I was asked the other day who I liked out of the new modern type drummers. For me, Lenny White and Billy Hart are totally "modern" as they are master improvisers that don't sound like anyone but themselves. I never know what they are going to play.
Read moreCLOSED! WE HAVE A WINNER! Chris Szetela of Michigan won a Pearl Limited Edition Snare Drum!
Enter the Pearl Snare Drum contest!
Read more1928 - 1930 Leedy 'Separate Tension' snare drum 5 x 14 - rare Jade Green finish
edy along with his roommate, Sam Cooley, starting manufacturing percussion instruments in their apartment. By the 1920s, The Leedy Manufacturing Co. was producing some of the best built drums on the market and eventually would be label itself “The World’s Largest Drum Company”.
This particular Leedy drum features the unique Jade Green finish offered for a limited amount of time during the late 1920s. The Jade Green Model advertisement below was featured in the 1928 catalog where three different sizes 4x14, 5x14, and 6x14 were available in this particular finish. The finish was inspired by the patterns and colors found in oriental ornaments during this era. The finish wrap was thought to be a cross between a Marine Pearl and Sparkling Gold finishes, utilizing the best of both worlds in flash and elegance.
1960s Mastro Plastic Snare Drum Kit
It's December and all I can say is, "where did the year go?" I can remember when I was young how it seemed like Christmas would never come. Now, it seems like the years are flying by. One thing never changes, when it gets Christmas time all the kids start thinking about getting some new toys. Even though I have joined the senior citizens rank, I like getting new toys myself. The drum from my collection I am featuring this month is sort of a toy drum. This Mastro snare drum was offered to the public as more than a toy and not quite a student musical instrument. It was another effort to supply young people, who had been influenced by The Beatles, with an affordable instrument. I have said it before, after The Beatles played on The Ed Sullivan Show, almost every young person wanted to play an instrument. The Mastro drum even had a connection with the Beatles.
Read more1939 WFL 7 x 14 WMP Twin Sensitive Hollywood Swing Model (cat. no. 421)
This drum is officially the first vintage drum that started my vintage snare drum hobby. I always had about 10 vintage drums lying around that I played here and there but I never paid much attention to the “vintage” aspect of those drums. This changed in March of 1995. I had been reading about vintage drums and my first vintage drum deal was with Sam Adato’s Drum Shop in San Francisco. Sam said that this drum is very rare so I took his word for it and traded a 1960s Gretsch Blue Sparkle round badge snare... the rest is history.
Read moreCarve Out Your Space
Drums are loud. And few if any neighbours would recommend living beside a drummer who practices a lot. So what is a poor, motivated drummer to do? Rent a practice hall? Good idea, but not convenient and not cheap. Just hope the neighbours are OK with it? Ya, I’ve tried that ... pretty risky. Maybe you can fit up a practice room that keeps the sound inside. That would be ideal. It’s also nearly impossible to achieve, but with a bit of time and investment, you can come close enough.
Read moreMystery Drum?
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Read more1956 WFL Buddy Rich Model Super Classic drum set
This is the earliest known set in existence of the finish made famous by the Beatles Ringo Starr, 8 years before Beatlemania hit in 1964. This finish first appears into the Ludwig catalog in 1959 where it can be seen on the Las Vegas Stand Up cocktail outfit. In 1956 WFL Drums biggest star endorser was the one and only Buddy Rich.
Read moreMemphis Drum Shop
Nestled in the heart of Midtown Memphis, located in the ever popular Cooper-Young district, there is a special place with deep ties to music. With its flat white exterior, and black awning, 878 S. Cooper Street is home to none other than the world famous Memphis Drum Shop.
Read moreGaillard & Loiselet "Jazz Band" snare drum
Gaillard & Loiselet is the successor of several manufacturers who exist and succeeded since 1812... This brand has succeeded to "Couturier Pelisson Blanchon". Gaillard & Loiselet was created in the early 1930s and exist still exist on the early 1960s. The factory and the manufacture was in Lyon, at 273, Cours Lafayette and produced essentially wind instruments (trumpet, saxophone, tuba, etc…) and some marching drums and bass drums.
Read moreTruss Tension Drums
The late 1880s – 1900s was what was known as the “transition” period for snare drums and drums in general. This was the transition from rope tension to metal rod tension. It originated from the European or “Prussian“ designed drums consisting of sometimes highly decorated wood hoops over a metal shell. Metal hooks and long te
Read moreCymbal Maker Robert Paiste dies
George Lawrence, the staff and the writers of Not So Modern Drummer offer our condolences to the Paiste family, the Paiste employees and the Paiste endorsing artists.
This from the Paiste Company:
It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Robert Paiste, family member, visionary cymbal maker and perennial company principal. In the four generations of family members to guide the company, Robert was a foremost presence. His contribution was of immense importance, and he shaped Paiste in major ways. Robert's life-long focus was the development and production of cymbals and gongs. As an uncompromising perfectionist, he established the benchmarks for quality, fidelity and consistency that are the hallmarks of Paiste today.
Along the way, his work led to numerous innovations, inventions and patents, and among his many accomplishments, the Formula 602, the 2002, and the Signature Series continue to stand out in the cymbal world. Robert's contributions to the realm of cymbal and gong instruments in fact transcended his activities within the Paiste Company. Through his efforts, he shaped and influenced the direction of the entire field in the past half century. Never satisfied, he forever thought of new directions and possibilities to create instruments, indeed, he lived his life for sound:
"Sound is vibration, and vibration is energy. Life energy is vibration and sound, also. So, for us, sound is part of a very deep, basic truth. We are not the only ones who feel like this. There are so many musical-minded drummers who get the same exciting feeling from playing their cymbals. It's not just the sound. It's the vibration, the touch, how it feels, and how it speaks to the drummer. It's a wonderful feeling to produce something, hand it over to the drummers, and see them get the same response. There's a deep truth behind it." - Robert Paiste
Robert was born in the family's country of origin, Estonia. The disruptions during the mid 20th century brought the family through Poland to Northern Germany, where in the late 1940s he joined his father Michail in cymbal and gong making. He moved to Switzerland in 1957 to found the company's new and present home base. Robert went on to lead Paiste together with his brother Toomas throughout the second half of the 20th century. Together, on the foundation of their father's and grandfather's work, they built a cymbal company of world-wide significance.
We are grateful for Robert's lifetime achievements.
The Barry Collapsible Bass Drum
Picture this: The year is 1920. You’re a drummer in the big city. Plans for owning your first automobile are still on the drawing board, so you ride the municipal trolley car to and from gigs. Consequently, the size of your set is limited to what you can manage to carry on board with you. A challenging dilemma? Not if you own a Barry Collapsible Bass Drum!
Read moreMarcel FAIVRE Mambo drum set - French circa 50s
The brand: “Marcel FAIVRE Pigall’s Swing” was a music store in Paris. Their drum sets were manufactured by a little Parisian craftsman (P. Casadei who manufactured “Gary” brand)
Read moreReflections On Shelly Manne: Chapter 12
Peter Magadini - "You know, I used to hear Shelly play a fair amount in LA. He had a great ride feel (and sound) and a very unique way of playing the ride (different) say from Max Roach and Philly Joe Jones. He had the same style and motion as those guys (my heroes as well) but he had the fingers involved and when it got blistering fast it was only the fingers involved. That part I kept for myself too because it works great and you can keep very fast tempos going for a long time."
Read moreMike Clark: Words of Wisdom - Part 11
Here’s one for ya’ - Did Elvin Jones play behind the beat? I have talked to a few of the bass players who were on the gig for a long time and it was interesting to hear what they had to say...What do you think?
Read more1960s Ludwig Downbeat Drum Set in Oyster Blue Finish
The bass drum on this set has two sets of disappearing spurs. Maybe they added the second set to keep Joe Morello's bass drum from creeping off during his solos! :-)
Read moreLeedy 1949 "Broadway Standard" Snare Drum - a rare solid shell
...a rare and unusual aspect of this drum is it was made with a solid one ply maple shell construction instead of the normal plywood shell.
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1925-26 LUDWIG & LUDWIG 4 x 14 SOLID MAHOGANY SUPER-LUDWIG DANCE MODEL (cat. #245)
The 4” x 14” size in an all wood, solid mahogany shell is exceedingly rare in the ‘Super Ludwig’ Model. We have seen only one other example of this drum in many years of collecting and playing vintage drums.
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