Included with Your Custom Drum: Custom Advice

They say the Internet has changed everything.

On one hand, that’s a good thing. It gives us a ton of information we never had access to before. We’re way better informed than we used to be. But on the other hand maybe there are times when we’re actually over-informed – to the point of getting distracted from what we’re really trying to accomplish.

This may sound like I’m some kind of wet blanket telling kids to turn off the computer and go outside to play. But actually I’m wondering whether some drummers in the Information Age are getting distracted with how their drums are made instead of focusing on the art of playing them.

The more products we study and buy online, the more we find ourselves shopping for specifications instead of overall performance.  We do it with electronic gear, household gadgets, tools and more – and we’re starting to do it with musical instruments like guitars and drums. But, if you think about it, most things that help express our personal style – clothing, furniture, food – we tend to choose not by specifications but by their overall performance: the look, the taste, the touch, the experience. And, honestly, what can help express your personal musical style as much as the instrument you play?

A few years ago, I was watching a top-ranked artist who had just finished a clinic at a major drum show. He was sitting in a drum builder’s booth checking out a snare, and the builder was explaining that the snare in question was a stave drum.

Blank look from the artist.

So the builder showed him the inside of the drum, pointing out the staves and explaining the advantages.

Another blank look from the artist.

It was like they were talking in two different languages, one the language of design specs and the other the language of performance. The architect and the homeowner, if you will. Watching them, I was reminded that, not so many years ago, drummers didn’t pay much attention to how a drum was made. They just played, and they wanted to play drums that sounded and felt good – musicians looking for the best musical instruments they could afford. Most of them didn’t know the difference between ply shells and solid shells. They had no idea what kinds of wood were being used, or how the edges were cut, or how much drop there was on the strainer, or where the vent was positioned – and they didn’t care. Play a top-level drum and it sang for you and it did everything you asked of it. What else mattered? “This one, man, this one’s got that sound!”

As a builder, I welcome discussion about edges, dimensions, materials, tuning techniques and so on, because this stuff fascinates me. And it’s good that players want to talk about these things. Like most of my drum-building colleagues, I like having informed customers. It helps them appreciate the value of owning a custom or boutique instrument.

But today, by way of blog articles, discussion forums, how-to videos and advertising, the science of drum design has gone public. Maybe even a little too much.

Think about this: Should you order a custom made suit and specify what kind of stitching to use? Or visit the restaurant kitchen to tell the chef how you want the seasonings measured in your entrée?

Take a double 45 bearing edge profile, for example. You might shop for that because you’ve heard that a double 45 edge is a good thing – but you may not really know how it works, or what alternatives you should consider. (Want to really get technical? On that double 45, where is the apex positioned, and how wide is it? Is there any roundover, and if so how much? How is the edge smoothed and finished? Those kinds of details make a difference in how that double 45 functions. Trust me, to a knowledgeable builder the phrase “double 45” is a starting place, not the real spec.)

Whoa. TMI alert! Let’s back up a second.

You may have heard about synergy – the concept that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Synergy is an important aspect of drum design. There are literally dozens of design choices that influence the sound and character of a drum. Individually, most of these choices have very small effects on the overall sound. But taken together, they can reinforce one another, working together to make the drum as a whole perform the way you want– or each can cancel another one out, losing the advantages altogether. Unfortunately, most online information addresses these factors individually, not in terms of how they work together. So you can easily get caught up in specifications, and find yourself shopping for a set of specs instead of for what the drum does for you – focusing on the trees and losing sight of the forest.

Let’s try a better starting point. Tell me your destination, not your route to get there.

How will you use the drum? What type of music? What type of room? What playing style? What sort of voice should it have? Where would it fit into the rest of your drum arsenal? How should it feel to play?

Here are the kinds of information that help me as a builder: “I need a bright sound.”  “Looking for power.” “I want it real responsive for ghostnotes.” “Something beefy.” “I do a lot of cross-sticking.” “I tune very tight.”  “I like a lot of ring.” “I play mostly small clubs.”

My advice? Find a builder who knows his craft and talk to him. Open up about what you’re trying to achieve; put your goals together with his solutions. Sure, go ahead and ask about specs, and keep asking until you understand what makes your instrument tick. By all means, be an informed consumer. But don’t feel that you have to make all the technical design decisions before turning them over to the builder, or that you need to become an expert yourself in order to make good choices. Instead, tap into his experience and knowledge base and use them to your advantage.

Then turn off your computer and go out and play…drums.

 

Thunder from “Down Under” - The Drouyn Story

Thunder from "Down Under" - The Drouyn StoryFeature Article by Paul Kneipp

This is a Drouyn “Professional Series” drum kit, circa 1965. The colour is most likely “Marine Mist Pearl”. The sizes are: 20/13/16, with a 14″ x 5″ S100 alloy snare. This drum kit was originally sold from Theo’s Music, St George’s Terrace, Perth, Australia in 1965 or possibly early 1966. It came with hardware, including the A602 foot pedal; the A600 hi-hat stand(or an earlier version of it) ; snare stand (model unknown) ‘Vynex’ vinyl cases in ‘Tobacco Tan’; 14″ Zildjian New Beat hi-hat cymbals (£28); 18″ Super Zyn medium cymbal; Premier cymbal stand and a small accessory case containing sticks, brushes, drum keys and a selection of drum books from the era.

The drums are 4 ply Rose Alder, an Australian native rainforest tree (now a protected species) with similar characteristics to maple. There are no re-enforcing rings. Drouyn also made shells from other native timbers such as Huon Pine and Jarrah, but details are sketchy, to say the least.

Complete kits in this condition are very rare, yet many were sold. It's hard to say why. Drouyn drums had issues with loss of chrome plating, perhaps due in part to the tropical climate in Queensland. This may have contributed to their disappearance.

The snare drum is the S100, a copy of the Ludwig LM400. They were so convincingly made that rumors of a collaboration with Ludwig have persisted ever since. Incredibly, these seamless shelled drums were made in the top floor of a small factory in Brisabane, Australia under the most humble of circumstances; and chromed by a local electroplater. The controversy and misinformation surrounding the S100 is typical of Drouyn. It seems that every second drummer has an opinion; a story; or a mate who worked there – but the truth remains as hard to find as complete examples of the drums. It would be fair to say that although Ludwig may have inspired the S100; they certainly did not make them.

My Drouyn Story

My Drouyn story begins with a kit I owned when I was about 14. I sold my first drum kit (an ancient Pearl) to a pawn shop and purchased the Drouyn set from the newspaper classifieds. This was in the 1970′s and the kit had a few different features from the one pictured, such as retractable spurs, a bass drum cymbal stand and slotted tension rods. I sold it a few years later for a red Premier B303 kit and in the years since, had always wished I had kept it.

I had been looking for a Drouyn kit for quite a while before I came across this one. It was an earlier model than my 70's kit, but looked to be in very good condition. My first impression after receiving it was that I had opened a time capsule from the 1960′s. Inside the bass drum were newspapers with stories about the disappearance of Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt. As I worked on the set, I began to understand some of the effort that had gone into it’s construction – and more than a few questions were raised as well. So began my journey into the fascinating world of Drouyn & Drouyn.

A Brief History of Drouyn & Drouyn

Long before Sleishman (who play their own role in this story); long before Brady, there were Australian drums being made in a small factory in the suburb of Stones Corner, Brisbane, Queensland. Brother and sister Douglas and Dorothy Drouyn (pronounced “drew-in”) shared a love of music. Douglas Drouyn was an accomplished musician. A search through the Australian National Library archive Trove finds many mentions of his gigs, including a tour through Queensland as far north as Cairns, in 1939. He played baritone saxophone in a duo with an accordionist, Ossie Mazzie. They were good enough to tour, act as leaders and pick up support bands; and were certainly popular. Dorothy Drouyn was also musical – it’s been reported that she wrote operettas. Douglas Drouyn also seems to have been a man with strong opinions about many things. He had a long running battle with the Tax Office over paying sales tax; eventually taking the fight to the High Court.

A judge in one episode of this trial noted that Douglas was not so much an activist, rather, “someone suffering from mental indigestion.” He certainly felt very strongly about it; and ruffled a few feathers, since he was subsequently investigated by the Government, for his alleged links to the monetary reformist Green Shirt movement. Whatever his political beliefs, the partnership with Dorothy flourished. Douglas and Dorothy became business partners in 1927. In 1932 they opened a music store in George Street, Brisbane specializing in instrument repairs.

Repairs a specialty! 

This venture went so well that they purchased a small building in South Brisbane and began making drums and other small instruments under the “Dandy” brand name. The name was written as "D•and•dy and appears to have been an anagram of “D and Dy” (short for Douglas and Dorothy).

Dandy band catalogue – note the megaphone!

One thing is certain; they picked a good market. It’s been reliably estimated that they made over 20,000 fifes during the period the factory was most active. It seems that every school in Queensland owned a few instruments from the small factory in Stones Corner.

Dandy Serial Number System

Later they gave up the stamp and simply wrote these three rows of numbers in ballpoint pen inside the shells. It's a great pity that there is no sure way of knowing the exact system used. My personal theory is that the first 2 digits of the job lot are the year of manufacture. However, I've recently seen enough aberrations to accept that this can't be certified as fact; so I must honestly say that at this stage, I don't know and I don't think anyone knows for certain. My Drouyn kit was sold in 1965 or 1966. The job lot for all the drums begins with 65. I don't believe in coincidence, so I think my kit was made in 1965. I have seen many, many drums whose apparent age would support this "year/job lot" theory. But it'still just a theory.

The Meacham Factor - George Meacham

If there is anyone apart from Douglas and Dorothy Drouyn who was key to the success of the factory on Logan Road, it was an employee by the name of George Meacham. George was a trained machinist as well as a musician. He also appears to have been one of those people who could make virtually anything. George ran the factory for 44 years, designing and implementing much of the manufacturing. George’s input was vital, especially in two areas. Dandy/Drouyn drums had no internal reinforcing rings. Meacham designed a mold with an inflatable bladder which was used to hold the Drouyn ply drum shells perfectly round, while they set. If this is true, it would seem to be one of the first times in the world that this method was used.

Dandy Becomes Drouyn

Some time between 1960 and 1965, the Dandy brand was dropped for simply “Drouyn”, with a new badge and a new style. The drums changed, though not across all areas of the kit. The biggest change was the snare drum. In keeping with overseas trends, hoops with clips disappeared and new materials were used.

A Famous Set of Silver Drums

Drouyn drums were seen on stages and television extensively throughout the 1970's. Even earlier than this, Drouyn pioneered "cannon" or deep bass drums. These proved to be very popular. As the only home grown manufacturer of concert band instruments in Australia, Drouyn and Drouyn gained important military contracts. One of the most famous of these was the order for a complete set of solid silver concert drums to celebrate the Royal Australian Navy's 50th anniversary. Employees later recalled that every grain of silver had to be weighed and accounted for, even the waste from drilling. The drums are now in the RAN Museum.

The End of an Era

The coming years were still good for Drouyn and Drouyn. But there were big changes on the way. 1965-1975 saw the rise of rock and roll; pub bands; cabaret; the “Americanization” of Australia – all of these trends affected the company. As the 1970′s drew to a close, bigger changes in the global nature of the music manufacturing business saw the demise or sale of such legendary names as Rogers, Fender, Gibson, Slingerland, Camco and others; who struggled against the unstoppable rise of brands from Japan. Some were lucky enough to be reborn in the 1990′s, but for many it was the end. Doug and Dorothy passed on the business to other family members who tried to keep the brand afloat. Sleishman drums, one of the next generation of Australian drum makers, used Drouyn shells for all their early kits. It was a good partnership. But in a story which is becoming sadly familiar in manufacturing in Australia, the factory finally closed it’s doors sometime in the late 1980′s. It was the end of an era. I believe that the current owners of the factory have collected a great deal of information in the clean-up. Hopefully at some stage, this may come to light. I certainly hope so.

Many of the images were generously provided by Dimitris Petinakis, whose family now owns the Drouyn House site on Logan Road. My sincere thanks to Dimitris.

For sound samples of Drouyn drums, head over to the Troutstudio channel on YouTube. For more images and information on Drouyn Drums, check out my site at Troutsounds.

 

Camco: The Stradivarius of Vintage Drums

Camcos have been a cherished and well guarded secret by studio musicians for decades. To some it’s their modern clarity of tone and seemingly incessant resonance that sounds pre-eq’d. To others, it’s their ease of tuning and the ability to stay in tune which was built into the design, regardless of what era they were made in.

These brilliantly crafted drums with their thin, smaller than standard diameter shells and their machined hardware were the pinnacle of American made vintage drums. They are sought out today by some of the worlds first call recording artists, collectors and working musicians.

Some of the largest pro and vintage drum shops have waiting lists for vintage Camco kits.

A few weeks ago we saw recording artist and studio owner Jeramy Stacey with Benmont Tench (previously with Cheryl Crow) playing his C-650 Alice Cooper White L.A. era Camcos on the Jimmy Kimmel Live show. Drummers of that caliber could afford to play any drums made. That in itself says a lot.

That’s the attraction Camcos have.  They are like owning a hand made Italian Sports Car rather than a Ford or a Chevy.. From the hand-sanded, polished, then sealed and waxed bearing edges, to the premium select aged maple shells that were threaded for each lug screw in the later years. The attention to detail and the amount of labor that went into these drums is mind bending and apparent as soon as you pick one up. The words are always the same... Oh Wow....

There were some that predicted their prices would exceed that of the Round Badge Era Gretsch kits from the 50s and 60s, and they were right. It’s not uncommon to see an original 4-pc. kit with a 20” or 22” bass drum selling for $6,500.00 and up, with 18” and 24” bass drum kits selling for quite a bit more than that.

During the Oaklawn, Ill. years (1961-1971) they made mostly 20” kits followed by 22s,18s, then 24s. We saw a switch between the 20” and 22” sized kits during the short but productive Chanute, Ks. era. (1971-73) again with the 18s and 24s bringing up the rear. The Jasper-shelled 24s are extremely rare.  There have been only 4 Oaklawns and 2 Chanute era kits with 24” bass drums that have emerged that we know of.  The current owners are all known and live all over the world including Canada and Belgium where only the L.A. era drums were ever distributed and sold. During the L.A. years, (1973-77) the trend again changed with 22” bass drums leading the way followed by 24s, 20s, and 18” bass drums.

Collectors look at this closely when appraising the value of vintage Camco drum kits. The C-650 is a favorite among the L.A. era players and artists. It came with a 14x24” BD, 9x13”, & 10x14” tom toms, 16x16”, & 16x18” floor toms with a matching 6.5x14” 6/6ply Keller Maple snare. Still today, the 6.5x14” model #452 is a highly sought after snare drum and a “Go To” snare for many recording artists.

Nick Mason of Pink Floyd  just recently sold 2 of his most prized and recorded snare drums, the mid 70s Natural Maple L.A. Camco 6.5x14” model #453 which was the 10 lug option, and his early 80s Tama Bell Brass 6.5x14” to Footes Music Shop in the UK.

These 3,4, or 6-ply Jasper-shelled Oaklawns or 6-ply Keller-shelled L.A. era all have one thing in common, their owners swear by them and agree they are by far the best drums they have ever owned and the last kit they would ever sell.  They are the type of drums one wants to take to the grave with them just in case there is a drum heaven.

 

1923 Conn Engraved Snare Drum

Hi All,

This is my first article on NSMD. I’m a drummer in Chicago and happened upon what turns out to be quite a cool drum.

Here’s the story: I was checking out a local vintage clothing/thrift shop in my neighborhood a few months ago. I saw this beat up looking old metal drum sitting on a corner shelf. At first I thought it was possibly an old antique toy drum for a child, but up close I saw that it was a Conn. I was more interested but was still thinking to myself if it was a Ludwig or something maybe I’d buy it (I didn’t know too much about Conns.) Then I noticed all the cool engravings including one that read “Frank Biggs 1923.”

So, I thought I better at least google Frank Biggs. It turns out Biggs was a popular jazz drummer in Chicago in the 1920s onward..He is credited as writing “That’s When I’ll Come Back To You”  recorded by Louie Armstrong’s Hot Seven. There are some articles and announcements of him playing at different Chicago Jazz hotspots, etc... including a great ad for Conn from 1922 with his photo in it (maybe that’s the drum?)

So, the jazz buff in me wanted that drum just for the cool story behind it. It’s always cool to find out where an old instrument came from. I went right back and bought it for not a whole lot of money. My initial thoughts were to restore it, play it, and bring it back to life.

On to the drum itself, this past week I contacted Adrian Kirchler, Harry Canangy, and Mike Curotto. All of whom shared their expertise with helping me further identify this drum. Turns out it’s a custom made, custom engraved gold plated Conn Victor Model.  A real “gem” as Adrian called it, a one of a kind. And while it’s not a Leedy, Ludwig or Slingerland, it’s really a neat piece with a cool connection to early Chicago jazz.  Maybe not the best idea to take out on various gigs?

There’s a bulb fixture still in tact, all the lugs, rims, and shell are in great shape, actually.  Also, Frank Biggs signed his name backwards on the inside of one of the heads presumably to illuminate his name through the bulb. It’s still completely legible.

There are some extra mounting holes by the strainer. There’s a higher end Ludwig strainer on the drum. The question Adrian had was whether or not Biggs ordered the drum with the better strainer or had the standard utility model removed and replaced it with the better Ludwig. An interesting thought…

Well, enough words, here are some pics:

Hope you all enjoy the drum. Feel free to email me if you have any more info, fun facts, etc... Jbatchko@hotmail.com. Again I’d like to thank Adrian, Harry, and Mike for their great help. And to Chicago pianist/sleuth Steven Heliotes for finding all the interesting info on Frank Biggs. And thanks, George.

Cheers, Jason

 

Terry Guinn's Drumiture

  Drummer Terry Guinn has found a special way to combine his two passions - drums and art. He converts drums into furniture and advertising specialty pieces that capture a musician’s career or a fan’s love for  his favorite team, school, or band. Terry's motto is "Save a Drum." He can find a discarded drum and bring it back to life with his unique original art. “I took a drum I found in the gutter and gave it a wonderful new life when I presented it to the San Jose Sharks NHL hockey team’s mascot 'Sharkie.' Check out the pictures  of some of his work in the pictures below, especially the one he did for Neil Peart and the one he did for the Johnny Mercer family.

Saving drums and helping charities with his "Drumiture", Terry is starting to be well known and recognized for his passion and kindness. He is now receiving back what he has given all these years from some great people he has met along the way. One particular piece of drumiture that he is proud of was created for Rod Morgenstein, drummer for the Dixie Dregs and Winger. "Rod sent me his very first two drum sets after we talked at my booth at NAMM in 2013. I worked with him for over a ten month period creating this piece.  He didn't want the integrity of the drums compromised, so we came up with hanging them from a rack so no holes had to be cut for legs or mounts!  He didn't want photos of himself inside them so we put all his major influences inside each different drum. After renting a motor home and driving across the country,  I arrived at his home in Long Island and began to install it. He is calling it his "Museum Piece".  He has his very first cymbal he ever got and is using my piece to display it and all his vintage band and music memorabilia!  He is a very generous and gracious man and it was a honor to create and deliver this for my mentor and now very close friend, Rod Morgenstein."

See more of Terry's unique art at www.drumiture.com