Premier 2000 Snare Drum

The 2000 snare drum was introduced by Premier around 1966 with it gaining its debut in the 1968 catalogue.  Although Premier had other metal shell snare drums on the market this model became iconic for both its design and its sound.

The 2000 features a single spun metal shell, with no bead, plated in Premier’s world famous chrome. The early 2000 snare shells were brass, with the older block style P badge and ‘Beer barrel’ die cast hoops.  These brass shell drums are very rare, I’ve only seen one.  The shell construction was changed to aluminium quite quickly, and remained staple throughout the 70’s (one can only assume this was a cheaper option for the mass production of a popular snare drum).  Die cast hoops remained standard, but with a more streamline design. In the Late 70’s / early 80’s the shells became steel and the tension rods became square rather than slotted.

The 2000 was both stylish and highly functional for its time, when many other brands were copying Ludwig.  The unique ‘flo-beam’ snare mechanism with a central bar and snare brackets that are detached from the shell allow full resonance of the drum. Twin 12 strand snare wires remain at full tension even when ‘thrown off’ preventing bounce back on the resonant head.  Two height adjustment screws at each butt end hold the snare wires in place and keep the snares wires level; some argue it’s perilous to mess with these, and that they should remain at their factory setting. If  you buy a 2000 snare in poor condition or with the wires missing, chances are you will need to adjust these screws, but do so with care as the heads are prone to snapping off. The throw lever was, and still is, like nothing else on the market.  Beautiful and sleek from a design perspective and smooth in its action.  Later the snare wires became one piece 24 strand rather than the earlier models that were fitted with two 12 strand sets. Additionally, tone control dampers were omitted from later drums.

The 2000 snare was available as a 4”, 5.5” and 6.5” shell, with the 5.5” being the most common.  Premier also produced a 14 x 12” concert model.  The aluminium shells are the most common and preferred by players, although with these drums the chrome is prone to flaking off. Most don’t care too much as this doesn’t affect the sound of this drum.

This snare drum was famously endorsed by the late Keith Moon.  I’m assuming that the 2000 that Keith moon played was a 60’s brass shell, but I could be wrong. Other earlier players include Clem Burke (Blondie), John Maher (Buzzcocks), Rick Buckler (The Jam), Billy Doherty (The Undertones), although the snare remains hugely popular today.

Today, Puresound make replacement wires for these drums, available in regular or equaliser (4 central wires omitted).

Growing Up In The Shadow of Joe Morello: Part Two

Growing Up In The Shadow of Joe Morello: Part Two - Recollections of Joe Sefcik by former students Dave Barsalou, Greg Caputo, Jim Cote, Tim Griffin, Ron Hurst, and Chet Pasek 

David Barsalou

My very first lesson with Joe Sefcik was both frightening and exhilarating at the same time. For many years, Joe’s reputation as a seriously demanding teacher preceded him. As Joe Morello’s first drum teacher, Sefcik had achieved mythical status in the drumming community. Every serious drummer wanted to study with him. In fact, Joe was so busy, a large number of aspiring students were placed on his waiting list. Joe was teaching all day long six days a week, while gigging most every night.

When opening the door to Joe Sefcik’s studio, I was instantly hit by the strong smell of cigar smoke. With my first lesson, Joe wanted to build upon what I had already learned… So he had me bring all the method books used with my first teacher Johnny Beger. Joe Morello and Beger grew up in the town, and had been close friends since childhood. Joe Sefcik knew Johnny used some of the same books, and didn’t want me re-hashing the same material. So the following week I had some brand new books to keep myself occupied. These included Stick Control by George Lawrence Stone, Finger Control by Charley Wilcoxon. and Advanced Techniques For The Modern Drummer by Jim Chapin. Sefcik had me locked into an intensive practice regimen which led to college and a career in Education and the Arts.

I spent four years with Joe learning how to be patient, practicing slowly at first, and building up speed gradually. In fact, Joe had an old sign hanging on the wall which said, “The Hurrier I Go – The Behinder I Get “.  It was a very sad day when I learned that Joe Sefcik passed away suddenly, at the age of 72.

Soon after Joe died, I continued my studies with, U.S. Air Force drummer, Gerry Bartiromo; And after to New York City to study with the great Joe Cusatis for two years. Afterwards, I also spent a richly productive four years learning from drummer / educator, Ed Soph.

Gregory Caputo

My Dad was a fellow musician and life-long friend of Joe Morello. He played Joe's records during my entire adolescence. I simply grew up listening to one of the greatest drummers in music history. I contacted Joe Morello in regards to drum lessons. At that time, Joe was a member of The Dave Brubeck Quartet. Because of his intense touring schedule, Morello advised me to study with Joe Sefcik.

Sefcik was a highly dedicated teacher. One had to be self-motivated and serious just to study with him. His students were his family… Sefcik knew immediately if you were bluffing your lesson. He would ask,”Why did you not practice?"  What did I not make clear to you?  The pressure was always there to be the very best you could be.

Joe would always make sure that you understood the concepts of your lesson. I can clearly remember him requiring me to write the counts in over all notes of my lesson before I left his studio. He would check to see if I did this correctly before I was dismissed. Each lesson had to be played at three different height levels of 18, 9 and 4 inches for dynamics and stick control.

Thus what I learned from Joe Sefcik was discipline and control of the hands. Everything was played slowly with a focus on ease and fluidity of movement. This instilled a good time pulse and feel into my drumming.

After my lesson one day, Joe said, "Look at me, Gregory this is it! I have done all I can for you. You need to go see Joe Morello now."

This was very sad to me because I loved the man. I never respected him more than at that moment. It takes a giant of man with a lot of morality to do that. I traveled with Joe Sefcik to New Jersey for a drum lesson. Joe sat in the passenger seat and practiced all the way down on a pad! (three hours each way). My Studies with Joe Sefcik prepared me for the years ahead as a student of Joe Morello.  Studying with Morello was humbling to say the least. He was a genius of improvisation with boundless technique.

I always was in awe of his command of the drum set. His exercises were endless. He would not teach licks. Morello's philosophy was to give you the skill to play what you heard in your head. He used to say, “The more letters you have the more words you can spell." Morello gave me the facility to play what I feel in my soul. I carry both Joe’s with me in all of my performances.

Jim Cote

I have many memories of studying with Joe Sefcik; those were great times. There was hardly ever a lesson where Sefcik didn't mention Joe Morello.  As always you were expected to be at all your lessons on time, and had to pay for any that you missed… He always said, “Morello never missed any.”

Sefcik also mentioned how Morello would always double the amount of practice time on any given exercises. He would add, or move accents around to make it more challenging and creative. Having had a student like Joe Morello, Sefcik knew that anything was possible with the proper dedication and will to learn.

Joe did expect a lot from his students, and had much success with many of them. I only wish there was more time, and had been a bit older so I could've grasped more of the Moeller thing Joe was teaching. Sadly, Joe Sefcik passed the summer of my sophomore year in high school. Joe got me into my first band after only three years of lessons, Unfortunately, he didn't live to see some of my other accomplishments.

Studying with Joe and knowing the legacy of Morello, made most of Joe Sefcik’s students set their goals much higher. I miss Joe, and am happy and thankful to have been one of his students.

Tim Griffin

I was first introduced to Joe Sefcik by my father, Larry Griffin. Larry was a well- respected singer and dancer in the Western Massachusetts area. Many times when he sang, Joe was the drummer that my father performed with. He always liked how well Joe played the drums behind his dancing.

I also started out very young as a tap dancer. My father's dancing was a great influence on me… His nickname was "old smoothie"… Dad’s rhythm was always effortless. One time I showed up at my Pee Wee league baseball game in tap shoes. Needless to say, there was some laughter, ridicule, and embarrassment. I soon decided it was time for a change.

In sixth grade I began playing drums at my elementary school. It was much cooler than tap dancing. At 14 years old, I was lucky to begin playing out professionally in some great rhythm and blues, and rock and roll halls.  At this point in music history, most national recording stars did not have the budget to bring complete music groups with them. So we were lucky enough to be the backup band for many well-known recording stars. It was then that I started studying drums with Joe Sefcik. At the time, The Dave Brubeck Quartet were at their peak.

Joe invited me to go with to a Brubeck concert with him at the Springfield MA Symphony Hall.  The concert was truly memorable. There was only one microphone on the stage 4 feet away from Paul Desmond. The group played and was balanced like a symphony orchestra. Joe Morello had played most of the night lightly touching his bass drum, but had it tuned so perfectly to the room, that when he hit it hard, it had an architectural room resonance. It was also the first time I met Morello. We stayed until after the concert was over, and went backstage to help Joe pack up his drums. Before we packed up, Morello let me sit behind his set and play them. I was scared to death. We stayed in touch over the years, but with some large gaps in time. Every time I have a conversation with anyone about Joe Sefcik, I remember two of the most inspiring sentences and facial expressions that somehow permanently affected me way down deep. If you knew Joe Sefcik, you can imagine the look on his face when he said these things:

1. He would stare you in the eyes, pick up his right hand (with cigar), and say “You Gotta Get THE SOUND”, And you knew exactly what he meant. Joe made it clear, it was how you played with feeling that was more important than what you play.
2. He always enjoyed our lessons if I played it more relaxed. One time Joe said my favorite expression… I will always remember him saying, “If You Ain’t Dancin’, No One Else Is.”

Ron Hurst

Joe "Drums" Sefcik - On the international performance stage his name may not have been a household word, but in the teaching arena he was a giant. A taskmaster and disciplinarian who would expect nothing less from his students then he would give as a teacher - which was 100%. Perhaps Joe's greatest musical achievement was being the first instructor of the late and great Joe Morello. As his reputation as an extraordinary drum teacher spread throughout the Northeast, people young and old alike were clamoring to study with him. With his time being limited, he wouldn't think twice about washing somebody out if he felt they weren't trying their best and wasting his time. Through shouting & obvious intolerance for people he felt weren't giving their all, he got amazing results. I recall one time when a student before me hadn't practiced as much as Joe thought he should have. He grabbed his books and threw them out the second-floor window onto the street. As he walked back toward the student rubbing his hands he said "he hoped a car was going by and they landed on his windshield" then he said "at least he knows the driver would be getting more out of the books than the student was."

My first meeting with Joe in 1962 was absolutely intimidating. I recall standing in the studio above the Victory Theater with my mother when he told me that if I wanted to learn to drum he would teach me, however if  I wanted to learn Rock N’ Roll teach myself. Now one has to remember at that time period, Rock 'N’ Roll was looked upon as a fad and a trend that was going to go away and Joe was a very traditional instructor. Fortunately a lot of that thinking fell by the wayside with the onset of the Fab Four and the rest of the British invasion.

I too was not immune to Joe's wrath at times when he thought I was slacking. I recall one occasion when Joe apparently felt I wasn't coming along fast enough with my footwork to which he suggested I join a drum Corps and March in the St. Patrick's Day parade - that way when he saw me marching he knew I was doing something productive with my feet. I also recall the time when Joe apparently felt I wasn't rebounding my left hand high enough to which he grabbed my wrist pulling my stick up and knocking a 1 inch red hot ash off the tip of his cigar onto his tie, burning a hole in it.

The moral to the story being "had I practiced as I should have I would not have ruined his tie."

These stories that I'm sharing are meant to be humorous and hold very WARM memories (pardon the pun). I will always be indebted and grateful to Joe for taking me under his wing as a student. All the things he taught me years ago still hold true to this very day. Throughout my life and my own musical journey, which includes studying with other incredible teachers around the country, I can't tell you how many times I've thought "where have I heard this before ? “ as they share their advice and brilliant techniques. To sum it all up, Joe Sefcik will always be my primary mentor and is missed to this day, but what a wonderful legacy he left behind. A legacy of superb drummers who had the privilege of studying with him - and you all know who you are.

Chet Pasek

I started studying with Joe Sefcik at 12 yrs old. He set all the rules right away. If you didn't listen, he would let you know immediately. I remember seeing a few students come out of lessons crying. I pretty much listened to everything he said to avoid the consequences. Sefcik was always getting new information from his former students and acquaintances like Joe Morello and Joe Raiche…This included Morello’s further interpretations of the Gladstone and Moeller methods.

Joe Sefcik first taught Morello in the cellar of an old theater. Morello once said, he could hear rats chewing on things during that time. Apparently, it never really bothered Morello; he never missed a lesson. I knew Sefcik because my grandmother and he were cousins. My Aunt also told me Joe Sefcik was offered a teaching job at The Julliard School In NYC, but turned it down. His close friend, Morris Goldenberg (also of Holyoke, Mass.) took the job instead. One time, Joe Morello and Sefcik visited Mo Goldenberg at his home… Spending all day practicing the rudiments; each time playing them faster.

Eventually, Sefcik and Goldenberg finally conceded to Morello who was completely relaxed, and hadn’t broken a sweat. Later on I studied with Joe Morello – Joe was always thankful for the time he got to spend with Joe Sefcik.

My Pilgrimage to Meet Bun E

by Bryan Herrman

My favorite drummer is Bun E Carlos. As a high school freshman in 1978, the album Cheap Trick Live at Budokan was the biggest thing I’d ever heard – and Bun E Carlos was the coolest drummer I’d ever seen. Bun E shaped my playing style, and as a kid from a small, rural town in western Kansas, I traveled the world through Bun E and the music of Cheap Trick.

Fast forward more than 35 years. In June, I’ll turn 50. My wife has been asking what I’d like for my birthday. It’s a special milestone. It deserves a special gift. After thinking about it for several months, it hit me square between the eyes one late Saturday evening as I was chatting on a vintage drum facebook page – “I want a Bun E Carlos drum kit from Cheap Trick. I wonder if he’d consider selling me one?” Never hurts to ask, right? So, at about 11pm, I shot Bun E a private message on facebook. I explained the situation, how much his music has meant to me over the years, and asked if he’d consider selling me one of his Ludwig kits. To my surprise (and delight), he responded almost immediately. He said he had a Mod Orange Ludwig Classic Maple that was stage played with Cheap Trick! Mod Orange – my favorite Ludwig color (I have a ’67 and ’69 Super Classic in Mod Orange).

After a few messages about the details, and hoping to not overstep my boundaries, I asked Bun E if I could pick it up in person so I could shake his hand and thank him for all the years of great music. He kindly obliged, and so began my pilgrimage to meet Da’King. A week later, my wife, son and I piled in our Jeep and headed from Kansas City to Rockford, Illinois. Seven hours-one minute, 481.2 miles on GPS. We listened to Cheap Trick ALL the way. We arrived at Bun E’s home at 10am the next morning. I pulled up to the “Bun E Hut,” and knocked on the door. I heard a friendly voice from inside, “C’mon in, Bryan.”

In a moment, I was standing with Bun E Carlos and shaking his hand. He was so friendly, that it was like we’d known each for years – just two drum guys talking drums. He couldn’t have been more accommodating, spending over an hour giving us a tour of his incredible vintage drum collection before we ever looked at the kit I was there to buy. He even let me play his practice kit, and showed me a few “tricks” in his equipment set-up.

Finally, we switched our attention to the kit I was picking up: a 2004 Ludwig Classic Maple in Mod Orange wraps.  24+12+13+16. It’s a beautiful kit with a vintage vibe. The interiors were all signed and dated by Bun E when he picked them up in 2004. He also signed my son’s guitar, and the front head of the bass drum with a note, “Bryan – enjoy playing my drums.” Being the genuinely good guy I found him to be, he even helped us pack and load the kit into the Jeep.

While the kit I purchased is not vintage, this trip was all about nostalgia – a Cheap Trick road trip, the tour of Bun E’s vintage kits, sharing pictures of all my vintage kits, lots of good talk about great old drums. Best of all, I got to experience this incredible journey with my wife and 17-year-old, classic-rockloving son. It’s an experience we will never forget. Sometimes your heroes turn out to not be what you expected, but Bun E Carlos proves that good guys can finish first. He’s a stand-up individual, and couldn’t have shown more hospitality. My pilgrimage to see Bun E certainly exceeded my expectations, and I made a vintage-drum friend along the way. What a great way to celebrate 50!

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Bryan Herrman is a hobby vintage-drum collector, restorer, and re-seller. He focuses primarily on Ludwig, Gretsch, Slingerland, and Rogers kits from the 50’s & 60’s, and his favorite finishes are Ludwig’s Mod Orange and Psychedelic Red. He is the founder of the facebook page, VINTAGE DRUMMERS. You can see his collection of vintage drums & accessories on Pinterest at SUNDOG VINTAGE DRUMS. Bryan has been playing drums for nearly 40 years, starting at age 10, and his first kit was a sparkle blue 1967 Ludwig Club Date. He is the drummer for SUNDOG, Kansas City’s only masked surf/spy/sci-fy band.

Leedy 1940s Drum Set

Hello, vintage drum friends. I just love the old drums, and I'm sure many of you love them too. If you didn't you probably wouldn't be reading this magazine. There's just something special about the drums built in the 20s through the 40s. Most of the drums I own are from the 50's through the 70's. Those really appeal to me the most because those are the drums I grew up playing and wanting. The same is true of cars. I really dig the 50's through the 70's cars the most, but the pre 1950s cars are also very cool to me. Just like the really old cars with the big fenders, the really old drums have a special awesomeness about them. Those big bass drums and the sound of those old "tubs" give me goose bumps. I have a set to show you that I think has a great old vibe and I think you'll love them. It is a set made by the great Leedy Mfg. Company. They have a 1941 date inside. So they were built just before the United States entered into Word War II.

Leedy was one of the great American drum companies, and their drums were known for excellent quality. They were a very innovative drum company. The first drums they made were built in Indianapolis. The 20s were a wonderful time for the company. Leedy products were very popular. U.G. Leedy, the founder became sick and sold the company to Conn in 1929. The Leedy drums were made in Elkhart, Indiana beginning in the 30's. This kit has Elkhart badges. Throughout the 30s and 40s Leedy drums demonstrated American craftsmanship at its best.  I recommend you read "Mr Leedy and The House of Wonder" by Harry Cangany for the story of the "World's Finest Drums".

This set is a matching four piece set in a beautiful Cream and gold Duco finish. More than likely painted by Mr. Ray Poland who worked in the finishing department for many years. I just love this finish. I wish I had the skill to paint drums like this. The sizes are: bass drum 26"X14", the small tom is "11X7", the large tom is"13X9", the matching Reliance Snare is "14X6.5". The toms have tacked calf bottom heads. The hardware is nickle plated. The toms have Beavertails on top with single flange rims and hooks. The bass drum has single tension with thumb rods. The rod passes through a bridge on the bass drum  that matches the Beavertail lugs .The snare has 8 tube lugs, single flange rims with hooks,  and the Presto strainer. These drums still sound great. They are a work of art as well as a great musical instrument. The metal mounting bar on the bass drum is very cool. All this metal was not allowed on the metal restricted war time drums that followed this set.

I went to buy a Ludwig Deluxe (Black Beauty) from a fellow collector. He was selling the snare for a well known recording and touring drummer. He showed me this Leedy reliance snare drum and told me the complete set was for sale if I was interested. I was unable to turn down the Leedy kit once I saw the snare drum. I ended up buying the Ludwig Deluxe and the Leedy set. I was very excited about the buying trip until I thought about how I was going to explain it to my wife. I surprised her once by coming home with a Rogers kit and a Slingerland kit we had not discussed. It took a while to explain to her what a great deal it was.  Fortunately, she was very understanding, and she really liked the Leedy set. Who could resist loving a beautiful Leedy set like this? Until next time keep looking for those drum treasures.

Camco: The L.A. Years and Beyond

Even though the L.A. era lasted but a few short years the impact was tremendous and they were the basis of the DW Collectors Series thin-shelled maple drums which have become famous worldwide. The Camco Keller years were from 1973 to 1977 and Camco had one of the top studio musicians as an endorser. Toto's Jeff Porcaro, who played on countless hit records and Grammy Award winning LPs, had a special made Hi Gloss Piano Black Lacquer Camco kit with all brass hardware. I think we all wanted one just like it in the 70s and at the time I had never heard of Camco as most didn’t, which was their greatest flaw.

Even today some of the worlds top rated drummers are playing vintage L.A. era kits. John Ferraro is another one that can be seen playing his Natural Maple L.A. era kit in the one-up, two-down ( 22,12,14,16 ) configuration on the Boz Scaggs DVD recorded live at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco. “Runnin' Blue” and “Loan me a dime” are two songs where the Camco toms really stand out and those two songs along with others from that show can be seen on YouTube as well.

This isn’t some kind of cool fad about playing vintage drums, these musicians have been earning their livings with these L.A. era Camco drums for years.

The L.A. Keller shelled Camcos to many had the best sound available and made from the finest North American Hardrock Maple but they didn’t know how to market them...So they were eventually sold once again, and this time the Camco name went to Tama along with rights to the design of the shells.  The owner of Drum Workshop, Don Lombardi (who elevated drum marketing to an art form),  bought the rights to the hardware, all the plant drum machinery and the remaining inventory including the Keller shell stock and all the remaining drum hardware. How do I know the shell stock went to DW, and all the pre-made Camco designated shell tubes at Keller?

In the past it has been said that Tama got the Keller shells and used them on some of their 1st Camco drums. It’s also been rumored that the shell stock went to Ayotte up in Canada. Lots of rumors with no evidence to back them up... So where did the shells that Keller had pre-made go?  Did they go to DW and were they used to make the 1st DW snare drums and drum sets?  How could DW use all that Keller stock when Tama bought the rights and the design of the shells and bearing edges?

DW's 1st snare drums were 6x14” 6/6ply Keller maple and instead of being 14” in diameter they were 13 13/16”,the same diameter, same shell thickness, and the same number of plys as the 5” & 6.5x14” Camco maple snare drums  BINGO!  Was that it? Was it circumvention?  Is that why the 1st DW snares and sets had all different bearing edges and different depths than the original Camcos but had the same diameters, the same number of plys, and the same shell thickness? The Depths were 16x22” & 16x24” and on the toms the depths were 10x12” and 11x13” with floor toms at 17x16” and 17x18” with only one size snare drum, a 6x14”...So did those brilliantly crafted Camco drums live on for a few years after the sale of the company?  Well one thing is for certain, those shells didn't go to Tama or Ayotte and most won’t part with their early 80s DW Black Label drums (Pictured) which they were only making a dozen or so kits per year through 1984 and are by the way, yep you guessed it, undersized.

There have been quite a few articles written on Camco drums throughout the years with one that stands out.  Robert Henrit   Quote:  ”Camcos have an absolute brilliant sound like real drums you might say, crisp and ballsy, yet still round, a bit like Gretsch but without their slightly woody sound, perhaps closer to Slingerland, only with a great deal of tone and volume.” The L.A. era Camcos were definitely made with power and projection in mind and that description was both excellent and accurate. Camco made some of the only maple toms that really don't need to be individually mic’d. The overheads are more than adequate usually, needing only a bass and a snare/hihat mic.

There have been comments on the Drum Forums about L.A. era Camcos, like “They actually scared my bandmates”,  and  “These are the drums your mother warned you about” and  “Bad Ass with Class”. They truly should come with a warning...They sound like DW Maple Collectors Series on steroids. They are loud, and they are intense, and they resonate for days. They respond to the lightest touch and take on the personality of the heads installed almost Chameleon like.

The L.A. era had a few things that made them unique in relation to the other Camco eras. Other than the shell make up which was Keller instead of Jasper, and other than the shell thickness which all Camcos are the same thickness regardless of when made. It was the bearing edges that we had never seen before or since. They were steeple shaped with an ever so slight round over at the point or apex on the smaller toms with each drum size receiving the same bearing edges but as the shell size increased so did the round over. Each drum was a truly custom crafted instrument and unlike any that were being made at the time. We’ve seen a few examples of vertical maple plys being utilized on the 8x12” toms and only on the 12s. (Pictured) The bearing edges were a sight to see, they looked seriously labor intensive. They were hand-sanded, dove- feather-smooth, polished, then waxed. The interiors of the shells were also finely sanded then lacquered. If we put that amount of labor into drums today many wouldn’t be able to afford them.

Camco was the only drum company left in the 1970s that still made their hardware the best way, the old fashioned way, they machined it. They even went so far as to utilize aircraft grade aluminum internal lug hardware so the lug screws would never rust in damp climates marring the interiors and each lug screw hole was threaded. Threaded holes for the lug screws? Now that's attention to detail and labor intensive.

Camco did something else that most all of the other companies didn't do. They provided with each drum kit one of their top of the line Maple Snare Drums and not the metal snares that were cheaper to produce. Sized accordingly, with 20” and 22” bass drums getting the 5x14” and with the 24s, it was the model #452,  a 6.5x14” of pure maple brilliance which some say is the best snare drum they have ever owned and the one they pick 1st for almost any gig. Others won’t take them out of the house, period!

I bought my Natural Maple L.A. era 6.5x14” from the original owner of C&C drums just last year and it took almost 3 years to find it.  It’s a replacement for the one I sold to a studio musician in the UK.  I so wanted to keep that AC White snare drum but couldn’t bring myself to break up that gorgeous vintage kit with all factory matched Alice Cooper White drums in the large rock/blues sizes.

Another one of the features the L.A. era had were the Alice Cooper Paint finishes which were a thick 3-layer automotive-grade paint with a primer base and a clear lacquer top coat. Those finishes were downright tough! They had only 4 choices, Black, White, Alice Copper Blue (Pictured) and Alice Cooper White. The Blue and White Alice Cooper colors closely resemble antique auto paint finishes and were elegant looking and now recently we see drum companies coming out with similar paint colors but not in multiple coats of auto-grade baked enamel. Now add all of these details up, including that irresistible clean, clear maple tone and the end result is almost obvious to the lucky few who own a set.

I think the L.A. Camcos could have been the finest drums America ever produced; the absolute pinnacle in the history of American made drum kits if they only would have had COB hoops and turned brass turret lugs. Paint finishes and stains, attention to detail, and artisan level craftsmanship utilizing the finest materials available created treasures from a bygone era. Treasures they are and were!

Review: The 2014 Connecticut Vintage & Custom Drum Show

Rick Smith’s annual drum show at The Sphinx Shriners Center in Newington, CT featured Shawn Pelton of Saturday Night Live, and the award winning Jim Riley of Rascal Flatts. Both drummers gave extensive, in-depth informative clinics that were warmly received by a large audience.

As usual, many dealers were present buying and selling new, and vintage equipment. They included, Dynamic Percussion Manchester, CT -The Drum Center Portsmouth, NH - The Drum Shop, Portland, ME - Amedia Cymbals, Grover Custom Drums, Ottaviano Custom Cymbal Company, and NOMO Finish Protectors by Steve Ives.

In attendance were Zildjian legend Lennie DiMuzio with his daughter Therese DiMuzio. Also present, were Adam Nussbaum, Kenwood Dennard, Bobby Rondinelli, Gary Asher, Gregory Caputo, Billy Amendola, and Rob Gottfried. All were seen signing autographs, posing for photos, and hanging out with the crowd.

Overall it was another really exciting, well-attended show. Can’t wait until next year… I’m sure the 2015 edition will be just as great.

Eddie Ryan Trixon Reproduction

Trixon set? Think again! Eddie Ryan Drums of Essex, England created this reproduction of a 1960's double bass drum with separate chambers and calf heads. 

IN MEMORIUM: Ralph Morris Penland

IN MEMORIUMRalph Morris Penland (1953 – 2014)(Including a previously unpublished interview with Ralph)

by Bob Campbell & Paul Mason

It is with great sadness that we share the news that Ralph Penland, an amazing teacher and performer, passed away on March 13, 2014, at the age of 61.  Ralph was one of unsung heroes of the music community; a kind and modest drummer whose accomplishments spanned several decades.  He started out in Cincinnati, Ohio where at age 9, he took up an interest in music and drums. At age 15, he bought his first drum kit, and within two years, he was playing as featured percussionist for the Cincinnati Symphony. By age 19, he began playing with the great Freddie Hubbard and his career took off.  From 1973-2013, AllMusic (http://www.allmusic.com/artist/ralph-penland-mn0000388206/credits) listed 164 credits for Ralph Penland in roles as drummer, percussion, arranger, producer and/or composer.  He played with some of the most influential artists of our time, such as Chet Baker, Natalie Cole, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Freddy Hubbard, Hubert Laws, Etta James, K.D. Lang, Buddy Montgomery, Carlos Santana, Frank Sinatra, and Nancy Wilson just to name a few.  Ralph was also an educator, having taught at the New England Conservatory early in his career and then more recently in the Jazz Department at Pasadena City College.  He also led his own band, the Penland Polygon.

We each had the opportunity to speak with Ralph at various times in his career – Paul Mason as the owner of Tempus Drums (whose drums Ralph played) and Bob Campbell as an aspiring writer.  It seemed altogether fitting to share our personal experiences with Ralph, including a previously unpublished interview from 2002.  Please note that the interview was for a book on snare drums, so there are many snare drum-focused questions.

Paul Mason:

I met Ralph when he visited my booth at the January 1986 Winter NAMM Show in Anaheim, California. To my discredit, I did not at the time know who he was, although that changed quickly as I got to know him personally and learned of his already impressive résumé.

Ralph and I kept in touch during the following months and years, a time during which I was always happy to see his career very deservedly taking him farther afield and putting him into musical settings with an ever-expanding circle of brilliant and diverse artists. And yet, for all that he seemed always to be playing/recording with a literal Who's Who of jazz greats (not to mention his performing with such widely disparate musical giants Santana and Frank Sinatra and rehearsing with Allan Holdsworth), Ralph somehow never became one of “The Names” in a way that I felt he'd earned.

The man, quite simply, could play. He was an absolute natural, genuinely gifted in the truest sense of the word. And he had a boundless enthusiasm for music, something which was apparent from our very first meeting when I got to watch him sit and play as part of a spontaneous percussion improvisation with Billy Cobham, who was trying out the exquisite metal instruments of Pete Engelhart at the booth right next door to mine, as well as a conga player who joined the fun at the booth beyond that.

Or, to put it another way, Tony Williams once described Ralph Penland as his favorite drummer.

Ralph seemed to love my work. He'd visit at every trade show, purely so that he could sit down at a set and play. He eventually had me build him a custom set which he went on to use in a variety of musical settings, both live and on record. And I made a point of hearing him play wherever I could, whenever we both happened to be in close enough proximity for that to happen. Between those times he'd call from various places around the globe, always on tour with some other luminary; this week perhaps just back from Japan with Pharaoh Sanders, next into the studio with Dianne Reeves. One project about which Ralph was extremely excited was a proposed recording with Allan Holdsworth; he called me one day just to play me an answering machine message which Allan had left at his home number, Holdsworth phoning to set up rehearsals for what would become the ‘None Too Soon’ album on which, unfortunately, Ralph did not end up playing.

We became friends, at least as much as two people can do when they live 1200 miles apart and see each other perhaps once or twice a year. His then wife, Linda Lawrence, was a lovely woman, and I watched Linda's son Trevor grow from a young boy into a successful artist in his own right, inspired early on by Ralph's encouragement and input. Conversely, in late 1989 my wife, Shelley, and I took our newborn son Taylor to see Ralph play with Freddie Hubbard and George Cables; just a couple of pals hanging out.

And although he occasionally voiced his frustrations with the constant struggle of being a jazz drummer, Ralph never complained about his life; he was genuinely appreciative of the opportunities he'd earned through his formidable talents. Those of us who knew him and admired his accomplishments were perhaps in the minority but I always firmly believed that, one day, he would be awarded at least some greater degree of acclaim from the larger drumming community.

I miss him. Fortunately, I'll always have his music.

Bob Campbell:

I was introduced to Ralph Penland by Paul Mason (Tempus Drums) around 2002 as I was doing some research for a book. We did an interview over the phone that, for various reasons, was never published.  He came across as quite knowledgeable, personable and passionate about music and drums.  It was a privilege to speak with him.

An Interview with Ralph Penland, drummer extraordinaire (2002)

Ralph, could you tell me a little bit about your musical background?

I went to Boston after graduating.  I wound up in a program teaching at the New England Conservatory, in the early 1970’s.  They had a special program where they were opening up music to the community, to the inner city students, and I was on the faculty and was teaching.  Also, in Boston I had the pleasure of hanging out with a lot of great musicians that were up there.  I never studied formally with Alan Dawson, but we did kind of hang out.  In my second year at Boston, I had the pleasure of sitting in with Freddy Hubbard.  That actually starting my playing with him. From the age of 19, I was on the road playing with Freddy Hubbard. We started working almost immediately.  I started playing and recording.  We did a record on the CTI label called “Keep Your Soul Together” (1973).  There was another one on Columbia called “High Energy” (1974).  It was kind of off to the races.  Things kind of came along quickly for me.  So it was awesome; I was very honored and fortunate.

So of all of the work you’ve done over the years, what are you most proud of?

That’s kind of hard because I did a lot of things.  In addition to joining very early with Freddy Hubbard, I can mention a few names.  I had the pleasure of working with Amad Jamal, Charles Lloyd, Nancy Wilson, Stan Getz, Toots Thielemans, Sara Vaughan, and Ron Carter.  I played with Herbie Hancock, Pharoah Sanders, Joshua Redmond, Wynton and Bradford Marsalis, Harry Connick, Jr., Wallace Roney.  I’ve done commercial music.  I worked with the Supremes briefly, Marvin Gaye.  It covers the board.  Steve Vai, Brian Auger, Robben Ford, George Benson and Frank Sinatra, Carlos Santana.  I’ve played blues with Etta James.  I did her last two albums.  Music soundtracks, a couple of comedies…’Throw Mama From the Train’, ‘When Harry Met Sally’, a documentary of Chet Baker, Sean Connery’s ‘The Russia House’, ‘Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil’…I did that.  So there’s a lot of music I’ve had the pleasure of touching on that’s helped me, helped my life and my career to be versatile.  That’s very important to be versatile in music…oh, and I have my own record out.  I started my own record label called Polygon Records.  My record is entitled “To Journey a Dream”.  There’s many all-stars on this record. I’ve been working on my own music for the last 20 years and each time I had songs I would go into the studio and record them.  On the record, there’s some great musicians…some names you know and some names you may not know.  My current band… my trumpet player is Charles Moore, bassist Tony Dumas, young saxophone player named Gerald Pinter, a keyboard player named Greg Kurstin, which is the current band.  They are on the record as well as Patrice Rushen, pianist, saxophonist Carter Jefferson, the vocal sound of Minneapolis native, Roberta Davis. Also there was jazz harpist, Dorothy Ashby, pianist Victor Feldman is on this record as is vocalist Bobby McFerrin.  I’ve got Steve Hall, another tenor player Wallace Roney.  So it’s kind of a collage of the music that I had been writing and recording.

So as I am a snare drum collector, I hope you don’t mind if I ask you a couple question about snares you’ve used.  Do you remember the first professional snare that you owned?

That would have been a Gretsch drum.  Coming up in the jazz world and having all these guys as famous and mentors, having met them, like Elvin and Tony, they were all playing the Gretsch drums a the time.  So my first professional drum set was a Gretsch set.  Those Gretsch drums would have been on the Freddie Hubbard records, ‘Keep Your Soul Together’ on CTI and also ‘High Energy’ which was on Columbia.  That’s my original Gretsch kit on those recordings.  I still have it and record with it.  It’s a custom-made 3 piece with a 16”X16” bass drum, and 8”x12”, 14”x14” toms, with a 5-1/2 x 14 chrome (over brass) snare.  That snare had die-cast hoops and the wide 42 (strand) snare wires.  I was always curious about that.  Why some drummers had these wide snares…and I kind of became accustomed to that.  Once you get into the sound and it gets into your head and you’re recording with it…that kind of became a basis for all the other snares that I’ve played and that I own.

Back in the day of Tony Williams when he was doing the Tony Williams Lifetime, he was playing Gretsch drums so he made the Gretsch sound applicable to any setting.  When I met Charlie Watts, he told me he’s a great lover of jazz drums.  I’ve got a picture with him, Billy Higgins, Elvin Jones, and myself.  Charlie Watts, in his whole career with Mick Jagger, he had a Gretsch kit and was inspired by Max Roach and Tony Williams and those guys.  He’s playing on a jazz kit basically tuned to what he plays with the Stones.  I’m saying that because Tony Williams actually pioneered a lot of things as far as jazz-rock or fusion or whatever they’re calling it now.

Could you describe some of the other snares you’ve played and you’ve owned?

I own a set of Tempus drums that is made by a gentleman, Paul Mason in Canada.  He custom made a snare drum which was very unique for me, and a whole set actually made out of fiberglass, but it’s not fiberglass the way the old Fibes drums were.  The fiberglass that you could see through.  He had a process of doing layers of this fiberglass material and he kind of layered them like layers of wood.  Mine has a special finish on the outside of mine.  It’s like a black-gray swirled.  So it was a different way of doing something and I used those drums with Carlos Santana when I played with him, as well as with Frank Sinatra.

What size was the snare drum on that Tempus kit?

It was a 5” x 13” snare.  I think it was standard with die-cast hoops.  Die-cast does give a little more focused attack. Maybe a warmer attack; it could be brighter. To me, the die-cast can work in any setting. 

And you picked that?

Yeah, I chose that.  I was trying something different.  I thought it was great.  The snare drum had a nice sound to it.  It was a nice solid sound, more compact than the 5” x 14”.  It was a little tighter sound.  So I was able to cut through and get some different colors.  I kind of tuned it high.  I used to love drummers like Stewart Copland from the Police.  You’d get a nice kick to it, a nice sound.  I still play it.  I even had a mic put inside of the drum, the May EA system.  I put in the snare drum and also in the bass drum.  I had 2 bass drums, a 20” and a 22”.

How would you compare it to your Gretsch COB snare?

It had a brighter sound.  Definitely a snap to it where you could definitely hear it.  One of the drums I could play with more volume.  With Carlos Santana, of course, it would cut through the music, and with Frank Sinatra where we were playing with a full 30-piece orchestra. Yes, it was very good live and I’ve definitely recorded with it.  Good drum.

Are there any other snare drums you have or played that come to mind?

Yes, I’ve been recently playing several.  Premier put out a high-end maple kit called the Signia.  They have a die-cast hoop on the snare drums and I was really impressed by that drum (a maple 5 ½” X 14”).  I’m almost exclusively playing that drum now.  That kind of became my favorite drum. It really had a nice warm sound, very close to Gretsch, maybe a little more projection.  All drum companies try to modernize.  They put in a reinforcing ring in there.  Some drums have it and some don’t, but it seems to give it an extra bounce.  A little extra snap.  Then with that, I decided to try the wide 42 strand snares on it.  And it’s even closer to the Gretsch sound.  So that’s kind of been my influence.  And even on the 13” Tempus snare drum, I put some wide snares on it.  Gave it even more of a “snarey” sound as well as the brilliantness of it.  I have about 3 or 4 different snares, but the sounds are similar, but they’re also varied enough that they can stretch over into rock or R&B or something soft.

Didn’t they also make the Signia drum also with wood hoops?

Yeah, they had some with wood hoops, but not many.  They were metal hoops and it was an unusual die-cast hoop on the top.  It was a little heavier and, it really was very close to Gretsch drums.  So that’s the reason I like it.  I think it’s inspired by Gretsch.

Do you think the die-cast hoops make the drums easier to tune?

I think so.  As a matter of fact on my Premier Signia kit, they had the die-cast only on the snare drum. Then I put die-cast on all of the tom-toms because again it sounded so close to Gretsch and I wanted to go that way even further.  So I had die-cast put on the Premier Signia drums.

Do you bring all your snares when you’re not sure what you’re going to cut?

I usually bring 2 or 3 and I usually ask in advance what kind of music do you want me to play.  If they tell me it’s all streety and jazz, then I’ll know what to take, or if it has rock guitars and pop.  I’ll take the snares accordingly.  Sometimes I may bring a jazz snare to a pop gig just to see if it will cut.  I can play all of the drums on any of the sessions, but it it’s a rock session, I may use my 13” Tempus or maybe a little 12” Fever drum (which is wood and Formica).  If it’s jazz I’ll use my Signia Premier snare.

So is the idea to be as versatile using the drums that you have or is it just whatever seems to sound good to you at the time?

A little of both.  I’m definitely trying to be versatile.  If I have a little jazz kit and then a giant Tempus rock and roll kit, 22” bass drum, 3 mounted toms, 3 giant floor toms, so it is the application of the music, but then sometimes, maybe the warmer drum will work in a rock setting.

It’s great that you are open to the different things that are out there.

Definitely.  Plus, what the older guys all said to me, like Max and Blakey and Elvin, they say ‘if you’ve got a drum and know how to play it, and you know about the tuning and choosing the right heads and playing it properly, you can make any drum sound good’.  So I kind of kept that in my mind.

Do you remember specifically any recent recording cuts, what snares you might have?

Well, in the last 2 Etta James records that I did, she was doing the music of Billy Holiday, some blues type songs.  I probably had the Premier Signia snare drum with the die-cast hoop on it.  That seems to me my general all around favorite drum that can work in any application.  Her last 2 records Etta James on Private Music is the record label - I’m very proud of that. I also used that same snare on a Natalie Cole record.  It was called ‘Stardust’ on Electra.  Also when I did that music soundtrack with Clint Eastwood, ‘Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil’, they did a whole jazz sound track so I remember the recording I did.  Clint Eastwood loves jazz.  KD Lang was on the session so I got to record with her.

Do you have any interest in vintage stuff, like an old Radio King or old Gretsch?  Has that ever attracted you?

It has.  I’m really good friends with trumpet player Wallace Roney, who is not only a great trumpet player, but he loves drums.  He had a couple of drum sets that he got from Tony Williams and Tony got him into Gretsch drums.  Wallace has a couple of vintage Round Badge Gretsch drums, so he would talk a lot about those and the vintage sound going back to the old 3-ply as opposed to 6-ply. 

Is there anything else you’d like to say, perhaps what you think is the role of the snare drum in a drum kit?  Why have more than one snare drum?

I think it’s very important to see that the snare drum is kind of the focal point that the drummer is dealing with.  They way you’re sitting, you’re two legs are encompassing the snare drum.  Everything is built around that.  The way you set your snare, you’ve got your high hat on this side, the bass drum on that side, the cymbals around you.  Both of your hands, your legs, everything is centered around the snare drum.  So it could be the most important piece of the kit.  It’s a good subject to have.  We’ve touched on everything else, the drum sets, books on cymbals, so yes, the snare is very important.  I highly recommend having a good snare and having a foundation.

I would say as far as snare drums, all the drums seem to be in a general category because everybody is trying to improve on the product.  Just like carmakers. Everything is improved and everything is kind of generally great if you think about it.  You can customize anything.  You and customize a Ludwig snare or Yamaha snare. All of these little independent companies are branching out - they really seem to be into detail and sound, and checking out the hoops and the bearing edges.  So I just basically love all types of snare drums.  It just depends on the application.

Do you tune your drum to the song or to the drum?  What makes the drum sound good?

I tune it to the drum.  I have a general sound, some general pitches.  I even have some general notes.  I will tune my snare to a G.  G has been a general tuning note for me.  I build everything around that G.  It seems to have worked. They’re all in these different musics and styles that I’ve had the pleasure of playing with.  So some tune in keys.  Tony Williams tuned his drums in pitches and I deal with pitches too.

I would encourage everyone to check out jazz drummers because in jazz music there seems to be a great flexibility and a lot of rhythms that you can play as opposed to if you’re playing a pop song.  You’re kind of limited.  So jazz drummers really open my head up to the world of rhythm.  I encourage people to check out jazz drummers and their snare drums and what they’re doing.  With all the work that I’ve done, playing with a lot of people, I’m personally trying to concentrate on my own group, my own sound, my own recording.  My group is called the Penland Polygon.  Polygon means a many sided figure or having various angles and in my music I’m trying to play jazz and R&B and fusion and incorporate all of that out of the jazz tradition.  So I’m going to be concentrating on doing that, my record, my music as well as free-lancing and playing with as many people as I can.”

Thank you for taking the time to share your insights and experiences.  I look forward to hearing more from the ‘Penland Polygon”!

My pleasure.

Ralph will be remembered as the talented man who loved being behind the drums -  a man with a huge smile, warm heart, and a gentle touch; forever being one with the music, never over-shadowing.  Rest in peace and know that your legacy lives on.

Harvey Mason Releases New CD – “Chameleon”

I got hip to Harvey Mason in the early seventies when the Herbie Hancock Headhunters album came out with a huge top 40 jazz- funk instrumental hit “Chameleon” (which Harvey co-wrote).  Harvey was one of the best of the first wave of jazz funk drummers of that era to play on popular records, along with Mike Clark, David Garibaldi, Jack Dejohnette and others. He has gone on to play on countless recordings with major jazz and pop artists, and released his own well-received solo albums.

The musicians on this CD are a mix of newcomers and great veterans such as Paul Jackson and Bill Summers, the other 2/3 of the Headhunters rhythm section, and  Jimmy Haslip of the Yellowjackets.

The song Chameleon is revamped here with some nice new chord changes in places and a different but very, very funky groove.  Other well known jazz funk songs include Grover Washington’s “Black Forest”, Bobby Hutcherson’s “Montara”, Quincy Jones’s “If I Ever Lose This Heaven”,  and “Places and Spaces” by Donald Byrd.

I don’t go into long descriptions of music in my reviews. I feel that “writing about music is like dancing about architecture” – Frank Zappa. Just let me say that I give this one a thumbs up and I’ve played it many times since I got it a couple of months ago. Harvey doesn’t play it safe on this one. There is some adventurous blowing and the instruments and mix sound great. Harvey’s drums and drumming sound great. Well worth buying the CD or buying the download.

If you aren’t familiar with Harvey Mason’s ridiculously long list of recording credits, go to : http://www.allmusic.com/artist/harvey-mason-sr-mn0000668112/credits

Have a seat and prepare to be impressed. You can hear samples from the new album here: http://mediakits.concordmusicgroup.com/p/chameleon/listen-to-the-album.html

The new CD is on Concord Records was released on April 29, 2014.  

My Brush With Greatness

As a drum historian it has been my pleasure to sit with some of the greats in the drumming world including Louie Bellson, Elvin Jones, Jake Hanna and Nick Fatool for the Gretsch book and Joe Morello, Arthur Press and Arnie Lang for the Gladstone book. Roberto Spizzichino (10 January 1944 Pescia, Italy 21 November 2011), often called “Il Maestro,” was the most memorable.

I was aware of Spizzichino and his timeless handcrafted cymbals before I moved to Italy eleven years ago. My first experience sampling one of his works was at the Chicago Vintage and Custom Drum Show back in the early 90’s. Luciano Pacchioni was importing these then-new vintage-“K” Zildjian-sounding cymbals. I was amazed with the sound and consistency of these instruments. Knowing I would be moving to Italy, I elected to wait for a factory visit to purchase one.

Check out this YouTube video for a tour of the factory:

[video][/video]

Shortly after arriving in Italy I had Pacchioni arrange a meeting with Spizzichino at his Pescia, Italy factory. I was half-expecting a temperamental headstrong artisan. I couldn’t have been more wrong. “Simpatico” is the Italian word that best described him that translates as “amiable,” but loses something in the translation.

Being a Gretsch drum/drummer fan, Spizzichino asked for a copy of my book Gretsch Drums, The Legacy of “That Great Gretsch Sound.”  We discussed points I made in the book about the Istanbul (Constantinople) K Zildjian cymbals Gretsch imported to America back in the day. We also talked about his philosophy of what makes a good cymbal followed by lunch at his favorite restaurant.

Even the restaurant experience was a memorable one. I had just moved to Italy and any restaurant visit seemed to be a gastronomical event. This one had a strange twist. When we were seated at our table I asked Roberto what was the specialty of the house. “Baccalá” he proudly claimed, and was wide-eyed when I jumped up shrieking, “No!” looking for the nearest exit. “Do you know what baccalá is?” he asked. “I sure as hell do!” I said. “Whenever I was mischievous around my Italian-born grandmother she would wave her hand saying ‘Your getting baccalá’ followed by a hard slap to my backside.”  Both Roberto and Luciano exploded with laughter. Roberto said, “God bless your grandmother Chet, but that is just an expression. Baccalá is codfish and is a delicacy in this region. The reason for the “baccalá” expression when you are being punished is cod is flat when it is died and makes a great paddle. You should really try it.” I did and it was indeed wonderful, but to this day when a waiter suggests baccalá I tremble.

When we returned to the factory I quickly moved to my primary objective…purchasing my first Spizzichino cymbal. He had me sample several of his works. As I refined my selection he said, “I think I have something you will like.” There is nothing like having a person like Spizzichino select a cymbal for you. It was love at first sight/sound. Of course I continued my sampling as I wanted to be sure of my choice, but inevitably returned to my new 21” Rivet Ride. I asked Roberto to sign the bottom of the cymbal. He signed it “Per il mio simpatico amico Chet, con simpatia! Roberto Spizzichino” (For my amiable friend Chet, with pleasure! Roberto Spizzichino).

About a year later I called to make another appointment with Spizzichino to find a 19” mate for my Rivet Ride cymbal. “I have the perfect cymbal,” he said. I thought it a bit of an exaggeration. With all the cymbals he made how could he remember my previous purchase? I naturally brought the Rivet Ride for comparison. When I arrived I was surprised when Roberto said, “That wasn’t necessary; here try this.” Once again he was on-point. I asked how he could remember my previous year’s purchase. “I have a photographic ear,” he said. “I remember the sound of every cymbal I made.” Subsequent Spizzichino visits with good friend Stefano Bonazzi yielded a wonderful pair of 13”Hi Hats and a 16” Crash.

My last visit with Roberto heightened my awareness of what a truly great craftsman Spizzichino was. I use the term “craftsman” as Roberto quickly corrected me during one of our lunches when I referred to him as an artisan. “I am not an artisan, I am a craftsman. I do not make art, I craft sound.” During one of our long discussions about cymbals, I lamented the fact that I have conducted a life-long search for a China cymbal. I told him that when living in San Francisco, I frequented a shop in Chinatown that sold only Chinese percussion instruments. With every shipment of new China cymbals I would try them all, with no success. Roberto asked me to be more specific. I asked if he had ever seen the video “Bob Haggart & Ray Bauduc-Big Noise From Winnetka.”

[video][/video]

With his characteristic big smile he said, “Therein lies your problem. You are looking for a “Swish” not a “China.” But, as with all types of cymbals, there are variances.  I am going to the Frankfurter Musik Messe (Germany’s answer to NAMM) next week. Let me see what I can find.” About a week later I got a call from Roberto, “If you can believe it, not one good Swish in the lot. Not to worry…I’ll make you one.” Two weeks later the postman arrives with my treasure, an 18” Swish…at no charge! Laying a stick to it was like time-traveling back to the 1951 Western Electric filming of Bauduc and Haggart, taking Bauduc’s Swish off the stand, and returning to my living room. Spizzichino could “craft” sound that well. One year later Roberto recanted my “Swish” story in an article “status cymbal” in the Italian publication Ritmi. What an honor to be mentioned in an article about Spizzichino…only surpassed by the honor of being his friend.

---

April 2011 Riitmi Magazine “status cymbal” by Antonio Di Lorenzo

"Sto lavorando a questo Swish alla Ray Baduc (mi racconta) che Chet Falzerano (storico della Gretsch e dei K Zildjian, NdR) mi ha chiesto di costruirgli; il resultato e buono, ho utilizzato materiale italiano preso alla UFIP.  E un bel 18" e suona molto bene; ormai penso poter lavorare bene con qualisiasi tipo di materia prima, turca, italiana, cinese o altro (intanto rivetta lo Swish e ne ascolta il suono con soddisfazione).  Sei molto fortunato: ho appena finito di lavorare a quello che considero il mio capolavoro, e posso fartelo sentire."

Translates as:

"I'm working on this “Ray Baduc Swish” (he told me) that Chet Falzerano (the historian of K Zildjian and Gretsch, Ed) asked me to build him; the result is good.  I  used Italian material I got from UFIP. It is a beautiful 18" and sounds very good; now I can work well with any type of raw material, Turkish, Italian, Chinese or other (while riveting the Swish and hears the sound with satisfaction). You are very lucky; I just finished working on what I consider my masterpiece, and I can let you hear it."

Included with Your Custom Drum: Custom Advice

They say the Internet has changed everything.

On one hand, that’s a good thing. It gives us a ton of information we never had access to before. We’re way better informed than we used to be. But on the other hand maybe there are times when we’re actually over-informed – to the point of getting distracted from what we’re really trying to accomplish.

This may sound like I’m some kind of wet blanket telling kids to turn off the computer and go outside to play. But actually I’m wondering whether some drummers in the Information Age are getting distracted with how their drums are made instead of focusing on the art of playing them.

The more products we study and buy online, the more we find ourselves shopping for specifications instead of overall performance.  We do it with electronic gear, household gadgets, tools and more – and we’re starting to do it with musical instruments like guitars and drums. But, if you think about it, most things that help express our personal style – clothing, furniture, food – we tend to choose not by specifications but by their overall performance: the look, the taste, the touch, the experience. And, honestly, what can help express your personal musical style as much as the instrument you play?

A few years ago, I was watching a top-ranked artist who had just finished a clinic at a major drum show. He was sitting in a drum builder’s booth checking out a snare, and the builder was explaining that the snare in question was a stave drum.

Blank look from the artist.

So the builder showed him the inside of the drum, pointing out the staves and explaining the advantages.

Another blank look from the artist.

It was like they were talking in two different languages, one the language of design specs and the other the language of performance. The architect and the homeowner, if you will. Watching them, I was reminded that, not so many years ago, drummers didn’t pay much attention to how a drum was made. They just played, and they wanted to play drums that sounded and felt good – musicians looking for the best musical instruments they could afford. Most of them didn’t know the difference between ply shells and solid shells. They had no idea what kinds of wood were being used, or how the edges were cut, or how much drop there was on the strainer, or where the vent was positioned – and they didn’t care. Play a top-level drum and it sang for you and it did everything you asked of it. What else mattered? “This one, man, this one’s got that sound!”

As a builder, I welcome discussion about edges, dimensions, materials, tuning techniques and so on, because this stuff fascinates me. And it’s good that players want to talk about these things. Like most of my drum-building colleagues, I like having informed customers. It helps them appreciate the value of owning a custom or boutique instrument.

But today, by way of blog articles, discussion forums, how-to videos and advertising, the science of drum design has gone public. Maybe even a little too much.

Think about this: Should you order a custom made suit and specify what kind of stitching to use? Or visit the restaurant kitchen to tell the chef how you want the seasonings measured in your entrée?

Take a double 45 bearing edge profile, for example. You might shop for that because you’ve heard that a double 45 edge is a good thing – but you may not really know how it works, or what alternatives you should consider. (Want to really get technical? On that double 45, where is the apex positioned, and how wide is it? Is there any roundover, and if so how much? How is the edge smoothed and finished? Those kinds of details make a difference in how that double 45 functions. Trust me, to a knowledgeable builder the phrase “double 45” is a starting place, not the real spec.)

Whoa. TMI alert! Let’s back up a second.

You may have heard about synergy – the concept that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Synergy is an important aspect of drum design. There are literally dozens of design choices that influence the sound and character of a drum. Individually, most of these choices have very small effects on the overall sound. But taken together, they can reinforce one another, working together to make the drum as a whole perform the way you want– or each can cancel another one out, losing the advantages altogether. Unfortunately, most online information addresses these factors individually, not in terms of how they work together. So you can easily get caught up in specifications, and find yourself shopping for a set of specs instead of for what the drum does for you – focusing on the trees and losing sight of the forest.

Let’s try a better starting point. Tell me your destination, not your route to get there.

How will you use the drum? What type of music? What type of room? What playing style? What sort of voice should it have? Where would it fit into the rest of your drum arsenal? How should it feel to play?

Here are the kinds of information that help me as a builder: “I need a bright sound.”  “Looking for power.” “I want it real responsive for ghostnotes.” “Something beefy.” “I do a lot of cross-sticking.” “I tune very tight.”  “I like a lot of ring.” “I play mostly small clubs.”

My advice? Find a builder who knows his craft and talk to him. Open up about what you’re trying to achieve; put your goals together with his solutions. Sure, go ahead and ask about specs, and keep asking until you understand what makes your instrument tick. By all means, be an informed consumer. But don’t feel that you have to make all the technical design decisions before turning them over to the builder, or that you need to become an expert yourself in order to make good choices. Instead, tap into his experience and knowledge base and use them to your advantage.

Then turn off your computer and go out and play…drums.

1939-41 Gretsch Gladstone

Hi all,

Here’s another one to enter the “Mark Cooper Wing” of the Curotto Collection. I don’t have many Gretsch snare drums as most of the Gretsch collectables are 1950s-60s era which is a little late on the chain for me. My good friend Mark Cooper offered this drum to me so I decided to pull the trigger and purchase my first Gretsch Gladstone snare drum.  Noted Gladstone expert and friend Chet Falzerano was kind enough to allow me to print his remarks:

“Those numbers are stamped into Gretsch shells with what appears to have been a branding iron. The Fatool drum has #255. I told Mark I think the snare pictured with the Gretsch Gladstone set in the Gretsch book has a higher number (sold that many years ago). The Chick drum I just put together is 128. I was thinking they may be production numbers as the Chick drum (with the lowest number I have seen) has some unusual features I have never seen before, namely the throw off lever is engraved, the key is stamped, and there is an adjustable stop inside the drum to regulate pressure of the pads against the head. I thought these features were dropped by Gretsch as a cost saving measure as the GG was THE most expensive drum on the market at the time. William F. Ludwig, Jr. recalls: 'I remember Gretsch reserving a suite at the Sherman Hotel (in Chicago)...and inviting all the Chicago drummers to see the marvelous Gladstone drum.  The drum sold for $100, which was ridiculous in those days. Our top of the line drum was $35.' The 3-Way on eBay now (with the rewrap) is number 112 according to the owner. Back to the drawing board on the numbers.”

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1939-41 (#279) 14 x 6.5 WMP GRETSCH GLADSTONE 3-WAY TUNING ORCHESTRA DRUM

The Shell: The 3-ply shell is in great shape and looks to be in round although the calf heads did take some Cooper-izing. The interior is clean with a huge “279” on the top re-ring that looks like it was applied by stamping the numbers into the re-ring rather than a branding iron type device (as Chet stated above). The photo gives the illusion that the 279 is “raised” but it is not. I am told that #279 is one of the highest numbered drums that has surfaced to date. The WMP is also in great shape, has a lot of white left and looks “classically aged” as I like to call it. The Gretsch Gladstone badge and the tone control adjustment badge are both very clean.

The Hardware: The Gretsch chrome plated rims were surprisingly in very good shape. The Gretsch Gladstone logo on the top rim looks like it is engraved. The tensions rods were a bit dirty but cleaned up nicely as did the strainer, butt plate and 3-way key. The single post lugs were in the best shape.

Special thanks goes to Mark Cooper for doing a great job of cleaning up this drum for me. I supplied of-the-era calf heads and the correct Duplex chrome 12-strand wires but I do have to say that after tightening the heads and tweaking the wires this drum is absolutely horrible sounding. This is not a big deal as I don’t play vintage drums, I just collect them.

Enjoy!

April 2014 - Drum Shows!

Upcoming Drum Shows

The Connecticut Drum Show is run by my good friend Rick Smith. He always has a great show with over 30 dealers and lots of consignments. This year’s show is Sunday, April 27, 2014 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Sphinx Shriners Center, 3066 Berlin Turnpike, Newington, CT, 06111. Admission is $15, under 12 and active military free. To contact about info email Rick at ctdrumshow@aol.com, or visit his website at www.ctdrumshow.com. Please support Rick’s show and thanks for advertising with us, Rick!

Not So Modern Drummer will be at the Chicago Drum Show on May 17 & 18, and we are bringing the Chicago Drum Company custom snare drum that we're raffling at the Nashville Drum Show. Come see us, and the drum, at Booth 81.

The Nashville Drum Show is September 20 & 21. This is our big drum show – 160 exhibit booths and hundreds of attendees. New performance series this year too! Buy an advance or VIP ticket and Win This Drum - be entered into the raffle to win the Chicago Drum Company custom snare drum.

The Snare Drum Olympics. No, we don’t throw them like the discus or sweep in front of them like curling stones. We set ‘em up, play ‘em, judge ‘em, record ‘em, video ‘em, publicize ‘em and drool over ‘em!

Info about all the above can be found at NashvilleDrumShow.com.

We have some new writers this month. Roger Locke is a Camco expert and will be writing a regular column about what he and many other drummers think are the best sounding drums ever made. Paul Kneipp contributed an in depth feature article about the history of the Australian Drouyn Drum company. Chicago drummer Jason Batchko contributed a great article about a great thrift store find he made; a 1923 Conn engraved gold plated snare drum that belonged to Frank Biggs, a working Chicago jazz drummer and noted songwriter.

Check out some of the rare birds below that were posted in our free classifieds. Remember, our service is 100% FREE to both seller and buyer. Bookmark our site, as there have been some incredible deals already.

Circa 1976 Slingerland Chicago Radio King Model Ludwig Top Hat and Cane Swing Sensation Drum Set, 1941 Adrian Kirchler copper and brass snare 6.5 x 14

George's Signature

(330) 338-6035 george@notsomoderndrummer.com

Chicago Drum Co. "American Classic" 6.5x14

Chicago Drum Company American Classic Series with a "Red, White and Blue" finish. The shell is a 5 ply 3/8" maple/poplar shell, with 30 degree w/roundover edges. It features solid maple steam bent reinforcing rings, chromed steel stick saver hoops, 20 strand Pure Sound wires, and a 3 point vintage throw off. This drum really sings - and is a fine work of art.

Did you know you can WIN THIS DRUM? All you have to do is buy an advanced ticket to the Nashville Drum Show. Advanced ticket holders will be entered into a drawing to win this $800 drum. You do not need to be present to win, and advanced tickets start at $15!

To buy your ticket and enter this raffle, click here.

Thunder from “Down Under” - The Drouyn Story

Thunder from "Down Under" - The Drouyn StoryFeature Article by Paul Kneipp

This is a Drouyn “Professional Series” drum kit, circa 1965. The colour is most likely “Marine Mist Pearl”. The sizes are: 20/13/16, with a 14″ x 5″ S100 alloy snare. This drum kit was originally sold from Theo’s Music, St George’s Terrace, Perth, Australia in 1965 or possibly early 1966. It came with hardware, including the A602 foot pedal; the A600 hi-hat stand(or an earlier version of it) ; snare stand (model unknown) ‘Vynex’ vinyl cases in ‘Tobacco Tan’; 14″ Zildjian New Beat hi-hat cymbals (£28); 18″ Super Zyn medium cymbal; Premier cymbal stand and a small accessory case containing sticks, brushes, drum keys and a selection of drum books from the era.

The drums are 4 ply Rose Alder, an Australian native rainforest tree (now a protected species) with similar characteristics to maple. There are no re-enforcing rings. Drouyn also made shells from other native timbers such as Huon Pine and Jarrah, but details are sketchy, to say the least.

Complete kits in this condition are very rare, yet many were sold. It's hard to say why. Drouyn drums had issues with loss of chrome plating, perhaps due in part to the tropical climate in Queensland. This may have contributed to their disappearance.

The snare drum is the S100, a copy of the Ludwig LM400. They were so convincingly made that rumors of a collaboration with Ludwig have persisted ever since. Incredibly, these seamless shelled drums were made in the top floor of a small factory in Brisabane, Australia under the most humble of circumstances; and chromed by a local electroplater. The controversy and misinformation surrounding the S100 is typical of Drouyn. It seems that every second drummer has an opinion; a story; or a mate who worked there – but the truth remains as hard to find as complete examples of the drums. It would be fair to say that although Ludwig may have inspired the S100; they certainly did not make them.

My Drouyn Story

My Drouyn story begins with a kit I owned when I was about 14. I sold my first drum kit (an ancient Pearl) to a pawn shop and purchased the Drouyn set from the newspaper classifieds. This was in the 1970′s and the kit had a few different features from the one pictured, such as retractable spurs, a bass drum cymbal stand and slotted tension rods. I sold it a few years later for a red Premier B303 kit and in the years since, had always wished I had kept it.

I had been looking for a Drouyn kit for quite a while before I came across this one. It was an earlier model than my 70's kit, but looked to be in very good condition. My first impression after receiving it was that I had opened a time capsule from the 1960′s. Inside the bass drum were newspapers with stories about the disappearance of Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt. As I worked on the set, I began to understand some of the effort that had gone into it’s construction – and more than a few questions were raised as well. So began my journey into the fascinating world of Drouyn & Drouyn.

A Brief History of Drouyn & Drouyn

Long before Sleishman (who play their own role in this story); long before Brady, there were Australian drums being made in a small factory in the suburb of Stones Corner, Brisbane, Queensland. Brother and sister Douglas and Dorothy Drouyn (pronounced “drew-in”) shared a love of music. Douglas Drouyn was an accomplished musician. A search through the Australian National Library archive Trove finds many mentions of his gigs, including a tour through Queensland as far north as Cairns, in 1939. He played baritone saxophone in a duo with an accordionist, Ossie Mazzie. They were good enough to tour, act as leaders and pick up support bands; and were certainly popular. Dorothy Drouyn was also musical – it’s been reported that she wrote operettas. Douglas Drouyn also seems to have been a man with strong opinions about many things. He had a long running battle with the Tax Office over paying sales tax; eventually taking the fight to the High Court.

A judge in one episode of this trial noted that Douglas was not so much an activist, rather, “someone suffering from mental indigestion.” He certainly felt very strongly about it; and ruffled a few feathers, since he was subsequently investigated by the Government, for his alleged links to the monetary reformist Green Shirt movement. Whatever his political beliefs, the partnership with Dorothy flourished. Douglas and Dorothy became business partners in 1927. In 1932 they opened a music store in George Street, Brisbane specializing in instrument repairs.

Repairs a specialty! 

This venture went so well that they purchased a small building in South Brisbane and began making drums and other small instruments under the “Dandy” brand name. The name was written as "D•and•dy and appears to have been an anagram of “D and Dy” (short for Douglas and Dorothy).

Dandy band catalogue – note the megaphone!

One thing is certain; they picked a good market. It’s been reliably estimated that they made over 20,000 fifes during the period the factory was most active. It seems that every school in Queensland owned a few instruments from the small factory in Stones Corner.

Dandy Serial Number System

Later they gave up the stamp and simply wrote these three rows of numbers in ballpoint pen inside the shells. It's a great pity that there is no sure way of knowing the exact system used. My personal theory is that the first 2 digits of the job lot are the year of manufacture. However, I've recently seen enough aberrations to accept that this can't be certified as fact; so I must honestly say that at this stage, I don't know and I don't think anyone knows for certain. My Drouyn kit was sold in 1965 or 1966. The job lot for all the drums begins with 65. I don't believe in coincidence, so I think my kit was made in 1965. I have seen many, many drums whose apparent age would support this "year/job lot" theory. But it'still just a theory.

The Meacham Factor - George Meacham

If there is anyone apart from Douglas and Dorothy Drouyn who was key to the success of the factory on Logan Road, it was an employee by the name of George Meacham. George was a trained machinist as well as a musician. He also appears to have been one of those people who could make virtually anything. George ran the factory for 44 years, designing and implementing much of the manufacturing. George’s input was vital, especially in two areas. Dandy/Drouyn drums had no internal reinforcing rings. Meacham designed a mold with an inflatable bladder which was used to hold the Drouyn ply drum shells perfectly round, while they set. If this is true, it would seem to be one of the first times in the world that this method was used.

Dandy Becomes Drouyn

Some time between 1960 and 1965, the Dandy brand was dropped for simply “Drouyn”, with a new badge and a new style. The drums changed, though not across all areas of the kit. The biggest change was the snare drum. In keeping with overseas trends, hoops with clips disappeared and new materials were used.

A Famous Set of Silver Drums

Drouyn drums were seen on stages and television extensively throughout the 1970's. Even earlier than this, Drouyn pioneered "cannon" or deep bass drums. These proved to be very popular. As the only home grown manufacturer of concert band instruments in Australia, Drouyn and Drouyn gained important military contracts. One of the most famous of these was the order for a complete set of solid silver concert drums to celebrate the Royal Australian Navy's 50th anniversary. Employees later recalled that every grain of silver had to be weighed and accounted for, even the waste from drilling. The drums are now in the RAN Museum.

The End of an Era

The coming years were still good for Drouyn and Drouyn. But there were big changes on the way. 1965-1975 saw the rise of rock and roll; pub bands; cabaret; the “Americanization” of Australia – all of these trends affected the company. As the 1970′s drew to a close, bigger changes in the global nature of the music manufacturing business saw the demise or sale of such legendary names as Rogers, Fender, Gibson, Slingerland, Camco and others; who struggled against the unstoppable rise of brands from Japan. Some were lucky enough to be reborn in the 1990′s, but for many it was the end. Doug and Dorothy passed on the business to other family members who tried to keep the brand afloat. Sleishman drums, one of the next generation of Australian drum makers, used Drouyn shells for all their early kits. It was a good partnership. But in a story which is becoming sadly familiar in manufacturing in Australia, the factory finally closed it’s doors sometime in the late 1980′s. It was the end of an era. I believe that the current owners of the factory have collected a great deal of information in the clean-up. Hopefully at some stage, this may come to light. I certainly hope so.

Many of the images were generously provided by Dimitris Petinakis, whose family now owns the Drouyn House site on Logan Road. My sincere thanks to Dimitris.

For sound samples of Drouyn drums, head over to the Troutstudio channel on YouTube. For more images and information on Drouyn Drums, check out my site at Troutsounds.

Growing Up In The Shadow of Joe Morello: Joe Sefcik

For over fifty years, Joseph D. Sefcik was highly regarded as one of the finest drum teachers in all of New England. A great number of his students commuted long distances every week just to study with him.

Long before Sefcik was known as the man who taught Joe Morello how to play drums; he had established impeccable credentials as a premier percussionist and drummer at the legendary Valley Arena in the city of Holyoke, Massachusetts.

Every major act had perfomed there at one time or another. This included The Dorsey Brothers, Lionel Hampton, Sammy Kaye, Count Basie and untold others. With all of this ongoing notoriety, Sefcik was repeatedly offered countless opportunities to travel with a host of well - known bands. Yet, Joe preferred staying close to home with his family, full time teaching practice, and steady job at the Valley Arena.

Joe studied with Morris Goldenberg who was originally from Holyoke, and a faculty member at the Julliard School of Music in New York City. Joe’s other distinguished teachers included Billy Gladstone, Alfred Friese, George Lawrence Stone, George Willets, and Charley Wilcoxon.

Joe Sefcik absolutely loved teaching the drums; it was his passion. Studying with Sefcik was a rite of passage for countless young drummers eager to learn and master the instrument. Joe knew almost everyone in the music business; including a large contingent of drummers across the United States and Canada. Every time Joe learned something new, he passed it on to his students. He always strived to incorporate the latest drum methods into his teachings. Joe taught at the Pizzitola Music Studios in Holyoke, Mass. located on the second floor above the Victory Theater at the corner of Suffolk and Chestnut Streets. Although vacant since 1979, the original building is still standing. Back in the 1960’s, the aroma of Sefcik’s cigar smoke filled the air. Joe was a very strict disciplinarian who demanded excellence from himself, and all others. If a student showed up to a lesson and hadn’t practiced; there was going to be a serious scolding ahead.

“I recall one time when a student before me hadn't practiced as much as Joe thought he should have. He grabbed his books and threw them out the second-floor window onto the street.”

- Ron Hurst (John Kay & Steppenwolf)

Studying with Joe was an adventure in itself. Sefcik and his trademark cigar would get right in your face, yelling out commands like a drill sergeant. He had absolutely no tolerance for students who didn’t practice their lessons. Joe dismissed a number of students over the years for not doing what was expected.

“You had to be a serious and self-motivated student to study with him. Sefcik knew immediately if you were bluffing your lesson. He would ask, Why did you not practice? What did I not make clear to you? The pressure was always there to be the very best you could be.”

- Greg Caputo

Of all Joe Sefcik’s many students, it was Joe Morello who achieved the greatest notoriety. Even as a teenager, Joe would practice eight hours a day. On one occasion, Sefcik took Morello to hear Louie Bellson, who was with Count Basie at the time. Louie showed Morello a fast rudimental pattern; and asked Joe to play it. Morello then played it twice as fast as Bellson. This kept happening repeatedly. No matter what Bellson played, Morello would proceed to play it faster, and more precise. It was then that an exasperated Louie Bellson acknowledged that Joe Morello was destined for greatness.

Joe was playing his drums at a family gathering when he suffered a major heart attack, from which he never recovered. Sefcik passed away at the age of 72. Years later, his storied career and legacy are still alive. Joseph D. Sefcik’s numerous contributions to the history of drumming in America will always be remembered.

Growing Up In The Shadow of Joe Morello: Part Two continues next month featuring insights and recollections of drummer Joe Sefcik by six of his former students… David Barsalou, Gregory Caputo, Jim Cote, Tim Griffin, Ron Hurst, and Chet Pasek.

Camco: The Stradivarius of Vintage Drums

Camcos have been a cherished and well guarded secret by studio musicians for decades. To some it’s their modern clarity of tone and seemingly incessant resonance that sounds pre-eq’d. To others, it’s their ease of tuning and the ability to stay in tune which was built into the design, regardless of what era they were made in.

These brilliantly crafted drums with their thin, smaller than standard diameter shells and their machined hardware were the pinnacle of American made vintage drums. They are sought out today by some of the worlds first call recording artists, collectors and working musicians.

Some of the largest pro and vintage drum shops have waiting lists for vintage Camco kits.

A few weeks ago we saw recording artist and studio owner Jeramy Stacey with Benmont Tench (previously with Cheryl Crow) playing his C-650 Alice Cooper White L.A. era Camcos on the Jimmy Kimmel Live show. Drummers of that caliber could afford to play any drums made. That in itself says a lot.

That’s the attraction Camcos have.  They are like owning a hand made Italian Sports Car rather than a Ford or a Chevy.. From the hand-sanded, polished, then sealed and waxed bearing edges, to the premium select aged maple shells that were threaded for each lug screw in the later years. The attention to detail and the amount of labor that went into these drums is mind bending and apparent as soon as you pick one up. The words are always the same... Oh Wow....

There were some that predicted their prices would exceed that of the Round Badge Era Gretsch kits from the 50s and 60s, and they were right. It’s not uncommon to see an original 4-pc. kit with a 20” or 22” bass drum selling for $6,500.00 and up, with 18” and 24” bass drum kits selling for quite a bit more than that.

During the Oaklawn, Ill. years (1961-1971) they made mostly 20” kits followed by 22s,18s, then 24s. We saw a switch between the 20” and 22” sized kits during the short but productive Chanute, Ks. era. (1971-73) again with the 18s and 24s bringing up the rear. The Jasper-shelled 24s are extremely rare.  There have been only 4 Oaklawns and 2 Chanute era kits with 24” bass drums that have emerged that we know of.  The current owners are all known and live all over the world including Canada and Belgium where only the L.A. era drums were ever distributed and sold. During the L.A. years, (1973-77) the trend again changed with 22” bass drums leading the way followed by 24s, 20s, and 18” bass drums.

Collectors look at this closely when appraising the value of vintage Camco drum kits. The C-650 is a favorite among the L.A. era players and artists. It came with a 14x24” BD, 9x13”, & 10x14” tom toms, 16x16”, & 16x18” floor toms with a matching 6.5x14” 6/6ply Keller Maple snare. Still today, the 6.5x14” model #452 is a highly sought after snare drum and a “Go To” snare for many recording artists.

Nick Mason of Pink Floyd  just recently sold 2 of his most prized and recorded snare drums, the mid 70s Natural Maple L.A. Camco 6.5x14” model #453 which was the 10 lug option, and his early 80s Tama Bell Brass 6.5x14” to Footes Music Shop in the UK.

These 3,4, or 6-ply Jasper-shelled Oaklawns or 6-ply Keller-shelled L.A. era all have one thing in common, their owners swear by them and agree they are by far the best drums they have ever owned and the last kit they would ever sell.  They are the type of drums one wants to take to the grave with them just in case there is a drum heaven.

1923 Conn Engraved Snare Drum

Hi All,

This is my first article on NSMD. I’m a drummer in Chicago and happened upon what turns out to be quite a cool drum.

Here’s the story: I was checking out a local vintage clothing/thrift shop in my neighborhood a few months ago. I saw this beat up looking old metal drum sitting on a corner shelf. At first I thought it was possibly an old antique toy drum for a child, but up close I saw that it was a Conn. I was more interested but was still thinking to myself if it was a Ludwig or something maybe I’d buy it (I didn’t know too much about Conns.) Then I noticed all the cool engravings including one that read “Frank Biggs 1923.”

So, I thought I better at least google Frank Biggs. It turns out Biggs was a popular jazz drummer in Chicago in the 1920s onward..He is credited as writing “That’s When I’ll Come Back To You”  recorded by Louie Armstrong’s Hot Seven. There are some articles and announcements of him playing at different Chicago Jazz hotspots, etc... including a great ad for Conn from 1922 with his photo in it (maybe that’s the drum?)

So, the jazz buff in me wanted that drum just for the cool story behind it. It’s always cool to find out where an old instrument came from. I went right back and bought it for not a whole lot of money. My initial thoughts were to restore it, play it, and bring it back to life.

On to the drum itself, this past week I contacted Adrian Kirchler, Harry Canangy, and Mike Curotto. All of whom shared their expertise with helping me further identify this drum. Turns out it’s a custom made, custom engraved gold plated Conn Victor Model.  A real “gem” as Adrian called it, a one of a kind. And while it’s not a Leedy, Ludwig or Slingerland, it’s really a neat piece with a cool connection to early Chicago jazz.  Maybe not the best idea to take out on various gigs?

There’s a bulb fixture still in tact, all the lugs, rims, and shell are in great shape, actually.  Also, Frank Biggs signed his name backwards on the inside of one of the heads presumably to illuminate his name through the bulb. It’s still completely legible.

There are some extra mounting holes by the strainer. There’s a higher end Ludwig strainer on the drum. The question Adrian had was whether or not Biggs ordered the drum with the better strainer or had the standard utility model removed and replaced it with the better Ludwig. An interesting thought…

Well, enough words, here are some pics:

Hope you all enjoy the drum. Feel free to email me if you have any more info, fun facts, etc... Jbatchko@hotmail.com. Again I’d like to thank Adrian, Harry, and Mike for their great help. And to Chicago pianist/sleuth Steven Heliotes for finding all the interesting info on Frank Biggs. And thanks, George.

Cheers, Jason

Terry Guinn's Drumiture

  Drummer Terry Guinn has found a special way to combine his two passions - drums and art. He converts drums into furniture and advertising specialty pieces that capture a musician’s career or a fan’s love for  his favorite team, school, or band. Terry's motto is "Save a Drum." He can find a discarded drum and bring it back to life with his unique original art. “I took a drum I found in the gutter and gave it a wonderful new life when I presented it to the San Jose Sharks NHL hockey team’s mascot 'Sharkie.' Check out the pictures  of some of his work in the pictures below, especially the one he did for Neil Peart and the one he did for the Johnny Mercer family.

Saving drums and helping charities with his "Drumiture", Terry is starting to be well known and recognized for his passion and kindness. He is now receiving back what he has given all these years from some great people he has met along the way. One particular piece of drumiture that he is proud of was created for Rod Morgenstein, drummer for the Dixie Dregs and Winger. "Rod sent me his very first two drum sets after we talked at my booth at NAMM in 2013. I worked with him for over a ten month period creating this piece.  He didn't want the integrity of the drums compromised, so we came up with hanging them from a rack so no holes had to be cut for legs or mounts!  He didn't want photos of himself inside them so we put all his major influences inside each different drum. After renting a motor home and driving across the country,  I arrived at his home in Long Island and began to install it. He is calling it his "Museum Piece".  He has his very first cymbal he ever got and is using my piece to display it and all his vintage band and music memorabilia!  He is a very generous and gracious man and it was a honor to create and deliver this for my mentor and now very close friend, Rod Morgenstein."

See more of Terry's unique art at www.drumiture.com