Don Mcaulay sells items from Gene Krupa's drum collection.

May 31, 2021 Don Mcaulay

“Hey George. Hope you and yours are doing well. I was prepared to approach drum magazines and other publications about this historic discovery that I found for my boss, Charlie Watts in which he gave me a portion of the items as my commission. I have decided to sell some of these pieces. But the same week I finished the website the entire world went straight into lockdown.. So I’ve been waiting until the time seems right, which seems like a month from now? Would you like to show this story on NSMD? Ideally I want to present this in all the appropriate magazines at the same time so the word gets out all at once and every collector has the opportunity to purchase. check it out!”

Half-A-Diddles: Fun but challenging!

May 31, 2021 Richard Best

I was playing around with paradiddles and decided to see what would happen if I removed one of the single strokes. The result is quite interesting and somewhat easier than full paradiddles. A couple of them are a bit tricky.

Regards,
Richard Best

1948-1953 Slingerland Radio King 5-Piece Drum Set in Original Black Diamond Pearl.

May 31, 2021 Edward Tucker

Allow me to introduce you to my 1948-1953 Slingerland Radio King 5-Piece Drum Set in Original Black Diamond Pearl. The set consists of: 9” x 13” Tom, 12” x 14” Tom/Floor, 16” x 16” Floor, 14” x 24” Bass, 7” x 14” Snare, Hi-Hat Stand, Pedal, Snare Stand, Cowbells & Woodblock. This set is 100% original and near flawless.
All NOB rims, original paint and inlay on the hoops. The exterior wrap and interiors are mint. The set arrived with ALL the original unblemished heads in place and intact. I kept the original calfskin resonant heads on, archiving the batters (see pic of the original batters and you will see why this set is so nice). A friend contacted me about this set in 2019 showing me a few photos and asking what I thought. After much back and forth discussion and consultation I mentioned that if he sells now or in the future that I am most definitely Interested.

The back story on this set is that the original owner had passed away and the children and grandchildren were sorting out his estate. When they went up to the attic of his home they discovered this set. Apparently they never heard or knew anything about it, or that at one time he may have been a drummer. From the near immaculate condition of this set and the original Radio King calfskin heads one can only come to the conclusion that he purchased this set and never really played it at all or very little. We will never know.
This set was in another part of the country so my friend had a friend pick it from the original owners family and ship it to him. When it arrived at my friends house he called me and said that he thought I should handle the cleaning of this set and that he wanted me to be the new temporary custodian (we are all only interim owners in the end). I was extremely excited to welcome this set into Studio 3T as one of the Crown Jewels of my collection for not only myself but for my clients.

After arriving at the studio I was astounded at the incredible condition that can only be appreciated in person. It was very dusty and the nickel hardware needed to be polished, but that was it. Zero fade, zero modifications, wrap is mint, interiors mint, the set and hardware are flawless. This is the finest example of this era Radio King set I have ever encountered in my lifetime.
As with all our sets and snares at Studio 3T, these drums will be put to work, I am not a fan of shelf queens or placing instruments under glass like an amusement attraction. They should be, and are, played, recorded and toured with as intended and allowed to sing, and please believe me when I tell you, these beauties SING!
You can see a few photos right after the initial disassembly and clean and how they look now set up in the studio. I added a few Radio King cymbal stands and cymbals.
Thank you for reading my column, I very much appreciate all the comments and interaction with everyone.
Stay tuned...🥁

Edward Tucker
Fate Up
Studio 3T

Jack Scarangella: Remembering Tony Williams

May 31, 2021 David Barsalou

“Tony Williams was also a big Buddy Rich fan. At the Grammy awards Steve Peck, Buddy’s tour manager said, Tony was beaming at Buddy from behind the stage. Miles Davis also claimed that Buddy was a ‘prince of a drummer’ and that “there isn’t a drummer alive who doesn’t have a Buddy Rich lick in them”.

2009 LUDWIG 100 YEAR ANNIVERSARY 6.5 x 14 GOLD PLATED/ENGRAVED TRIUMPHAL MODEL #1912

May 31, 2021 Mike Curotto

I know these Ludwig 100 year anniversary Triumphals are pretty well known amongst collectors but there are some little known facts that you may enjoy and that add to the story….

30th Annual Chicago Drum Show Report - Video

May 31, 2021 George Lawrence

I encourage everyone to attend the 2022 show, exhibit at the show, spread the word! Having to go through 2020 with no Chicago Drum Show was a drag, wasn’t it? We did not realize how much we appreciated it until it was taken away from us by the pandemic. We were going through withdrawals! Support all the drum shows in the nation and other parts of the world. It’s a good thing.

Review: Snare Skirt reduces snare volume on stage

May 31, 2021 George Lawrence

My friends, Allen and Gina Blaxton of Nashville, have come up with a device that could solve a particular problem for a lot of drummers. It’s called the Snare Skirt, a heavy cloth baffle with plastic hooks to attach to your snare drum.

The Legacy of Mitch Mitchell

May 31, 2021 George Lawrence

Major Kevin John simon has gone to great lengths to compile tons of rare photos, information and general knowledge on all things Mitch and decided to take things further when he took on the incredible task of recreating the three Ludwig sets Mitch used with Jimi Hendrix from 1967-1969. When Kevin made the decision to showcase the sets and the group at the famous Chicago drum show that happens in May, a decision was made to recreate the Black Panther Ludwig set that Mitch used at Woodstock.

From publisher/editor George Lawrence

May 31, 2021 George Lawrence

Bill Ludwig III and George Lawrence at the 30th annual Chicago Drum Show, 2021

Tidbits and morsels from that rascal sage, prophet and soothsayer, George Lawrence

History of the Chicago Drum Show

May 31, 2021 Rob Cook

In 1991, Jack Hutchinson of Jack’s Drum Hutch organized a Drummer’s Swap Meet which was held in a lower level conference room of a Holiday Inn in Loves Park, Illinois. Participants included Rebeats, Randy Rainwater and Bun E Carlos, Chuck Scalia, Joe Luoma, Blair Holben, Jack Brand’s Percussion Express, Skins N Tins, and a couple of others.

Aaron Latos Hand Crafted Brass Snare Drum

May 31, 2021 Bob Meyer

Aaron Latos is a young drum maker from Newburgh, NY who is making hand crafted nickel/brass snare drums.

Mike Clark - Words of Wisdom - Chapter 25

April 30, 2021 David Barsalou

Another new chapter in our ongoing series of conversations, quotes, commentary, and updates with jazz/funk drumming legend Mike Clark… Mike’s keen observations provide numerous insights into ‘All Things Music’. -- Mike always just tells it like it is.

Win This Drum!

April 30, 2021 George Lawrence

See, play, and win the new Famous Drum Company “Celebrity” single ply snare drum at the Chicago Drum Show.

Ludwig Standard S-320 Kit in Blue Strata

April 30, 2021 Edwin Rivera III

No drummer can deny that Made in Japan drums had some of the most eye-catching wraps on the market. This is why Ludwig created 15 unique wraps that had that M.I.J. mojo—most notably, the strata wraps.

Shawn Meehan: Remembering Tony Williams

April 30, 2021 David Barsalou

By the time the Quintet had taken the stage, most of the crowd had left, not willing to endure the weather. I stood amongst a small group of die hards at the front of the stage. It was a torrential downpour at this point. Herbie Hancock had drops of water dripping from his sleeves and onto the piano. I seem to remember it was during Pinnochio when Tony started dropping bombs on the bass drum that the crackle through the PA became more pronounced with each bomb. Eventually the PA went completely out! The band kept on cooking as though nothing had happened. We were listening to them acoustically.

Did we really need two drummers?

April 30, 2021 Reader Submissions

At that time, the Allman Brothers Band was the archetype. We decided to try the double drum sets, which worked out really well. To play double sets requires a lot of intuition and acute listening, as well as a solid assessment of each player’s strengths and weaknesses. I had studied snare drum with a noted classical percussionist, so the double stroke press rolls and the fancy things were mine. Bob had a very organic approach, so I usually had him lay down the floor and I danced around it, but always trying to keep it unified. There is some forethought involved. You have to pre-decide who fills where and when so that you don’t over crowd the aural bandwidth. When done tastefully, having two drummers allows for great shading and dynamics and also looks great on stage.

1936-39 LUDWIG 6.5 x 14 “BUTTERSCOTCH PEARL” (uncatalogued) SUPER-LUDWIG MODEL

April 30, 2021 Mike Curotto

This seems to be an uncatalogued finish as it is nowhere to be found -- that I know of -- in any Ludwig literature. I have seen 1 or 2 other Ludwig Butterscotch Pearl snares and I also own a Duplex Spirit of St. Louis in this finish so I personally know that this finish exists. So my best guess is that this is an uncatalogued or special order finish. As always I welcome any other information that may be out there regarding this finish.

1925 Leedy 4 X 14” Black NOB Multi-Model Marvel snare drum

April 30, 2021 Bob Campbell

This Multi-Model Marvel is truly a lovely drum and extremely well-preserved. The Marvel strainer works quite nicely and smoothly, applying even tension across all snares. So why do I think it wasn’t successful? First off, the bridge mechanism extends about 1 3/8” from the bottom. For snare stands of the time, this overhang could be problematic.

Serial Number Ranges of “Born Together” Vintage Ludwig Keystone Badge Drum Sets

March 29, 2021 Rick Gier

This is a companion article to one about Gretsch round badge drums published in December 2020.[i] This study involves Ludwig Keystone badge drums with serial numbers produced from late 1963 to late 1969. Many collectors place a premium on born together drum sets. However, very few vintage drum sets come with original receipts or reliable histories which can assure owners or potential buyers that the sets were originally purchased as one unit from the factory or music instrument retailer. When documentation is not present, many look for sets with closely grouped serial numbers. But how close is close enough?

Mr. Nelson's Opus - A Tribute to Life Long Drum Teachers

March 29, 2021 Kurt Ekstrom

Normally I write articles on vintage drums or drum history as I have a love for that stuff. I felt this article would be a great chance to pay tribute to those individuals that have taught drums for many years.

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Database of Articles 11/13 to current