The creation of a Transnare drum involves a combination of traditional luthier techniques and modern equipment, such as CNC machines. The entire process, from initial design to the final product, takes several months to complete. In many cases, I build custom jigs and fixtures to perform specific tasks during the drum’s construction.
Read moreA Brief History of the Butt Plate (plus some other stuff)
Photo © Christoph Hähnel (Dreamstime ID 18749883)
The coiled-steel snare wire is a wonderful invention, and a huge improvement over, uh, animal parts. But making it happen required the simultaneous invention of the snare End Plate and its introduction opened a can of worms.
Read more1934-35 SLINGERLAND 6.5 x 14 ABALONE PEARL BROADCASTER MODEL
"The Broadcaster was evidently a forerunner of the Radio King, the strainer is a very early Radio King style strainer and the lugs do not have inserts. (The tension rods thread directly into the lugs.) The muffler was the single-pad style Harold R. Dodd muffler."
Read moreVintage 1982 TAMA Superstar all Birch in Cherry Wine Lacquer.
Before these drums the interiors and bearing edges of most drums were not what you would call to the highest standards. The interior of these drums, the bearing edges and the outer shell are pure perfection, they feel like glass everywhere you run your finger, there is not a single rough spot, gap, glue, bump, separation or ripple anywhere.
Read moreCatalog Corner - 1951 Leedy & Ludwig Catalog No. 51
Edward Tucker revives the "Catalog Corner" column which Harry Cangany for so many years. Catalogs are so important the vintage drum collectors. Thank you, Edward, for sharing your large catalog collection and your knowledge of vintage drums!
Read moreRemembering Ed Mann, percussionist for Frank Zappa
I just remember looking at this melody part and I noticed a bar of 22 notes over four beats followed by 23 notes over four beats. These notes were also jumping large intervals. Frank asked Ed” ‘Is this playable?’ Ed just looked at him and said, sure, I’ll shed it tonight and play it for you tomorrow, which he did.
Read more1921-22 LUDWIG & LUDWIG 4 x 14 6 LUG SCROLL PATTERN DeLUXE MODEL
I call it a “Monday Morning at the Office” drum because the scroll pattern is in every panel but there is no “Ludwig Chicago” engraving that would normally be just left of the strainer.
Read moreTraditional Grip From The Ground Up
All Crotchety
The traditional grip fulcrum will always be in the crotch of the thumb and first finger. Hold out your left hand (unless you're a lefty) as if you were going to shake someone's hand and put your stick firmly in the above-mentioned crotch.
OH, MY ACHING NECK & BACK
When I was younger, studying full percussion, my piano teacher was always trying to get me to sit up straight. Easier said than done. And while practicing drums and mallets it’s near impossible to not be bending over.
Read moreLudwig Las Vegas 4 x 13 Snare Drum
It took me years to finally find a Ludwig Las Vegas 4 x 13 Snare Drum. I finally got the opportunity in May of this year to purchase one from a private seller in the U.S., although it did come at a bit of an inconvenient time. I was lying on a stretcher in the hospital waiting to go into the operating room for my scheduled spine surgery when I received a text message from the seller wanting to discuss my interest in purchasing this snare drum.
Read morePeter Erskine: Remembering Tony Williams
Tony said "Okay ... here's a good one. I was asked by a journalist, "Mr. Williams, you have played with three iconic musicians of our time — MIles Davis, John Coltrane and Jimi Hendrix — what quality do they have in common? And I answered, "They were not afraid to fail."
Read moreVintage MIJ Bongos
The Japanese drum companies used the traditional conical design but using lugs, hoops, and wraps that their drums used. Pearl and Star appear to be the only two manufacturers of bongos in Japan.
Read moreIn Memoriam - Mark "Whitey" Cooper, well respected drum collector and historian, passes
The vintage drum collecting world mourns the passing of Mark “Whitey” Cooper, a great friend and colleague, as well as one of the most important experts on many aspects of drums and drum set history. Mark was one of those guys that every one, and I mean every one, liked and loved. The first time that I met Mark at a drum show I knew that he would be one of my favorite people. Instant comrades.
Read morePeter Erskine Gladstone/Lang Snare
To say I am beyond thrilled to be the new caretaker of this incredible piece of snare drum history from one of the greatest drummers of all time, my friend, the incomparable Peter Erskine, is an understatement.
This is what Peter calls “…my legacy snare drum…” and I am fully aware that this is/was one of his most prized and personal snares of all time, and I am so grateful that he has entrusted me to watch over it.
Them Stinkin’ Badges
One of my favorite parts of the vintage MIJ drum genre is simply admiring all the badges, the styles and types and even the brands. A badge on a drum (especially a stencil) lets you know who sold it. Any kind of badging usually accomplishes at minimum the tasks of identification and advertising, and sometimes a little deception with the styling.
Read more1928- SLINGERLAND 5x14 WALNUT TONE FLANGE FANCHER ARTIST MODEL
Most of these drums have 10 brass wood screws or 10 brass brads on the top bearing edge that are in line with the tube lugs and are there to allow the brass ring of the Tone Flange to seat. This drum is a tad different, there are12 brass brads that do not line up with the lugs (see photo). I also noticed a difference in the internal attachment hardware. On Slingerland snares of this era there is usually a washer, a lock washer and a screw. This drum has a larger washer, smaller washer, lock washer and a screw for the lugs, 3 point strainer and butt plate.
Read moreAlbum Review - New Start by bassist Tom Kennedy w Dave Weckl on drums
I’m featuring a great album by a bassist this month, Tom Kennedy, not just because he is a great bassist and a musician, but also because one of my favorite drummers, Dave Weckl, is playing on the album. Weckl
Read moreLes Demerle's Dance and Jazz Party Cruise - Nov. 10-17, 2024
Hi George,
Here is the promo video for our Les DeMerle Band Jazz Cruise. Please consider joining us and thanks in advance for any exposure you can give to our event. Man, It would be so cool to have a NSMD group out on the high seas with us. Les
Getting Your Drum Book Published
Most of the time I find the writer has not done their homework in researching other books to discover what has been published on the same subject. That research can take a lot of time, but it’s necessary if you don’t want to waste your time submitting material that's already available.
Read morePhotos from Chicago Drum Show on NSMD Facebook
Bob Campbell shoots great photos, period. Especially of drums and drummers. He got some great shots of both at the 2024 Chicago Drum Show in May. Too many to post here. They are uploaded on the NSMD Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/notsomoderndrummer Go check it out.
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