“There I was, thinking, ‘This is the kit that Tony Williams played; they’re his drums. And I’m responsible for them.’ So I started trying to take the drums down and get them someplace safe. Then a security person walked up and said, ‘Get your ass off stage.’ I told him, ‘I’ve gotta get my drums off first. These are really historic drums.’
Read moreNick Hopkin Reports on the Dutch Vintage Drum Meeting near Amsterdam
This show is much smaller than Chicago but really well attended by both exhibitors and punters. Dealers from Germany, Switzerland and all across the Netherlands were there as well as myself with a great selection of vintage drum goodies.
Read moreNic Marcy - Austin Drummer - Summer 2016
Nic Marcy is a world class player and educator. He started a new publication in 2016 called Austin Drummer which is about and for the drummers and drumming and music scene in Austin and beyond. There are some really hip articles to enjoy so we decided to make Nic's Austin Drummer magazine a column here at NSMD.
Read more1938-40 Slingerland 5x14 Nickel Over Brass Artist Model Radio King
This snare drum was sold to me a Radio King. As I started to get into the restoration I noticed that there are no extension brackets or any drilling for extension brackets.
Read moreSlingerland Studio King drum set - Conway Arkansas cloud badge
I'm pretty sure I now have one of the last Slingerland kits ever made, and it's a good one, and I didn't have to pay Slingerland's ridiculous exorbitant prices for it.
Read moreReflections On Shelly Manne - chapter 9
Being able to lay out the time and seemingly doing nothing is indeed an example of what Mr. Manne speaks of in it being the easiest and most difficult at the same time. - Sergio Bellotti
Read moreMike Clark: Words of Wisdom - Part 10
" I love jazz drummers… Can't think of one I don't like. Some of them hold their sticks weird, and don't care about the latest drumming fads. They love the tradition, and the language. They just...Swing! "
Read more1970s Rogers Holiday drum set in Wine Red Ripple finish
Wine Red Ripple was listed as a Rogers wrap from 1960 to 1967. In talking to other collectors I have concluded that these shells were made and wrapped in Ohio and shipped to Fullerton when the plant moved. They were completed and tagged in California and thus became A late blooming Wine Red Ripple set. One thing is for certain, this fine vintage wine will make you high just looking at it.
Read more1965 Ludwig Downbeat drum set - Sky Blue Pearl
Vintage Ludwig Downbeats are extremely versatile sized drums no matter what the color you end up with. These kits can be tuned for a variety of music and are real easy to travel with logistically. The entire kit fits in the backseat of VW Golf! (with the seats up, NOT down).
Read moreSean Fuller - Life Lessons
Sean, for all his successes is a humble, soft-spoken gentleman who knows the importance of family and friends. Sean embraces the down time between tours, spending it with his wife and daughter. He said, “there is more to life than just playing the drums”.
Read moreBuddy Rich: The Beat Goes On - chapter 2
Gregg Potter and Buddy’s daughter Cathy Rich are on a mission to expose Buddy's music to younger audiences, and to preserve the 'Big Band' art form for future generations. Here is a compilation of what they have done so far this year to keep Buddy's music and memory alive.
Read moreSlingerland Super Gene Krupa Radio King snare drum (a whole lot of clams)
In 1940 Slingerland decided to go back to the drawing board and create a new Radio King snare drum model. This model would become known as the “New Super Gene Krupa Model” with a unique and innovative strainer system which became known as the "clam shell" strainer. Unlike the Gene Krupa 6.5” x 14” model with the three point strainer and eight center streamline lugs, this new Radio King snare had been drastically redesigned.
Read moreJohnny Craviotto, world renown drum craftsman, passes.
This was posted on the Craviotto site:
It is with very heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Master Craftsman, mentor, and friend, Johnny Craviotto. Johnny left us on July 15th, 2016.
Johnny was, and always will be, the world’s finest drum craftsman. No one had his knowledge, his skill, and his passion for his craft. He created instruments of incredible sonic and visual beauty, and those instruments have graced stages, recording studios, and collections worldwide. His contribution to the world of drum building has been without equal.
We are truly fortunate that as the heart and soul of the Craviotto Drum Company it was vitally important to Johnny to pass along his skills, honed over a lifetime, and his innovations in the art and craft of drum building to his trusted colleagues and protégés at Craviotto, so that the "Craviotto-way" could carry on for the next generation. This living art is his legacy. Please celebrate it with us"
Please read about the life and times of Johnny in this wonderful article that Bob Campbell wrote. (click on picture)
2016 Chicago Drum Show Pictorial
See over 200 of Bob Campbell's beautiful show pictures at the Not So Modern Drummer Facebook Page and at our Vintage and Custom Drums Forum Facebook Page
Read moreKenny Aronoff at the Woodshed
Drummer extraordinaire Kenny Aronoff presented two sold-out master classes at The Woodshed in South Windsor, Connecticut on April 16th, 2016
Read moreHey, Hey, We're the Studio Cats!
I recently watched an interesting and entertaining movie called "The Wrecking Crew". It's the story -- with lots of interviews -- about the coven of ace studio musicians who created almost all of the pop and rock music that came out of California in the ‘50s and ‘60s.
Read moreReflections On Shelly Manne - Chapter 8
Steve Maxwell: "Shelly is correct of course. The actual notated rhythm of the ride beat is absolutely simple. However, the trick is how the drummer interprets that rhythm."
Read more1965 Ludwig Downbeat set in Sparkling Burgundy Pearl
This is a 1965 Ludwig Downbeat set in Sparkling Burgundy Pearl. Burgundy Sparkle or “Root Beer Sparkle” (as it is sometimes called) is a finish that is not very common. So it falls under the “rare” category from a collector’s standpoint.
Read more1920s - 30s? L&L? 5x14 NOS/NOB 12 lug "Rat" snare drum
Here’s another very weird snare drum that has been in my restoration queue for some time. This drum reminds me of those Desert *Rat Buggies that are put together with all sorts of non-matching, weird parts, rusty body parts and who knows what else.
Read morePremier B202 drum set - Golden Sun finish
Here’s a kit that only occasionally do I come across in original condition; A Premier B202 in ‘Golden sun’ finish. This particular set was bought new in 1970 and remained with that owner until a month or so ago. The finish is fairly rare or, at least, rare in good condition.
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