Drummer community & drum marketplace
The first vintage & Custom Drum Magazine, since 1988
George teaches private lessons at his studio in Memphis Drum Shop and in his home studio in East Memphis. Remote Zoom lessons are also possible. He teaches beginner, intermediate, semi-pro and pro drummers.
Contact George at 330 338 6035, george@notsomoderndrummer.com for details.
Mr. Lawrence specializes in teaching adult drum set students at any level. Special “intensives” can be scheduled for one to three days.
Read moreScott Johnson’s Drum Tuning Bible has been on the www for probably 25? years. I am publicizing this because it is an exhaustive resource and very useful to those who have questions about tuning drums. Johnson writes about every possible method of tuning, head choices and combinations, and dampening devices without bias toward any of them.
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Whenever I buy one of these “beautiful ugly duckings”, I plan on playing it and using it for at least a while before passing it on to some other vintage drum geek who just can’t live without it. I remember a crowd of drummers at one of the Chicago Drum Shows laughing at me as I walked out of the building with a brand new Remo PTS “fiberboard” drum set that I bought at the end of the last day for $100. Man, I got my money’s worth out of that kit..
Read moreAs I drove the 45 minute drive, it felt like I was getting further and further away from any civilization. Whoever this person was lived pretty far out in the middle of nowhere. As I approached the house, it was kind of a run-down farmhouse and there were chickens and other livestock roaming about the yard. A big guy with a long white beard and a pair of overalls came out to greet me. He actually reminded me of Uncle Jessie from the Dukes of Hazzard and explained that because of his line of work, his hand were messed up and he had not played drums in years.
Read moreThree Dog Night added that Sneed "also an extraordinarily unique drummer who brought so much to Three Dog Night's sound." The late musician was lauded for breaking "many barriers both musically and culturally," with the band noting how "he also influenced countless other drummers with his amazing technique."
Read moreGeorge,
New to me, parallel action strainer with rollers on this drum? Have you ever seen one before?
In the future, Facebook will become obsolete and be replaced by a new internet site or other technology yet to be discovered. Don’t think so? Have you looked at your MySpace page lately? The information and knowledge you pass on to other drummers may be lost to the ages one day.
Read moreThe term beater is usually applied to old cars that are beat up and butt ugly but are reliable and run well enough to get you to work and back. I’ve had several beater kits over the years that fit that description. You know - that beat up old kit that you take to that outside festival gig in case it rains, or to the “jam night” gigs instead of taking your nice kit. You don’t care if it gets rained on, or if beer gets spilled on it, if someone else plays it, or if it gets scratched up – it’s already scratched up.
Read morePrices lowered on my listings at DrumSellers.com, and letters to the editor.
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And even if a band or an individual wants to perform, they must find a protected place, like an underground club or cafe. No matter how big, the number of opportunities went down for all musicians.
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George Lawrence with FreeWorld band at Memphis Italian Festival
At DrumSellers.com: Please look at the very desirable vintage cymbals on consignment from Steve Johnson and John Dittrich click here. To see Tom Boyle’s snare collection on consignment click here, and to see John Dittrich’s snares on consignment click here.
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Percussionist John Crocken has been manufacturing high end drum sticks by hand in Baltimore Maryland for forty years. Not your typical hickory, maple or oak sticks, but more rigid and dense, yet lighter woods that are preferred by symphonic percussionists and rope drum drummers. John sent four models for us to check out:
Read moreDrum Shows: The Music City Drum Show is coming up next weekend. July 9 in Nashville TN. The St. Louis Drum Show has moved into a much nicer venue In conjunction with the UMSL Music Dept. This year will be at the beautiful Touhill theater. The date is October 8. AND.. There is quite a drum show going on lately at DrumSellers.com. Check out all the latest gear for sale that has been consigned to us by collectors.
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*The death of 50 year old Taylor Hawkins last week stunned the world of drummers. Why was he so immensely popular and admired by drummers the world over?
Read moreI use these drums in the parades on Beale Street for the funeral procession of famous Memphis musicians who have gone on to the great gig in the sky. The different musicians from the Beale Street clubs and others from around the city get together in an ad hoc New Orleans style marching band in front of the Hearse, playing “Just A Closer Walk With Thee” at a mournful tempo for one block and then breaking into a joyous, fast paced “When The Saints Go Marchin’ In” when we pass B.B. King Boulevard. Recently, drummer Howard Grimes passed away (see article) and we had an abundance of drummers for the drum line.
Read moreBefore Joe Partridge and I started the Famous Drum brand (“You must have heard of us - we’re Famous!”), I built three sets of custom painted drums for a catalog of what was to be the “Lawrence Drum Company” and had some great pics made of the shells. This was in the early mid 2000s when I was building drums at George’s Drum Shop. I abandoned the Lawrence badge name in favor of Famous, but these drums were never badged.
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A few announcements…
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That’s me, sans cataracts, playing at Rum Boogie Cafe on Beale Street in Memphis with the FreeWorld band. I am back playing four nights a week on Beale as of the last week in September 2021. I’m not unhappy, that’s just my “drum face”. :-)
This heart felt note from JD in Australia reminds me of what an emotional and spiritual attachment we drummers have to our instrument and profession. Thanks, JD. “I'm crippled with damaged arthritic hips & end stage emphysema but I still tap along despite puffing after one song!…
Read moreThis past Spring Rich Katz hired me to do an appraisal of his drum set and collection that he donated to the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix. It is currently on display there. I do appraisals of drums/cymbals/percussion instruments for tax and insurance purposes, as well as for determining resale value. I charge between $100 and $500 for appraisals depending on the number of instruments and the amount of documentation and notarizing desired. For insurance and tax appraisals I base values not on current market value or collector value, but on replacement value which tends to run higher. For resale appraisals, I base the value on current market prices. I thank Rich for bearing with me in getting his appraisal finished and for letting me show his instruments in this article. Nice pictures, Rich!
Read moreWhen I received my first snare drum in the sixth grade I played along to the 45 rpm single record of “Satisfaction” incessantly. I still, to this day, think it is the best rock and roll drum track ever recorded…and it’s nothing but quarter notes on the snare drum and bass drum! Unrelenting, pile driving, perfect timing, tempo like a metronome, simple quarter notes. It’s so simple that you wait in anticipation of a little variation -expecting him to break face. But NO.
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