Andy Doerschuck, DRUM! Magazine Founding Editor, Announces Retirement
Read moreReview: Canopus shows prototype of Zelkova drum set at Summer NAMM
The set was a four piece bebop size kit - 14 x 18 bass drum, 8 x 12 mounted tom, 14 x 14 floor tom and a Zelkova snare drum. It was tuned extremely high, in the jazz and bebop range. It sounded beautiful. Extremely clear tones.
Read more1928 - 1935 Slingerland Artist Model Snare
‘The Slingerland All-Metal Separate Tension Snare Drum is guaranteed to maintain its rigidity and its tenseness. It is unyielding to rough usage, due to the specially treated metal and its construction. One-piece shell and no solder used at any point.’
Read more1929 L&L 5x14 Standard Sensitive Snare - Mahogany/Decorative Inlay Finish
Here’s another unique snare drum that has just entered the collection. A special thanks goes to my good friend Bill Wanser of Olympic Drums & Percussion (Portland, Oregon) for making me a very fair deal on this snare drum and for his expert shell restoration. This drum was “ridden hard and put up wet” and needed a lot of work but I think that the finished product was well worth everyone’s efforts.
Read moreVisual Drum Design, In A Nutshell
I was in a conversation with a jeweler, an older man, talking about taste. He said, "Let me give you a word of advice. You need to decide whether you want fashion or style."
Read moreAustin Drummer Magazine summer 2017 issue
Nic Marcy's Austin Drummer magazine summer 2017
Read moreProfile: Drummer Tim Smith featured with Peter J. Newland and RadioXile
Upon moving to Nashville, Tennessee, Tim spent nine years playing with pioneering country rock band POCO. - Recording ‘POCO LIVE’ from the Bottom Line in New York City. He also toured with Brenda Lee, and legendary bass player and Funk Brother (the late) Bob Babbitt. Tim’s tour de force was drumming on the Multi-Platinum, Grammy nominated, Dove Award winning, self-titled debut album from “Jars of Clay” produced by Adrian Belew.
Read moreMike Clark: Words of Wisdom - Chapter 16
Guy walks in off the street and starts playing brushes on a newspaper he threw on top of the piano and plays with the duo, He was as good as anyone I have ever heard, and no one knew who he was. He got into a cab and drove off... Love New York City !!
Read moreThe P-p-p-power of Love
I'd like to dedicate this post to the memory of Jim Blackley, the man who I will always call “teacher”.
I recently spent a lesson with a youngster listening to a Katie Perry tune. This fellow was just beginning to be interested in music, and the tune really spoke to him. I like to work with real world examples, so we listened to the tune and talked about it. I pointed out things the drummer was doing that were things we'd been working on. For his next lesson, I prepared some exercises that he could play along to the tune. We spent maybe 10 minutes on the drums that day, but it was one of the best lessons ever because he got it, and he got it because it meant something to him.
Read moreWFL U.S. Navy Special Concert Snare
This month’s installment of Vintage Happiness is on a drum that has a great history as well as a bright future. About 2 years ago, my youngest brother made the rank of Chief in the US Navy. I wanted to congratulate him for his commitment to our great country in a special way, as he is also a drummer. And what better way than with a drum that was once owned by the United States Navy.
Read moreButterscotch Pearl finish on a 1940s Ludwig & Ludwig 6.5 x 15 snare drum
There isn’t a surplus of information concerning these elusive Butterscotch drums. There are only two complete kits known to exist and possible just a hand full of snare drums as of this writing. A theory is that Ludwig received a bad batch of Black Diamond Pearl wrap and proceeded to use the wrap regardless of the discolorations. The finish was later coined “Butterscotch” by collectors.
Read moreWhen a Restoration Goes Bad .... or.... This is how I wrecked a Rogers Dyna-Sonic
Whether we are willing to admit it or not, I think perhaps most of us at some point in time, have ruined a drum. With some, it was long before it was vintage. The need to make something playable, to fix something that was broken, to add something we needed at the time. Adding a mount, but not bothering to sufficiently plan out its placement, and in so doing created something that not only did not work, but, by its very nature, put an undue burden on the set. Changing mounts with “other” parts, drilling extra holes, making changes that for the moment, made the drum usable. However, at the same time, marring a beautiful drum with ugliness.
Read more1930 LEEDY 5 x 14 NOBBY GOLD “THUNDERBIRD PATTERN” BLACK ELITE “FULL DRESS” MODEL (Cat. #2720)
My good friend and local drum collector Jimmy Sisson found this gem of a drum in a little “Ma & Pa” store in San Jose, CA. Jimmy called me and wanted to show me his new find so I said “come on by”. After seeing the drum and complimenting him on his new acquisition I went into my drum collector mode and I asked him if he wanted to sell the drum to me. Although Jimmy really wanted me to see the drum he also knew that I would want to buy it...he was right! We made a great deal and here we are. This is a good ending for everyone; the store owner got the drum for a low price, Jimmy got it for a great price and I was able to double his money plus 200.00.
Read moreLudwig Psych Red Rock Duo
The set in this article that I own is a special set for several reasons. It has a lot green present, it was made on Dec 12th 1968 (which still falls in the psychedelic years) and it is a catalog correct Rock Duo from the Ludwig catalog. Ludwig offered two factory catalog double bass sets; The Blue Note consisting of two 22" bass drums, 12,13,16,18 toms, matching jazzfest snare, canister throne and bongos. The Rock Duo is the smaller cousin featuring two 20” bass drums, 12,13,16 toms and a supraphonic 400 snare drum.
Read more1930s Engraved Leedy Broadway Parallel
This is an awesome drum find. It is really amazing to find a survivor drum like this in original unmolested condition. Everything is there. The tension rods, washers, even the snare wires are original. This is truly a work of percussion art. It is a 1930s black nickle over brass 6.5"X14" engraved shell Leedy Broadway parallel with gold plated engraved hoops and hardware. I can't even imagine how beautiful this drum must have been when it was brand new almost 90 years ago.
Read moreReview - New BopWorks drum stick models
Bopworks has two new stick models you are going to want to check out. Bopworks' largest stick ever at 16 1/4", the Rhythm and Groovz, has a 5B style thickness (.590) on the shaft. The long 7" taper starts halfway down the stick and ends in a medium smallish, yet tip. This new model gives you a larger stick feel with great cymbal control. The Memphis R&B model features a taper slightly longer than 5 of its 16 inches overall length combined with a 5A diameter of .570. Lots of "heft in the hand" to go along with the long taper.
Bopworks is THE vintage stick company specializing in authentic reproductions of vintage stick models of famous jazz era artists and standard stick sizes from past eras. With their two newest offerings, BopWorks has applied some of the design elements of those vintage sticks into longer and thicker modern sizes. Paying homage to the R&B and soul music eras of the sixties, these sticks have very modern, standard size handles but utilize the longer taper and smaller bead that give the vintage models their great bounce and cymbal sound.
The main characteristic of both of these models is the amount of "flex" in the business end of the stick. If you are a 5A or 5B player who thinks it necessary to go to a skinnier or lighter model for softer playing, these might be the perfect alternative; a stick that has the same thickness in the grip area that you are used to but with a taper that starts further back on the stick - giving you a "skinny front end". Basically a 5A or 5B with more bounce at the tip. AND the smaller BopWorks tips are famous for the woody sound that they draw from thinner ride cymbals.
BopWorks sticks are made of quality hickory, are pitch paired, and are finished with a high quality, light varnish. They can be ordered directly from the website, from their dealer network, AND now can be ordered from Not So Modern Drummer in the the online store.
Below is a comparison image chart of BopWorks models.
Recollections: Buddy Rich - Chapter Seven
Not So Modern Drummer continues to celebrate the legendary Buddy Rich in 2017. Recognizing the 100th anniversary of his birth… Contributing their personal recollections and commentary on Buddy Rich are: Gregg Bissonette, Dom Famularo, Michael Shrieve, and Steve Smith
Read moreIn Memoriam - Remembering John Blackwell Jr.
Former long-time Prince Drummer, John Blackwell Jr. passed away of cancer on July 4, 2017 – He was 43 years old.
His wife Yaritza conveyed the following message soon after his passing. "My husband incredible drummer John Blackwell Jr. passed the way peacefully in my company today. Thanks God for his life and thanks everyone for their support."John Blackwell’s death has prompted a large number of accolades from fellow drummers, and many others in the music industry world-wide.
Read moreArt prints of famous drummers and drums
We use FineArtAmerica to sell, print, frame, and ship our art for drummers. The link to our gallery at that site is http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/notsomoderndrummer.html Our first collection is that of Michael DeGruchy Haslam, a Canadian artist who has painted some very cool caricature portraits of famous jazz drummers. He is painting all the time so check back often to see what's new. Other images will be available very soon. In the slide show below are his current paintings available to buy: Philly Joe Jones, Baby Dodds, Elvin Jones, Tony Williams, Kenny Klook Clarke, Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich, Big Sid Catlett, Papa Jo Jones, Miles Davis/Sonny Rollins.
Read moreThe NEW! Rogers USA Bread and Butter Double Ended Snare Drum Lug
Rogers is back. Maxwell's Drum Shop is now taking orders for the new Rogers Dyna-Sonic. As the decals and brochure give us to know, Rogers intends to once again become a leader in the industry. At the beginning of the year when the RogersDrumsUSA.com website was “prematurely” launched for a few hours, the buzz it created on the Facebook groups was unprecedented. Hundreds of comments, dozens of threads, and reactions spanning everything from “Oh No!” to ecstatic elation. I was with the latter grouping of people.
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