Drum Building Update 2.8.08

Currently Listening to: Kenny Garret – Triology

For those of you that don’t know me too well, I have a strange addiction to building drums. It seems that regardless of the number of drums that I have, I keep on building new ones to serve different purposes. It’s a great hobby, though, and I have a lot of fun in the design process and in the hands-on assembly process as well. It’s cool knowing that I can in fact create something that will have lasting value even after I’m long gone.

All that being said, I have a couple of projects in the works at the moment. They’re slow-going, despite the relative simplicity of the designs. The first is a drum that’s going to be what I would call a “utilitarian” design, intended mainly for studio use. I guess I’d call it “utilitarian” because I don’t predict that it’s going to be a very versatile drum when it’s completed, due to it’s size, 15”x6.5” (diameter x depth). Considering that a standard size is 14”x5.5” (or so), this is going to be a very deep sounding snare drum, useful for really fat meaty backbeats that I think will sound great for recordings, but may not have a wide enough tuning range to do much else (i.e. a One Trick Pony). I could be wrong, though, as it is a very nicely made maple stave shell by a company named Unix, out of Canada.

So, for now I’m still trying to nail down the exact finish and hardware I’m going to apply to the shell. Finish-wise, I’m leaning towards a Vermont Maple stain, and a high-gloss clear coat. Hardware-wise, I think I’ll be using Chrome Egonis Double-Endo lugs from Ego Drum Supply.

That’s all I have figured out so far. More updates to come.

Thanks,

~AB