Wow! I hadn't realized how long its been since I wrote anything up here. A short update: I'm still with REO Speedwagon, drum teching a mostly electronic kit (except the cymbals).
Read moreObservations of a Recovering Drum Collector
Our favorite picture of John, founder of Not So Modern Drummer and #1 DrumScratcher
I guess the main difference between collecting then as opposed to collecting now is getting to know the person who’s selling the drums as much as knowing about the drums themselves. Some of my best friends, people I met through collecting and custom drum building and engraving, came from a vintage drum transaction that took us a couple of weeks to accomplish due to the delays of mail, photography, and the phone.
Read more"Thar She Blows" - John Aldridge, Founder's Blog
If you're new to NSMD, you may not know that it started out as a newsletter between a group of drum collectors for the purpose of sharing info, selling and buying, and general communication about vintage drums. Prior to Not So Modern Drummer's appearance there was very little printed information available on the topic of vintage drums.
Andy Florio, a respected drummer, actor, and historian, had formed an association of "Drumologists" and sent out a newsletter or two himself, but I didn't discover this until I'd already started publishing Not So Modern Drummer. Andy was a wealth of knowledge, having been a collector of vintage gear since the 1960's or earlier. I still have my membership card to the National Association of Drumologists, along with many fond memories of talking to Andy on the phone, deciphering the history of drums!
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