ot So Modern Drummer continues to celebrate the life and music of legendary drummer Tony Williams in our new ongoing series. Chapter Eight presents the recollections of Adam Nussbaum.
Read moreis this even a rudiment?
It occurred to me recently that I’d never seen anything on Double Paradiddle-diddles. Don’t even know if they’re a thing, but interesting nonetheless. I started by doing them hand-to-hand.
Read moreMid 1960s Gretsch Round Badge Drums without Silver Sealer



One of the many unexplained mysteries of vintage drums is the existence of vintage 1960s Gretsch Round Badge drums which lack the typical silver sealer interior paint. This was an era before clear drum heads, so few people saw the inside of their drums. However, Gretsch was marketing “The Great Gretsch Sound” and part of that sound was allegedly the silver sealer they applied to the interior of their drums starting in about 1954.
Read more1951 BILLY GLADSTONE 6 x 14 8 LUG GOLD LACQUER/GOLD PLATED “CHARLES CORDES” SNARE DRUM





“This drum is known as the Charles Cordes Gladstone. Mr. Cordes machined all the Gladstone hardware and assembled most of the Billy Gladstone snare drums. There were approximately 50 Gladstone drums made of which fewer than 30 are accounted for as of this printing. Of these 50 snare drums the Charles Cordes drum is the only 6 x 14 gold lacquer/gold plated drum known.
Read morePutting Your Finger On It - Part 2: The Thumb
My teacher used the expression "Feel the money." It was a reference to using the thumb the way you would to count out paper money. In effect, you use the thumb to help push the stick forward, causing it to arc around the first finger. If you're looking for pinpoint control and articulation on the cymbal, this is the way to do it.
Read moreCanister Thrones
According to my WFL/Ludwig catalogs, the Ludwig canister throne was invented around 1953 and it was touted as the sensational new “seat-case” as it was designed to hold traps and accessories.
Read moreSticky Wicket - Ludwig & Ludwig 1920s New Orleans drum set
Sticky Wicket rides again!
Read moreTootin' my own horn - recent recording and video by the FreeWorld Band and our Memphis friends
Me on drums and a whole lot of other folks of different stripes showing how the melting pot in Memphis gets along - through music.
Read moreFrom the Editor
Monthly musings
Read moreMystery Drum - Sherwood by Leedy?
I read that Leedy made these from the 30's into the 50's for Montgomery Ward. The tom is stamped 5012 inside ( December 1950? )
Any insight would be appreciated.
From Editor George Lawrence
Vertical since November 25th
remarks from the Grand Factotum-
Read moreDrummers And Their Swag
And I got to thinking — there once was a time when every T-shirt I owned and every stationary object in my apartment were plastered with drum industry logos.
Read morePutting Your Finger On It, Part I - "Regular Grip"
A lot of drum instruction focuses on hand and wrist movement. While it's important to understand these broad strokes, it's also important to look inside hand technique to see what's really going on. Each digit has a role to play in the grip and the stroke, and understanding what each finger is capable of can make a big difference in your playing.
Read more1932-33 SLINGERLAND DUALL “RADIO” MODEL ALL METAL DRUM No. 40 (VERSION 1)














DUALLS are very rare. The Slingerland DUALL Model was manufactured from 1932-34 as compared to the L & L Super-Ludwig Model that was around from 1924 to the late 1930s.
Read moreDrum History Podcast - Episode 8 - The History of Ludwig Drums with William F. Ludwig III
Bill Ludwig runs us through the fascinating history of Ludwig Drums! Grandson of the Ludwig founder, William F. Ludwig, his family has had a long and winding history with the Ludwig drum company - founding it in 1909 with a subsequent sale of the company in the early 80's. They
Read moreKelli Rae Tubbs Back In Time Video Series - Hoop Mounted Cymbals
n the early 1800s, Italian composers, Gaspare Spontini and Gioacchino Rossini, encouraged the use of cymbal mounting brackets in their compositions. French composer, Hector Berlioz, on the other hand, felt this practice was counter-productive and that it did not honor the quality of the music, saying it was only suitable for the accompaniment of "low brow" entertainment like sword swallowers and jugglers in his 1844 treatise on orchestration.
Read moreJohn DeChristopher: Remembering Tony Williams
in October of 1996, Zildjian and DW sponsored Tony’s only clinic tour. Tony and I traveled throughout the US for two weeks and it was incredible to watch him from a few feet away every night.
Read moreMystery Drum RARE Pre-War 1940 Ludwig & Ludwig w HEX BEAD
Hi, Could you please tell me what this drum is? It has the hex bead like the 20th Silv. Ann. model.
Read moreBuddy Rich's Mystery Cymbal
In October of 2020, I stumbled upon a post in Face book regarding a 1950’s K. Zildjian 13” hi hat bottom cymbal. It was an oddity.
Read moreSung and Unsung Heroes - Ed Toth





Toth left Vertical Horizon in 2005, and was recruited to replace Doobies drummer Keith Knudson, after his untimely death from pneumonia
Read more