Drummer community & drum marketplace
The first vintage & Custom Drum Magazine, since 1988
You don’t find “Speed Sticks” advertised in Slingerland catalogs after the early 1930s.
I believe that this is one of two still in existence today, and also one of the very first if not the first dealer display items ever made by the Slingerland company.
Taylor Hawkins, to me, was the ultimate drum nerd. He had so much fun playing the drums and talking about drums and drummers, and was a fan of the other great rock drummers: his peers. He plays and nails so many of the iconic rock drum parts in this interview video. At 41:00 he plays the drum part to the Toto Song "Rosanna" that the late Jeff Porcaro created, which is not an easy part to play with the finesse that Porcaro did. Taylor nails it in this video. Especially
Read moreThis is a 1960s Ludwig Hollywood set that I bought from my longtime friend Bill Pace, who by the way is doing fine. I talked to him this week and even though he doesn't get out and go as much as he once did, he is playing his drums and still buys and sells at times. He felt that the kit was in need of restoration, including a new finish, so this was his project 20 plus years ago. He said the finish was badly damaged and wanted to make them look and sound good again.
Read moreWatch any drummer in any situation -- especially during a drum solo -- and you'll probably see a rather ordinary figure. And you'll see it a lot. That's because the sticking is simple, versatile, easily executed, and very effective … and it‘s a lot of fun to play. It's this one: RLL (or LRR if you prefer).
Read more
There are some major changes in the works for Not So Modern Drummer and DrumSellers.com. Long range plans are to combine certain aspects and functions of both sites to add new features that will be very useful to our subscribers and readers.
Read moreLen may not be a name that is well known in the drumming world but he is a guy that has played places that many of us dream about and worked with some of the greatest musicians in the world. If the definition of being successful means that you are blessed to do something you love, then I believe that Len has lead a very successful life.
Read moreAs a drummer for Hi Records' house band the Hi Rhythm Section in the 1970s, Grimes worked closely with artists including Al Green, Ann Peebles and Otis Clay, among others. His beats on songs including Green's "Let's Stay Together" and Peebles' "I Can't Stand the Rain" served as a crucial foundation for the burgeoning Memphis soul sound of the era.
Read more
Tags from a 1963 Gretsch Round Badge set
Gretsch began placing paper labels inside their drums in about 1962. The paper labels possessed both model numbers and serial numbers. The focus of this article is on how model numbers were presented on the paper labels.[i] Knowledge of how Gretsch expressed model number is another useful dating tool.[ii]
Read moreMost of the NSMD writers are accomplished drummers. Featured this month is Mat Marruci who has written a number of educational articles for us. I told Mat that I was very envious that he got to play with the Jimmy Smith Trio.
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.
Read moreTony developed under the tutelage of master drummer/teacher, Alan Dawson. Miles Davis opened more avenues for development by stating, “You can’t make any mistakes in my band.” This encouraged Tony and gave him a clear musical canvas to create and develop his improvisational skills.
Read moreSandy Nelson, a drummer whose flashy style and propulsive rhythms helped elevate the importance of the instrument in early rock and roll, died Feb. 14, 2022, in Boulder City, Nev. The cause of death was not reported, however Nelson had been in hospice for some time. He was 83.
Read moreHiro said that he wanted to buy the drum from me. I said it wasn't for sale, but then he turned the table on me and said, "What if I offer you STUPID MONEY"? At this time I had gotten into a little money crunch so I asked him what kind of STUPID MONEY was he talking about. Hiro said he would pay me 10K for the drum. SOLD! That was a huge chunk of money that gave me a good head start on my financial situation.
Read more
Drummers Bob Girouard and Gary Stevens See Their Dreams Come True
Editor’s note (Bob Giroaurd has written many articles for Modern Drummer and other drum publications)
In what might be the longest delayed record deal in history, Forest, the Massachusetts-based eclectic blues/rock/jazz band that broke up back in 1979, has signed a distribution deal with BBE Records of London, England, who is re-releasing on vinyl Forest’s eponymous and only LP, recorded in 1978.
Read moreThe kit I am featuring is a 1970s Slingerland Rock Outfit 50 N with Maple outer ply. The kit is outstanding with a 22X14 bass drum, 12X8 , 13X9, and 16X16 toms. They are just perfect for most playing situations. I love the Set-O-Matic tom mount and all the mounting hardware.
Read morePreviously, Terry has made several solo albums featuring himself in various musical styles and settings... Including ensembles, duets, songwriter collaborations with guest instrumentalists and vocalists. He's had the opportunity to perform and record with some of the world's most outstanding musicians... Including, Vic Juris - Eric Kloss, Phil Woods - Barry Miles, The Manhattan Jazz Orchestra - Billy Ocean - George Benson -Laura Nyro - Natalie Merchant - Freddie Jackson and Jeffrey Osborne...To name a few.
Read more
If you'd like to get an interesting discussion going with a group of drummers, ask them how often they clean their cymbals. You're bound to get a plethora of opinions, and possibly a few dirty looks
Read more
A few announcements…
Read more
Delaware Drum Show - 2/27/22
Read more
