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The first vintage & Custom Drum Magazine, since 1988
Jim delighted a packed audience at the 2022 Chicago Drum Show by giving a clinic sharing his personal experiences throughout almost 4 decades in the drum business. I have transcribed Jim’s clinic below for those who were not able to attend and hope you will enjoy Jim’s wonderful anecdotes and shared life lessons
Read moreBrady Drums, made by Chris Brady and company, are revered worldwide for their fine craftsmanship, exotic Australian timbers, and most notably their wonderful and unique sound. Chris Brady, truly a drum building pioneer, introduced Jarrah, Sheoak, Wandoo, Spotted Gum, and other indigenous Australian woods into the vocabulary of drummers. Brady constructed these drums with ply, stave/block, and even solid shells.
Read moreThere have been sightings over the years of Ludwig & Ludwig oval-badged drums with an unusual dark golden marine pearl wrap. The history of these drums is a bit unclear as Ludwig catalogs, ads, or brochures do not reference them. I first saw such a kit in Bun E Carlos’s collection back in a visit to Rockford, IL in 2013. I was quite struck by the amazing, rich, golden color of the pearl.
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A short while ago, I was contacted by a talented drummer by the name of George Sluppick on Instagram. It turns out he had a Ludwig drum from the 1940’s which he wanted to identify and might consider selling. He got the drum from a shop called Lollipop Music in Princeton, WV. They got the drum from a guy who bought it from a pawn shop. So unfortunately, no identity of the original owner. I was still determined to find out more…
Read moreMorris Arnold Lang, known to his friends as “Arnie”, passed away recently following an unfortunate accident. Arnie was a talented musician, educator, prolific writer, and craftsman (Lang Percussion), devoted husband and father. In his nine decades on this planet, he gifted us with the legacy of his music, educational books/videos, many students, family, friendship, and amazingly crafted drums in the spirit of Billy Gladstone. While one always wishes for more time with such wonderful people, we are reminded how blessed we are to have lived in his presence.
Read moreI now own several Ludwig Peacock Pearl snares, but all are 5 x 14”. In late 2020, I found out that Paul “Jamo” Jamieson was thinking of retiring and paring down his drum collection. Jamo is well known for his many contributions to the music industry as a drum tech and cartage/rental businessman. He has worked with some of the biggest names in the music business and accumulated some amazing drums along the way. In one of our many engaging conversations, Jamo mentioned that he had some cool vintage drums that I might be interested in. One of these was a 6.5 x 15” (yes, 15”!) Ludwig Super-Sensitive in Peacock Pearl.
Read moreThis Multi-Model Marvel is truly a lovely drum and extremely well-preserved. The Marvel strainer works quite nicely and smoothly, applying even tension across all snares. So why do I think it wasn’t successful? First off, the bridge mechanism extends about 1 3/8” from the bottom. For snare stands of the time, this overhang could be problematic.
Read moreI’d like to start this story by both thanking and blaming Mark Cooper (Coopers Vintage Drums) J. Many years ago, I met Mark at one of the Chicago Drum Shows. He was sharing his fabulous collection of vintage green-wrapped drums from Slingerland and Leedy.
Read moreThis 1939 WFL Paramount snare was produced in the year that Germany invaded Poland, and just over 2 years later, the U.S. would join the war. Bill Ludwig, Sr. had lost his name, much of his savings, and yet survived both the transition and WWII. In the end, his company thrived, and he regained his name. There is so much to be admired about Bill Sr’s. drive, fortitude, and relentlessness. This 1939 WFL Paramount snare is one representation of his work during this challenging time and embodies all those who appreciated its sound and construction over 8 decades.
Read moreOne day in late 2020, I was doing my usual browsing through vintage drum-related social media posts and came across a 1936 Leedy & Strupe (L&S) white marine pearl drum kit for sale. This L&S kit consisted of a white marine pearl 14 x 28” bass drum (with calf heads), 9 x 13” tom (tacked bottom head), 6.5 X 14” snare, cowbell, and various hardware (original L&S bass drum pedal, hi-hat with lamb wool beater, Clamp-Rite trap holders, spurs). According to Harry Cangany (noted author, drum historian), this kit was, “a ‘Dictator’ model in white pearl (L&S name for white marine pearl)…1936 is probably correct.”
Read moreRamy does not rest on his laurels. Constantly looking to do more and do better, he has recently expanded the A&F line-up to include an array of innovative nickel-plated drum hardware: snare/tom/kick stand, cymbal stand, pedal mount for snare stand, hoop mounted clamp and L-arm, kick-bone, cocktail basket and kick pedal clamp.
Read moreSo overall, I would definitely recommend trying out the No Nuts products, especially the Cymbal Sleeves, as they really do make mounting and dismounting cymbals so much easier and quicker. The convenience factor is well worth the money in my mind. I like having alternatives to felt pads so the CymRings are a much better substitute. I don’t use a sizzle cymbal enough to justify the cost. Having a little ‘doodad’ like the SizzleNut that I can stick in my bag and pull out as needed is more practical. Think of it this way, for the price of 1-2 pairs of drumsticks, you could buy a set of Cymbal Sleeves, CymRings, or SizzleNut. Music is about experimentation. Try things out!
Read moreI had a lot of fun playing with both the Royal1 and ProFlex1. I’m not sure if anything has changed, but they seemed so much better than many of the earlier Attack drum heads I had tried a few years ago. These heads were more versatile, open and dynamic than I expected. I can’t personally answer the question about durability but will continue to play them and see how they hold up. I should note that drummer, Rick Meadors, recently posted on drumforum.org about his experience with the Royal1 drum heads stating that, “Attack's coating is darn near indestructible in my experience… I've had that head on that snare for about 8 months now and have played it A LOT! Probably close to two dozen gigs plus a lot of playing at home during the past few months.”
Read moreThe early 6.5 X 14” Black Beauties have increased in demand and value. Of these, the 6-lug engraved Ludwig & Ludwig Black Beauties are some of the earliest and rarest.
Read moreThe album is not a flurry of prog rock drum tracks as one might expect but passionate and varied pieces composed by Todd and his creative partner, J.K. Harrison, with Todd on lead vocals. There are 10 great tunes, carefully sculpted and crafted to tease our emotions and draw us in. This phenomenal debut album is available on CDs, high-definition audio (.WAV), and signed and numbered 180-gram vinyl LP’s
Read more187 pics from the 2019 Chicago Drum Show!
Read moreI’d like to share some of our conversations in order for you to get to know Mike as I did, describe a few examples of his work, and also explain how his approach differs from that of other gifted hand engravers, like John Aldridge and Adrian Kirchler.
Read moreI like to think of John Aldridge as a “Drum Jedi Master”. He is an endless wellspring of drum history, wisdom, experience and creativity. In this sequel to Part 1, I wanted to share some examples of John’s unique custom works with personal insights from John about their design. Many of these drums are from my personal collection and are greatly treasured. It is my hope that drummers will not only appreciate John’s incredible versatility, but also realize that “drum art” can be truly personal. Drum engraving is not restricted to scrolls and florets!
Read moreA&F Drum Company, known for their distinctive “modern vintage” drums, has recently teamed up with the Sabian cymbal company to produce a line of exciting new products. Ramy Antoun, Founder and President of A&F, describes this partnership as a blend of “old world craftsmanship, new world sound”. Ramy has long held Sabian in great esteem; a company with a proud history, steeped in tradition and renowned for their dedication, innovation and craftsmanship.
Read moreThe first of these is the best-known drum engraver of our time, John Aldridge. Some years ago, John Aldridge wanted a hand engraved drum. When he discovered he couldn't afford it, John learned how to do it himself, and brought this lost art form back to the drum industry.
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