like ping that is still popular in rock rides. This is a ping with a tail, more of a large ting, actually – hey, it’s a really big ting with a nice tail. And the bell, same as on the 22", is distinct, loud, and macho, but not throaty.

HEAVY HATS

The Signature Reflector Heavy Full hi-hats, 14", are thick and shiny. But on the bandstand they proved to be surprisingly chip-y, not slosh-y. They cut through well, and when half-open they are (like the 22" ride) very dominant. Pea soup on these hats is dry, almost raspy, with a throaty, aggressive sound. Articulation is very clean; foot chick is strong and dry. Like most of the Reflector Heavy cymbals, these hats are like a full-bodied cymbal beefed-up in all frequencies. Versatile? Um, no. Muscular? Oh yeah.

16" Signature Crystal Thin Crash

THIN SWISS CRYSTAL

At the opposite end of the user spectrum sit the Signature Crystal Thin crashes and hats with their unique, “square” bell profile. The first time I tried to play and accent on one of these square bells, my stick glanced right off. After so many years of round, I tell you square is weird! But it sure sounds good.

These are thin, easily activated cymbals. Slapping them with your hand will bring out a good crash. Play on their faces with just the tip of the stick and bring out dry, small-but-full, nearly soothing punctuations. Go ahead and hit them for real and get a brief, sharp attack that immediately ducks away, as well as a vaguely Asian, dry decay that’s long and mellow.

The 16", played in a landscape of modest volume, speaks quickly and retreats slowly. The 18", so easily tapped into delicate response, gives a surprisingly robust answer when you really smack it (the 18" went on rock gigs as a main crash and did fine, but I don’t think it would have a very long life in such service). The 20" can fake it as a ride, though it’s really too thin for the job, and when you smack it, pools of low-pitched sibilance roar out and then fade away in a hint of gong-tone. The 14" Signature Crystal Thin hi-hats are dry but slippery-sounding, with a high-pitched pea soup voice and a gentle foot chick. They play great at low volumes and also hold their own just fine at rock volumes.

I spent some time playing drums and the Signature Crystal Thin cymbals in my office – not bashing, just working things out at a medium-low volume. I can’t remember a set of cymbals that sounded as good as these do in that setting. Killer for small gigs.

SPLASH OF FLASH

There’s also two new Signature Reflector Splash cymbals. The 8", as diminutive and shiny as a walleye lure, gives a small, high, clean splash voice. I really like it, but this cymbal is so small and so thin I fear for it. It’s a Reflector, right? Looks right at home next to the Reflector Heavy crashes. But in that environment, I’d give it a week to live. Maybe Paiste will start selling them in bulk packs at Costco. The 10" Signature Reflector splash is a bit more robust but still a high, clean, short splash, not one of the shrunken crash cymbals with a splash stamp on it. No gong sound, no dirt, just the clean punctuation of paper, air, and mist wrapped in shiny bronze. Both rate high on the rather short list of splash cymbals I like. But then, I like Stewart Copeland, and he’s certainly loading up by the dozen on these shiny little pike-catchers.

Resembling a splash, but so not, and also not a Reflector, is the re-vamped 8" Cool Bell. This thick little disc makes a fabulously icy and high-pitched bell sound, like your own private little church bell, or meditation bell, or whatever. I dare you to play this thing for five minutes and not come up with at least one new weird, fruity beat. I don’t know that I will ever use it on a gig, but I know now I must have one. I have heard the peal of the bell, have you? Orange you going to follow it?

VERDICT

Industry-wide, loud cymbals are all the rage, and it takes some attention to keep the scorecard straight. Paiste, for example, gave us Wild and Wild Rude cymbals last year (I loved the punchy sweet attack of the Wild Rude). In contrast to the Wild Rude, the Signature Heavy Full crash cymbals are more full, less synthetic, have a much better taper, and a full range of high frequencies. The series as a whole is strong, with plenty of sonic displacement power for very loud situations. They’re bright and sweet, with glistening taper. At the soft end of the spectrum, the Signature Crystal Thin series is highly recommended for players seeking punctuation at lower volumes. The Reflector Splash cymbals and Cool Bell are excellent for their obvious/mysterious applications, but please don’t mash them to pieces.

20" Signature Reflector Bell Ride

• 16" – $414
• 17” – $460
• 18" – $494
• 20" – $564
• 22" – $664

• 20" – $564
• 22" – $664

• 8" – $238
• 10" – $256

• 8" – $238

• 16" – $414
• 18" – $494
• 20" – $564

• 14" – $656

A Real Piece Of Work

By Andrew Lentz Published July 27, 2010

In the spirit of a low carbon footprint and plain good taste, Pearl is issuing maple Concert and Symphonic Series Snare Drums in Artisan II natural feathered walnut finish, an eco-friendly digital grain transfer process that allows exotic woods to be reproduced without harvesting endangered or rare woods.

Developed exclusively for the concert hall, the Symphonic Series Snare Drum looks and sound amazing in these rarefied venues. Choice appointments such as the SR300 Multi-Timbre Snare Strainer, providing access to 3 individually adjustable throw-offs controlling Snappy wire, wound cable, or heavy cable snares are perfect for that tension-building march in Ravel’s “Bolero.” Stainless steel tension rods, die-cast hoops, and classic tube lugs complete the package.

Not to be outdone, the Concert Series Snare Drums is decked out with goodies such as 2.3mm triple-flanged SuperHoop II rims, vintage snare beds, an SR-017 strainer, and specially designed Angle-Mounted Stainless steel and coated cable snares.

Both the Concert Series and Symphonic Series Snare Drums feature 6 plies of 100% Maple and are available in 14x5.5” and 14x6.5” sizes. Finishes available for a limited time only.

Absolute Authenticity: When Only Cowhide Counts

By Rob Cook Published July 28, 2009

Calfskin heads are remarkably durable, although, like Mylar heads, they have their breaking points, particularly when they come face-to-face with something sharp. Both types of heads are also subject to the same law of physics that says that any given head can produce only so much volume, and hitting it harder only results in damage instead of more volume. (Okay, maybe it’s not a law, but it’s at least an ordinance.)

Calf heads require a little more attention than Mylar, in that once they’re tuned up for a performance in a very humid environment, you need to detune them before they dry out. When they dry, they shrink or tighten, and if they’re already tight, they might split. Beyond that, however, they don’t really require much maintenance. There’s nothing like the sound and feel of wood hitting leather. It’s a wonderfully full, round, and satisfying experience all the way around. You can’t expect the defined pitch that you get with today’s sharp bearing edges and synthetic heads – it’s a whole different trip.

Vintage Calfskin. The price for new calfskin has gone up to the point where I often see old drums that are worth more because of their heads than for any other part of the drum. Even if they look a little ratty, don’t discard old calfskin heads too quickly. If they’re just dirty, scrub them down with gentle soap and a dampened cloth (be sure to dry thoroughly). If they are split or torn, you might still be able to salvage enough skin to make a smaller head. If the head is pulling off of the flesh hoop (the one it’s mounted on) it can be soaked, removed, and remounted. If the flesh hoop is warped and/or twisted, so that the head won’t fit flatly on the drum shell, you can soak the head, remove it from the warped hoop, and tuck it onto a new hoop.

Probably the most valuable vintage calfskin heads at this writing are the bass drumheads that feature oil paintings. These were sold by most of the major drum companies of the 1920s and 1930s such as Ludwig, Leedy, and Slingerland. I’ve seen such heads bring $200 to $300. The brand will also affect the value of white calfskin heads. The highest quality heads of the early 1900s were Rogers and the Leedy “UKA” heads. Ludwig’s highest-quality heads were the signature series. Slingerland Radio King heads also are worth more than unbranded heads, although it’s not so much because they are higher quality than generic heads – they’re simply in demand by folks restoring Radio King drums.

Calfskin Today. If you aren’t interested in sound quality because all you need is a cosmetic fix for a collectable drum destined to sit in a display, I suggest using Asian calf heads. Most are produced in India and Pakistan. If you’re in the mood to try skin but aren’t sure if you’re going to like it, you might want to start out by trying Earthtone heads. They’re actually goat rather than calf, are mounted in a metal flesh hoop in the same manner that Mylar heads are mounted, and tend to be thicker than calfskin. I always suggest Earthtone when discussing skin with a player concerned about durability because of his heavy playing style.

If you want “traditional” white calf heads, go with American calfskin heads. By the 1980s, the number of American tanneries making calfskin heads had dwindled to one: United Rawhide of Chicago. The proprietor, Mr. Palansky, sold his business several years ago. Although the tannery that purchased the assets of United Rawhide, Stern Tanning of Cheboygan, Wisconsin, was not experienced in calfskin head production, the heads they produce today are virtually identical to their predecessors. There was a time when United Rawhide supplied calfskin to Ludwig, Slingerland, and Gretsch, so the heads available from Stern are the closest possible matches to original equipment for many vintage drums.

For the discriminating percussionist, I’ve found that the best quality calfskin available today comes from Europe – particularly Great Britain and Germany. Many have been in business for hundreds of years, primarily producing vellums and parchments. Joseph Rogers Senior learned his craft in the parchment yards of Dublin, Ireland as a young boy. One of the best-known suppliers of high-quality skins today is Vellum & Parchment Works, Ltd. of Celbridge, Ireland. Particularly impressive are their “Kalfo” heads. These translucent heads are remarkably consistent and are the head of choice for many top symphonic timpanists. I want to stress that translucent heads are expensive and of consistently high quality, yet are not more rugged than white heads.

Rob Cook, as the proprietor of Rebeats, has been tucking and selling calf heads for more than 15 years.

Meinl Harnesses The Sound Of Sand With Sand Hats

By Andy Doerschuk Published July 23, 2010

Can you describe the sound of sand? Meinl can, now that the powerhouse German cymbalsmith has invested the unique tonalities of sandblasted bronze into its new Byzance Benny Greb Signature Sand Hats. Following the successful launch of Greb’s 20" Sand Ride, these hats complete the sonic spectrum with a warm, dry, quickly decaying alternative to so many other splashier hi-hats. While the concave side of each cymbal looks relatively standard — with hand hammering applied at Meinl’s Turkish factory and lathing completed in Germany — the convex sides are subjected to a sandblasting process that creates a unique aged patina and vintage tone. While it might appear that the playing side is free of lathe lines, look closely and you will spot a thin strip of lathing running along the outer edge of the playing side — clearly a vital step in the tuning process. Made of B20 bronze, Byzance Benny Greb Signature Sand Hats are perfect for jazz cats that seek crisp tip articulation, minimal wash, and lots of control. Suggested retail price: $620.

Schlagwerk’s Skinwood Cajon Combines Wood & Hide

By Andrew Lentz

Published July 21, 2010

The new Skinwood cajon from Schlagwerk taps into hand drumming’s animal nature. With front plates covered in authentic goatskin, the Skinwood delivers a dry, well-rounded tone while giving the player a luxurious tactile experience. The body consists of seven layers of natural-finish alder for unsurpassed strength. Each cajon has a uniquely textured hide so you will look as individual as you sound. Black or red front plates.

Gibraltar Catapult Linear Motion Bass Drum Pedal

A REAL HEARTBREAKER

By RL Hulsman Published April 2008

“The elusive nature of love ... it can be such a fleeting thing. You see it there and it’s just fluttering and it’s gone.”

–Mick Jagger

I’ll admit it. I fell head over heels for the new Gibraltar Catapult Linear Motion bass drum pedal. As soon as I pulled it out of the box I was already working up excuses for the wife as to why I had to buy one. The physical design of the pedal is stunning, resembling an Art Deco sculpture as much as a bass drum pedal. Its light weight combined with its sturdy frame pushed all of my buttons at once. And, let’s face it: We drummers are probably more conscious than other instrumentalists about the way our gear looks. When putting together a kit, a lot of drummers are one part musician, one part American Chopper mechanic. And this little piece of exquisite hardware oozes personality. But looks are fleeting. It’s what’s under the hood that really matters when the chips are down. After all, when you’re in front of a real, live audience, do you want to be pretty… or do you want to make heads bob?

A BETTER MOUSETRAP

The Catapult is a whole new take on the bass drum pedal. I looked through several books in my library of drum literature, trying to find its historic match. Other than a cool little weirdo from 1934, the Slingerland Frisco pedal, every model I found works pretty much on the same premise as today’s pedals. You can fiddle with the cam, add chains to the mechanism, adjust the foot plate, but the essential action hasn’t changed for decades: A foot plate of some sort attaches to a yoke, from which swings a beater. Some spring-like tension device pulls the beater back to its original position. It ain’t rocket science.

So why, you might ask, would Gibraltar take such a radical approach? The reason is in your foot. According to Gibraltar, the pedal is designed to “permit the extensor and flexor muscles to function naturally, allowing the ankle and corresponding muscles to utilize a full range of movement.” In other words, it strives to make the pedal a more ergonomic extension of your foot and eliminate the pain that may accompany a night of blastbeats. So how does Gibraltar go about it?

PUSH VS. PULL

The Catapult takes the traditional foot pedal design and tosses it. Instead of a yoke, there is a hinged, central metal bar in the shape of a boomerang (if you cut off a third of it). The foot plate, instead of pulling down on a strap or chain, abuts the bar and rolls down it to produce the forward motion of the beater. A spring, located directly under the foot plate, pulls back on the central bar, thus pulling the beater back to its original position, readying it to strike again. A rubber strip runs up and down the central metal bar at the point where the roller from the foot plate meets it. This allows smooth, quiet action. Mechanically, the pedal is as smooth as Sinatra in silk.

The base of the pedal is longer than your average bear, to allow for its unique forward motion. This means you have to sit back a bit further than usual. The entire construction, though, is lighter in weight than most pedals I’ve encountered – a pleasant feature. The bit that attaches to the rim of the bass drum is slightly concave, to allow a nice fit, and lined with rubber. The bolt that tightens the base to the rim has a central, round, serrated design, allowing the user to finger-tighten the mechanism. The idea of not having to dig up a key is a great feature, but the round bolt is a bit hard to really batten down. A more traditional wing nut shape might make for a more secure connection.

The beater connects to the pedal through a hole in the central metal shaft, and is tightened down by a wing nut. Once again, better than having to use a key, but this design has a serious drawback: The first night I tested the pedal, I used my old tried-and-true Slingerland kit. The bass drum has wooden rims that are 1.5" deep. As I pushed down on the pedal, at first I didn’t notice that the wing nut holding the beater in place was hitting the head as well. This had two serious implications: 1) The metal wing nut could punch a hole in my bass drum head. 2) When the wing nut hit the head, it loosened, causing the beater to fall out. I was so disappointed. How could this beauty, this new love in my life, betray me like this?

RUBBER: MEET ROAD

Well, the experiment only lasted two songs, before I had to tell my bandleader that I needed a second to swap out pedals. Not a great start. But I know Gibraltar makes quality gear, and that they would not put something out on the market that doesn’t work. I reached for the red phone – the direct link to the inner sanctum at DRUM! – and got Andy Doerschuk on the other end.

“Andy, I need more time!” I pleaded. “I know this thing’s got more in it. You gotta hear me, Andy. I … NEED … MORE … TIME!!!”

“Sure,” answered the steely editor, no doubt thinking I’d gone off my meds. It didn’t matter. All I wanted was a few more precious days with my beloved to see if we could work out our differences.

BE STILL MY HEART

I took the heartbreaker to a local practice space and got down to business. I attached the pedal to a Yamaha kit and, lo and behold, no problem with the beater wing nut. What gives? I thought. I pulled out my trusty ruler and there was my answer: Modernity, my friend, that’s what gives. The rim on the Yamaha kit was 1.625" deep. Oh what a difference an extra 1/8" makes (insert obvious joke here). The pedal was now functioning as it was meant to.

The beater provided with the pedal is interesting. It is a felt-fronted beater that has a large diameter – about 2.75" across – and is flat. It is a little lighter than I am used to, so I added the included beater weight to its shaft. I also switched it out and used another, heavier beater as well. It felt a bit better with the extra weight.

As I had noted right away, the pedal’s action is smooth, with no extraneous squeaks or clicks. This thing works like a charm. The spring allowed me to ratchet up the tension and pull some nice doubles out of it. The only drawback – the one that truly broke my fluttering heart – is the pedal’s lack of power. The center-shaft design does not allow enough of a backwards motion to get the power I want. No matter how much I tightened the spring, even to its maximum, I couldn’t get the punch out of it I desired. I put the Catapult side-by-side with two traditionally designed pedals – one a high-end model and the other a student/entry-level model. Both of the other pedals got a more satisfying pop out of the bass drum. The physics of pushing the beater into the head, as apposed to pulling it downward, seemed, regrettably, to be a power kill.

VERDICT

Beauty is truly skin deep. The Catapult truly is one of the best-looking pieces of gear I’ve laid my eyes on in some time. Its action is incredibly smooth, but a bit too weak for my tastes. It may be a nice addition to your collection for certain gigs, but it wouldn’t assist you in waking the neighbors. I’m also not sure I felt any relief in my ankle or other foot muscles. Overall, in that sense, it felt no different than playing a standard bass drum pedal. The backpack-style pedal bag that comes with it is quite nice, but in the end I realized that, alas, love is fleeting.

DETAILS
MODEL GCLMSP Catapult Linear Motion Bass Drum Pedal
FEATURES Linear motion design with no cams or frames; unique, stylish looks; comes with sling-style shoulder bag.
PRICE $199.99
CONTACT Gibraltar Hardware
20 Old Windsor Road
Bloomfield, CT 06002
806-509-8888
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

John Cloutier’s 53-Piece Clear Acrylic Monster

By Andy Doerschuk Published July 19, 2010

Homes must come with really big basements in East Granby, Connecticut. Otherwise, it’s hard to imagine how Granby-ite John Cloutier manages to store his outrageous 53-piece clear acrylic RCI Starlight kit. With its 8 bass drums, 6 bass drum woofers, 8 snare drums, 11 Octobons, 17 toms, and 3 timbales, this monster — mounted on a custom Gibraltar rack — incorporates three separate kits into a single setup so that he can rotate between each configuration without getting up from his throne.

Cloutier explains that he wanted to be able to cover more than one drumming style at once: “The kit to my right is for R&B/funk, the middle kit is for basic rock, and the kit to my left is for heavy metal, Bonham style.” What, no polka kit?

Naturally, when you have lots of drums you must have lots of cymbals and this setup includes a whopping 70 of them from Zildjian, Sabian, Paiste, Wuhan, Ufip, Istanbul. And don’t forget the 40" Zildjian gong — couldn’t live without that. Heads are from Evans, Remo, and RCI, while the pedals and hats are all remote DW kickers, customized with extra lengths on the linkage to reach all bass drums.

Okay, here’s the rundown:

Bass Drums:
(3) 22" x 20" (1) 20" x 18" (2) 24" x 18" (1) 26" x 22" (1) 28" x 22"

Snare Drums:
(3) 14" x 7"
(1) 13" x 3.5"
(1) 13" x 7"
(1) 12" x 6"
(1) 10" x 8"
(1) 10" x 6"

Toms:
(2) 8" x 8"
(1) 8" x 9"
(1) 8" x 10"
(2) 10" x 8"
(1) 10" x 10"
(2) 12" x 10"
(1) 12" x 12"
(1) 13" x 9"
(2) 14" x 12"
(1) 14" x 14"
(1) 16" x 16"
(1) 18" x 18"
(1) 20" x 20"

Octobons:
(1) 6" x 6"
(1) 6" x 8"
(1) 6" x 10"
(1) 6" x 12"
(1) 6" x 14"
(1) 6" x 16"
(1) 6" x 18"
(1) 6" x 29"
(1) 6" x 22"
(2) 6" x 24"

Sub Woofers:
(1) 8" x 20"
(2) 8" x 22"
(1) 8" x 24"
(1) 8" x 26"
(1) 8" x 28"

Timbales:
(1) 6" x 6"
(1) 8" x 6"
(1) 10" x 8"

You might wonder how in the world John can afford all these drums. Let’s just say he was able to pull some strings at RCI (he’s the company’s artist relations rep).

Tempus Fiberglass Drums

THIN IS IN

By Brad Schlueter Published June 2008

In the 1970s a company called Milestone Drums appeared on the scene with a mission to make a better-sounding fiberglass drum than any currently on the market. A decade later, a man named Paul Mason, having apparently decided Milestone had succeeded in its quest, purchased the company and renamed it Tempus Drums. Mason set about improving the quality of the hardware, though he wisely opted to leave the shell design alone.

While Tempus has fought an uphill battle at times trying to convince drummers to choose a non-wood drum set, the company has established a comfy niche and a rather devoted fan base sold on the sound, look, consistency, and virtually indestructible nature of its drums. One stat many other drum makers are sure to envy is that Tempus saw a 15-percent rise in sales last year, proving that more drummers are beginning to come around to fiberglass.

Fiberglass is not to be confused, however, with another manmade drum shell material: clear acrylic. Fiberglass is not transparent and has a woven texture that can be seen on the inside of the shell. Like acrylic, their finish is part of the shell itself, not simply applied to its outer surface. But one big advantage fiberglass shells have over most acrylics is that they are very thin, making them noticeably lightweight and easy to carry. They also seem to have the capacity to get a smidge louder than comparably sized wood drums. However, for those who like what Tempus is doing but just can’t get down with fiberglass, the company also offers carbon fiber kits.

SHELLS AND HARDWARE

Due to a shipping problem, the snare for the kit didn’t arrive in time, so a carbon/Kevlar came in its place right at the end of the review period. What I did receive right off the bat was a kit comprised of 10" x 7", 12" x 8", and 14" x 14" toms, and a 20" x 16" bass drum. Tempus also offers a variety of in-between sizes that are different than those shown on the web site, like the 7"-deep small tom on this review kit. The shells of the fiberglass drums are very thin, about 3/16" thick, and have rounded, double 45-degree bearing edges. I tend to favor thin shells since they enhance a drum’s low end. Plus, lightweight drums are a blessing on a difficult load-in, a point these drums proved yet again.

The mounted toms employ Gary Gauger’s superb aluminum RIMS mounts suspension system. Yamaha’s classic TH-945 tom mount was also supplied with the kit, which, as you might know, conveniently features an extra hole that can be used to attach a cymbal arm, thus saving floor space and eliminating the weight of another full stand. The floor tom legs have air pocket feet, which are designed to enhance the drum’s sustain. The drums all feature triple-flanged hoops and Tempus’ elongated hexagonal lug casings. The bass drum spurs worked great, and feature retractable spikes for carpeted surfaces.

There’s a definite seam where the shells were joined, but it’s hidden beneath two lugs so it’s not very noticeable. The drums have Tempus’ tasteful badge and nice die-cast grommets for the air-vent holes. One small negative is that the textured inside of the bass drum hoop seems to act as a bit of a dust magnet. I’d be tempted to spray paint the interior of the bass drum hoops a glossy black since the dust that had accumulated on the flat black finish made the hoops look charcoal gray.

FINISH

The drums I received had a Copper Sparkle finish that really popped under stage lighting. It had a nice depth to it, and gave the outer surface of the shells a nicely smooth, glossy appearance. If I didn’t know better, I’d have assumed it was a nice lacquer finish on a wood shell. At points the finish had the visual impact of a glass glitter finish. I prefer the sparkle finishes since the solid color choices on a fiberglass shell don’t have quite the depth of a lacquer-on-wood finish. However, there’s no noticeable difference with Tempus’ sparkle finishes. The Copper Sparkle had a slightly chameleon-like quality under stage lighting. My girlfriend teased me a little because they appeared pink with one combination of par cans shining on them. Unlike any other kit I’ve ever reviewed, these drums weren’t new. They’d been used on tour and so they arrived with a few minor blemishes. But the vibrant sparkle finish helped make the road wear hard to spot.

SOUND

For the rock gig where I first demoed the drums, I chose to tune the floor tom to a pretty low note and then work my way up the kit, looking for a fat and deep sound from the toms. All of the drums were easy to tune and, I discovered later, featured an impressive tuning range. The drums came outfitted with a kaleidoscope of head brands – Evans EC1s on the tom batters, coated Remo Ambassadors underneath, and on the bass drum, an Aquarian Superkick II on the batter side and a ported Evans EQ1 resonant head. The EC1/Ambassador combination on the toms provided a lot of attack and meat while dampening all of the brighter overtones – a bit like a head with a Mylar muffling ring. This head gave the toms a contemporary if slightly dampened rock sound. I had another drummer sit in at the rock gig and had a chance to stand out front and hear how the drums sounded unmiked.

They sounded great, with lots of attack and enough lows to please anyone. The thin shells gave what are basically fusion-sized drums a fat sound that belied their size. The bass drum with the Superkick head sounded awesome as well, with nice lows and plenty of attack. I used this kit with the included heads on both rock and jazz gigs and the toms sounded great in both contexts, although it certainly wasn’t a traditional jazz sound. I also brought the kit to a wedding gig outfitted with some single-ply heads on the tom batters. Again, I found they easily produced the sound I was after, except this time the sound was noticeably livelier, which worked well for the dinner music set.

Not one of the several gigs at which I used this kit did anyone suspect these weren’t wood shells – and those I told were genuinely surprised. I had to prove it to a couple of people by having them look inside the shells or feel the texture on the inside of the bass drum hoop. At the rock gig, the drummer who sat in on the kit is a die-hard, old-school Rogers drum owner, and even he didn’t suspect they were fiberglass – he only referred to them as “modern” sounding.

ENTER THE SNARE

After I’d gigged with the kit for a while, the Carbon/Kevlar snare finally arrived. The drum is a prototype 13" x 5.5" with a finish that sports a navy bluish background dotted with small flecks of bronze glitter. I preferred the kit’s Copper Sparkle finish to this one since it seemed to have more depth. The snare featured an eight-lug design, triple-flanged hoops, and came with a coated Evans G1 batter head. The shell was even thinner than the toms on the kit, but despite this thinness, it is strong enough for very high tunings. The Gibraltar/Dunnett swiveling snare throw-off rotates to easily accommodate right- or left-handed drummers.

Even when I cranked the heads, the unique shell composition gave the drum a darker tonality without a lot of brightness. When I cranked the wires, the drum spoke more clearly and I got a little more brightness from the wires, but the sound was still generally fat. It would make a killer ballad snare. The tone wasn’t overly ring-y, and even with the triple-flanged hoops it gave nice rimshots and rim-clicks, which can be problematic on a smaller diameter snare drum. If I were recording with it I’d definitely want to mix in some of the snare-side mike to balance out the meatiness of the tone. I liked this snare, but it’s really more of a specialty drum than an all-purpose one. Tempus’ fiberglass snares are reported to be a bit brighter than this one.

If you’re still skeptical, I can completely understand. As a teenager, I bought a used Pearl fiberglass kit because the price was right and it had a lot of toms and two bass drums. Unfortunately, that kit never sounded very good to me, and the purchase left me feeling dubious about the virtues of fiberglass. That is, until I checked out Tempus’ drums. In retrospect, my drums were thicker, brighter, and louder. Tempus drums are thin, lightweight, and have a nice sound with a good balance of attack and bottom end.

VERDICT

There is value in owning something made to a high standard that’s out of the ordinary. Tempus makes unique, high quality fiberglass drums with striking finishes that sound great. They also never failed to be a conversation starter. At each of the gigs I took them to, drummers were certainly curious and amazed when they found out they weren’t wood. Sadly, some drummers aren’t open-minded enough to consider a drum set made from any material but wood. But if you march to the beat of a different drummer, you might want to stop and ask him if that’s actually a fiberglass drum he’s playing.

DETAILS
SHELLS 100-percent fiberglass drum shells with double 45-degree bearing edges.
CONFIGURATION 10" x 7", 12" x 8", and 14" x 14" toms and a 20" x 16" bass drum and a 13" x 5.5" carbon fiber/Kevlar snare drum.
FINISH (Reviewed), Copper Sparkle on kit; Navy Blue with Bronze Glitter on snare; dozens of other finishes available.
FEATURES Gauger RIMS mounts; die-cast grommets for the air-vent holes; a variety of sizes and finishes; ultra-thing, lightweight shells; Gibraltar/Dunnett swiveling snare throw-off.
PRICE CONTACT
Tempus Drums
1503 Columbia St.
North Vancouver, BC
V7J 1A3
Canada
tempusdrums.com

Stagg Keeps Growing With The BTX Line

By Andy Doerschuk

Published July 15, 2010

What sounds like a western-made cymbal, looks like a western-made cymbal, plays like a western-made cymbal, but isn’t a western-made cymbal? The Chinese-made Stagg brand, that’s what. Over the past decade the company has been shattering preconceived notions of what Chinese cymbals sound like as they’ve introduced one new line after another. Their latest market launch is the BTX line, a range of entry-level sheet-cut cymbals made of B10 bronze (90 percent copper and 10 percent tin). Every step in the process is executed by hand, from hammering to tuning. Expect a full roster of rides, crashes, hats — the works — at retail prices that make you look twice. Simply Stagg … ering!

Sonor’s Gavin Harrison & Dave Langguth Snares

By Andy Doerschuk

Published July 14, 2010

Following the high-profile launch of Danny Carey and Phil Rudd snares, Sonor keeps the artist tie-ins rolling with the introduction of two new 135th Anniversary Summer Special snare drums designed for the specific tastes of Porcupine Tree’s Gavin Harrison and Nelly Furtado’s Dave Langguth. (It’s a good thing both drummers like White Sparkle finishes. Weird coincidence, huh?) Harrison’s little jewel is constructed of a 9-ply, 12" x 5" North American maple shell finished in a blinding White Sparkle finish (see, I told you). This poppin’ drum is outfitted with Designer-based Series chrome hardware, 18-strand stainless steel snare wires, tension lugs with external TuneSafe, and 2.3 mm Power Hoops. Suggested retail price: $1,499. While Sonor stuck with the North American maple/White Sparkle motif for Langguth’s snare, the company beefed up this baby with a 14" x 5" shell fitted with SQ2-based black chrome hardware, 24-strand stainless steel snares, tension lugs with internal TuneSafe, and die-cast hoops.
 Suggested retail price: $2,999. Word — better get ’em while the gettin’s good. These limited-edition drums are available only this summer.

Pearl Jingle Cajon

JINGLES ARE THE WAY

By Gary Gardner
Originally published in DRUM! Magazine’s October 2009 Issue

Pearl has long been a driving force in the world of drum sets, hardware, and drum-set accessories. But over the course of the last several years the company has been steadily branching out, expanding its percussion catalog with products that seamlessly meld hard-won traditional wisdom and forward-thinking design innovations. Enter the Pearl Jingle Cajon. Designed alongside Los Angeles percussionist Pete Korpela, the Jingle Cajon takes what is fast becoming the percussion-instrument innovator’s preferred palette to a whole new level.

I asked Pete what inspired him to come up with the idea for the Jingle Cajon, and he explained that after playing countless gigs that required a cajon, a nagging problem had left him wanting more out of his instrument. Many of the frequencies produced by the acoustic guitars in the ensembles in which he was playing were evenly matched with those of the cajon, thus masking the cajon’s sound. Pete wanted to develop a means by which the cajon would not lose its inherent sound and at the same time have something unique that would help it stand out in an ensemble during a live performance. So with that in mind, and after many trial configurations, Pete and Pearl finally agreed on the setup that became the Jingle Cajon, which offers not one, not two, but four different sound configurations. Nice.

HIGH FREQUENCY
When I first sat down on the Jingle Cajon, I was immediately impressed with how noticeably solid it felt. The plastic feet provide great support for a balanced and comfortable playing position. And the fundamental tone was wonderful. The combination of a fiberglass shell with a wood playing surface creates out a beautiful overall timbre, with the strong projection and resonance of the fiberglass shell blending nicely with the inherent warmth of the wood.

But despite the integration of high- and low-tech materials, what really makes this cajon standout from its peers is its shear simplicity. Pearl has fastened the jingles and their controls on the outside of the playing face. That means no awkward reaching in through the sound hole, no strings, no screws, no nonsense. With the use of a common wing nut, the jingles are either loose or tight, on or off. There are also two sets of jingles attached just below the sweet spot for those fat bass tones, out of the way of your hands. If there is any sound compromise from the attachments, I didn’t notice any worth mentioning.

Sound good? Wait, there’s more. The cajon utilizes two different types of jingles. On one side are Brazilian pandeiro-style Platinella jingles for a dry and crisp sound. And on the other side are stainless-steel tambourine jingles for that bright, jiggly, classic tambourine-style sound.

So what about those four different configurations I mentioned earlier? That’s where the permanently positioned set of internal snares that fan out against the back of the playing surface come into play. That gives us: 1) snares with no jingles; 2) snares plus Platinella jingles only; 3) snares plus tambourine jingles only; and finally, 4) snares plus both sets of jingles.

Whew. Oh yeah, and all this can be rearranged on the fly, in real time. The one bummer is that the snares cannot be turned off. That simple alteration would open up the Jingle Cajon to an unprecedented five different configurations.

OUT AND ABOUT
I took the Jingle Cajon out for a gig with an eclectic quartet, and it performed beautifully, providing a whole host of unexpected timbres and dynamics. With one microphone positioned in front of the cajon to capture the jingles, there was no way its voice was getting lost in the shuffle. Thinking about what Pete Korpela had said about the sound being canceled by other acoustic frequencies, I really felt the jingles were the deciding factor that gave the cajon its distinct personality and authoritative voice.

This ensemble had no drummer, so it was my job to lay down the groove. With warm, deep bass tones and cutting higher pitched slaps, the Jingle Cajon made it easy to be both melodic and driving. The snares alone, with no jingles, sounded rich and really filled out the sound of the rhythm section. For an up-tempo tune with a Middle-Eastern flavor, having both sets of jingles loose was just what the music ordered. The added jingle sound cut through the ensemble while adding just the right tone of traditional authenticity. I also found that striking the sides of the cajon provided yet another sonic option — a slightly higher pitch with no activation of the snares or jingles. Guess that fifth sound is possible with the Jingle Cajon after all. Hey, the more sounds the better.

VERDICT
All in all, the Pearl Jingle Cajon is a worthy piece of percussion. Combining synthetic and natural materials into the construction allows for an economically priced instrument without real sonic compromise. The ability to change the jingle setup on the fly is a great feature. The drum has a beautiful tone and, with four (or five) configurations possible, virtually any style of music can be tackled with ease. The cajon has good presence and a strong voice thanks for the jingles. And while it would be a nice to have fully adjustable snares, playing the sides of the cajon at least gives you the option of playing the cajon without activating the snares and jingles. Finally, the $199 price tag is a great deal next to the many other cajon models out there costing upwards of $300-plus.

DETAILS

CONFIGURATION
Internal snares (non-adjustable), exterior-mounted jingles and jingles adjustment.

SHELLS Fiberglass body with a wood playing surface
FINISH Carubinga exotic wood lacquer
FEATURES Brazilian (pandeiro) Platinella-style jingles, stainless-steel tambourine jingles, super responsive internal snare system.
EXTRAS cajon bag ($75)
LIST PRICE
$199

CONTACT
Pearl Corporation
pearldrum.com
615-833-4477

Art Cruz Cruises Through His Mighty Double Bass Set

By Andy DoerschukPublished on July 9, 2010

Winds Of Plague’s blast beatin’ drummer Art Cruz gives us a video tour of his massive kit, and explains how and why his drums, cymbals, heads, pedals, and even in-ears help bring to life the sounds in his head. In a nutshell — it’s a very cool setup. Drooling yet?

60’s Vintage Gretsch Kit Owned By Mike McGill

By Chris Williams Published June 17, 2010

Some guys have all the luck. Not only does Mike McGill have a great Pearl Reference Kit, with its advanced design, but he also has a vintage ’60s Gretsch kit, which is our Drum Kit Of The Week. Take it away, Mike.

“The two shots are of my ’60s vintage Gretsch kit,” McGill says. “I restored it myself. Almost all the hardware is Pearl. Cymbals are mostly Zildjians with one Serpent 17” Sidewinder. This is one heck of a unique cymbal in both sound and looks, and greatly adds to the shine and glamor of the kit.” McGill is an endorser for Serpent and you can see more of Serpent’s work at http://www.serpentcymbals.com

Mike’s other set, the Pearl Reference Kit, has the same hardware, cymbals, and Gretsch snare drum.

Thanks Mike!

Chambers Gets His Nylon On

By Andrew Lentz Published July 5, 2010

With a practical twist on the Dennis Chambers Artist Series stick, Zildjian now offers one of its most popular sticks in a in a funkadelic black nylon tip version.

The natural-finish hickory dowel, which is 16” in length and .55” in diameter, feels balanced and solid in the hands. The short taper and round tip lend them a controlled throw and focused punch, while the dense nylon tip opens up your cymbals like never before. God-like as Chambers is, the stick is ideal for all skill levels.

With Chambers’ John Hancock in orange and the tip in black, the stick’s color scheme looks great for gigs on or around, uh, Halloween. Seriously though, if you ever wanted to tackle the challenging licks on one of Chambers’ Graffitti and Parliament Funkadelic albums or simply get your chops correct, you now have one of the best tools for doing so.

SABIAN XS20 CYMBALS

Cast Cymbal Sounds At Sheet Cymbal Prices

By David E. Libman Published April 2008

18" Rock Crash

With its revamped XS20 series, Sabian is offering a combination of professional-quality B20 cast bronze with a semi-professional level mid-range price tag. That’s very unusual, and here’s why.

DIFFERENCES FROM TOP TO BOTTOM

All of Sabian’s most expensive professional cymbal lines – like the AA, AAX, HH, HHX, Vault series, and so on – are made from B20 cast bronze, which contains 80-percent silver-bearing copper and 20-percent tin. When cymbals are “cast,” they are worked and shaped into their final form through both secret and not-so-secret processes. Although cymbal manufacturers are loath to disclose those secrets, most of them acknowledge that casting bronze involves more handwork and expense than stamping bronze cymbals from flat metal sheets. Cymbal prices confirm that to be true. If you go to your local music store shopping for less-expensive beginner or intermediate cymbals, they are typically not cast. Rather, those lesser expensive models are stamped into shape from flat sheets of alloy and therefore often called “sheet-metal” cymbals.

Although some would argue with me on this point, I find sheet-metal cymbals are slightly more prone to cracking and less durable than more expensive cast-metal models. For that reason, really cheap cymbals are almost always made from sheet brass, whereas mid-priced cymbal lines are usually made from sheet bronze with lower tin contents than B20 bronze, such as B8 bronze (92-percent copper/8-percent tin) or B12 bronze (88-percent copper/12-percent tin).

In recent years, as manufacturing processes have gotten increasingly more sophisticated, the distinctions between casting processes and bronze alloys, in terms of what makes cheap or professional-quality cymbals, have blurred. For example, many sheet-metal cymbals seem to be more durable these days than they used to be. And some cymbal manufacturers make it a point of explaining that even sheet bronze has a degree of casting in its manufacturing process. Moreover, some manufacturers make professional Euro-style cymbals from B8 sheet bronze. For example, Sabian’s B8 Pro line is made from – you guessed it – B8 “uni-rolled” bronze.

Oftentimes, you’ll find B8 model cymbals (made by Sabian or other manufacturers) showing up in professional rock drummers’ setups because B8’s lower tin content can sometimes provide some higher-pitched, cutting frequencies that are not quite as prevalent in the B20 cast bronze cymbals.

With that said, in the past, many professional manufacturers’ cymbal lines reserved cast B20 bronze for their elite professional lines. For example, Zildjian’s As and Ks, Paiste’s discontinued 602s and recent Twenty series, Istanbul’s Agop, and Meinl’s MB20 lines are all professional B20 bronze cymbals. For its part, Sabian still claims that the B20 bronze it uses in all of its professional lines, other than the B8 Pro series, is its most musical and durable alloy.

A RECENT FACE LIFT

When Sabian originally introduced its XS20 line in 2003 (after 10 years of research and development), it proclaimed the XS20s to be the “world’s first and finest budget-priced cymbal cast from B20 bronze.” Initially, the XS20 cymbals had a lathing pattern with spaced stripes. Sabian received feedback from consumers that they wanted the XS20 line to have a more “professional look” by dropping the stripes. I find that request to be a bit odd, given that several of Sabian’s professional B20 AA Metal-X models have a striped lathing pattern, which I think looks pretty cool. But nobody consulted with me, and to its credit, Sabian recently responded to its consumers’ demands by revamping the XS20 line with a tonal groove lathing pattern that removes the stripes and makes the XS20s look virtually identical to Sabian’s natural-finish non-striped AA models. In fact, on close inspection, the only visual difference I can see between the XS20s and Sabian’s AA line is that the XS20s bear the XS20 logo and appear to have much less hammering marks than the AAs.

Sabian would not disclose the secret details of the proprietary process involved in making XS20 cymbals, but it was willing to reveal that the XS20 manufacturing process involves less handwork and hammering than that which is required for Sabian’s other more expensive professional B20 lines like, for example, the AAs. Moreover, despite the visual similarities to Sabian’s professional B20 lines, the XS20s’ price tags look much more similar to the price tags of its B8 Pro line. For example, if you were looking to buy a 20" Medium ride cymbal, according to Sabian’s 2007 list prices, a B8 Pro model goes for $219, an XS20 model goes for $256, and an AA model goes for $403.

FOR THE EARS AND THE WALLET

I received virtually every cymbal in the XS20 line for this review. At the same time, I also happened to be reviewing a full arsenal of Sabian’s various professional B20 bronze models for DRUM!’s sister magazine, TRAPS. As a result, I was able to compare the quality and sound of Sabian’s XS20s to that of its more expensive B20 bronze lines. To my ears, the XS20s fall into three categories: 1) Excellent professional-quality cymbals for any price. 2) Pretty good professional cymbals, which are even better when you consider their price. And 3) Decent-sounding cymbals acceptable for semi-professional use, which end up being a bargain when one considers their price and the extra durability that the XS20’s bronze can offer. I’ll start with the best models first.

10" Splash

SPLASHES

The XS20 10" splash shocked me with its superior sound quality. It barks with an instant, explosive burst of papery highs and mids that quickly disperse without any weird lingering overtones. This splash sounds better than many other professional splashes I’ve heard that cost much more. The 12" splash, in similar fashion to the 10" model, also quickly explodes with a papery splash. Yet this 12" model’s sound is filled with a much fuller range of mids. I loved this splash so much that I took it to a few of my professional gigs, and I would still love this cymbal if it listed for $202 like an AA 12" splash. But the XS20 12" splash lists for only $138. What a deal!

13" Hats

HATS

The 14" Medium hi-hats are perhaps the best deal in the entire XS20 line. Most Sabian B20 bronze hi-hats list for prices of $484 and up. The XS20 models retail for $314, so you’d be crazy not to give these hats a listen. They have just the right combination of mids, highs, and articulation, but they don’t have too much chunk, low end, or washy qualities. As a result, these hats are incredibly versatile and musical. Foot chicks cut through precisely but are neither abrasive nor wimpy. Open-foot splashes sound high, airy, and clean. Stick articulation is excellent. I took these hats to a few gigs where I played both rock and jazz, and they blended in perfectly in each instance.

The 14" Rock hi-hats are heavier in weight than the Medium set. Compared to the Medium hats, these Rock models have more chunk in their foot chick, but when played with sticks they have certain frequencies that sound ever-so-slightly stifled. While these Rock models are very good, the Medium models are even better, and they still seem sturdy enough to handle a rock context. Therefore, given the choice of two models with the exact same price, I’d go with the Medium hi-hats.

18" Chinese

CHINESE

The 18" Chinese speaks with a kangy explosion of mostly mid-range frequencies underscored by a pleasantly low set of overtones. It’s not particularly trashy, but it’s also not particularly abrasive either. Does this cymbal sound as fantastic as the 20" HHX Chinese cymbal that I was reviewing at the same time? No. Does it sound very good for an 18" Chinese cymbal? Absolutely. And by the way, the 18" XS20 lists for half the price of that 20" HHX Chinese cymbal.

CRASH/RIDE

The 18" crash/ride provides a decent crash sound consisting mostly of mids – but not very many lows or highs. This cymbal’s ample mid-range provides an acceptable ride sound at lower volumes that can quickly swell to a slightly annoying mid-range hum as it’s played louder. This cymbal’s accentuation of the mid-range to the exclusion of high and low overtones exemplifies a recurring theme I noticed among many of the XS20 cymbals: They lack the wide sonic spectrum that is present in Sabian’s more expensive B20 bronze lines.

For example, an 18" AAXPlosion crash I reviewed has an excellent burst of mid-range overtones, but that AAX model also has a much broader range of lows and highs mixed in with those prominent mids. Because of those distinctions, some of these XS20s sound less complex and more one-dimensional than their pricier B20 siblings. And while Sabian’s secrets remain intact, I’m assuming that the lack of sonic range in some of these XS20s stems from the lesser degree of hammering and handwork involved in their manufacturing process.

20" Medium Ride

RIDES

The 20" Medium ride provides a clean stick response followed by a nice tail of sustaining ring that remains pure and clean. This ride earns particular kudos for its bell, which cuts through with a piercing yet pleasant tone. On the other hand, like many XS20s, this cymbal strongly emphasizes the mid-range frequencies without very many lows or highs. As a result, it is not quite as expressive or dynamic as I would prefer for my personal ride cymbal. With that said, I am particularly finicky about ride cymbals and am often disappointed even by many professional models. This ride cymbal certainly sounds as good as many allegedly “professional” models I’ve heard that sell for much more. So if you’re looking for an acceptable professional ride but don’t want to spend too much cash, you should definitely give it a listen.

The 20" Rock ride is thicker, heavier, and a bit higher in pitch than its 20" Medium sibling. Like the 20" Medium ride, this model has a cutting bell. Nevertheless, the Rock ride has an even smaller frequency range, and certain of those frequencies sound stifled. Imagine what a professional Rock ride might sound like if you stuck a few pieces of duct tape on it, and you’ve got this cymbal. Given that both 20" XS20 rides are the same price, between the two models I unhesitatingly recommend the better-sounding 20" Medium ride.

CRASHES

I placed four crash cymbals in this latter semi-professional category: the 16" Medium crash, the 16" Rock crash, the 18" Medium Thin crash, and the 18" Rock crash. Each produces a loud cutting crash that would be more than acceptable for semi-professional use. On the other hand, each also suffers from one-dimensional qualities that lack the “sparkle” or sonic range that I look for in a professional studio-quality crash.

To elaborate, the 16" Medium Thin crash initially screams with lots of higher range mid frequencies that quickly end with a weird muffled sound. The 16" Rock crash is heavier than the Medium model with a clear and powerful tone that’s slightly lower in pitch but also, unfortunately, a bit clangy. The 18" Medium Thin crash speaks almost exclusively with mid-range tones that linger for a long time. Finally, the 18" Rock crash is heavier in weight, yet higher in pitch and a bit more stifled sounding than the 18" Medium Thin model.

VERDICT

If you’re a drummer that bashes away in a rehearsal room with your bandmates four nights a week, you may not want to incur the almost inevitable expense and disappointment that can come from cracking your super-expensive crashes. Hence, these semi-professional crashes provide an excellent opportunity to save those expensive models for the good gigs – not the rehearsal room. Moreover, Sabian covers the XS20 models with a two-year warranty under which it will replace your cymbal for free if it determines that the cymbal “failed under normal use.”

The XS20s shocked me with excellent-sounding splashes, hi-hats, and a Chinese cymbal – all of which sell for much less than comparably sized B20 models in Sabian’s professional lines. Other XS20s did not sound as good as those “excellent” models but still sounded good enough for professional or semi-professional situations, depending on the model. Plus, the XS20s offer the durability and professional looks of B20 cast bronze, but with the price tag of sheet-bronze cymbals. Budget-minded cymbal shoppers should definitely give the XS20s a look and a listen.

DETAILS
TYPE XS20 Cymbals< MODELS AND SIZES + PRICE

• 10" Splash - $134
• 12" Splash - $138
• 14" Medium Hi-Hats - $314
• 14" Rock Hi-Hats - $314
• 18" Chinese - $238
• 18" Crash/Ride - $238
• 20" Medium Ride - $282
• 20" Rock Ride - $282
• 16" Medium Crash - $208
• 16" Rock Crash - $208
• 18" Medium Thin Crash - $238
• 18" Rock Crash - $238

FEATURES Looks and durability of professional-quality cast-bronze cymbals at low, sheet-metal cymbal prices; two-year warranty.

CONTACT Sabian Ltd. 219 Main St.
Meductic, NB E6H 2L5 Canada
506-272-2019
sabian.com

Righteous and Red: Cherry Bomb Snare

By John Nyman Originally published in DRUM! Magazine’s June 2009 Issue

While the invention of aluminum revolutionized beverage cans in the ’60s, it also impacted snare drum design when Ludwig introduced the Acrolite model. Its thin, beaded, spun-aluminum shell became a popular and enduring design and a benchmark sound. The Acrolite ruled the aluminum roost until recent years, when a number of new aluminum snares boasting shells of various thicknesses appeared on the market. Several name drummers, including Billy Ward and Dave Weckl, now play aluminum snares as their primary instruments, and with impressive results.

The most outstanding example of a fine aluminum snare drum that I have played is the Cherry Bomb fromUnderground Drum Company. The name, of course, comes from the outrageous all-red design of the drum. Admittedly, I don’t own a kit that is trendy enough to provide a home to such a wild design, but you, dear reader, are probably drooling in anticipation of adding this red rocker to your favorite set. Keep in mind, though, that this snare isn’t just a showpiece — the Cherry Bomb performs with as much bold authority as it presents.

Metal Matters
Aluminum has its own distinct sound and, to my ear, that sound is amplified in the Cherry Bomb, which I attribute to its 3mm-thick shell. While brass tends to give a wet-sand thunk with ringing edges, and steel gives a precise, aggressive bite with a bit of singing tonk, meaty aluminum shells give a sandy, slightly breathy tone, with a punch that is rounded off but still aggressive. There’s a musical ring to aluminum that floats atop the metallic bite. It’s a versatile, sensitive, and rocking good sound.

Construction
The Cherry Bomb is all red. The aluminum shell is red. The die-cast hoops on batter and resonant sides are red. The eight vintage-style tube lugs are red. Even the grommet on the air-vent hole is red. Powder coating is responsible for most of the crimson tint, while the shell’s scarlet hue is anodized. Standing out from the red tide is the handsome, machined aluminum and steel of the Trick snare throw-off, which color-matches the drum’s 16 steel tension rods.

The excellent sensitivity of the beefy set of 42-strand wires may be due to the relatively deep and wide machined snare beds. The gorgeous 14" x 6" shell isn’t seamless, but while the nicely groomed seam is clearly visible, it just barely distracts from the smooth interior of the drum. Speaking of grooming, you’ll want to check out the narrow and slightly rounded bearing edges at the top and bottom. If you need a precise bearing edge, machined aluminum can give it to you.

Metal-to-metal contact points are buffered with nylon gaskets. Each tension rod rests on two washers: one made of nylon and the other steel. The very groovy Cherry Bomb badge is fixed firmly with tiny Allen-head cap screws. More black Allen-head screws secure the throw-off and butt, while black Phillips screws fasten down the lugs. There’s a Udrum label inside, hand-signed with date and serial number. In other words, this is a drum carefully made with great attention to detail by a craftsman with steady hands.

Under The Sticks
I played as many different styles on the Cherry Bomb as I could, putting it through the paces. Second-line stuff (imagine a Stanton Moore impersonation) was particularly fun. The Cherry Bomb gave a fat snare tone from dead center, but moving off-center (the norm for second-line beats) added a loud ring to the fatness, rather than simply swapping snare buzz for hollow ring, as some drums do. The evolving sound, as the sticks steered from center hits to the outer edge, was like turning a knob on a reverb unit. Buzz rolls at the edge were not exactly symphonic — too many overtones for that — but the precision of the snare response remained, though it was colored by the ringing.

The drum’s meaty voice spoke both loudly and softly. I had no trouble with the Cherry Bomb on restaurant jazz gigs, where low volume was the rule and dynamics were demanding. Of course, I also played loudly, and the Cherry Bomb delivered a vigorous crack, but not the kind that induces a headache.

For variety, I tuned the drum lower and set the snares looser, and found the Cherry Bomb to be a great rock drum. I once heard L.A. rockabilly alt mainstay Jerry Angel on a jump-blues gig, with a killer, crackin’ snare. Chatting with him after the set, I couldn’t help noticing the drum was tuned medium-low, and the snare wires rattled so much I thought the throw-off had slipped its position. But while Jerry pummeled it, the sound in the audience had been deceptively focused. The Cherry Bomb, too, likes loose as well as tight tuning.

The Trick throw-off on the Cherry Bomb made it easy to experiment with different tunings and wire tensions. It has three indents that guide you into four positions as you rotate the lever from on to off: “off,” “barely on,” “loosely on,” and “tightly on.” Adjusting the tension knob affects all three “on” positions in equal amounts. I think this is a handy option, especially if the songs you play call for different snare sounds.

Details

MODEL Cherry Bomb
SIZE 14" x 6"
PRICE $487 (US)
SHELL Aluminum
HOOPS Die-cast THROW-OFF Trick Percussion FINISH Red anodized/powder coated
LUGS Eight tube lugs WIRES 42-strand

Contact
Underground Drum Company
905-690-3786
udrum.com

Verdict
The Cherry Bomb is a great drum. Finely crafted with attention to detail, it embodies a combination of design choices that work well together to make a drum that is versatile across the dynamic spectrum. Aluminum is a proven voice for snare drums, and the Cherry Bomb is a sterling specimen of what the metal can do. It has a retail price that reflects the painstaking craftsmanship put into the instrument, but doesn’t vault it into the rarefied air of the collector. This is a worthwhile “player’s drum” that happens to look great. Personally, I don’t need an all-red drum, or I would be sending Udrum my favorite message, “Sorry! Your review item was lost in shipping!”

Hornets Sticks

INVESTIGATING THE BUZZ

By Eric Kamm February 2008

Lets face it – we live in a culture that values looking good over feeling good. That’s usually a bad thing, except for those rare times when it’s possible to have both. Such is the case with Hornets drum sticks.

Appropriately named after the insects they resemble, Hornets are some of the coolest-looking sticks you’re ever likely to come across. I never thought it was possible for the aesthetics of a simple drum stick to compete with its function. A drum stick is all about function, after all. But Hornets has managed to do something really special – create an entirely unique, interesting-looking stick that functions as well as any I’ve used. With their creatively ergonomic design and beautiful, vibrant colors, the sticks approach the level of art. Faced with the prospect of mercilessly bashing these beauties against heads, hoops, and cymbals, I balked. I would sooner destroy a Picasso, or take down the toilet hanging on my wall. But then I got over it, and set to work putting the sticks through their paces.

OUT OF THE BOX
Hornets sent me four pairs of sticks: a pair of 7As, two pairs of 5As, and one pair of 2Bs. If these sticks are art, than the grip-end is the canvas, painted in one of six colors (including one that’s unpainted), while the business-end is left au natural. Right away, I appreciated that I wouldn’t have to worry about paint transfer onto any of my drums or cymbals, which can be a problem with fully painted sticks.

In addition to holding the color, the grip portion is shaped like a vase, or a cylinder wearing a tight belt. But it’s the butt-end where these sticks really diverge from the norm. The bee-hive shaped swelling that adorns the end is painted a mustardy yellow and holds three, evenly spaced, black rubber o-rings that give the end the distinct appearance of a Hornet’s abdomen. And in that brilliant marriage of form and function I mentioned earlier, the rubber o-rings serve two other purposes besides just looking cool: they act as both a shock absorber and a handy mallet when you flip the stick around. As for the other end, each model features a large rounded bead, which is great for drawing hefty pings out of ride cymbals, and thick meaty notes from snares and toms.

WARMING UP
While some people decorate their practice spaces with Salvador Dali posters in order to aid their entering into a creative mindset, all I had to do was glance at these cheery, quirky sticks to feel inspired. I grabbed the 2Bs first and began warming up at a very slow tempo. My initial impression of the sticks was that they felt very solid. They were drawing sturdy notes from my snare, which I’ve come to associate with sticks made of high-quality wood. I wasn’t sure at first whether or not the sticks’ interesting grip was helping, but I appreciated a little variety in my practice routine anyway.

I often slide my grip back near the butt of my sticks when I start hitting harder. As I did this, my hand came to rest against the first rubber o-ring. Because I was using a non-conventional grip, it occurred to me that the Hornet’s unique shape could be a very useful tool for beginners trying to remember to stay near the stick’s fulcrum point while using standard match grip. My bad habits are a little more ingrained, however, and I was able to get nice and comfortable when I moved the sticks’ rounded back ends into the palms of my hands.

SOLO PRACTICE
I took out the 5As for a Marco Minnemann exercise on four-way independence, beginning with a simple ostinato between my left hand and left foot. As I banged away, the thinner sticks felt just as sturdy as the thicker 2Bs. Moving to a doubles pattern between my right hand and right foot, the sticks still felt great. Then onto a paradiddle variation between my right hand and foot, and I suddenly found myself in The Zone. As I was moving my way around the kit playing the slickest tribal rhythms I could conjure, I flipped the sticks over in a flash of inspiration. Suddenly I was Elvin Jones in the “Pursuance/Psalm” movement of “A Love Supreme” as the “stinger” end of the sticks laid into my toms. They sounded like hard timpani mallets, and offered a great, mid-fill variation from the traditional wooden tip sound. They sounded even better when I started throwing in cymbal swells, where their rubber surface created smooth crescendos on my ride and crash.

The thinner but similarly shaped 7As felt just as good as I continued to pretend I was a jazz drummer. It was around this time that I switched over to traditional grip. Anytime I see a uniquely shaped drum stick I’m always curious whether they’re going to feel good while playing traditional. They did indeed. I moved back to match grip just as quickly, and picked up my normal sticks just for a reference. I have to admit – after playing with the Hornets for a while, their shape was starting to feel completely natural – better, even, than the sticks I normally use.

BAND PRACTICE
A stick’s endurance is always important to me since I can’t afford to buy new sticks for every practice session. After four hours of solo playing, I had only marginally succeeded in splintering the wood on one of the 5As. By the time I took out the 2Bs for band practice with my group, Setoff (a progressive punk outfit that requires some heavy hitting), I was determined to break these things in two. Throughout the three hours of practice, the Hornets defiantly held together. Toward the end of practice some of the wood on one of the 2Bs started to crack a little, but it still had plenty of life left in it.

VERDICT
I think the people at Hornets were wise in designing a single, solid stick model, and then making it available in different standard sizes. Their unique grip is extremely comfortable, and surprisingly accommodating to traditional and matched grip, as well as some of the more creative ways in which I tend to hold my sticks. Using the o-rings for a mallet effect is enjoyable and convenient. Although the sticks are a little on the pricey side, their high quality, durability, and unique properties justify their price. Oh yeah, and they look awesome, too.

DETAILS
MODEL Hornets Sticks

PRICE $16.98
FEATURES Large bead tip, swollen butt-end with rubber o-rings, unpainted playing surface, ergonomic design.

SIZES 5A, 5B, 7A, 2B

CONTACT
Hornets Drumsticks, LLC
6635 N. Baltimore Ave.
Suite 230
Portland, OR 97203
917-399-8487
hornetsdrumsticks.com

LP Teams With Carlos Santana On New Abraxas Angel Congas

By Andy Doerschuk Published July 1, 2010

Carlos Santana might not be a percussionist, but his distinctive brand of Latin rock music has inspired generations of U.S. drummers to learn conga technique. No company benefitted more from that cultural revolution than LP, the American percussion maker that has recently introduced Aspire model congas emblazoned with artwork from Santana's 1970 breakthrough album, Abraxas, featuring the instantly recognizable figure of a soaring angel.

LP Aspire Santana Abraxas Angel conga drums feature 28" tall Siam Oak shells in a 10" and 11" conga set (retail price $599), and a 12" tumba ($339). They're fitted with natural rawhide heads for deep tones and dynamic projection, and with EZ Curve rims for comfortable playability. Also available are a pair of matching 6-3⁄4" and 8" bongos ($185) and a unique 11"-tall Mini Santana Abraxas Angel Conga ($80) that is available in both black and white with chrome hardware and a natural rawhide head.

Oy vey, como va! Go get your Santana on!

Custom Classic Kit Owned By Andy Mendoza

By Chris Williams Published June 28, 2010

Andy Mendoza has sent in a couple of photos of his new Custom Classic Kit. Check them out and see his set's specs too!

This is my 2008 custom classic kit. There are some photos with both my new and old set-ups, but the differences are minimal.

Here is my new configuration.

Drums: Custom Classic

• 22" x 18" bass drum.
• 4" x 6-1/2" snare drum.
• 10" x 8" rack tom.
• 14" x 14" floor tom.
• 16" x 16" floor tom.

Cymbals: Paiste

• Alpha14" hi hats.
• 18" thin crash.
• Alpha 20" full ride.
• Pst 18" china.

And this is my old configuration:

I change my rack tom to a 12" x9" and mount it on a Sound Percussion snare stand. I also add another Paiste Pst 18" thin crash with a Sound Percussion boom stand.

Sticks: sound percussion 5A wood tip.

Hardware: Custom Classic hardware, with Sound Percussion and DW hardware (7000 series pedals) and an old Percussion Plus throne, I got when I was 15 years old.

A Trio In Metal

Peace Snare Drums

By John Nyman Published December 2008

Peace is still a new kid on the block, yet over the last few years the company has made a mark with a line of budget drums that offer a tremendous bang-to-buck ratio. The company also makes pro gear and, to my great surprise, some pretty groovy high-end snare drums. I received three of the company’s metal snares, all from the shockingly large Peace Drums catalog. These are the real deal, and Peace has priced them as such. I found some grand delights and some small letdowns. Peace snares rock! Who knew?

The Allure Of Aluminum

First up, and to my tastes the most exciting offering, is the 13" x 5" Batterie Pristine Lyte Aluminum Alloy snare. This very handsome drum is unique in appearance with an all-aluminum, all-matte motif. Its shell is seamless, with a brushed finish rather than a polished sheen. The eight tubular lugs, also made of matte aluminum (with steel-threaded inserts for the tension rods), have a subtle swell to their shape. Heads are crowned with die-cast, matte-finished aluminum hoops that are wide, extending the outer diameter of the drum beyond 14". The effect is more Roman columns than the usual deco mechanical device you get with tube lugs. This drum looks great.

And it sounds great too. The Pristine Lyte Aluminum snare sings with a breathy, slightly sandy voice that can whisper or startle. True to Peace’s catalog claims, it tuned well at both tight and slack tensions, giving it a range that defied its 13" diameter. In spite of the drum’s small head size, I found a large range of good off-center sounds and excellent snare response. The cross-stick sound is a just slightly dull (perhaps owing to the aluminum hoops), and the tall “stick chopper” shape of the hoops felt a little odd (though not bad) under my hand.

The sound of this aluminum shell is neither sharply pointed nor dull. It has a solid whack that drives the backbeat with confidence, but it’s a whack of a different flavor. It’s not a gunshot, but it’s not the wet, warm smack of bronze either. It’s a particular sound, very different than either brass or wood, and unique and pleasant enough to be a worthwhile addition to a snare drum arsenal. Personally, I’d like it to be my #1 go-to drum — I liked it that much. Unfortunately, the list price of $1,627 left me crying in my beer.

And while we are on the subject of price, I’ll say that while this is a great-sounding drum with a cool design and appearance, certain little details make it seem overpriced to me — in particular, the slightly fugly, cheap-looking throw-off and homely badge. Once I cross the line into snares that list over, say, $1,200, I want to fall completely in love with every single element of the drum. I want a fancy, boutique throw-off like a Dunnett or a Trick, and I want a badge with ornate engraving and a serial number that says something like “No. 1 of 5.” Still, my ears are in love with the Pristine Lyte, and if I turn it to hide the throw-off and badge I’m happy. I’m anxious to see what the actual street price of this drum turns out to be. You should be too.

Heavyweight Contender

Like the Pristine Lyte Aluminum snare, the 14" x 5.5" Batterie Foundry Cast Steel snare drum is boldly handsome. The thick (5mm), cast-steel shell is richly chrome-plated to a shaving-mirror gleam, and then accented with a knurled band around its circumference. The ten curvy tube lugs and die-cast steel hoops are all fabulously chromed. Black nylon washers nestle under lugs at contact points with the shell, and these small black accents push the drum over the top into a great, macho look.

Though it looks like a gleaming brute, the Batterie Foundry Cast Steel drum is quite sophisticated. It easily passed the whisper test (hold the drum up to your face and whisper — the snares should buzz), and it articulated the best buzz rolls I could muster. Off-center ring was timbale-like. Indeed, this thick steel shell is a cousin to a timbale, and is also a sonic cousin to the infamous cracking steel sound of name drummers including Chad Smith and Morgan Rose (yes, I realize that they play another brand). It responded perfectly to soft rudiments and violent backbeats alike, and did it all with the signature pop of a steel shell mixed with a very meaty, fat body. Perhaps owing to the thick cast shell, the tone had no unsavory wang, just a ring that is unique to steel. It was fun to smack this drum, which had the aural torque of a V-8 engine. Drive a band? Heck, you can dominate a band with this thing. This is a fun, fun drum.

On the downside, it features the same questionable throw-off as the Pristine Lyte, and lists at $1,040 — still too high a mark for a snare fitted with such a cheap strainer. And it weighs a ton. Well more like 15 lbs., actually — but recalculated into relative drum weights (akin to dog years), that’s a ton. But if you can handle lugging this around, it’ll cover your rocking needs, and take on all challenges.

A Beauty By Any Other Name

Before we investigate the secrets of the 14" x 5.5" Black Chrome-Over-Brass snare — a very good drum with few flaws — I must digress. The original Ludwig Black Beauty hails from around the 1920s, and had a brass body with a bead that circled the shell. Die-cast hoops were held on with clips and tension rods that connected to tube lugs (modern hoops with holes hadn’t yet been invented). Top and bottom edges of the brass shell were rolled and creased to form bearing edges.

Apparently, it is one of the greatest combinations of materials and design ever devised, because every year yet another company introduces a “new” snare that is essentially a Black Beauty with subtle twists on the original design (including different crimps and welds and lugs and shell thicknesses). Hey, even Ludwig — which made chrome-over-brass variations of the drum in the ’60s — this year introduced a new black copy of its own invention! Furthermore, most top studio cats have at least one actual 1920s Black Beauty in their arsenal.

So let me introduce to you the Peace SD-142 Black Chrome-Over-Brass snare drum. It is another in the endless line of Black Beauty knock-offs, but a good one at that! And at a list price of $679, it will give some stiff competition to other such snares with beaded brass shells, die-cast hoops, and ten tube lugs. Peace has passed muster with no sweat. The chrome was smooth and lustrous, and fit and finish was quite good. The curve of the tube lugs is an aesthetic plus. Nylon washers sit under the tension rods, which work fine, but aren’t quite buttery smooth. There’s that same no-bling snare throw-off, which I still don’t like, but there’s also the two fine, 4.5mm zinc die-cast hoops, which I do like. (The shell is 1.2mm thick.)

Brass snares like this have a wonderful, wet, warm, thunk sound under the crisp, fast responsiveness of the heads and wires. Breaking the head in a bit only adds to the sweetness of the backbeat. This Peace drum is no exception — it’s a really good drum, and offered up all the sweetness of the beaded brass magic that drummers have come to know and love. Is it just like the real deal? Well, if you mean an antique drum in great shape that costs a bundle … no. But it does play like a contemporary beaded-shell brass drum. And if you don’t have the dough for a real antique but still want a B.B.-style snare (and you should), this drum is worth checking out. Heck, if you swapped out the throw-off for a boutique one and the tension rods for stainless steel, you’d be set for many years.

Verdict

Peace has surprised me with the vigorous quality and forward-thinking aesthetics of these three drums. Two of the three are, in my opinion, fine drums that have been priced too high. The third black/brass snare drum is a winner in the essential copycat category.

Model SD-504 Batterie Pristine Lyte Aluminum Alloy Snare
Shell 13" x 5" Seamless Aluminum
Finish Matte
Features Eight tube lugs, aluminum counterhoops.
Price $1,627
Model SD-513 Batterie Foundry Series Cast Steel Snare
Shell 14" x 5.5" Cast Steel
Finish Polished Chrome Plated
Features Ten tube lugs, black nylon washers, ornamental knurled band circling the shell
Price $1,040
Model SD-142 Black Chrome-Over-Brass Snare
Shell 14" x 5.5" Beaded Brass
Finish Polished Chrome Plating
Features Ten tube lugs, nylon washers, 4.5mm zinc die-cast counterhoops
Price $679
CONTACT
Peace Musical Company
877-999-4327
peacedrum.com

Toca 12" Acacia Tambourines: Light & Loud

By Andy Doerschuk Published June 25, 2010

Big brothers are usually born before their little brothers, but somehow Toca has managed to defy the very laws of nature with its Acacia tambourine. After the public’s embrace of the 10" model — with its lightweight feel, distinctive sound, and attractive appearance — Toca recently rolled out a 12" version (with the catchy model number of T1012-A). Still lightweight? Yep. Distinctive sound? Uh huh. Pretty as a peach? You betcha! The big difference is a bigger sound that splits the difference between “warm and dry” and “bright and sharp.” Otherwise you can still expect a 12" frame made of exotic acacia wood and married to a double row of nickel-plated steel jingles (eighteen pairs in all). The company’s craftsmen have shown such attention to detail that holes in the shell for the pins that hold the jingles are hand-filled and sanded in order to provide the smoothest possible edge. And it’s all yours for a mere $49.

Trick Metal-Shell Drums

SHOWING WOOD THE DOOR

By Brad Schlueter
Originally published in DRUM! Magazine’s February 2008 Issue

The close-minded among us may wonder, “Why would anyone want a metal drum set?” This question may arise even in the minds of those who already own a metal snare drum, yet have never questioned its purpose. Trick Drums, a company that has been making high-tech drums since the early ’90s, has become known chiefly for its custom aluminum shell drum sets. During a recent tour of the Trick warehouse, I received an explanation of why aluminum makes a good material for drum shells from a company that’s gambled everything on its ability to convince drummers to simply give its product a chance.

The main reason for owning a metal drum set, as it turns out, is consistency. We’ve all played wood drum sets and faced the challenge of not being able to get, say, one of the toms to sound good. That can be related to a manufacturing error or to a natural variation in the wood’s density. Aluminum doesn’t suffer from the density variations of wood, and is by its nature a very musical metal. Wind chimes and vibraphone bars are often made of aluminum because it has a beautiful, airy quality with tons of sustain and no strange overtones. After my tour I sat down with an assortment of Trick offerings to see if the company could put its metal where its mouth is, and I’m happy to report that the drums live up to their reputation for innovative design, rich sound, and consistency.

SHELLS
Trick uses very high-tech manufacturing processes and a high-quality grade of aircraft aluminum, both of which result in strong, musical shells. During my tour of the facilities, Trick’s V.P. struck a few shells of the same size, producing an identical pitch each time, with far more sustain than a wood shell. The shells are 3.175mm (1/8")-thick, making them some of the thinnest shells you can buy. And as you may know, thinner shells produce lower notes than thicker shells. Since they’re made from a rolled sheet of material and welded, they have a single-ply style of construction and don’t need or use reinforcing rings to add strength. The shells are incredibly strong, the proof of which came when a Trick employee stood on a raw shell that didn’t deform under his 200-plus pounds of weight. The weld points are smooth and are actually stronger than the shell itself. As a result, Trick confidently offers a lifetime guarantee against material failure.

Trick uses void-free extruded aluminum billet alloy lugs, which are stronger and don’t have the porous interior of die-cast parts. They’ve recently improved upon their bass drum hoops, which are now constructed of a solid ring of high-grade aluminum and, like the shells, produce identical pitches to each other when struck, with lots of sustain.

Trick feels that, unlike wood shells, its drums have enough sustain that they don’t warrant suspension mounts, which is why the kit I tested didn’t have them. But being a custom manufacturer, Trick will gladly accommodate a request for suspension mounts. The shells have dual 45-degree bearing edges, and you can choose the heads you want to come with your kit. I chose Trick’s default setup of Evans Clear G1s for the toms, an EMAD for the bass drum, and a coated G1 for the snare batters with Hazy 300s underneath. All the drums have 2.3mm hoops and the snares come equipped with Trick’s innovative GS007 strainer. Even the snare attachment cables are high-tech, and are made from stainless steel braided line dipped in nylon to prevent you from puncturing your skin or the drumhead. The snare wires themselves are made of phosphor bronze.

THE KIT
Trick loaned me a 4-piece kit with a 20" x 18" bass drum, a 12" x 8" mounted tom, a 14" x 12" suspended floor tom, a 14" x 5.5" matching snare, one of Trick’s remarkably smooth pedals (the new favorite among death metal drummers), and an assortment of additional snare drums, which I’ll talk about later. The kit featured Trick’s Sapphire Sparkle finish, both on the inside and outside of the shells. The finish is a rich, dark blue with small multi-colored flecks under a smooth gloss. Viewed straight on, it makes the drums appear blue, but when viewed from an angle, it changes to more of a purplish color.

Trick offers an incredible array of stock finishes – thousands actually. The company also offers painted and powder-coated finishes, anodized finishes, and its unique Millillusion finish, which places holograms in the surface of the metal. Trick recently added another process as well, which places high-resolution digital graphics onto the shells. This would come in especially hand if your band is on tour supporting a new CD. You could have Trick put the album graphics on the shell for much less than the cost of hiring an artist to paint everything by hand. And the process can be repeated over and over again at a nominal cost.

HARDWARE
Trick’s GS007 strainer is available in two colors – black or aluminum, and two varieties – a standard on/off style and a cool multi-step version. The difference between the two is that the multi-step strainer has four positions. You can set it to “off,” or you can set it to three different degrees of the “on” position. As you rotate the handle you can feel three slight detents where you can leave the strainer for varying degrees of crispness without having to adjust the fine-tuning knob. This is nice if you want to quickly change from a looser second-line sound to a tighter and crisper Stewart Copeland-type sound.

AT THE GIG
I unleashed these drums at a gig with an unsuspecting band, whose members were subscribers to the myth that metal shell drums sound bad, tinny, metallic, or lack tone, which is why I didn’t tell them I wasn’t playing a high-end wood drum kit until after the gig was over. Needless to say, I got a couple of serious double takes when I said they were made of aluminum. The bass player still had trouble believing it even after I removed the rack tom to show him the inside of the drum. I had to rap on the shell of the bass drum with my stick to finally convince him.

Speaking of the bass drum, this 20" x 18" sounded incredibly deep, with lots of low end for its diameter. But it can also be tuned higher for more of a jazz sound. With the rock tuning I employed, the drum was deep and punchy, and was capable of producing plenty of volume. I preferred the thinner EMAD muffling ring with this drum. I got great feedback when I miked it at the gig. The drum has convenient Sonor-style, round tuning knobs that don’t require a drum key and, unlike T-rods, don’t get caught on the edge of your bag when you’re packing up.

The 12" x 8" and 14" x 12" toms were absolutely wonderful, and sang with crystal-clear notes. At a normal tuning, the rack tom sounded perfect, with lots of tone and sustain even without a suspension mount. The bigger tom sounded very deep, and projected with great attack. I tried jazz tunings later and the drums rang even more, but they might benefit more from a coated head for this type of gig. The pitches between the drums were clean and completely distinct.

The 14" x 5.5" matching aluminum shell snare had a full-sounding attack and a lot of body. The rim-click was killer, very loud and clear, which was a result of the 2.3mm hoops. And the rimshots had just the right amount of ring.

THE OTHER SNARES Each of the snare drums I received sounded excellent, with wide tuning ranges and a great rim-click. Each one could be a prize choice for any professional drummer. While sensitive, none of the drums ever sounded choked under heavy bashing, and they always seemed to have a little more to give.

The 13" x 7" aluminum Green Sparkle snare was one of my favorites. It has everything you might want in a snare drum. It offers the slightly higher pitch a 13" drum offers, but with enough depth of body so the sound doesn’t become too thin. The drum was very crisp and sensitive, responding to soft buzzes or loud rimshots with equal ease. The rim-click was also excellent on this drum. The rimshots, while loud, had a good balance between decay and attack and didn’t require any muffling.

The 14" x 5.5" solid brass 3mm-shell snare had a bit more midrange than some of the others, and sounded strikingly similar to the next drum on this list – the identically sized copper snare – but had a little more ring. It featured a gold, Millillusion finish that was simply stunning.

The 14" x 6.5" copper snare had a slightly drier, darker, and warmer tonality than the other drums. If you’d like a drum with a bit more in its lower midrange, or even the sound of a wood drum but with better articulation, this is your snare. My only complaint with the one I received was cosmetic: Trick decided against clear-coating it so it would get a verdigris appearance over time (think Statue Of Liberty). If you live near the coast, the drum should turn an interesting shade of green over time. In the Midwest where I live, however, the drum simply looked smudged. Of course, Trick will gladly clear-coat the drums on request.

The 14" x 6.5" stainless steel snare with a brushed finish was another killer snare drum. It was loud and full yet still very crisp sounding. It was perfect at the gig and clearly brought out my lighter notes in a way that a wood drum just can’t match. Unlike the two aluminum snares, this drum, the solid brass snare, and the copper snare, were fairly heavy due to the 3.175mm thickness, but their sound is worth the drums’ weight in gold.

VERDICT

What didn’t I like about these drums? Not much. Obviously, if you want the striations of a natural wood finish, these drums can’t deliver. But on all other fronts they have a lot to offer. These drums offer a lot of innovative features, are incredibly strong, remarkably consistent, and sound fantastic. They’re sensitive to delicate playing, yet project well when pounded, and come in a plethora of finishes. What more could you want?

DETAILS

MODELS Trick Sapphire Sparkle aluminum-shell drum set and aluminum, brass, copper, and stainless steel snares.

SHELLS 3.175mm aluminum, brass, copper, or stainless steel

PRICES

Kit: 20" x 18" bass, 12" x 8" and 14" x 12" toms, and 14" x 5.5" matching snare: $4,647.

Snares:

• 13" x 7" aluminum: $998
• 14" x 5.5" solid brass: $1,050
• 14" x 6.5" copper: $1,150
• 14" x 6.5" stainless steel: $1,000

FEATURES Dual, 45-degree bearing edges on the shells, void-free extruded aluminum billet alloy lugs, a staggering variety of finishing options, and a lifetime warranty against material failure.

CONTACT
Trick Percussion Products Inc.
450 E. Remington Road
Schaumburg, IL 60173
847-519-9911
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

PDP & Sabian Team Up To Offer A Big Box O’ Drums

By Andy Doerschuk Published June 23, 2010

Talk about one-stop shopping! Pacific Drums And Percussion has made it easy as pie for entry-level drummers to slide into their first kit with the Mainstage Series. The 5-piece “kit in a box” includes 10" x 8", 12" x 9", and 16" x 14" toms, a 22" x 126" kick, and matching 14" x 5" snare, along with a CB700 cymbal boom stand, CS700 straight cymbal stand, SS700 snare stand, HH700 hi-hat stand, and drum throne, and Sabian SBR crash, ride and hi-hat cymbals. Available in a choice of Bronze Metallic and Black Metallic wrap finishes, the Mainstage retails for $1,166.99. The only thing missing is … you!

Pearl Session Custom SRX Owned By Steve Hogue

By Chris Williams Published June 22, 2010

Steven Hogue of Vandergrift, Pennsylvania, not only has an awesome set of Pearl drums, but he also has a good story to go with him. Here's how he acquired this set over 25 years.

After 25 years of playing the same 1979 Natural Maple Finish Ludwig kit (a 5-piece with some extras that I added over the years), on which I recorded three CDs (one progressive rock, one progressive metal opera, and one straight ahead blues-based rock) between 2002 and 2005, I decided to step up to my dream configuration, which is what you will see in the pictures below.

It was difficult to part with that old Ludwig kit this past winter, because my mother and grandparents bought it for me brand new from a local music shop when I was just a young boy. But I had been out of work for a while and needed the money. I am happy to say that I did get more than all of our money's worth out of that kit, so that realization made it a little easier to let it go.

Now that I am back to work, I am looking for another kit that I can take out to recording sessions and performances, perhaps something a little smaller than my “Drum Set Of The Week” entry. I simply miss not having one kit set up at home and one packed up and ready to go at all times.

So I guess that the next thing for me to do is give the rundown of my home-based kit, followed by some pictures. But before I do, I must apologize for the quality of the pictures. The dark walls in my drum room, in conjunction with all the stands and cymbals, cause some unwanted lighting effects. It's either that, or I am just a lousy photographer, which I can accept. Anyway, drums are my passion!

Steven M. Hogue

And this is Steven’s intense drum setup

Drums: Pearl Session Custom (SRX); All Maple Shells; Carbon Mist Finish
22" x 18" Kick, 10" x 8", 12" x 9", 14" x 11" (on my left), 14" x 12" and 16" x 14" Toms with Pearl OptiMounts (two toms had to be custom ordered from Pearl because they changed the lug design with the introduction of the SMX and SBX series), and a 13" x 3" Pearl Steel Shell Piccolo Snare (black)

Cymbals:
21" Sabian AA Dry Ride, 14" Sabian AAX Dark Crash, 15" Sabian AAX Dark Crash, 17" Sabian AA Medium Crash, 18" Sabian AA Medium Thin Crash, 6" Sabian AA Splash, two 8" Sabian AA Splashes, 12" Sabian AA Splash, 14" Zildjian A Rock Hi-Hats, 18" Zildjian Z Custom China, 18" Zildjian A China Low, 10" Zildjian A Splash, 14" Paiste Sound Formula Heavy Hi-Hats

Percussion
Two LP Ridge Rider Rock Cowbells, 6" and 8" LP Mini Timbales, 6" and 4.5" Toca Cowbells, Pearl Low Clave Block

Hardware
Tama Iron Cobra Rolling Glide Double Bass Pedal, Pearl H820W Hi-Hat Stand, Pearl Snare Drum Stand (similar to the current S2000, but without the individually adjustable basket arms and reversible rubber/spike tips), Pearl ICON Rack System (straight bars) with 18 PC-50 Clamps and 2 PCL-100 Pipe Leg Clamps, 12 Gibraltar Boom Arms, Gibraltar X-Hat, five Pearl TH2000S Gyro-Lock System Tom Holders, Pearl AX-20 Clamp (used with a Uni-Lock Tom Holder and a PC-50 Clamp to stabilize the Hi-Hat Stand via the ICON Rack), two Gibraltar Clamps with L-Rods, LP Cowbell Holder, A second Pearl Uni-Lock Tom Holder for mounting my Pearl Mountable Trap Table

Electronics:
An Alesis SR-16 used as a metronome and for programming percussion patterns,an M-Audio Sustain Pedal, used to start and stop the Alesis Drum Machine

Heads:
Pearl ProTone batter heads on all toms with a clear Pearl head of sorts on the bottoms, Remo Suede Emperor batter head on the snare drum, and an Ambassador snare-side head, Pearl ProTone kick drum batter head, and a black Pearl logo head (made by Remo) on the front, and Remo Coated Ambassadors on the Mini Timbales

Sticks and Brushes:
Pro-Mark wood-tip New Generation 808 (wood tip, Japan Oak), Zildjian wood-tip Super Stroke (wood tip, Hickory), Vic Firth Rute 505, Pro-Mark stick bag

The Science Of Drum Building

Canopus Bop Drums

By Brad Schlueter Published December 2008

Canopus seems to be obsessed with sound. The high-end Japanese drum maker believes that three characteristics — shell material, construction, and bearing edge profile — are responsible for most of a drum’s sound.

For example, the company experimented with 25 different shell designs before finding the ideal combination for its 10" tom. However, it decided that the formula only applied to the 10", and went on to create a shell design unique to each tom size in its catalog. For this reason, unlike many boutique drum manufacturers, Canopus doesn’t offer a myriad of drum dimensions to suit every possible taste, and even matches each shell diameter to a specific depth that it believes sounds best for that size. As a result, Canopus recommends its 22"-diameter bass drum in a 15" depth. So, if you’re into fashion more than sound, and require a vented snare and 20" x 20" kick drum, you might want to shop elsewhere. To be fair, though, the company does offer a few other sizes for bass drums and toms that will accommodate popular requests, such as a 22" x 18" kick.

In an effort to reduce unwanted overtones and maximize shell resonance, Canopus similarly marries bearing edge profiles to specific drum sizes. Drummers often muffle the head to reduce excessive ringing, but Canopus prefers to sculpt bearing edges that allow heads to vibrate to their fullest without unwanted overtones. The company prides itself in creating a bass drum bearing edge that produces a fat sound without high overtones that require additional muffling or porting the resonant head. But Canopus doesn’t stop there. Its reinforcing rings are proportional and vary in size depending on the size and desired tone of the drum. Even its die-cast hoops are designed to contribute to the drum’s tone.

OUT OF THE BOX
I received a kit from Canopus’ R.F.M. series, which arrived fitted with die-cast hoops and brass hardware. Sizes included a 22" x 15" bass drum, 10" x 7" and 12" x 8" toms, 14" x 13" and 16" x 15" floor toms, an 8-ply 14" x 6.5" maple snare, and a 14" x 5" steel snare. All shells were thin and made of 100-percent American maple (barring the steel snare), although the company offers a wide variety of other shell options. Canopus makes its own snare wires and uses proprietary Bolt Tight washers on every drum, which are meant to prevent detuning and add warmth to the sound.

The toms and bass drum I received were finished in Charcoal Oil, which had a light sheen and revealed striations in the wood grain. The maple snare was painted in an opaque high-gloss Black Lacquer finish, and was the only wood drum that didn’t use reinforcing rings. Canopus offers a variety of finishes but leans toward traditional tastes — perfect for jazz drummers. The brass lugs were gold colored, as were the die-cast grommets, even though the rest of the hardware was chromed. Though I generally prefer when lugs and hoops match, I thought the combination looked good with this Charcoal finish. Canopus thoughtfully included several spare lugs of each type in case one became cross-threaded.

The bass drum boasted ten lugs per head, and came with a tom mount, which I prefer for sheer convenience. The bass drum claws didn’t have gaskets to prevent hoop marks, but there was a rubber liner to protect the hoop at the pedal attachment point.

NUTS AND BOLTS
I also received a full assortment of both heavy-duty and light hardware. The hi-hat stand was very lightweight (6.2 lbs) with small-diameter tubing, yet includes some nice features that make it usable in professional situations that don’t require bulky gear. It had a spring tension adjustment, rotating tripod base legs (with a relatively small spread), spurs to secure it on carpeted flooring, and newly designed hinges and bearings for smooth motion. The flat-base snare stand was also compact, weighing only 5 lbs, and came with a ratcheted tilter.

A throwback to hardware from the 1960s, the flat-base cymbal stand will work best for a ride cymbal that isn’t played very heavily. The tilter is simple, but too insubstantial for many of the gigs I play. Gentle jazz drummers with bad backs will love it since it weighs only 3 lbs, though it’s pricey at $117.

The hybrid throne and tripod-base cymbal stand, however, were excellent and innovative. This hardware uses some aluminum parts to reduce overall weight without affecting strength, just like old Slingerland hardware and DW’s flat-base stands. All of the other hardware was good, solid stuff as well.

THE SOUND
Our test snare and toms sounded very good with their supplied coated Ambassador heads, as did the bass drum with its Powerstroke 3 batter. When tuned for rock, the toms and bass drum had a fat tone with a slightly dry character — exactly what Canopus had in mind. Each tom blended well with the others and offered a wide range, easily tuning up for jazz, with a nice round tone. If I wanted a bit more sustain from the toms, I’d swap clear resonant heads for the coated ones.

You might think a 15"-deep bass drum wouldn’t have enough bottom end, but the 22" x 15" bass drum delivered a big sound without being too boomy. You could port the head or muffle it if you like the way that feels, but it wouldn’t be necessary otherwise. The drum is also pleasantly lightweight.

Both snares came with simple and quiet side throw-offs, 8-lug die-cast hoops, and Canopus’ Vintage Wires, which recreate the Slingerland snare wires that graced so many vintage drums. (Canopus also offers Back Beat snare wires for rock drummers.) The steel drum offered a nice crack, good brightness, and plenty of sensitivity for lighter play. It also had a fuller tone than I would normally expect from a 5"-deep steel snare, yet didn’t ring with excessive overtones, eliminating the need for muffling. The maple snare also sounded quite good, with a full range of frequencies, and would be fine in either a rock or jazz setting. Each snare drum provided strong, clear rim-clicks when playing ballads and Latin grooves.

Canopus wants the acoustic sound of its drums to translate perfectly in the recording studio. You can judge for yourself if the company accomplishes that goal by visiting canopusdrums.com, where you will find unprocessed recordings of various kits. I think you’ll agree that the drums sound very good without EQ, making them a good choice for studio work. Now why don’t more manufacturers do that?

VERDICT
Canopus drums sound great and are reasonably priced for high-end drums. Rock drummers who want the wildest finishes will probably look elsewhere, but if you value substance over style, Canopus may have just the drums for you.

DETAILS
SHELLS 5-ply 100-percent maple drum shells.
CONFIGURATION 22" x 15" and 18" x 14" bass drums, 10" x 7" and 12" x 8" toms, 14" x 13" and 16" x 15" floor toms, an 8-ply 14" x 6.5" maple snare and a 14" x 5" steel snare, and an assortment of hardware.
FINISH Charcoal Oil kit color, with Black Lacquer maple snare.
FEATURES Brass lugs; die-cast hoops; Bolt Tight washers; Canopus Vintage snare wires; thin, lightweight shells with varying bearing edges and reinforcement ring sizes.
PRICE
14" x 5" steel snare drum: $816
14" x 6.5" maple snare: $997.
CONTACT
Canopus Drums
81-3-3247-0330
canopusdrums.com

Limited Edition Lacquer Kits

By Andrew Lentz Published November 3, 2009

A limited edition Birch/Basswood version of Mapex's Horizon drum kit will be rockin' your summer. Each 6-piece set features one of two transparent lacquered finishes and stunning black hardware. All drum sets come with a free 8-inch add-on tom, complete with mounting hardware.

“The Horizon Series offers a unique blend of advanced features and classic sounding shells that are unmatched for its price,” explained Joe Hibbs, Mapex Product and Artist Manager. “The free tom included with the Horizon Limited Edition adds to that value by literally offering more bang for the buck.”

The Horizon Limited Edition set comes with a 22 x 18 bass drum, the free 8 x 7 tom, as well as 10 x 8 and 12 x 9 mounted toms, a 16 x 16 floor tom and a 14 x 5.5 snare drum. The set also comes with a full complement of Mapex 500 Series Hardware, including a snare stand, cymbal stand, boom stand, hi-hat stand and bass drum pedal.

The Birch/Basswood mixed shell gives a rich, controlled sound for maximum versatility in any setting. The Horizon Limited Edition is available in two high-gloss lacquer finishes: Transparent Cherry Red [HZB6295BCY] and Transparent Midnight Black [HZB6295BMB]. List price for the 6-piece set is $1,249.

Hammerax Hybrids: Bronze Brilliance

By Karen Stackpole
Originally published in DRUM! Magazine’s February 2008 Issue

As a bona fide metal junkie, I became intrigued when I heard about a notable collection of far-out bronze instruments unveiled at PASIC 2006. The line is called Hammerax Hybrids and it’s the brainchild of John Stannard of Om Percussion and J.W. Stannard fame. Renowned for his pure-tone Energy Chimes, Stannard spent time in Bali in the ’90s expanding his metalworking craft by learning the art of forging bronze. His experiments with various alloys and metalworking methods eventually led him to these latest innovations of bizarrely bombastic bronze brilliance.

The “Hybrid” moniker is the result of a crafting method that incorporates various techniques of cymbal, gong, and bell making to create unique instruments that offer complex harmonics and extraordinary percussive intensity for any number of applications: at the drum set, or as part of any percussion rig. There are a variety of models in the Hammerax line with names such as Boomywang, Meanie, Glass, DustBowl, Lash, and HellBell, and each has its own voice, from vibrato to sustained tone to airy highs to rumbly lows to white noise with a quick decay.

You can play the instruments with standard sticks, various mallets, bows, and hands, but there’s no stopping you from pinching and punching and waggling and whatever else elicits sound from these things. Each method draws out a particular emphasis of the spectrum of sounds these instruments are capable of producing.

The Hybrids can be used for esoteric percussion scenarios or as a drum set accent, complementing standard splashes, crashes, and China-type cymbals. I tried the instruments in both settings during the test period and was quite pleased with their versatility and the way their sounds blended with other elements of the kit. I also liked the way they provided me with a wider range of accents in my percussion rig. Plus, the sassy shapes and sounds piqued a lot of onlooker interest.

OUT OF THE BOX
For this review, I received four sizes of the Glass model (10", 12", 14", and 16"), a 12" DustBowl, an 18" paper-thin Meanie, and an 18" paper-thin Lash. Other models offered are the Boomywang in sizes between 10" and 36" and the Culebra (30"), both of which are vibrato-type instruments, and HellBells (loud cymbal/bell combinations) between 7" and 17", the 36" Slice, and the multi-cymbal Splashvine (a string of oddly shaped splashes of various size).

All of the instruments I received were fitted with Spectra cords. Per pound, Spectra is reputedly stronger than piano wire. According to Hammerax, the smaller instruments are rated at 160 lb. test and the larger ones up to 640 lb. test. The strong cord allows the instruments to be suspended, free swinging, from boom stands, and its low mass lets the highs shine uninhibited. The Glass, Meanie, and Lash instruments are tied to a crossbar of polished wood that is drilled with a center hole for mounting on traditional cymbal boom stands.

The DustBowl doesn’t have the wooden top piece, but simply gets suspended from its string like a gong. This allows you to quickly lift it from its moorings when desired and place it on top of a cymbal or hi-hat (or, if you want to go out on a limb, even a tom-tom) for a dramatic crasher effect.

After hauling tons of gear around (an unfortunate side effect of being a metal junkie), I found the Hammerax Hybrids to be a breeze to transport. The smaller versions I was reviewing were lightweight and fit easily into a cymbal bag. I had to schlep extra hardware to be able to hang all of the instruments, but it was worth it.

PLAY TIME
The special shapes of the Hammerax instruments allow a great depth of sonic possibilities. The sound each instrument produces is significantly affected by the playing approach. The hybrids are hardy enough to be struck with sticks, and subtle enough to produce a broad spectrum of tones when played with various yarn, felt, and rubber mallets, or knitting needles, egg whisks, hands, and bows. I found them to be particularly exciting for bowing, as they offered a plethora of different notes depending on how and where I bowed them.

These Hybrids inspire exploration, and they were great used alone as accenting effects, or played in conjunction with cymbals and drums to create complex statements. Some sounds are quite pleasant and soothing, while others are quite brash and industrial. They were great to use in conjunction with electronics as radical percussive effects.

GLASS
The hybrid known as Glass looks suspiciously gong-like, aside from the wavy-edged hole cut through its center. Also, the lower section of the doughnut in the middle of the eighth notch has been cleaved completely through so that the two edges vibrate freely when struck. The alloy is super flexible, and the bottom half really wobbles. Each of the four sizes of the Glass model I received had similar characteristics sonically, but naturally had different overall pitches.

I was astounded to find that the smallest of the set produced the lowest overtone when lightly struck with a yarn mallet. All four had beautiful shimmering highs when played with both sticks and mallets. I found that striking each section of the surface with various implements elicited different pitches and washes.

The subtleties were fantastic, and when miked for recording, the nuances really shone. The phased wobbling of the split section created a truly wild modulating tone. The central hole with its smooth notches allowed for some creative bowing with a cello bow – and varied notes could be coaxed from each notch for a disturbingly melodic effect.

Played as an accent at the drum set, the Glass sounded much like a rich China-type cymbal with a smoother crash. And dragging a stick around the edge of the central hole produces a swelling wash. The instrument has a quicker decay than a gong. Simply pressing a stick down at the bottom edge of the hole effectively chokes the sound.

DUSTBOWL
The DustBowl also has a gong-like appearance, with a broad central hole and a splashy cymbal-like tone. It’s a little thicker and definitely less flexible than the wobbly Glass, and doesn’t feature a built-in crossbar, which makes it particularly well suited for quick-change applications. When hanging freely, it sustains longer than the Glass model and has frothing highs and mids that really cut. And like the Glass, it’s excellent for bowing, as it can emit amazingly varied bright tones.

You can easily lift the DustBowl from whatever it’s hanging off of and place it atop a set of hi-hats or a cymbal for industrial-type white noise accents. The arch of the profile leaves airspace between the Hybrid and the cymbal, and the hole leaves the bell exposed. If the crash or ride cymbal is not resting at a fairly horizontal position, however, the DustBowl tends to slide right down the bell and hang on the clamp at the top of the stand.

I also used the DustBowl on toms, both concavely positioned for a delightful combination of metal and drum warbling crashes, and convexly for a drier effect to facilitate controlled rhythmic accents. This instrument proved very versatile and its aggressive tone blended especially well with electronics.

MEANIE
The Meanie Hybrid is aptly named given its elongated visage, similar to one of the Blue Meanies of Yellow Submarine fame. With its raised central nose, its polished eyeholes (for the cord), and its set of three smiling tonal slots, which look like a mouth and chins, the Meanie actually appears quite cheery.

Hitting the nose with a drumstick let’s you achieve a dry ride sound, and striking off center results in a brash, fast crash with a sizzling high-frequency content. Softer mallets still elicit a distinct attack, but more muted, with a rounded froth coming up from underneath. Plucking the “chin” area at the lower edge sets the slotted area vibrating, which coaxes a rumbly low end out of this model. Pinging with bamboo dowels and knitting needles around the outside edges creates airy little accents of varying pitch.

LASH
I did a double take when I caught a gander of the Lash Hybrid. It looks, well, like eyelashes. It has a rounded rectangular shape, with its lower section separated in six dynamic tentacles that wobble at different rates when you so much as touch the thing. It has a gentle wash with a quick decay and is not quite as loud as the other Hybrids in this review.

The fringe vibrating in response to the attack lingers a bit after the subsiding of the frothy crash, offering a subtle warbling rumble. This modulating rumble can be brought out by simply plucking at one of the lashes and allowing the Hybrid to sing freely. There is a gentle swell of lows with an airy gust of high-end wash.

Sticks have a more defined affect on the surface, whereas yarn mallets have a mellower voice. Certain sonic aspects of the Lash are understated in louder settings, but its subtle nuances can be picked up with a well-placed microphone.

VERDICT
Stannard and his pioneering shop of metalsmiths certainly have created something to buzz about. Each hand-hammered work of art has something unique to say, and is adaptable to both traditional and esoteric musical settings for drummers and percussionists. These bronze effects offer excellent controllability, both subtle and aggressive sounds, and quick decay without unruly sustain in the low-mid frequencies. A few Hammerax Hybrids in your arsenal of percussion items will certainly expand your sonic possibilities, as well as enhance the aesthetics of your setup.

DETAILS

MODELS AND SIZES PRICES

Glass (Wavy Center):

• 10" (extra-thin) $110
• 12" (thin) $140
• 14" (thin) $180
• 16" (thin) $200

DustBowl:

• 12" $111

Meanie:

• 18" (paper-thin) $222
• 28" (thin) $580

Lash:

• 18" (paper-thin) $260

CONTACT
Hammerax
2140-C Range Road
Clearwater, FL 33765
hammerax.com
727-442-5050

Fusion Hats Get Modern And Dark

By Andrew Lentz Published June 15, 2010

Fusion Hats, one of Sabian’s most popular cymbal innovations, are now available in the company’s Modern Dark series, HHX. Featuring a medium top and a heavy, un-lathed, hand-hammered bottom — hence the name fusion.

These hats deliver high-definition sticking, crisp, clear pedal ‘chick’, and cutting volume in both closed and open positions. Though the name might suggest they’re designed for playing fusion-style music, these hats are ideal for any number of genres from rock, pop, punk, gospel or funk.

Said Sabian product specialist Mark Love, “With an HHX top, these Fusion Hats combine the hot darkness of HHX with the dark but defined cut of the heavy HH bottom, for a crisp blend of tonal darkness. The innovative ‘Tone Projection’ design of HHX also means these hats project their dark tonality, so drummers wanting darkness in high-volume situation can be heard without excessively hard playing.”

Fast Facts

Metal: B20 SABIAN Bronze

Weight: Medium Top/Heavy Bottom

Finish: Natural or Brilliant

Hammering: Jumbo-Peen (top), hand hammered (bottom)

Lathing: Top: Pinpoint

Bottom: Raw, unlathed

Warranty: Two Years

Sizes: 13” - 14”

Reddrick's 80's Premiers

By Jordan Liffengren Published May 25, 2010

Robert Reddrick's 26-year old Premiers are a thing of beauty. Here's what he has to say about them.

"The basic kit is a 1980 Premier Soundwave SL2 in a copper wrap. I believe it was the cover model for that year. It was purchased from Bill Crowdens Drums Ltd. in Chicago, (the store is now gone sadly). Over the years it has seen a lot of road work. It traveled with me to Dubai, United Arab Emirates in the early ’90s, and toured with me all over the U.S. with the Platters (1997–2000)."

DRUMS

• Two copper Ludwig timbales
• 13" x 3.5" Pacific chrome piccolo snare
• 14" x 6" Tama chrome snare drum
• 13" x 9", 14" x 9.5", 15" x 11.5", 16" x 15" Premier open toms
• 18" x 15.5" double side floor tom
• 24" x 14" bass drum
• Yamaha double-bass pedal

CYMBALS

• LP Icebell
• 13" Zildjian Z custom dyno beat hi-hat
• 10" Sabian splash
• 16" Zildjian A medium crash
• 10"Sabian XS20 splash
• 17" Zildjian A custom crash
• 18" Zildjian K custom session ride
• 12" Wuhan China
• 18" Zildjian A custom crash
• Original Premier hi-hat

"It features a Roland Octapad triggering and Roland R-8M. The Pacific snare has a midi trigger plugged into the 8" & 10" Octapad roto toms with mesh heads and midi triggers. Additionally, I have a Roland sequencer used for practice and sometimes live performance with pedals for start and stop and looping functions, as well as a small mixer to monitor click tracks, and a couple of speakers mounted on the rack for monitoring and practice."

The kit now resides at Reddick's home where it is primarily used for recording. He's currently working on a few personal projects at home, performing at local clubs, and doing some musical directing for theater in Chicago. "I try to advance the idea of drummers as 'legitimate' musicians," Reddick explains. "I was chosen as Chicago's best music director by the Black Theater Alliance Awards for two years, 2004 & 2005."

You can learn more about Robert at www.ther2project.com, or the BTA Awards

Blast From The Past

Bosphorus Rockett Rides

By John Nyman Published December 2008

If you missed the ’80s, I can sum it up for you in two words: loud and hairy. Drummers had to make like drum machines, only with personality and stick twirling. Guitarists seemed intent on obliterating drums from the mix, but we responded with renewed muscle, simple brutality, and headbands. MTV was new, and there were millions — no, really — millions of fans (who may now be your parents) singing along to silly songs about sex, parties, and … well, that was pretty much it. In other words, the ’80s were a lot of loud fun. Poison and Rikki Rockett were right smack dab in the middle of the action.

It was from this era that the mass popularity of un-lathed cymbals, heads with extra dots, signature sticks in various baseball bat weights, heavy-duty double-braced hardware, and sticky hair gels emerged.

Rockett had to wait, apparently, for the distillation of wisdom that comes with middle age before he was able to devise his perfect ride cymbals. Finally, though much hair is gone, those cymbals are here. I played ’em and liked ’em.

FIRST LOOK

The Rockett Rides are part of Bosphorus’ signature series. All Bosphorus cymbals are handmade in Turkey. Really hand made, by men with hammers and forges — no automation allowed. The company offers two sizes of the Rockett Ride — 20" and 22" — which are otherwise the same. They’re quite thick and heavy (the 20" test cymbal weighs 2,850 grams), and have a multi-dimensional design.

The entirety of the top surface is copiously hammered with a small-diameter peen. The dark, hammered surface is then trimmed down on a lathe, but only at the very outer edge and the inside of the face from 2"–3", stopping just shy of the bell. The bottom of the cymbal is also hammered heavily, and then trimmed on a lathe from the outer edge inward for 2"–3". This gives each cymbal a very brown, earthy, rough look capped with a golden hubcap. Parts of the cymbal remain rough to the touch where the bronze formed into bumps and scars during the shaping process.

The bells are big, with a diameter quite a bit larger than normal. The 22" Rockett Ride’s bell is 6" at the base, compared to a Bosphorus 22" Traditional ride with a bell that’s 4.5" at the base. In spite of the great girth, this bell is not tall. And in fact, the profile of the whole cymbal is relatively flat compared to a Bosphorus Traditional ride.

22" ROCKETT

I approached the Rockett Ride with a big stick. Neither the 20" nor the 22" is a light and jazzy cymbal. And the notion of “crash/ride” is also tossed right out the window. When my 5B struck the shoulder of the 22", crash-style, the cymbal yielded nary an inch. The sound that came out was not a crash, but more of an industrial accident in the far distance.

But when I laid the wooden acorn tip of the stick into the cymbal face, I heard a big, round, low-pitched and mellow ping wrapped in a sort of aural titanium. Big enough and bright enough to cut through guitars, the 22" isn’t harsh or shrill. It’s an anvil-like tone, yes, but a really polished tone, like a soft metal covered in a thin layer of a harder metal. Under the ping, the body of the cymbal wavers and groans with a mid-range growl full of interesting harmonics. It’s not a cold ping, but a warm ping.

Playing the outer edge of the face, where the cymbal is raw and unlathed, gives you a mellower tone and much more of the underlying wash. But I don’t believe the cymbal is designed to be a ‘dual-surface’ instrument, because the two sounds are not each a distinctly good ride. Only the lathed part gives good ping.

The bell of the 22" Rockett Ride is excellent. It’s loud, surely owing to its large size. But the pitch is medium high, not low like some ‘mega-bell’ cymbals I’ve seen these last few years. This is no ship’s bell, just a classic or vintage rock bell sound turned way up. If you like to play along to classic rock hits from the ’70s and ’80s, this bell will be right at home.

20" ROCKETT

The 20" Rockett Ride, much easier to lug around, is quite different than the 22". The ping is low, but mellower than the 22", and the ping sound “sits” much closer to the underlying wash. And that wash is quite a bit more noticeable in the 20" than in the 22". Though it’s still completely out of the question as a crash/ride, the 20" does give off a lot more wash under the ping than the 22". In a blindfold test, they might not even be recognized as siblings. Because of the washier tone of the 20", its very excellent bell sounds much less integrated than that of the 22". That is to say, when you switch from playing the face to playing the bell, the sound is so drastically different, a listener might mistakenly think you’ve gone to a different cymbal all together. The bell is low-pitched, with bright overtones, massive volume, a dry attack, and lots of after-ring.

I first took the 20" Rockett Ride to some gigs. Honestly, I just didn’t want to wrestle the massive 22" cymbal into the car. But the 20" didn’t quite light my fire. The ping cut through with ease, but the fullness of the wash detracted from the clarity of the attack. The wash of the 20", to my ears, made it sound like a stronger, bolder, medium ride, not a crystal clear singular note. I was looking for clear, loud ping with a warm voice.

VERDICT

Between the 20" and the 22" rides, the warm command resides in the 22". Admittedly, I hated carrying it around, because it weighs a ton, but it proved itself worthy of the effort. This is a great ride for loud rock if you like a grand, distinct ping with some wash and plenty of musical warmth. And the bell will make the whole bar crave “Tequila.”

DETAILS
Rockett Rides

20" $575

22" $625

FEATURES

Mixture of raw and lathed surfaces produce great volume and definition; large bells are articulate and loud; very thick and heavy.

CONTACT

Bosphorus Cymbals
678-354-1060
bosphoruscymbals.com

Ludwig’s New Black Magic Stainless Drums

By Salman Haqqi Published July 14, 2010

Ludwig is proud to introduce the latest addition to its line of legendary snare drums: new Black Magic Stainless Steel models. A true first for Ludwig, these new models expand the Black Magic format by incorporating mirror-polished, 1.5mm stainless steel shells for bright, cutting attack and mid-range overtone. Black Magic's black-nickel tube-lugs and appointments provide, sharp visual contrast, and tonal range is broadened with 2.3mm power-hoops. Models are available in 6.5x14” (MSRP $464.94) and 5x14” (MSRP $432.47).

“The new Stainless Steel snares are a lot of fun to play”, said Kevin Packard, Ludwig Marketing Manager. “A lot to time and artist input went into making these drums, and they are true performers for the player that really wants that high-impact attack.”

For complete information on Ludwig Percussion, please visit
Ludwig Drums are manufactured and distributed by Conn-Selmer, Inc., a subsidiary of Steinway Musical Instruments, Inc.
To contact Conn-Selmer, write to P.O. Box 310, Elkhart, IN 46515-0310 U.S.A. or visit

Grover Open Tone Temple Blocks Take A Knockin’

By Andy Doerschuk Published June 10, 2010

You won’t need to split a coconut in half the next time you want to emulate the sound of oncoming horse hooves. The new Open Tone temple blocks from Grover Pro Percussion should do the trick. Hand-crafted in the good ol’ USA using high quality Russian birch — chosen for its great strength, durability, and resonant sound characteristics (rather than iffy politics) — each block is not only graduated in size, but tuned so that every set is tonally matched for optimum sonority. Grover Pro temple block sets include a robust quick release multi-clamp machined from aircraft-grade aluminum that allows the player to securely mount the set on any vertical type of stand, such as a cymbal stand or concert tom stand. Grover Pro offers eight graduated temple block sizes: The standard set (Model TPB-X, $320 suggested retail price) is perfect for most applications and consists of five graduated sizes. Grover Pro’s unique bass set (Model TPB-XB, $320) of three large blocks extends the range downward from the standard set. So it’s time to get your gallop on! Hi-yo Silver, away!

Taye Metalworks Pedal Boasts A Host Of Powerful Features

By Andy Doerschuk Published June 9, 2010

Shopping for a sleek-looking bass drum pedal that still packs a plethora of mad adjustments? Then consider fine-tuning your boom with the Taye Metalworks pedal. Its wide steel-finished footboard offers smooth action, thanks to its new heel plate hinge system, and is easily customizable to adjust its depth — but that’s only the beginning. You can also tweak countless key features like cam pitch, beater depth, and beater-to-head distance. The danged thing even comes with a tool holder and stick caddy built right into a chassis that keeps a pair of your favorite dowels within reach. And if you want to kick your kick into overdrive, push the spring assembly into the red zone to activate the integral roller bearing (which you can spot at the top of the slave pedal in the photo above) — and burn baby, burn! While the Metalworks pedal has no shortage of nifty bells and whistles, Taye knew better than to completely reinvent the wheel, and also integrated such standard features as a secure hoop clamp and dual-headed beater into the design. Pretty smart stuff. Available in both single ($299 suggested retail) or double ($649) models.

Steve Barone's Perfect Symmetry

By Jordan Liffengren Published June 7, 2010

"This is my 2005 Pearl ELX green fade, set up in a symmetrical, ambidextrous fashion," Barone says. "I was inspired by the likes of Bill Bruford, Mike Mangini, Bill Bachmann, etc."

Here are the specs:

Drums: Pearl ELX

• 20" x 16" bass
• 10" x 8" tom
• 12" x 9" tom
• 14" x 11" tom
• 16" x 13" tom
• 13" x 6" Mapex Black Panther walnut snare
• 13" x 6" Ahead black on brass snare (secondary, not pictured)

Cymbals:

• 20" Sabian HH Medium Heavy Ride
• 20" Sabian AAX Stage Ride
• 14" Zildjian New Beat Hats
• 16" Sabian HH Duo Crash
• 16" Sabian AAX Dark Crash
• 17" Zildjian K Custom Dark Crash
• 14" Sabian AAX China
• 8" Zildjian K Custom Dark Splash
• 6" Paiste Cup Chime

Percussion:

• 6" LP Micro Snare
• LP Jam Block High
• Jopa Cowbell

Hardware:

• Gibraltar Road Series rack
• DW 5000 Accelerator double pedal
• DW 9502 direct link hi-hat stand
• Pearl S900 snare stand

B-Band UKKO Series Drum Contact Miking System

Worship At The Altar Of Convenience
By Karen Stackpole Originally Published in DRUM! Magazine's March 2009 Issue

Finnish folk mythology has it that Ukko, the god of thunder, creates thunder by mating with his wife, Akka. Judging by its moniker, B-Band’s UKKO series drum contact mikes and preamps have been designed with a nod to Ukko, aiming to pick up thunderous sound when mating with your drum set. The system features internal contact mikes and stealthy cling-on preamps, promising a low profile, ultimate convenience, and outstanding sonic control.

THE FULL MONTY

I received the ultra-convenient UKKO-PACK for this review. Each of the UKKO contact mikes and preamps are available individually, but the UKKO-PACK conveniently throws them all together into a complete system to install on a 5-piece drum kit. Sweet! The pack includes five UKKO-T contact mikes, replacement adhesive tape for the contact mikes, one UKKO-S snare drum preamp, one UKKO-K kick drum preamp, and three UKKO-T tom preamps, along with mounting hardware to affix preamps to rims (with rubber clips) and/or the drum shell (via the air vent or a drilled hole), the required tool, and an instruction manual.

The electret transducers are made from B-Band’s unique high-tech Emfit film, which is the same stuff the company uses for all its contact mikes. According to B-Band, this exclusive film behaves a lot like a condenser mike, giving you a more natural-sounding reproduction of acoustic instruments over piezoelectric elements. The UKKO preamps, which require 15- to 48-volts phantom power to operate, are tailored specifically to capture the tonalities of the various components of your typical drum set: snare, kick drum, and toms.

The preamps for the toms and the snare can either be mounted to the rim via the supplied rubber clips, or by attaching them to the air hole on the shell or a drilled hole with the supplied bolts and nuts. The kick drum preamp, on the other hand, must be attached to the shell because there’s no rim to attach a clip to. The housing of the preamp is made of a chrome-colored lightweight plastic that discreetly resembles hardware on the shell and doesn’t add any significant weight to the drum — double bonus.

Because the contact mikes affix to the inside of the drum shell and the preamps mount to either the rim or shell, there’s nothing about the setup that’ll get in the way of your playing. Mike cables connect directly to the preamps, eliminating the need for the typical garden of mike stands that usually sprouts up around your kit at shows or in the studio. After the initial installation of the miking system, everything comes together in a snap.

Installing this system on your drums is a bit of a commitment, but in the end it’s a worthwhile effort because the system is so unobtrusive. The top head must be removed in order to stick the contact mike to the inside of the shell, close to the batter head in a sweet spot. The lead gets drawn out through the air vent so that it can be attached to the preamp. The extra length of lead is then secured to the inside of the shell by double-sided tape so it doesn’t flop around. The top hood of the preamp must be removed with the supplied tool in order to gently plug the connector into the appropriate pins inside the device. Also located inside each preamp are two tone-control dipswitches that let you contour the sound to your liking.

SUMMONING UKKO
I brought the UKKO Drum Contact Miking System into Ex’pression College For Digital Arts for a live-sound drum-miking lab, which allowed me to put the system through its paces in a controlled environment. I installed the mikes inside an older Pearl kit with Remo Pinstripe heads, and a metal Ludwig Supra-Phonic 14" x 5.5" snare drum with a Remo coated Ambassador on the batter side.

I opted to use the rim mounts for the snare and toms, and attached the kick drum preamp to the air vent as per B-Band’s recommendation. The preamps are designed to not block the airflow through the vent. Putting the preamps together was easy, and installing the contact mikes was simple as well. I have to admit, I was initially a little dubious about the staying power of the thin ribbon connection between the mike and the preamp should it accidentally snag on something, but I encountered no such mishap, and in the end the connection seemed plenty sturdy enough to stand up to any rock assault.

It took a few attempts to connect the contact mike lead to the kick drum preamp, and one of the tom preamps to successfully get the sound happening, but all the others worked right away. Out of the gates, the UKKO system sounded impressive and had plenty of cut.

To help draw a bead on the qualities of the B-Band UKKO system, I also put a typical array of microphones on the kit for reference: a Shure Beta 56 on the snare, a Shure Beta 52 on the kick, Sennheiser e604s on the toms, and a Senheiser e609 on the floor tom. I ran the sounds through a Crest console, monitoring through a Meyer system, and recorded the results to Digital Performer for analysis after the fact.

Everyone was impressed with the excellent isolation from sonic bleed from other instruments over standard microphones, as well as the punch and definition this system provided. It was really clean and convenient to just plug in the preamps without having to fuss with stands and positioning mikes around the kit. Here’s the scoop.

UKKO SNARE
The UKKO snare system picked up both the snares and top head really well. You would need two external mikes — one on the top and one on the bottom — to be able to capture that kind of snap. The contact mike picked up great attack and crispness because of its stealthy position inside the drum. It was also sensitive to the sympathetic vibrations of the strainer from tom hits, but isolated extremely well from other sound sources.

Compared to a Shure Beta 56 on the snare, the UKKO setup didn’t sound quite as meaty, but was much more defined and crisp. The snare preamp incorporates selectable switches for a +3dB mid boost at 500Hz and a 6dB high cut shelving above 8kHz, and engaging the 500Hz boost at the preamp and adding about 6dB at 140Hz from the console rounded out the crisp sound and resulted in a very pleasing, well-balanced thwack.

UKKO KICK
The UKKO kick drum setup had a hot output that was present, tight, and well-defined. The sound was similar to the Beta 52, though the 52 had a bigger low end and sounded, not surprisingly, more open. B-Band recommends using a solid front head on the bass drum for a fuller low end, stating that a ported or completely absent front head would result in a thinner sound. The drum we used had a port already cut into the front head, so the condition wasn’t ideal to realize the full low end potential of the kick drum transducer.

The kick drum preamp has two mini switches to contour the sound: a 6dB mid cut at 330Hz, and a 6dB high boost at 5kHz. Engaging these switches and cutting around 6dB at 650Hz at the console gave the sound more cajones by tightening up the midrange. Overall, the kick sound with the UKKO installed really cut through and had a lot of presence and punch, even with a port on the front head.

UKKO TOMS
The UKKO tom system captured amazing definition in the stick attack, and while drier sounding than the external microphones, the transducers still captured the resonance and life of each of the toms. They were not as muddy sounding as the microphones, exhibiting a brighter high end and much better isolation. The tom preamp features a switchable 6dB high boost at 5kHz and a 6dB mid cut at 1kHz, but we didn’t use these tone controls on the toms. To beef up the sound a bit on the contact mikes, we added a little bit in the low mids and low end from the console to achieve a rounded sound that was crisp and punchy and very satisfying.

VERDICT
B-Band’s UKKO drum contact miking system has a lot to offer in the way of great sound and ultimate convenience. It can be installed without modifying your drum set and adding weight and bulk or getting in the way of playing. The system can stay with the drum, even when packed into cases. Combined with a good pair of overhead microphones, the UKKO system, with its flexible tone-control options, yields an amazingly clean, present, and punchy sound from the entire kit without the hassle of multiple mike stands, which is a boon for both the drummer and the engineer.

DETAILS
MODEL UKKO-PACK Drum Contact Miking System
LIST PRICE $599.99
INCLUDES:
UKKO (Drum Shell Transducer) Transducer
UKKO-S Preamp (Snare)
Frequency response: 60Hz–35kHz (-3dB)
Preamp mini switches: +3dB mid boost @ 500Hz; -6dB high cut shelving > 8kHz
Phantom power required: 12- to 50-volt
Output impedance: 200 ohm balanced
Weight: 52g/74g with rim mount

CONTACT

B-Band, Inc
(512) 266-3820
www.b-band.com

Tycoon Percussion Tables Put Essentials In Easy Reach

By Andy Doerschuk Published June 4, 2010

Tray cool! Tycoon, the rapidly growing percussion company, has just unveiled its new collection of affordable percussion tables that allows drummers and percussionists to easily nab sticks, mallets, laptop computers, electronic multi pads, and other percussive goodies in a split sec. These nifty tables — available in large (TPT-L) and small (TPT-S) sizes — are attached to height-adjustable, heavy-duty, double-braced stands and feature padded surfaces to keep your precious cargo safe and sound.

PDP Blackout Snares: Easy On The Eyes And Wallet

By Andy Doerschuk Published June 3, 2010

You can’t beat basic black — er, on second thought, perhaps you should seriously consider beating on basic black, at least when it comes to the aptly named Blackout snare drum series from PDP. Drum Workshop’s little bro subsidiary has assembled a super slick black-on-black snare drum that will easily squeeze into any setup, designed around an all-maple shell finished in a high-gloss lacquer and fitted with a side-to-side throw-off, those distinctive PDP oval lugs, and good ol’ Remo heads. Now here comes the remarkable part — sitting down? — Blackout snares retail for $218.99 for a 10" x 6", and $272.99 for 13" x 4", 14" x 5", or 14" x 6" model. And can you dig that glitzy badge? Talk about ’tude, dude.

Playin' With Fire

By Andrew Lentz Published June 2, 2010

The DFP7500 Practice Pad, the latest accessory from DrumFire, keeps drumming skills in shape so you can blaze every time you step behind the kit.

It is ideal for beginners and professional drummers alike who need a quiet, portable drum practice solution to the feel and sound of an actual drum set. The standard size 8” pad is extremely durable and will withstand even the most demanding practice sessions.

The DFP7500 practice pad comes with a detachable folding tripod stand that is height adjustable to accommodate any standing or sitting position. Rubber feet on the tripod stand prevents slipping on any surface. The tripod stand is constructed with double reinforced legs to provide stability for hard hitting practices.

The pad’s hard outer plastic retainer simulates a drum rim and provides even more stability. The DFP7500 also features a pivoting head for angle adjustments and a 6mm mounting bolt for convenient setup and tear down. The 6mm mounting bolt fits most name brand drum pads, including Remo.

The DFP7500 Drum Practice Pad, like all drumfire products, is made by the same innovators behind the On-Stage Stands brand name. Since On-Stage Stands is a world leading brand, the other brands in the On-Stage Stands family of brands benefit with more favorable pricing than comparable products available on the market. The DFP7500 is therefore competitively listed for $72.99.

Dixon Outlaw Drums Quality Drums At Criminally Low Prices
By Brad Schlueter Originally Published in DRUM! Magazine's January 2009 Issue

The name Dixon has long been associated with inexpensive hardware perfect for drummers who are on a budget. Now a new association can be attached to the Dixon name: quality drum sets and snare drums that are ready to compete with better known brands with more-established reputations. The company’s goal is to offer professional and competitively priced drums for drummers of all levels. Given Dixon’s previous rep, I was eager to put these drums to the ultimate test.

OUT OF THE BOX

Dixon has three separate drum lines called — in ascending price order — Chaos, Demon, and Outlaw. I received a 5-piece high-end Dixon Outlaw kit in one of two common configurations (though add-on drums are available in a variety of sizes to expand your kit), as well as a complete set of hardware. The kit consisted of a 22" x 18" bass drum, 10" x 8" and 12" x 9" rack toms, a 14" x 14" floor tom, and a 14" x 5.5" snare drum. This is a good configuration for most rock and pop though a “one up, two down” kit with larger drums is also available for heavier styles of music.

Right away, it was clear the Outlaw boasts plenty of nice features, including 7-ply maple shells with 45-degree bearing edges, suspension-band tom mounting, 2.3mm triple-flanged hoops, professional Evans drumheads, and a range of high-gloss finishes. The drums have gasket-lined die-cast bass drum hoop claws, lugs, die-cast snare strainer and butt plate, vent-hole grommets, and floor tom memory locks, all of which add to the kit’s overall impression of quality. The floor tom has thick legs with air pocket feet to add sustain to the floor toms — a very nice feature normally found on much pricier kits. The lugs are also mounted on thin gaskets to help isolate them from the shells. The bass drum is “virgin” style (sans tom-mounting plate) so I had to mount the toms from two of the cymbal stands.

FINISH

As of now, Dixon offers a limited range of finishes with just three choices in the Outlaw line, though all are appealing. In ascending order of price, the finishes are Tobacco Burst, Black Burst, and Blue Burst Sparkle. I was sent a kit in Black Burst finish, which has silver on the top and bottom of each shell that “bursts” into a black area in the center. It was very nicely done with no defects in the finish. The hoops were finished in the same silver color and everything had a nice smooth glossy finish without any streaking. From the web site and brochures the other two finishes looked very nice as well. I’ve also checked out and played a Black Satin finish kit from Dixon’s birch/mahogany Demon line at the shop I teach at, and it too had a flawless finish. However, I’d like to see the company offer a few more finishes for a wider palette of choices, especially for the high-end level Outlaw kits.

The Dixon badge is a large ten-pointed star that references an image of the Sun, in part because of its gold-colored finish. The gold badge complements the Tobacco Burst finish very nicely, although I think a silver-colored badge (as is found on the Demon kits) would be more aesthetically appealing with the Black Burst and Blue Burst Sparkle finishes.

HARDWARE

The kit came with Dixon’s 900 series hardware package. All the hardware is double-braced for extra strength and includes memory locks where needed. While sturdy, the hardware isn’t needlessly heavy. The package included a single bass drum pedal, hi-hat stand, snare stand, and one each of straight and boom cymbal stands.

The double-chain cam-drive bass drum pedal has a dual surface beater (felt and rubber). The felt side is standard-sized but the rubber side seems a bit small, so heavy hitters might put a depression in the head if they don’t use the included beater patch for added head protection. The pedal has a stabilizer plate under the footboard, lending a reassuring feeling of stability. The pedal was easily adjustable and felt great straight out of the box. The only thing I wasn’t crazy about was the necessity of having to use a drum key to clamp the pedal to the hoop. Might I suggest a wing screw in its place? Other than that, the pedal was completely professional.

The hi-hat pedal offers a hinged height adjustment clamp (as do all the stands) that I like because it’s not likely to dent and damage the tubing. There’s also adjustable tension and rotating legs to accommodate double bass drum pedals. The footboards of the hi-hat pedal and bass drum pedal were a bit boring looking, though that didn’t affect their performance in the least, which felt smooth and solid.

The two double-tiered cymbal stands use fine-geared tilters and only differ in that one offers a nice long hideaway boom arm. Both were solid performers. The snare stand has a gearless tilter that is very useful for finding the perfect position for your drum. It has large rubber feet (like all the 900 hardware) and held the drum securely throughout the review.

The toms came with two ball-and-socket L-arm clamps that attached to each cymbal stand to support the smaller toms.

This hardware was all sturdy, reliable gear, though I’d like to see gearless tilters on the cymbal stands at this level. Dixon also offers three other levels of hardware starting at the very lightweight end of the scale and gradually beefing up to the 900 series gear I received.

SOUND

The snare drum is a 7-ply 7mm shell (as is the bass drum). It came equipped with a coated G1 snare head perfect for brush playing, a sturdy die-cast throw-off and butt plate, plus a nice set of wires underneath the drum. After I tuned it up, I was pleased with the sound I was able to pull out of the snare. It had a nice wood drum sound, with enough crispness coupled with the underlying warmth that metal snares often lack. The 2.3mm hoops allowed for cutting and clear rim-clicks. The rubber-covered fine-tuning knob was easy to adjust with the wires engaged and allowed me to quickly vary the snare sound from wet and dark to dry and crisp. Rimshots had an average amount of ring and the drum had enough sensitivity for light playing. I liked the snare quite a bit.

The toms have 7-ply 6mm shells that are thin enough to make me expect a rich tone with a bit more lows than thicker shells can usually offer. They came with Evans G2 over G1 heads, which is a nice-sounding combination for rock, offering durability and a bit more low end. Both mounted toms have suspension mounts that remove the tom brackets from the shells and add sustain to the drums. They seemed to work well since the drums had just the right amount of sustain. The toms hung around long enough for slower fills but not so much that a soundman will reach for his gate or duct tape. The 14" floor tom sounded deep and fat, while the other two toms sat with evenly spaced pitches above it. All three drums rang clearly and didn’t sound too tubby, even with these two-ply batter heads. The toms sounded very good indeed.

The bass drum came with an EMAD batter head and a single-ply resonant head. With the thinner muffling ring installed, the sound was excellent. It had lots of low end and attack, though I found the solid logo head to ring a bit too much for my taste. If I were going for a John Bonham-type sound with lots of decay, it’d be perfect, but since I usually prefer a more controlled sound, I’d port the head to let some of the air out of the drum and tame the ring. I recommend that Dixon consider either a ported head or a head with a muffling ring around the perimeter of the logo head to dampen the bass drum’s decay.

Lots of manufacturer’s sell their kits with midline or lower quality drumheads in an effort to keep the costs down. The downside of this is that cheaper heads may lack some durability and rarely do the drum’s sound justice. I applaud Dixon for including professional heads on this kit so drummers don’t have to replace them to get their drums to sound as good as they can, especially since it can cost $100–$200 to replace the heads on a kit.

VERDICT

The Dixon name may be a newby on the professional drum market, but the company’s drums are quite nice and worth a second look. If you’re searching for a new maple kit with the quality, sound, and features a professional requires, Dixon has one, but fortunately at more of a hobbyist’s price.

DETAILS
SHELLS 7-ply, 100-percent maple drum shells with 45-degree bearing edges.
CONFIGURATION 10" x 8", 12" x 9", and 14" x 14" toms, a 22" x 18" bass drum, and a 14" x 5.5" snare drum.
FINISH Black Burst
FEATURES 2.3mm triple-flanged hoops; suspension mounts; die-cast snare throw-off; three high-gloss finishes; a variety of add-on drum sizes; ultra-thin, lightweight shells; Evans heads.
PRICE Kit OL-522E BKB: $2,548. 900 Series Hardware Pack: $539.
CONTACT Dixon Drums Playdixon.com

This Box Rocks

By Andrew Lentz Published Friday May 28, 2010

With the Jesus Diaz Signature Radial Edge Cajon from Pearl you get authentic Latin flavor with unprecedented levels of comfort.

The radial edge of the cajon provides a contoured design for greater ease of movement while playing. That’s right: No more sharp edges or awkward leg positioning.

The cajon's high-end wood construction, fixed snares and Artisan Rosewood finish combine superb tone and stylish looks into one neat box. $399.

Denny Sterming's Classic Black Ludwig By Jordan Liffengren Published May 25, 2010

Denny Sterming had always wanted a classic birch kit in black when he was a kid, but unfortunately his parents just couldn't afford it at the time. But now, 40 years and a wad of cash later, he's finally saved up enough to have this dream set all to himself.

DRUMS

• 18"x 22" bass drum
• 10"x 12"& 11"x 13" toms
• 16"x 16"& 16"x 18" floor toms
• 6.5"x 14" Super Sensitive snare

CYMBALS

• 15" Zildjian custom Mastersound hi-hats
Custom fast crash
• 15"-20" medium cymbals
• 10" & 12" custom splashes
• Custom China cymbals

HARDWARE

• Elite hardware
• Speed-King pedals

Snares On Steroids

By Andrew Lentz Published May 25, 2010

DW is beefing up its Collector’s Series big time with four new snare drum models. That alone would be enough but they each get a major hardware upgrade with DW's proprietary MAG Throw-Off system.

The new models include the Top Edge, Super Solid Edge, Solid-Stave and Vintage Steel models. The Top Edge (retail pricing from $1199-$1699) features a heavy-gauge alloy Edge ring at the top and X-Shell 10-ply maple below. Edge rings are available in chrome and gold only and the wood section can be customized in any available Custom Shop finish. The Super Solid Edge (retail $1499-$1699) is a 3-piece maple/walnut solid wood shell that’s available in a 3/8”, ½” or ¾” thickness.

Also added to the DW solid shell selection is the Solid-Stave (retail $999). Offered in Oak with a Natural Lacquer finish, Ash in an Ebony Stain Lacquer and Para wood with a Walnut Stain Lacquer finish, each can be customized in any of five drum hardware plating choices.

The Vintage Steel (retail $749-$799) drums feature thick rolled 5 mm steel shells with a unique ribbed exterior. Available in Vintage Copper and Vintage Brass, each can be customized in any Custom Shop drum hardware color.

A new upgrade to these drums and all other Custom Shop snare drums is the new MAG Throw-Off System. The system includes the MAG drop throw-off and 3P 3-position butt plate. The throw-off features a magnetic drop-style mechanism with unique horizontal strainer adjustment and the 3P butt plate allows drummers to quickly and easily select one of three wire tensions with the flick of a lever. The new MAG System is available in all five Custom Shop drum hardware offerings. The side-to-side Delta ball-bearing throw-off is still available upon request.

Smart Shell Pack, Hot Looks

By Andrew Lentz Published May 24, 2010

Summer is just about here, and a Special Edition Vision VSX shell pack from Pearl is a great way to kick off the season.

The special edition VSX shell pack will feature a great looking Artisan II finish using Pearl’s exclusive Digital Grain Transfer technology. This particular kit is finished in Ebony Feathered Walnut.

Pearl’s Vision VSX drumset features a birch ply shell composition, built using Pearl’s Superior Shell Technology process. The 6 ply shell thickness of the rack toms and 8 ply shell thickness of the floor toms and bass drums --- a hybrid process known as 6/8 construction – is a hallmark of the Vision Series, to better distribute sound characteristics across the kit.

Vision Series comes standard with 900 series hardware. MSRP is $1,099 (shell pack only). Matching snare drum, $332, sold separately.

Remo Black Suede Heads: Some Bad Muthas

By RL Hulsman Originally Published in DRUM! Magazine's February 2009 Issue

Remo is a veritable juggernaut of new ideas. From the first weather-resistant heads (“Thank youuuuuu,” said cows everywhere) right on up to the newest addition in the venerable pantheon of historic heads: Black Suede. Okay, so it sounds like a Richard Roundtree character from some ’70s B movie, but that’s part of the new line’s appeal. Black Suede — it has a certain smoothness, a ring to it (but not the kind you don’t want in a head — more on that later). And even if I was a little nervous about the package from Remo turning out to be some big dude kicking down my door and shouting, “I’m gonna git you, sucka,” I was intrigued to see what Black Suede was all about.

Remo sent me three styles of head for review: Black Suede drumheads, Powerstroke 3 Black Suede bass drumheads, and Black X, a super-duty snare head. The first are ideally designed for toms, but are suited for various uses; the Powerstroke 3 bass drumheads are for added mids, not rings; and the Black X is a reinforced snare head ready to take on the heavy hitters of the world. The company claims that all the Black Suede heads, though they’re designed for different purposes, bring out the mid-range warmth of a drum.

SMOOTH SUEDE
Over the years, and especially in the late 1960s through the 1970s, drummers, sound engineers, and producers have tried various methods to reduce the ring in drums: cigarette packs, tea towels, blankets, you name it. And the resulting sound took on a life of its own — “The ’70s sound” — and was used extensively. Go listen to any record — er excuse me, go download — anything by Badfinger, The Eagles, and the like and you’ll see what I’m talking about. Lo and behold, Remo’s new Black Suede heads give you that sound right out of the box. And can I just mention at this point that I love the fact that the heads are named after a fabric that really saw its fashion heyday in the ’70s? Coincidence? I hope not.

This is not to say that the sound is limited to throw-back lounge acts — quite the contrary. This focused, mid-range-heavy sound could be incorporated into just about any genre you can imagine (neo-Polka grit-hop anyone?). The Black Suede heads come in Ambassador and Emperor weights. For those raised in a cave, these have been traditional measures of Remo heads for lo, many a decade — the Ambassador being a single-ply head and the Emperor being a double-ply. Specifically, the Black Suede Ambassador drumheads feature one ply of textured Ebony 10mil film and the Black Suede Emperor heads feature two plies of textured Ebony 7.5mil film. Remo claims that both weights are ideal for all playing applications. Let’s look into that.

DEEPEST PITCH
The first thing you notice about the Black Suede heads is, well … they’re blackness. This is not the shiny black that you might expect on a drumhead, but a subdued, appropriately suede-like look. So now that I’ve established that the Black Suede heads are indeed black and look like suede, let me point out that the surface is not suede-like to the touch — it’s much smoother. Not as smooth as a straight-up plastic head, but not something you’d consider as sustenance if you were trapped with the Donner party.

Out of the box, all the heads looked great. The metal hoops were completely flat when placed on a glass coffee table, and the crimps uniform. I received Black Suede heads in both Ambassador and Emperor weights in 12", 13", 16". I also got my hands on the new Powerstroke 3 Black Suede bass drumheads in 20" and 22". When tapped off the drum, the heads are rather lifeless. Of course, this isn’t a bodhrán I’m reviewing, so that’s all well and good. The only reason I bring it up is to emphasize that the heads are meant to focus sound, thus muting parts of the spectrum that may cause ringing.

SWINGIN’ AT SUEDE
I set up two kits: one tricked out with the Ambassadors and the other with the Emperors. I used the 22" bass drumhead with the Emperor setup. Both sets of heads tuned up pretty easily, but the Emperors more so. There is not a lot of fiddling and guesswork. Strap it on and tighten it down. Side-by-side, soundwise, the Emperors won the day. The Ambassadors sound good, with the mid-range coming on like gangbusters, but the Black Suede material better complemented the Emperor’s thickness.

This seems to follow since the Ambassador weight is known as a more open-sounding head, so I felt like I was missing something with the Black Suede in this weight. Hard-pressed to put it in words, the Ambassador weight offers a muted sound with a bite. It was the bite that was a bit hard to tune around. However, work with it and you will get a great sound. It’s like the drum has been muted externally — no rings, nice mids — without dampening the shell or the overall tone in the process. The Emperors produced an even tighter sound. They weren’t loud, but I could see them working very well for heavy music where articulation is a concern. The notes stood out on their own, really pronounced with each hit. You could run a Peart-ish fill around them and hear each rudimental hiccup. The sheer volume of the head is a bit lower than your standard Emperor (and Ambassador, for that matter), but the tone was golden — like buttah. It was the kind of tone that is so universally beautiful that I think Remo is right — it would work with almost any genre of music you may play. If you’re a jazzer, the low-volume tone-heavy sound will make your bandmates (all crammed into a space not quite large enough for a band, no doubt) smile. However, the flipside of this is that I would love to mike these babies up and run them through a PA at the local enormo-dome. The sound is killer!

The bass drumheads, both the 20" and the 22", felt sonically similar. The mids are very present and overtones are at a minimum — basically like a Powerstroke 3 with a bit more meat on it. It’s like you stuck a blanket in the drum without having to resort to such tactics, leaving the tone of your beautiful kick there for the world to hear.

X FACTOR
The other head Remo sent is the new Black X, an expansion on the company’s line of X-treme heads. The Black X features the same “suede texturing process” as the Black Suede heads and features two plies of textured Ebony 10mil film with a 3mil reverse dot, giving it, as Remo says, “X-treme durability with a unique esthetic look.” The company also promises focused midrange and warmth with plenty of attack. Promises, promises … all kept. Remo really knocks it out of the park with this one.

The Black X offers a good amount of tone to go with all that strength. Bring a baseball bat to the party if you like — with this one, I’d be more concerned about breaking the actual drum before breaking the head. Tighten this puppy down — not too far; that drum ain’t titanium (or is it?) — and pummel away. Easy as One. Two. Three — without the three. This sucker cracks, but not in a tinnitus-causing way. The warmth of it is truly something to behold. Volume-wise, it may not work unmiked for a heavy metal show, but throw a 57 up on it and go to town.

VERDICT
Take off some layers, cause it’s gettin’ warm in here. The Black Suede heads provide a level of warmth and articulation that should un-thaw anyone’s heart. The Emperor heads are a bit warmer and “sweet” sounding. The Powerstroke 3 Black Suede bass drumheads offer a great level of sonic control without having to resort to muffling the shell itself. And lastly, the Black X batter head will allow your inner caveman to do his thing without you having to worry about blowing through heads. In short, you gotta git these, sucka!

DETAILS
FEATURES The Black Suede Powerstroke 3 bass drumhead features one ply of 10mil black textured film with a thin underlay at the outer edge to subtly dampen high frequency overtones and can be used as either a batter or resonant head. The Black Suede Ambassador tom/snare heads feature one ply of textured Ebony 10mil film. The Black Suede Emperor tom/snare heads feature two plies of textured Ebony 7.5mil film. The Emperor-weight Black X snare head is two plies of textured Ebony 10mil film with a 3mil reverse dot. New for 2009 is the Black Suede Snare Side head, featuring 1 ply of textured Ebony 4mil film for focused warmth and enhanced tone control.

Black Suede Snare Side

• 13" SA-1813-ES $31
• 14" SA-1814-ES $32

Black X Snare Batter

• 13" BX-0813-10 $32.75
• 14" BX-0814-10 $35.75

Multi-purpose Black Suede Drumheads

(Ambassador) (Emperor)
• 8" BA-0808-ES BE-0808-ES $27.25
• 10" BA-0810-ES BE-0810-ES $28
• 12" BA-0812-ES BE-0812-ES $31
• 13" BA-0813-ES BE-0813-ES $32
• 14" BA-0814-ES BE-0814-ES $33.25
• 15" BA-0815-ES BE-0815-ES $35
• 16" BA-0816-ES BE-0816-ES $37.50
• 18" BA-0818-ES BE-0818-ES $45

Powerstroke 3 Black Suede Bass Drumhead

• 18" P3-1818-ES $72
• 20" P3-1820-ES $74
• 22" P3-1822-ES $80.25
• 24" P3-1824-ES $85.50

CONTACT
Remo Inc.
661-294-5600
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Get The Party Started

By Andrew Lentz Published May 21, 2010

If you crave the festive sounds of Carnaval, the four new drums in LP's Rio Brazilian percussion line puts the samba celebration at your fingertips.

The LP Rio Brazilian 10" Pandeiro with Skin Head projects an indigenous rhythmic sound that balances the sonorities of the drum and jingles. A natural skin head sits atop an ample 10" diameter, 1-3/4" deep premium hardwood shell that makes it easy to hold and manipulate. Six circumference screws provide tuning stability. Five sets of traditional Pandeiro jingles are positioned to balance the instrument.

Ramp up the resonance with the LP Rio Brazilian 12" Pandeiro, an instrument with a 1-3/4" deep hardwood shell ribbed with seven sets of Pandeiro jingles. A special head offers deep fundamental sound with controlled overtones. The head provides the same type of sound as a taped skin head and gives this larger diameter Pandeiro added durability and projection. Carry bag included for both models.

The new LP Rio Brazilian 18" Surdo produces the essential muted and open bass tones that set march tempo and define the basic loping "two-feel" of Samba. The LP Rio Brazilian Surdo comes in two models: a wood shell (LP3018) and an aluminum shell (LP3118). Wood shells project earthy, low frequencies with solid attack, while aluminum shells balance volume, sensitivity, and a wide frequency palette. The 22" x 18" shells deliver a robust tone but are amazingly portable.

Both models include leg sets that can be removed for marching. The brackets for the legs are positioned for leg comfort. Curved rims ensure stable tuning and minimize hand trauma. The eight recessed tension screws are also "hand friendly".

LP Rio Brazilian 10" Pandeiro - $119

LP Rio Brazilian 12" Pandeiro - $121

LP Rio Brazilian 18" Surdo, Wood - $419

LP Rio Brazilian 18" Surdo, Aluminum - $399

Tama Starworks Drum Set

SEXY BIRCH

By Brad Schlueter Originally published in DRUM! Magazine’s March 2010 Issue

In 2007 Tama changed the Starclassic Performer shell composition from 100 percent birch to a warmer-sounding blend of birch and bubinga, but found its remaining drum lines lacking any 100 percent birch drum sets. Many speculated that Tama would upgrade its Superstar shells to 100 percent birch. It did. But then Tama went one better by introducing a completely new line with this popular shell composition, dubbed Starworks.

Maple is considered by many to be the best shell material for drums sets, since it boasts a nice blend of warmth and sustain. But I suspect much of its reputation has a bit to do with marketing. Don’t get me wrong, maple is great. But 20 years ago, Yamaha’s Recording Custom kits, popularized by a stable of top endorsers like Steve Gadd, made 100 percent birch kits very desirable among professional drummers. Birch may not reach quite as deeply as maple, bubinga, or walnut, but it does offer great attack and controlled decay, so your sound engineer may not have to immediately reach for his noise gate, which is one reason this material has become so popular in recording studios.

STARWORKS BREAKDOWN
Tama’s new Starworks line features 100 percent birch shells, black hardware, newly designed lugs, triple-flanged hoops, four distinct and memorable finishes, and a new suspended-tom mount, and it’s priced very similarly to the Superstar line. The shells should seem familiar to anyone who’s played the Starclassic Performer drums: 7-ply 7mm bass drums with 6-ply 6mm shells for toms and snare drums.

The kits come in just two configurations: a traditional two up/one down kit with a 22" x 18" bass drum, 10" and 12" mounted toms, a 16" floor tom, and a 5.5"-deep snare. The kit I received featured a one up/two down modern rock configuration with a 12" mounted tom, 14" and 16" floor toms, and a deeper kick (22" x 20") and rock snare (14" x 6.5"). They are available as a shell-pack or with all the hardware. Each configuration is priced the same and will cost a little more or less depending on whether or not you want the hardware.

FINISHES
The kits come in four wild finishes. Well, three wild ones and a pretty traditional Satin Cherry Burst stain. The wilder finishes are the Yellow Chaos, Silver Black Chaos, and Red Chaos finishes. I received the boldest of the three: the Yellow Chaos finish. (The other two seem downright subdued compared to this one.) All three Chaos finishes have a painted base color with black painted flecks spattered on top of it. I imagine these finishes are designed to appeal to younger drummers who might play in glam, emo, or punk bands. The marketing pushes the idea that this is for nonconformist, aggressive styles of music, though I imagine the Silver Black Chaos will be the one that attracts metalheads most. The Chaos finishes are clearly not for everyone, but they’re well done and will certainly get you noticed.

HARDWARE
As mentioned, the lugs, hoops, spurs and brackets, tom mounts, and clamps are all black. If you buy the kit with a full set of hardware, note that the cymbal stands and other hardware are not black, but include selections from Tama’s excellent Roadpro series. The drums sport a new tom-suspension mount, which allows the drums to resonate longer. It fits under the hoops like the original R.I.M.S. mount that most current suspension systems are based on. However, this one only spans three lugs, which enables you to position your toms closer together than some other mounting systems.

The black lugs are newly designed and have a star shape stamped into them along with other small details that make me wonder if they were created by the same designers responsible for the Warlord hardware. Both share a similar medieval metal/goth sword-carrying vibe. Both the snare and bass drum have eight lugs per head, which will make head changes go a little quicker.

The bass drum spurs fold against the shell during transport and the tips feature retractable spikes for slippery flooring. The tom mount uses Tama’s Omni-ball design for precise positioning. The hoops have a triple-flange design more like Tama Imperialstar drums than Superstar and Starclassic lines, which feature die-cast hoops. The bass drum claws have no gaskets, so you might need to touch up your hoops occasionally with a black marker if you change your heads very often.

THE SOUND
The drums come outfitted with single-ply hazy Tama PowerCraft 250 batter heads on the toms and bass drum, with a coated version on the snare.

The toms had a bright, cutting sound that I liked. Each tom offered ample attack, clearly defined pitches, and a pure tone. There was enough sustain to suit any style of music. Frankly, I thought the toms sounded great, just like the original Starclassic Performer toms. While maple may sustain longer, soundmen often have to remove excessive hang time out of your toms anyway, so anything beyond the duration these offer isn’t useful. The slightly larger drum sizes my kit came with allowed for deep tunings, but the sound was never muddy, always producing a high-quality tone. However, since these drums are marketed toward drummers who play louder styles of music, I’d suggest that Tama consider equipping the drums with two-ply heads more suitable to heavy hitters. The additional low-end fullness and durability two-ply heads offer would appeal to that market more. The single-ply heads supplied with the kit sounded great, but younger drummers with less tuning skills often find two-ply heads easier to tune and a bit more forgiving of uneven tensioning. They also tend to prefer the tone, too, since they sound closer to the toms they hear on recordings.

The bass drum comes outfitted with a black logo head featuring a bold graphic of a star with the Starworks and Tama logos emblazoned on it. The bass drumheads each feature an internal muffling ring around the circumference of each head. The logo head is not ported. The sound offered was a powerful and deep thud without excessive boom, just as I’d expect from a 22" x 20" drum. A drum that deep may not be compact-car or small-stage friendly, so the other configuration may work better for some.

THE SNARE
The snare was another winner. As mentioned, it has eight lugs per head and a simple yet high-quality Tama throw-off that seemed sturdy and should prove reliable for years. I was easily able to fine-tune the snare tension with the wires engaged since the nut turned smoothly and was rubber coated for better grip.

I usually like the sound of birch snares, which tend to be brighter and crisper than maple drums. It seems that maple is great for old-school vintage tones but birch is closer to the sonic line that separates the tonal differences between wood and metal snares.

I think birch snares are often better for aggressive styles of music as well. This drum was a good example of this. It was surprisingly crisp and sensitive considering its 6.5" depth. When I cranked the wires tightly, its articulation reminded me of a marching snare, which is great for drummers who have fast hands.

FINAL THOUGHT
The new Starworks line is priced very similarly to Tama’s revamped Superstar line, which suggests the two are meant to compete with each other. Currently, the Superstar offers additional configurations, finishes, and die-cast hoops, which are upgrades from the Starworks line. But I wonder why Tama wouldn’t offer a cheaper blended shell with these wild finishes and charge even less, while saving the more traditional Superstar finishes for that line’s new 100 percent birch shells and attaching a higher price tag. These finishes will no doubt appeal more to younger drummers who might not care as much about things like shell composition as they do appearances. Maybe I’m just jealous, because as it stands, there’s a whole lot of kit quietly hiding out under that loud finish. I just hope the kids appreciate what they’re getting as much as us old timers would.

Details
SHELLS 100 percent premium birch drum shells with 7-ply 7mm bass drum shells and 6-ply 6mm tom and snare shells.

CONFIGURATION
A. (Reviewed) 12" x 9" tom, 14" x 12" and 16" x 14" floor toms, 22" x 20" bass drum, and a 14" x 6.5" matching wood snare drum.
B. 10" x 8" and 12" x 9" toms, 16" x 14" floor tom, 22" x 18" bass drum, and a 14" x 5.5" matching wood snare drum.
FINISH Yellow Chaos (Reviewed), Silver Black Chaos, Red Chaos, and Satin Cherry Burst
FEATURES New suspended tom mount; new lug design; Omni-ball tom holder: black shell hardware and tom mounts; unique finishes; graphic bass drum head.

LIST PRICE Shell pack, $1,462.99; with hardware, $1,868.99
CONTACT
Tama Drums
tama.com
800-669-4226

Verdict
Tama’s new Starworks line offers a great sound and quality materials at a reasonable price. It’s good to see Tama offering a 100 percent birch set again, and if the finishes appeal to you, this kit is win-win all the way.

A Glimpse Of Elvin Jones’ Gear

By Chet Falzerano, Jason LaChapelle & Andy Doerschukk Originally published in the August/September 2004 issue of DRUM! Magazine

(Left) One of Elvin’s classic kits — with Gretsch drums and Zildjian cymbals — featuring an 18" bass drum, a popular size among jazz drummers of the day

Even though Elvin Jones’ drumming was unlike anybody else’s, at least part of his style was a result of the drums he played. He recalled, “In 1957 I joined J.J. Johnson’s group to first make one or two LPs for Columbia Records and then to tour in Sweden and Europe for a summer. Not being related to the Rockefellers, I had a set of drums that Jo Jones would put his hands over his eyes when he saw them.

“J.J. said, ‘I can arrange for you to buy a set of drums from the Gretsch Company.’ He loaned me the $350 [to buy the set], which he deducted from my salary every week. Nice guy! That is how I got to meet Phil Grant [head of promotions and sales for the Fred Gretsch Manufacturing Company]. Phil asked me then to be an endorser for the company and the use of my name [for advertising purposes].”

Small drum sizes were popular with jazz drummers of the day – 20" and 18" bass drums (Elvin even used a 16" bass drum), 12" and 14" toms, and thin 4" snare drums. Gretsch pioneered the small bass drum with the help of Davey Tough in the late ’40s, but Elvin Jones defined the small bass drum sound, sounding more like a high-pitched “boing” than the chest-thumping “boom” everyone was accustomed to hearing.

Louie Bellson recalls Elvin’s unique small bass drum sound: “Buddy Rich and I were in London together. Buddy was there with his big band and I was there with Oscar Peterson. We both had the night off so we looked in the paper and saw that Elvin was playing at Ronnie Scott’s. We both said, ‘Let’s go!’ We chose seats right in front of his bass drum. Buddy Rich and I both had big 24" bass drums. I remember Buddy leaning over to me and asking, ‘How does he get that sound out of that little bass drum?’”

Like Art Blakey, “Philly” Joe Jones, and Tony Williams, Elvin also knew how to draw the sound out of his cymbals. While a casual observer might think he was bashing his K. Zildjians (they seemed to flap like the wings of a bird), Elvin could make a cymbal sound like no one else. With Coltrane, Elvin used 14" hats, an 18" crash, and a 20" or 22" ride with a few rivets. The legendary “old K.” sound permeates all his recordings from this period. Later, he was the inspiration for, and instrumental in the creation of the popular Avedis Zildjian K. Constantinople series. He played two 20" rides from that series, and also liked to experiment with different cymbals, such as the A Classic Orchestral cymbal that was heavier, with a very flat attack.

The landscape changed in the mid-’80s, when Elvin began playing and endorsing and Tama drums – a relationship that lasted until 1996, when Takahashi “Hagi” Hagiwara signed Jones as a Yamaha endorser. The company subsequently built four identical Absolute Maple kits for Elvin, all finished in Gold Sparkle with gold-plated Absolute lugs.

(Left) One of Elvin’s late-period Yamaha kits, on display at the Zildjian factory

While these were the only Gold Sparkle kits that Yamaha ever made, the shell make-up was standard, with 6-ply toms and a 7-ply bass drum. His sizes were 12" x 8" and 13" x 9" rack toms, 16" x 16" and 18" x 16" floor toms, and an 18" x 14" bass drum. That’s right – his low floor tom was actually bigger than his bass drum! Yamaha also made a ten-lug, 7-ply maple Gold Sparkle custom snare with polyurethane-coated 19-ply maple Vintage hoops, and high-carbon steel 20-strand snares, which is still available in music shops.

His hardware choices were mostly straightforward: three double-braced cymbal boom stands (set up as straight stands), a single pedal (he alternated between whatever was Yamaha’s latest chain-drive model and his trusty old Camco), and a heavy-duty snare stand. But due to Elvin’s penchant for sitting high (he practically stood, in fact), Yamaha had to improvise when it came to Elvin’s throne. “We had to give him the base of a double tom stand and put the top of a drum throne in it, just to make sure it went high enough,” remembers Joe Testa, Artist Relations Manager for Yamaha Drums.

Pro-Mark were his sticks of choice and coated Remo Ambassadors graced all of Elvin’s drums, although he wasn’t exactly a finicky endorser. “He wouldn’t change the heads unless they broke,” Testa laughs. “And believe it or not, he didn’t break heads that much. It’s in the way he played. He was able to get so much sound out of the drum, but he didn’t throw the stick through the head; he pulled the sound out of the drum. I remember seeing some of his kits that had heads that were from the ’70s or ’80s.”

Elvin’s final kits are now displayed at Zildjian’s Massachusetts headquarters and at Yamaha’s west coast office in California. Standing next to Elvin Jones’ drum kit in the foyer of the historic Avedis Zildjian Company, one is struck by the fact that the symphony of sound he created was superhuman, and yet his drums and cymbals appear to be just like any other. In a sense it is nothing more than a collection of wood and metal, but we stand before it electrified because of Elvin’s spirit, which is still thundering through it.

“Every day at work when I walk by Elvin’s drum kit, I remind myself how lucky all of us were to have known him,” says Craigie Zildjian. “That big smile, the deep growly voice, his great sense of humor, and most of all the way he could make you feel so good.”

Tama’s John Blackwell Signature Palette Snare And Warlord Athenian Snare

By John Nyman Originally Published in DRUM! Magazine's February 2009 Issue

Back in the days of television — I mean waaaay back to the golden days of regular television, only one drum company (with an L in its name and offices in Chicago) offered a large catalog of snares that were predominantly winners. In fact, some of the earliest “signature” snare drums from other companies were simply well-crafted knockoffs of those popular originals.

But snare drum manufacture has since gone worldwide, and drum design has gone with it into exciting, uncharted territory. Most manufacturers now offer many snare drums boasting a wide rage of sizes, construction, and applications. Tama, parent of today’s objects of dissection, offers many “factory” and “signature” drums, including some that have garnered high praise for tone and playability.

Here are two more from Tama that are much more than just tubs with wires on the bottom — the John Blackwell Signature Palette 13" x 6.5" snare and the Warlord Athenian 14" x 6" snare. Both sound and play great. This is not always the case with review drums. And both, I am amused to report, elicit mixed and heated opinions regarding their cosmetics (I’ve heard them called both “cool” and “fugly”). See for yourself while I describe the details.

JOHN BLACKWELL SIGNATURE PALETTE SNARE
Blackwell, who held a prominent gig with Prince before moving over to the red-hot drum chair behind Justin Timberlake, went with the slightly-odd-but-gaining-in-acceptance 13"-diameter snare. The shell is made of 1.2mm steel finished in a black nickel coating. It has only eight lugs, centered, which secure steel, triple-flanged hoops.

From that setup, I expected a ringing, popping, one-word snare. I was wrong. The drum is quite warm and very throaty when played in the center. Off-center playing nets a slight change in ring (and I did notice the lack of real estate compared to a 14" drum). How about playing rimshots? Bang! Sharp but not harsh. Great cut but without sounding like a cartoon cap pistol.

On the bandstand, virtually straight from the Tama shipping box, the Blackwell sounded warm, responsive, and, when played with a rimshot, very aggressive. I received immediate positive comments from non-drummers around me, including a pretty good cash offer from the bass player.

SOUND
Back at home, I dug into the drum a little deeper. I tuned the Remo Coated Ambassador head low. The center notes remained fat (phat?), still very throaty, and the rimshots took on a wetter sound. The drum produced great snare sensitivity at all dynamics, plus plenty of musical ring (much different than obnoxious ring). But that ring was totally controllable with tape, MoonGel, a wallet, and what have you.

The drum features Tama’s Hold Tight washers, which I barely noticed so have nothing to say about them, other than that they seemed to hold tight. But let me tell you, the drum tuned easily and delivered great response. As I turned the screws I heard changes that told me this drum would work with me, not against me. So I cranked both heads up, like a Stewart Copeland impersonator, looking for that popcorn-funk/ear-bleed sound. Paint me surprised, but the drum stayed warm in tone, becoming more of a fife & drum thing rather than a sharp-stick-in-the-eardrums thing. Nice.

CONSTRUCTION
The Blackwell drum has a substantial heft to it. 1.2mm steel is popular for drums (in a brief sampling, I found some made with 1.2mm and some with 1mm stock), and it’s sturdy material. The inside of the shell is smooth — there is no bead or crease save the bearing edge.

Those bearing edges are rolled tight but not sharp. The actual contact point of the edge is a narrow, rounded ledge, not a razor’s edge. At the snare beds, where the Tama-brand, high-carbon, 20-strand snare wires lie, the shell dips aggressively but the edge stays quite close to its original width.

The rolled edge hangs over about a half-inch into the interior of the drum, and Tama cites it as part of the sound. Looks a lot like the flanged edge on some old Ludwig snares, if you ask me. Nonetheless, this is the same bent ledge of steel that catches the nuts and bolts when you disassemble your drum or work a bolt loose through hours of slammin’. The smooth, black interior of the Blackwell shell is subtley punctuated by the black, Phillips-head cap screws that hold the lugs.

On the outside of the shiny, black-nickel shell, there’s a line of little diamonds and the initials “JB” in a continuous monogram. And there are three air vents with removable plugs (unscrew, yank out, try not to lose them) that make a big difference in the sound and feel of the drum and add to its already-impressive versatility. Oh, and the strainer is Tama’s MUS80, adjustable on both ends. It looks okay and functioned just fine, although I think the plastic adjustment knob and rubber tip on the lever look and feel cheap. Overall, the Blackwell is a handsome drum.

So why, oh why did Tama have to put the big JB initials on the side? Excuse me, but unless your name is John Blackwell, or James Brown, or Josephine Borumple, the letters look dumb. I caught as many snide remarks about the initials as I did positive remarks about the lovely sound of the drum.

Hoping to remedy this unfortunate oversight, I removed the batter head and set out to remove the letters. Voila! The mere removal of four Phillips-head cap screws liberated the letters from the drum. Although now I had to contend with, sad to say, four holes set into a pattern reminiscent of the Little Dipper. My experience with the excellent, removable air vent plugs suggested that leaving the holes open would be a sonic compromise. So my suggestion to like-minded dismantlers is to seek out the proper nuts, bolts, and rubber washers to plug the holes. And don’t mention any of this to John Blackwell — we don’t want to hurt his feelings.

Here’s more exciting news: I also found two unidentified holes, about an eighth-inch in diameter, located just below the lip of the batter edge, and two more of the same, directly opposing it, just below the lip of the resonant edge. These are mystery holes. I don’t know what the heck they do. One pair straddles the weld. Are they grab-holes for the welding process? Acoustic bleed for the cavitational resonance of the beaterbite? Conversational eyeholes for the relative Melquil dispersion? Maybe Tama will run a contest called “Name These Holes.”

Anywho, Tama Blackwell Signature Palette Snare: highly recommended, great bang for the buck, lose the big letters!

TAMA WARLORD ATHENIAN SNARE
Beyond the fact that they’re both black, I found great contrast between these two Tama snares. The Blackwell snare is comprised of readily available parts — none fancy — put together with great taste (except for the letters taken off of the mail box) for a winning result. The Athenian snare, designed like all from the Warlord line to be as fancy and expensive as you’d want, is full of primo elements. How does the top end stack up against the luck of the middle class? Just fine. In this case, money talks.

The Athenian came out of its box with slack heads, untuned. I loosened both heads further, until the rods rattled, and then began slowly bringing the tension up. At a comically loose tension, about a half-turn or so, the drum already sounded good. I’m talking about wet-blanket tension, and still the drum gave delicate articulation; slight, detached, and very musical ring; noticeable and useable changes in off-center sticking; and a warm, woody rimshot sound. I’d barely gotten it started and we were off to the races! I wish I were kidding, because the drum lists for $1,199.99, and I’m not going to get one. Bravely, I carried on, pondering the various elements that were working so well together.

CONSTRUCTION
The Athenian’s 14" x 6" shell is 1mm brass, electrolytically plated by hand with a dark, brushed, blue-green black nickel color. It is handsome. It also collects fingerprints and scratches easily. The Evans Genera G1 coated and Hazy 300 heads are held on with Tama’s die-cast, “Star-Cast” hoops, treated to a sort of black nickel finish on this drum. The throw is Tama’s MUS80, with adjustments on both left and right sides. This is the same throw off as the Blackwell snare, and while it worked fine, I still think the plastic knobs make it look cheap.

The ten lugs are Warlord lugs, each one shaped into an ornate, “ancient” design. Is it Gothic? Is it Barbarian? Samurai, perhaps? Some have described it as “Dungeons & Dragons,” and I’ll say that’s not far off. These lugs, fearlessly placed on this fine drum, are bold enough design elements to chase away some drummers without so much as a listen to the instrument’s voice. It’s a pity. Ah, but fans of the ornate Warlord look will get to ponder and polish the authentic Swarovski black diamond crystals set into two spots on each lug, and one more big, fat one on the badge.

If you flip the drum over and gaze through that Hazy 300 head, things get very interesting. Most noticeable is the sealed flange. Tama has bent the edges of the brass shell over to create the bearing edge — same as on most metal drums — then continued bending until the flange rolled all the way over to touch the shell again. At the junction, Tama welded the flange to the shell wall. This is done on both batter and resonant edges, effectively making two tubular, sealed sound chambers in the drum. Tama calls it R.S.E., for “Resonant Sound Edge,” and proudly hails it as an original edge design. A couple of vintage experts I contacted told me that rolled, closed flanges date back to the highly sought-after Black Beauty drums of yesteryear. Tama has made its edges without any holes, for a complete seal. And perhaps treating it specifically as an acoustic chamber has allowed the company to improve the idea. Regardless, the inclusion of two chambers is an old, albeit good idea, and the R.S.E. sure doesn’t hurt the tremendous sound of the Athenian.

SOUND
The Athenian is also surprisingly rich and mellow for a drum with such a very sharp bearing edge. Tight and crisp describes the bend in the brass at that edge, and I’m amazed at the consistency of the edge, even as it includes a slow, deep snare bed at each end.

I tuned the drum low; I tuned the drum high; it remained warm, responsive, slightly woody, and always with a sonorous, sweetly singing ring. Rimshots were fat, with a great knock sound that included a larger dose of that harmonious ring. With this drum you could rawk, you could jazz it up, you could do just about anything. I even tried out the included Mylar “studio ring,” putting it on the batter and detuning the four lugs next to the snare beds, and then cranking the other bottom rods. Instant ’70s wet funk.

I think Tama, which lumps the Athenian in with its “unique and aggressive” description of the Warlord line, is mistaken. Except for its appearance, I wouldn’t use those words to describe the Athenian. I’d call it musical, sensitive, versatile, muscular, and, dare I say, mature. Oh, and I’d also have to call it expensive.

VERDICT
Tama has produced both a high-priced snare drum and a mid-priced snare drum that each earned a “must hear” rating from this reviewer. Close your eyes to the controversial design elements if you have to, but do hear these drums.

DETAILS
MODELS Signature Palette John Blackwell And Warlord Athenian Snares
SHELLS John Blackwell Snare: 1.2mm steel; Warlord Athenian Snare: 1mm brass
FINISH John Blackwell Snare: black nickel coating; Warlord Athenian Snare: electrolytically hand-plated with a dark, brushed, blue-green black nickel color.
FEATURES John Blackwell Snare: triple-flanged hoops; high-carbon, 20-strand snare wires; MUS80 throw-off; Hold Tight washers; three air vents with removable plugs. Warlord Athenian Snare: Included Evans Genera G1 coated and Hazy 300 heads; die-cast “Star-Cast” hoops; MUS80 throw-off; high-carbon 20-strand snare wires; Swarovski black diamond crystals set into two spots on each lug and one on the badge; R.S.E. roll-over bearing edges.
SIZE & LIST PRICE

• John Blackwell Snare (JB 1365): 13" x 6.5" $459.99
• Warlord Athenian Snare (KBR 146C): 14" x 6" $1,199.99

CONTACT
Hoshino USA Inc.
215-638-8670
tama.com

DeJohnette’s 3-Point Ride Is A Triplet Treat

By Andy Doerschuk Published May 17, 2010

Drummers have learned to pay attention whenever jazz legend Jack DeJohnette collaborates on new cymbal designs with Sabian. His very first Signature ride was considered revolutionary when it was issued in the late ’80s, with its dull, unlathed surface and dry pingy sound. While it didn’t exactly unseat the top sellers of the day, it has subsequently inspired very similar designs throughout the cymbal field.

So here we go again. Meet the newest member of DeJohnette’s Sabian collection — the 21" Vault 3-Point Ride, which offers a dark, smoky tone with varying sound nuances across three distinct playing surfaces. Topped by a mini bell, the medium-thin, hand-hammered ride features an unlathed control ring around the center that produces tight, glassy sounds, while the lathed area between the ring and bell delivers drier tip sounds (or as Sabian calls it, “point”), and the area from the ring out to the edge produces a fuller, more open response.

Available in Natural or optional Brilliant Finish, the Vault 3-Point Ride is handcrafted and hammered from premium Sabian B20 bronze, and is quality protected by the Sabian Two-Year warranty.

Box Shot

By Andrew Lentz Published April 14, 2010

Don’t you hate how entry-level is just a euphemism for bottom of the line? Well, the new Players Series Cajon from Toca targets students and beginners without cutting corners on quality.

The 11-1⁄2" wide by 17-1⁄2" tall by 11-1⁄2" deep hardwood shell is finished in an attractive natural gloss, and it comes fitted with rubber feet to protect floor surfaces. The front striking plate is attached with adjustable screws, allowing for a combination of deep bass tones and crisp slaps.

A set of internal snare wires adds definition to the beat, helping to provide a highly satisfying overall cajon sound that's sure to motivate any aspiring player. Easy to to play, lots of fun, and at $159, a total bargain.

Pete Walter's 1983 Ludwigs

By Kerim MacOriginally published in 2007

Pete Walters comments: “Here is my old Ludwig kit. I’ve had it since ’83 and it’s great. Thanks for posting it."

Pete’s kit includes a lot more than Ludwig tubs. In addition to 6", 8", 10", 12", 13", 14", 15", and 1" toms it also features a 16" x 22" bass drum, and a 14" x 6" snare drum. The rest of the gear lineup includes:

• Zildjian cymbals with one Paiste china
• A well-played Drumkat and Pintech pads
• Silverfox sticks
• Spectrasound chimes
• Grover snare wires

Thanks, Pete.

SJC Custom Drums: Custom Cool For The Drummin’ Fool

By Brad Schlueter Originally pubished in the September 2007 issue of DRUM! Magazine

If you haven’t heard of SJC Custom Drums, listen up. This small Massachusetts company has been making drums since 2000 and is creating some amazing-sounding drums with some absolutely sick finishes. Judging by its web site, most of the people working at SJC are in their 20s, which would explain the coolness factor of these drums. Punk drummers from the Atari’s, Powerman 5000, Hawthorne Heights, and Panic! At The Disco, as well as the more mainstream pop drummers for Paul Simon and Hilary Duff all play SJC kits. So if you’re looking for a cutting-edge drum set that pushes the aesthetic envelope, SJC can definitely deliver.

CHOICES, CHOICES
Since SJC is a custom drum company, it offers its customers a seemingly limitless number of ways to customize their kits. The downside is that, for the novice, this range of options might be overwhelming (not to mention expensive given the increased cost of customization). Customers can choose shells in a wide variety of sizes and a wide number of plies, made from maple, birch, or mahogany. SJC toms and bass drums range from five to ten plies, and snares can have as few as five, or as many as 50 plies. SJC also makes segment, stave, and solid-shell wood shells, brass and acrylic shells, and even hybrid shells made from more than one material.

You can have vents put in your drums, have your hardware powder-coated, specify the type of bearing edge you want, or go with the standard double 45-degree edges. SJC offers a variety of hoops too, from the standard 2.3mm hoops to die-cast, wood, or the very striking Butcher hoops, which are thick wood hoops with an awning that completely covers the lugs underneath. The Butcher hoops (inspired by an idea from Andy “The Butcher” Mrotek of The Academy Is…) result in a look that is completely different from any that I’ve ever seen. What I’m getting at here is that there are more ways to customize these drums than I have room to list.

OUT OF THE BOX
I was sent a 5-piece “one up, two down” maple kit with a 24" x 18" bass drum, a 12" x 7.5" rack tom, 16" x 14" and 18" x 16" floor toms, and a 14" x 7" snare drum. The notable features of the review kit included wood hoops and offset lugs on the toms and bass drum.

The bass and toms had SJC’s white Birdseye wrap finish and the unmatched snare drum had a finish of beautiful glossy Black Cherry Burst over Birdseye maple. I absolutely loved the finish of the snare drum. It was very dark at the edges and slowly opened up to a cherry color in the middle. It had a smooth, high-gloss coating that was immaculate. The 10-lug snare had all the amenities you could want; Trick’s excellent strainer, high-quality snare wires, die-cast hoops, butt plate, and inline mini tube lugs. Even SJC’s badge has a tasteful appearance. Earlier I mentioned that the options for customizing were seemingly limitless. Here’s yet another example: SJC even offers you the ability to customize the badge color, or to have your band’s logo engraved on the badge.

The finish on the toms and bass drum received several spontaneous compliments. The white Birdseye finish is all white, set off with slightly off-white swirls. Everyone’s taste is different, and I can’t say I really liked it, though it was very professionally applied. A perusal of SJC’s web site will give you a clue as to the incredible variety of spectacular finishes they offer.

HARDWARE
My kit came with rounded, claw-style wood hoops on the toms, which are similar to Ayotte’s wood hoops in that they stand about 3/4" above the head, which means you may need to angle your toms slightly more to clear them. These hoops have a unique short lip that hides the drumhead collar and are said to greatly increase the resonance of the drums, which I found to be an accurate claim. It may be a small thing, but I like the look of these hoops more than those where you can see the silver head collar, which may or may not complement the look of your finish. Of course, if you’re not with me on that, SJC also offers drums with shorter, Yamaha-style wood hoops, or ones that reveal the drumhead collar, just like your bass drum hoops do. Speaking of those, another nice feature is that SJC custom cuts the interior of its bass drum hoops so they fit your drumheads more securely.

I’m paid to nitpick, and one small issue I had was that, since this style of hoop requires bass drum claws for tensioning, the tube lugs have to be mounted a bit off the shell to align with the claws. SJC used standard, hardware-store variety hex nuts under the tube lugs as a spacer, which looked a little too “industrial” for my tastes. I think they could improve on that. Also, the white Birdseye finish was inlaid into the tom hoops as well as the bass drum, but the hoops weren’t stained and felt bare, which initially was a concern since the first gig I used them on was outside on a rainy day. I later learned that the people at SJC use a mixture of oils that they hand rub into the hoops and shell interiors to seal and protect them, which put my mind at ease.

The kit also featured 50-percent offset, mini tube lugs. That means that the lugs weren’t mounted directly above one another, but were offset in an equidistant, zigzag pattern. SJC does offer kits with the lugs inline, or what they refer to as a “7/8 offset,” which works well on snares since it leaves room for the throw-off and butt plate. My kit also featured Gauger’s excellent, attractive, and lightweight aluminum hanging tom mounts for the rack tom, while the floor toms had the mounts attached directly to the shell. I found the floor tom leg mounts to have large and comfortable wing screws, but I had to remove one wing screw and washer to fit the drums into my old foam-lined cases. My advice is to buy the cases after the drums since these mounts stick out a touch further than some.

SONIC BOOM
Now onto the real question: how did the drums sound? The bass drum sounded beautifully deep, which might partly be due to its extremely thin, 5.4mm shell. SJC included a bass drum pillow for dampening, though I didn’t use it at my gigs. The bass drum may have sounded a touch boomy, but not in a particularly distracting way. The drum’s large diameter and depth provided even punchier low end when I muffled it. This is a big, deep-sounding drum that’s perfect for loud rock. I use a MAPA bass drum anchor on my rug, and since the resonant head’s bottom lug is offset on the SJC bass drum, the anchor sits directly on the bottom. To avoid marring the finish, I had to raise the drum up a bit to avoid metal-to-metal contact between the lug and the anchor.

The toms came outfitted with Remo Clear Emperor 2-ply heads and Clear Ambassadors on the bottoms. The drums exhibited plenty of attack, courtesy of the Emperors, but enough sustain and warmth to make me smile. The 12" tom had a nice upper-midrange pitch and was shallow enough to make placement over the 24" kick a snap. The floor toms had the low end covered, although I couldn’t fit the biggest tom in my car to get it to the gig. The shells on all of the toms were just 4mm thin – which contributed to their warmth and sustain – and had SJC’s double 45-degree bearing edges.

The snare also sounded terrific. The drum’s depth is capable of providing a good amount of volume, while also adding a little extra meat to the tone. Even when I really laid into it, the drum never choked. The ten maple plies offered enough crack and brightness to balance nicely with the woody tone of the drum. I was also impressed with its fairly wide tuning range. It certainly won’t be mistaken for a piccolo snare, but you can crank the heads and not worry about choking it out.

With the die-cast hoops, the drum’s rim click sound was so loud and clear that I didn’t need any amplification for it at my outdoor “unplugged” gig. Though the snare came with an Emperor head, I didn’t feel any need to switch to a thinner head, as I was perfectly satisfied with the sound it gave me. The ringing overtones were also well balanced. During a Samba-style drum solo, I played near the edges of the head with a lot of rim shots for a livelier “Latin” sound.

VERDICT

With a plethora of options, a bleeding edge aesthetic, and a fat sound, SJC drums have what it takes to give the big boys a run for their money.

DETAILS

SHELLS (Review kit) 100-percent maple shells with 6-ply 12" x 7.5" rack tom, 16" x14" and 18" x 16" floor toms, an 8-ply 24" x 18" bass drum, and a 10-ply 14" x 7" snare drum.

FEATURES Nearly everything is fully customizable, also comes with floor tom legs and Gauger tom suspension mount.

FINISHES (Review kit) White Birdseye wrap for toms and bass drum, High-gloss Black Cherry Burst over Birdseye maple for the snare drum.

PRICE (Review kit) $3,330 for the toms and bass drum, $900 for the factory-direct snare drum from SJC.

CONTACT SJC Custom Drums
P.O. Box 1314
Dudley, MA 01571
774-272-0591
sjcdrums.com

Eight Is Enough

By Andrew Lentz Published May 11, 2010

With the Octapad SPD-30 digital percussion pad, Roland is offering one super-nifty portable electronic percussion instrument for the musical application of your choice whether it's a major arena tour or an impromptu ice-cream social.

Using the latest trigger technology from Roland’s industry-leading V-Drums®, the eight pads feature an extremely natural and responsive playing feel. The eight separate trigger surfaces provide superior dynamic response, trigger consistency over a pad’s entire surface, and the elimination of crosstalk.

The Octapad SPD-30 includes 50 kits and hundreds of drum and percussion sounds including 30 types of multi-effects that can be used on individual kits, and Ambience with an Equalizer and Limiter that can be applied to the overall Octapad SPD-30 sound. The Phrase Loop recording feature allows the player to loop recorded sounds in real time, and then overdub additional parts or sounds. With the ability to record three parts per phrase, Phrase Loop is a powerful creative tool for live performance and recording.

The external trigger/control inputs allow players to connect additional pads, and a hi-hat controller to create a powerful yet portable mini-electronic kit. The Octapad SPD-30 is also compatible with Roland RT-Series acoustic drum triggers, creating additional options for drummers who want to add electronics to their acoustic drum set.

With its large backlit LCD and intuitive interface, navigating menus and editing parameters on the Octapad SPD-30 is extremely easy. The pads also feature illuminated LEDs, helpful for performing in low-light settings. In addition, the Octapad SPD-30 has USB connectivity for both data backup and MIDI allowing players to expand their recording capabilities with personal computers. Standard MIDI connections are also included, allowing connection to external sound modules, samplers and other MIDI devices. $799.

Just For KickPorts

By Andrew Lentz Published November 3, 2009

Want to inject some serious boom into your bass drum, but don't want to color clash with that nice, clean factory resonator head? The new, white version of the KickPort bass drum tone enhancer fits the aesthetic (and sonic) bill.

So simple it's ingenious, the KickPort is exactly what the name says: a port in the resonating head of your kick drum that amplifies you bass drum simply by harbessing the natural properties of the horn-shaped plastic piece that slots easily into your standard 5"-diameter bass drum port. A rubber gasket around perimeter prevents air or sound leakage.

A prototype of a white of the KickPort was unveiled at Winter NAMM 2010. Originally available only in black, this second version of the innovative, sound-improving drum accessory is showing up at music stores just one year after the KickPort appeared at the 2009 Summer NAMM Show and was honored with a “Best In Show” selection. Now you don't have to worry about clueless soundmen improperly miking your kick. Your bass will have just plenty of oomph regardless.

The Invasion Will Not Be Televised

By Andrew Lentz Published May 5, 2010

The Invader V3 practice pad from Offworld Percussion will advance your rudiments so quickly your bandmates will assume you were abducted by extraterrestrial forces and reengineered with superhuman drumming abilities.

The secret to this ability-enhancing drum tool: Offworld's patented DarkMatter playing surface, which reproduces the articulation and feel of real drum heads with such accuracy you may not know the difference. And tell us that glossy jet black doesn't look dope. Also available in natural-color gum rubber.

Surrounded by a super-tuff abrasion and weather-resistant black nylon composite matrix, the Invader V3 lets you do rim shots, rim clicks and all the other effects you would do on a regular snare without damaging your sticks. Fits into any snare basket.

The Invader V3 has a non-skid base that makes it safe for table tops or playing anywhere. Better yet, it fits perfectly on top of any standard 14" snare drum so you can practice in silence during drum corps choreography and maneuvers during practice. Recommended by the country's top marching bands and marching band magazine editors.

Mapex Meridian Birch: A Sound Replacement By Brad Schlueter Originally Published in DRUM! Magazine's October 2009 Issue

Mapex fans on a budget were forced to swallow a bitter pill earlier this year when the company discontinued two of its most popular entry-level drum lines, M Birch and Pro M. But a spoonful of sugar soon followed in the form of those lines’ replacements, the new Meridian Birch and Meridian Maple lines. It could be argued, of course, that nothing was missing from the originals. But Mapex not only found a way to make some significant improvements with the Meridians, but managed to keep the price down as well. If you’ve always liked the sound of the M Birch and Pro M lines, you can take heart in the fact that the shells haven’t changed much — not at all in the case of the Meridian Maple, which are the same seven-ply maple shells used in the Pro M. The Meridian Birch has just lost the M Birch’s outer ply of maple in favor of a true, 100 percent birch shell. What have changed significantly are the finishes, lugs, and hardware. And those changes are worthy of a closer look.

OUT OF THE BOX

Mapex sent me a 5-piece Meridian Birch kit. And for those terribly impatient types I can tell you up front that I like all the changes to the line. I’m quite familiar with the M Birch kits, having both reviewed them and spent the last several years teaching and shedding on three different M Birch kits, all in different finishes. After this assignment I’m hoping the shop I teach at will upgrade the teaching kits to Meridians.

The kit I received was in the SRO configuration: 22" x 18" bass drum, 14" x 5.5" snare, 10" x 8" and 12" x 9" rack toms, and a 16" x 16" floor tom. These sizes are a great choice for most rock gigs. The larger diameter floor tom yields a noticeably lower pitch than a 14" tom would, making it perfect for jungle tom grooves. There are four other setups available, plus a “Go Large” add-on package with a second bass drum and 10" and 18" toms and hardware — perfect for metal drummers. Incidentally, the Go Large add-on works best with the “standard” configuration (12" and 13" rack toms), because if you use it with any other configuration you’ll end up with two 10" toms. Mapex has also just announced that the Meridian Birch is available as a shell-pack for a list price of $899.99. And with both lines you have the option of ordering any of the individual drums à la carte.

FINISH

I thought Mapex’ M Birch line offered appealing smooth lacquer finishes when it was first introduced, and some solid colors remain in the Meridian Birch line. But all the M Birch’s burst finishes (darker at the top and bottom and lighter in the middle) are gone, or were just moved upstairs for the pricier Meridian Maples. But the new fade finishes in the Meridian Birch are still quite nice. Fortunately, they still have the smooth-as-glass look and feel from eight coats of hand-sanded lacquer.

Mapex sent me the new Cherry Mist finish, which is a very subtle deep-cherry-to-paler-red fade. Only Mapex doesn’t call it a fade, possibly because the effect is more understated compared to the other “true” fades. Either way, I loved this finish. It was perfectly done, worthy of a kit priced at least a thousand dollars more. In fact, some very big companies offer much coarser finishes until you start shelling out (pardon the pun) around four figures more.

HARDWARE

Again, the real improvements to this line happened in hardware. The snare drum features a new-and-improved throw-off, a welcome upgrade from the one that came with the M Birch kit I’d previously reviewed. That old throw-off had a plastic knob that had broken during shipment. This new strainer is all metal and of higher quality.

The drums now have 2.3 mm Powerhoops instead of the 1.6 mm hoops that came on the M Birch. These are more rigid, but more importantly they produce a louder rim-click on the snare drum. The lugs have shrunk, and the new ones are both more aesthetically appealing and should help minimize some vibration-robbing contact with the shells. The bass drum claws are still stamped steel, though at a glance you might be fooled into thinking they’re die-cast. Better still, they now have a rubber gasket to protect the beautiful wood hoops from metal-to-wood gouging. To my eye, the styling of the new lugs and bass drum claws is reminiscent of something found on pricier Tama’s Starclassic drums. The tom mount has also been redesigned, and this too works well with a smaller footprint. The overall effect is pure class.

Mapex also includes a new line of double-braced hardware with this kit, and it’s a middleweight champion. I received a three-tier hideaway boom and a straight cymbal stand that feature new clamping memory locks, ergonomic wing screws, and slip-proof rubber feet. At first glance, you might mistake them for DW stands. Mapex has adopted a similar synthetic black handle, dubbed “Accu-Lock,” for it’s cymbal tilter — no doubt a nod to a now-established DW instituted on its hardware years ago.

If you’ve ever felt a tendon slide across a bone while twisting a wing screw at an odd angle, you’ll appreciate these handles. There’s a locking screw at the bottom of the tilter (that’s easy to miss) that will lock your desired angle from gig to gig.

Mapex also includes its new hybrid felt/rubber “Multi-Sustain” cymbal felts, which combine a thin felt glued to half of a Cymbal Accentuator, which is the rubber ball Mapex uses in place of a felt on most of its hardware. With the Multi-Sustains, the idea is that the side that rests against the cymbal determines the cymbal’s sustain. That may be true on a splash or other small cymbal, but unless you clamp the felts tightly, I doubt they have much noticeable effect. I’m not a fan of the Cymbal Accentuators, so I view this as a small upgrade.

The hi-hat stand features a ten-step tension adjustment, rotating legs, and slip-proof feet. It felt very nice to play, with plenty of smoothness and response.

The simple and solid snare stand has a memory lock, uses a ratcheting design and works perfectly. Nuff said.

The P700 bass drum pedal is a basic but thoroughly well-built piece of hardware. It has a stabilizer plate underneath with a convenient drum-key holder attached to it. It uses just a single chain, though I noticed that the double-pedal version has been upgraded to a double chain. I wish the pedal didn’t use a wing screw under the footboard to clamp the pedal to the hoop, but all Mapex pedals suffer from that minor inconvenience. I think the company should have taken the opportunity to move the wing screw to the side of the pedal where it’s easier to reach, and use a lever similar to those used on many other pedals. That quibble aside, the pedal felt fine, and its three-sided beater (felt, wood, or plastic) offers plenty of impact options.

SOUND

The snare and toms come outfitted with Remo UT single-ply batter heads, while the bass drum has a clear batter with a muffling ring around its circumference for taming boominess. The tom heads and bass drum batter are clear, the bass drum resonant/logo head is a solid black model, and the snare batter is coated for better brush playing.

To my ears, the drums sound very good, virtually indistinguishable from the M Birch line, which would be expected since both lines use the same shells. The decay characteristics of birch shells are one of the reasons they make such good drums for recording. The 20-lug bass drum offered a deep wallop with a good amount of attack. It had plenty of boom, so if I owned these drums I’d probably replace the batter head with a more muffled one and port the logo head for easier microphone placement. Ports tend to shorten a bass drum’s decay and deaden the action, which I like more than a closed, bouncy-feeling drum.

The toms were clear and articulate, though there was a noticeable pitch drop from the 12" rack down to the 16" floor tom. The toms didn’t ring too long, as you’d expect from a birch kit.

I’m a big fan of birch snares. They tend to be brighter than maple and have a controlled decay without the excessive ring that can plague other wood as well as metal snare drums. This nicely crisp eight-lug model did not disappoint.

A CAVEAT

Earlier, I stated that Mapex had made all these improvements without raising the price, and while that is mostly true, it isn’t the whole story. Previously, Mapex offered either an extra tom with the M Birch kits, depending on how many drums you chose. Though always a “limited-time offer,” it had gone on for so long that some of us had come to expect it. Alas, those freebies are finally over. The savings have allowed Mapex to improve the line without charging the customer for it. Seems fair in this economy.

VERDICT

Mapex Meridian Birch drums are as good as anything you can find in this price category and remain a smart choice even if you have more to spend. For surprisingly little money you get an all-birch kit with a selection of beautiful lacquer finishes that both sounds and looks great. With new lugs and mounts, 2.3 mm hoops, and a full complement of quality hardware, you really can’t go wrong. Frankly, I can’t think of another company offering so much for so little.

DETAILS

SHELLS 100-percent birch, 6-ply, 7.2 mm drum shells.

CONFIGURATION 10" x 8", 12" x 9" rack toms, a 16" x 16" floor tom, a 22" x 18" bass drum, and a 14" x 5.5" matching wood snare drum.

FINISH Cherry Mist (reviewed) plus seven other lacquer finishes.

FEATURES 2.3 mm Mapex Powerhoops; newly designed tom mounts, lugs, and cushioned bass drum claws; a variety of configurations available; a selection of eight very attractive finishes; side-throw snare strainer: hardware package is included in price.

LIST PRICE 5-piece Meridian Birch kit with hardware, $1229.99 (as reviewed); 6-piece with hardware, $1539.99; shell-pack only, $899.99

CONTACT
Mapex Drums
615-713-2050
usa.mapexdrums.com

Dream Cymbals

A Sonic Wake-Up Call

By David E. Libman Originally published in DRUM! Magazine’s January 2010 Issue

Dream Cymbals entered the global cymbal market in 2005, as a Canadian operation selling handmade cymbals from China. The brand may be relatively new, but its factory in China’s Wuhan region has produced world-class gongs for generations.

The company offers several Western-style lines of cymbals based on specs provided by its Canadian designers. The craftsmen at Dream’s Chinese factory apply generations of experience working with B20 bronze (the 80 percent copper/20 percent tin alloy used for many manufacturers’ top cymbal lines) in their creation of Dream’s Western-style Vintage Bliss, Bliss, Contact, and Energy lines. At the same time, Dream offers Chinese-style cymbals in its Lion/China Series, Han Series, and Jing Series.

I didn’t know much about Dream before receiving a selection of its cymbals, so I was able to evaluate the models I received without preconceptions.

DREAM ANALYSIS
Dream sent me 24" Contact rides, 24" Bliss rides, 22" Vintage Bliss crash/rides, 22" Bliss paper thin crash/rides, 20" Vintage Bliss crash/rides, and 20" Bliss crash/rides. I also received 13" and 15" Bliss hi-hats. When I cracked open the boxes, my first impression was that the cymbals look like they were teleported — brand new — from the 1940s or ’50s. Dream forges, hammers, and lathes its cymbals all by hand. The human element comes through in their appearance. The surface areas of the Vintage Bliss and Bliss lines sport ultra-thin stripes created by micro-lathing. The Contact line has wider lathing and striping. Under shiny yet non-brilliant surfaces, various indentations and hammering marks emphasize the Dream cymbals’ handmade look. Attractive black logos, but generic-looking identifying text (such as 22" crash/ride), complete the cymbals’ decidedly old-school appearance.

The Vintage Bliss and Bliss lines are very thin. The Contact line is thicker, but not much. As a result, despite some large diameters, these cymbals don’t feel particularly heavy. I was able to suspend the 24" rides on a lightweight stand without any balancing problems. When played, the Dreams wobble from bell to edge like vintage cymbals. Nonetheless, when played hard, these cymbals feel flexible and sturdy. I didn’t sense that they would easily crack or dent.

The completely handmade aspect of these cymbals shows through in some of their imperfections. When placed on an angled cymbal stand, most of the 20–24" models settle to a resting place caused by a slightly heavier sweet spot. Some of the cymbals’ edges are not quite straight or slightly sharp to the touch. I’ve never been bothered much by such cosmetic irregularities in cymbals. To me, the most important thing is the cymbal’s sound and feel. However, if you’re looking for a perfect-looking cymbal, some of the Dreams may not live up to your expectations.

A DREAM COME TRUE
At first, it struck me as a bit over-the-top that Dream sent me two of each model, but it made more sense once I started playing these platters. None of them sound alike — not even two identical models. For example, I didn’t like one of the 22" Bliss crash/rides, but the other one may be one of the best-sounding cymbals I’ve played. In fact, among the batch of cymbals I received, some are real gems. The fact that each cymbal has a unique voice allowed me to sound more unique when I played them.

Despite their individual differences, Dream cymbals on the whole produce a decidedly jazzy sound — in part, due to long sustain, and a remarkably wide overtone series that heavily emphasizes darker, lower tones. (I didn’t receive any of the Energy line cymbals, but I understand they’re for harder hitters and would suspect they have a less jazzy sound.)

The Dreams’ lower frequencies sing warmly and more delicately than the barking roars that sometimes come from Chinese-style cymbals. All of the cymbals’ bells — from the 20" to the 24" models — sound clear, un-choked, tuned, and distinct from the rest of the cymbal without being piercing. These cymbals speak with an aged quality and a distinct overtone series that differentiates them from other Western, European, or Turkish cymbal brands that I’ve played. Keep in mind that I received two of each model, so my description in each case focuses on my favorite of the pair.

24" Contact & Bliss Rides
Both provide excellent, woody stick definition with the ping of a flat ride, no doubt due to their relatively flat bow. The 24" Contact ride offers more aggressive stick articulation and an underlying dark swell, while the 24" Bliss is more delicate and glassy, with a small yet distinctive-sounding bell. I enjoyed both 24" models, but the subtlety of the 24" Bliss appeals more to my jazz sensibilities. Despite its large size, the 24" Bliss ride possesses a controllable dynamic range that allows it to work well as a main ride cymbal for many styles of music.

22" Vintage Bliss Ride
This was my favorite cymbal of the bunch. When played lightly with stick tips, it projects a warm, woody articulation surrounded by a swell of low, sizzling overtones. At louder volumes it retains stick articulation, which is never overpowered by the underlying overtone spread. When crashed, this cymbal roars and then decays quickly enough to begin a ride pattern again almost immediately. It also exemplifies how cosmetic imperfections do not necessarily negatively affect a cymbal’s sound. Despite an obvious dent on its edge, I found this cymbal’s sound and forgiving feel to be utterly fantastic.

22" Bliss Paper Thin Crash/Ride
Thin enough to invert by hand, but flexible enough that I don’t think it would crack easily, this cymbal explodes with a trashy wall of sound indicative of a small tam-tam. Despite its “crash/ride" label, it works best as a crash, although you may not crash it throughout a song. Still, it’s an excellent effects cymbal for more selective use.

20" Vintage Bliss Crash/Ride This fine-sounding crash maintains decent stick articulation when played as a ride, but has a dominant low pitch that’s a bit much for my taste. While I wouldn’t want this as a main ride, I would certainly use it as a crash/ride along with one of the 24" or 22" models as a primary ride.

20" Bliss Crash/Ride
Again, Dream could drop the “ride" part of the label, because this cymbal plays much more like a crash, bursting with a powerful wash of lows and personality. But while it provides acceptable stick articulation, it had slightly too much pitch and swell to work as a main ride.

13" And 15" Bliss Hi-Hats
These hats lack air holes, flat or wavy bottoms, rivets, un-lathed bells, or any of the other features found on many modern hi-hats. But these cymbals didn’t need gimmicks to consistently give clear and crisp foot chicks without air pockets, splashy open foot sounds, and a truly comfortable foot feel. Even the 15" set is relatively light in weight.

When played with sticks, the hi-hats provide an articulate and wide dynamic range that emphasizes the spizz-aspect of the sound. As one would expect, the 15" hats have a lower pitch and more chunk to their sound, while the 13" hats sound lighter and crisper. I generally prefer smaller hi-hats, so I favored the 13" set. However, if you’re a fan of 15" hats, you should definitely give these a try because they’re excellent.

Details
Bliss & Vintage Bliss Cymbals

Alloy B20 bronze

Features Hand hammered; thin hand-applied micro-lathe lines; light weight; smaller bell profile.

Sizes & Prices:
20" Vintage Bliss Crash/Ride ($204),
20" Bliss Crash/Ride ($183),
22" Bliss Ride ($269),
22" Bliss Paper Thin Crash/Ride ($249),
13" Bliss Hi-Hats ($199),
15" Bliss Hi-Hats ($239).
Contact Cymbals

Alloy B20 bronze

Features Hand hammered; wide hand-applied lathe lines; medium-light weight; larger bell profile.

Sizes & Prices: 24" Ride ($529)

Contact
Dream Cymbals
dreamcymbals.com
1-877-933-7629

Verdict
I was able to select a set of Dream cymbals that I truly enjoyed (24" Bliss ride, 22" Vintage Bliss crash/ride, two 20" Bliss crash/rides, and 13" hats) because of their comfortable feel, incredible sound quality, and overall uniqueness. Considering the wide variations in each model’s sound, this is a cymbal brand that I would recommend trying first at the store rather than ordering online without a test ride. They project a jazzy sound, yet have a wide-enough dynamic range to use for many styles. However, because the Dreams sound quite different from a typical machine-hammered cymbal, they might be intimidating at first if you’re looking for a more homogenous sound. But Dream's offerings as well as their affordable price point will probably pleasantly surprise those willing to take the risk.

A Real World E-Kit

By Andrew Lentz Published May 4, 2010

With the TD-12KX, Roland has not only added the latest addition to its V-Stage family of V-Drums kits, it’s moving beyond the confines of the bedroom and targeting those drummers who will actually subject it to the rigors of performing live and in the studio.

Demonstrating that e-kits rock every bit as hard as acoustic ones, the TD-12KX builds on the feature set of the TD-12SV kit, adding a larger kick, floor tom pad, and a new stand with improved pad mounts and durability.

Natch, the TD-12KX sports mesh heads for the kick, snare and tom pads providing excellent sensitivity and response. To enhance playability, the TD-12KX includes a larger 12" KD-120 V-Kick Trigger Pad for the bass drum and a 10" PD-105 floor tom pad for the floor tom. The TD-12KX also comes equipped with a VH-11 V-Hi-Hat and three 12” CY-12R/C V-Cymbals.

The brain of this newest V-Drums kit — the TD-12 Percussion Sound Module — features the same COSM® sound engine as the popular TD-20 for staggering sonic flexibility. The V-Edit function allows you to adjust parameters, such as shell material, head type and cymbal size with a simple icon-based graphic interface.

The TD-12 also offers many useful functions for drum practice, including onboard music patterns, a sequencer, a programmable click, and a mix input jack for connecting MP3 or CD players.

And last but not least of the considerations for working musicians, the TD-12KX offers easy setup and the increased stability of its MDS-12X stand. Its lower weight center provides more stability and playability. Additionally, newly improved cymbal and tom mounts include ball clamps for flexible and easy set-up and positioning. $5,399.

Whole Lotta Shekere Goin’ On

By Andrew Lentz Published May 1, 2010

Jim Greiner — the performer and educator who has dedicated himself to promoting the physical and spiritual benefits of playing percussion — has added designer to his list of credits with the introduction of Latin Percussion's Jim Greiner Shekere.

Jim ably demonstrated his new shekere in a personal appearance at Winter NAMM so we heard all the gourd's great sound characteristic first hand. His namesake shekere combines old- and new-world technology to create an original version of this popular West African instrument that's amazingly musical while being extremely player-friendly. It's designed to offer the traditional sound and feel of the relatively fragile gourd-based shekere, but with the durability of contemporary materials. The shell of the Jim Greiner Shekere is slightly smaller overall than that of LP's standard model.This improved size and shape was created by digitally matching an original organic gourd hand-selected by Jim, and then further tailoring all the dimensions for optimal feel, balance, projection, and warmth.

The resulting design not only offers those sonic advantages, but also makes the Jim Greiner Shekere easier to handle during performance. The network of beads that covers the durable fiberglass shell is unlike that of any other shekere. Jim worked closely with LP's designers to create specially formulated plastic beads that help to replicate the bead-on-gourd sound of traditional shekeres.

In addition, the cord material and even the weave of the netting itself have been specially chosen to achieve the most musical sound, playable feel, and attractive appearance. The Jim Greiner Shekere is unlike any shekere you've ever played. It reflects LP's long-standing commitment to working with the world's most accomplished and knowledgeable musicians in order to create innovative instruments to meet real-world applications. LP484 LP Jim Greiner Shekere. $175.