Tag Archives: drums

UK National Drum Fair – Custom and Vintage Drum Show

July 23, 2013

| Author: Vintage & Rare

VintageandRare visited the 2012 edition of the UK National Drum Fair to bring you news of exciting products coming out of the custom and vintage drum world.

We shot a few videos featuring drum builders Nick Hopkin and Jalapeño Drums and vintage drum pusher Mark Jeffs of Rusty Drums UK. We have a jam session vid with Sticky Wicket and Garry Allcock, as well as a photo slideshow from the expo. Watch it all below.

Nick Hopkin showing us some us his current stock:

Mark Jeffs of Rusty Drums UK presenting his inventory of vintage drums

Jalapeno Custom Drums

Sticky Wicket & Garry Allcock jamming

Photo slideshow from UK National Drum Fair 2013

The National Drum Fair was founded by a group of drummers for the purpose of organizing and promoting an event at which drums, accessories, equipment, and drumming skills and techniques could be displayed, traded and promoted.

This annual event is organized, promoted and managed by drummers for drummers to provide an opportunity for the display, promotion, trading of drums, associated products/items and drumming skills to be available to the drummers and potential drummers of the UK and beyond. It is a non-profit organization and seeks to be self-funding.

 

Nick Hopkin Drums Interview with owner Nick Hopkin

August 29, 2012

| Author: Vintage & Rare

Nick Hopkin, funder of Nick Hopkin Drums took the time to answer our questions. After several years touring in Europe as a drummer, Nick started Nick Hopkin Drums… from a hobbie to a full time job, he tells us the story of his company.

Could you please tell us about Nick Hopkin Drums? Where are you located?
I’m an independent drum shop specialising in classic and vintage drums. Located in Wales, UK, I ship worldwide with customers in USA, Canada, Australia and Europe so far. I sell Full kits, snare drums, stands, pedals, cymbals, spares… you name it really.  1940’s-1980’s.American – Ludwig, Slingerland, Gretsch, Rogers; English – Premier, Beverley, Ajax, Olympic; European – Trixon, Sonor ASBA, and lots more. I at least clean all the drums that come through my shop. Some need a complete refurbishment. Original fittings and parts are replaced as required. I also sell Remo drum heads including pre-international sized for pre-1968 premier drums.

What initially motivated you to set up an online drum shop, and when was that?
I started restoring a 1960’s Premier set in red glitter some years ago and began attending drum fairs and reading lots of books and articles online about vintage drums.  I soon outgrew my garage and needed a workshop; I outgrew that within 3 months and so opened a shop! Its something I’ve always wanted to do, and it all just kind of happened. People heard what I was doing and got behind me; other dealers offered me spare parts and advice and it quickly grew into a fully fledged business. Its still very early days and I have lots of ideas and plans, but small steps at the moment.

Are you a musician yourself? If so, when did you start to play, what styles/genres. Are you still active in bands and other projects?
As a child i always banged pots and pans. I have memories of drumming along to The Dave Clark Five’s ‘Bits n pieces’ on  tupperware tubs, filled with a few marbles and covered with greaseproof paper and sellotape… the heads never lasted long! I played snare drum in primary school and progressed to lead drummer in the Boys Brigade marching band  aged 12 and then onto my first kit, a 1960′s Premier in red sparkle with a matching Royal Ace snare. It won my heart and I still have it now. I spent my teens and twenties playing in numerous bands – pop, funk, jazz, metal – playing thousands of gigs across the UK and Europe. I stopped playing in bands 10 years ago, and until about a year ago have been recording and producing my own music and releasing it online. I sometimes play in my local church on a Sunday and take along the latest kit to come in!

What do you consider the biggest challenge for drum dealers today?
Quality. So many vintage kits appear on auction sites, but they’ve been adapted over the years with newer parts;they often have extra holes or the original wrap has been painted or removed. Its hard to pick up classic drums that are both original and in good, playable condition.

How do you choose what products to carry?
The market is open to all brands – some people prefer American, some English, some European; some buy only from a particular era, so I try and buy across the board. I try to stock the classic English and American snare drums and good quality drum kits. As a rule, I stock drums that are in good condition structurally; wrap and chrome can be cleaned and polished to look new again, but drum shells with too many extra holes or structural damage are a no. Occasionally I re-wrap the drums.

What is the coolest drum set you’ve ever sold? A great story to share?
I recently sold an early 70’s Hayman Vibrasonic set to legendary British drummer Steve White (Style Council, Paul Weller, Oasis, etc). I’ve just acquired a Premier Projector kit in a custom black glitter (22,10,12,13,14,16) which was made for Nigel Glockler of Heavy Rock band Saxon, in near mint condition. A great story?  A lady in America bought a 10” Ludwig tom in champagne sparkle for her husband last month as a birthday surprise…he’d been looking for one for 3 years! I wish I’d been there to see the look on his face.

Do you have any personal favorite drums in your shop? If so, why is said drum your favorite?
I fall in love with pretty much every drum I buy, but have to let them go (most of the time!). I adore a 70’s Slingerland ‘Buddy Rich’ wooden snare drum with TDr strainer; Kit wise I’m currently torn between the 70’s Ludwig Super Classic in 24,13,16 and the 60’s Gretsch round badge in 22,13,16…both kits go out as studio hires, so I have the chance to play them at lunchtimes! The 70s niles badge COB snare drums are pretty nice too!

Given that this is for a blog, what role has technology (the internet, your website, etc.) played in the success of your business?
It has been invaluable. Presently, 90% of my sales are done online. I realised a full e-commerce website which offered worldwide shipping was important from the beginning, if my business was going to be successful. I’ve been fortunate enough to be featured on popular drumming websites and on specialist sites such as Vintage & Rare; along with sites such as facebook, twitter and linkedin, I’ve been able to develop a positive online presence for my business. The many drumming forums have enabled me to connect and communicate with the worlwide drumming community.

Is there a general trend to the people who purchase from you, in terms of how skilled or experienced they are?
No, it’s right across the spectrum from beginners to professionals. I try to educate young players and show them that they can by a vintage kit that looks and sounds stunning, often for less than a mid range modern kit. Vintage English drum kits are very affordable at the moment, and with quality shells and die cast hoops, they sound great!

What advice would you give to somebody looking to purchase a drumkit from you?
Decide on what drum sizes you prefer and what your budget is, and take it from there. I recently read an interview with a famous drummer who said that all the classic kits were 20 or 22” bass drum with 13” tom and 16” floor tom; this wasn’t a mistake! Tonally, those sizes complement each other. Despite the modern trend to add smaller toms and larger floor toms, I think the 4 piece set up will always remain a best seller.

How do you see the international vintage drum market today?
Its very exciting, as I constantly come across kits and snares that have been stored for 40 plus years and are in great condition. Thanks to the internet and specialist sites such as Vintage & Rare and my own website, vintage drum kits are easier for customers to buy.

Are your drums especially common among musicians playing a certain genre or style?
I think that a classic drum kit will sound good within any style or genre of music. Head choice, drum sizes and tuning play the key roles in adapting to different styles. Taking Gretsch as an example, vintage Gretsch drums can be heard on most of the great jazz recordings, all The Rolling Stones’ records (Charlie Watts), and on the new Feeder and Take That records (Karl Brazil). Unlike guitars and amplifiers which have distinct sounds associated with particular genres and eras of music, I think the sound of a vintage drum kit is timeless.

Any famous last words?
Don’t you just love the smell of a vintage drum when you first take the head off….

Website – www.nickhopkindrums.com
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/nickhopkindrums
Twitter – https://twitter.com/NickHopkinDrums
LinkedIn – uk.linkedin.com/in/nickhopkindrums

Guest-blog by John Dutra of Guerilla Drum Making

September 30, 2011

| Author: Vintage & Rare

Meet John Dutra. He has been drumming for fifteen years and making custom drums for the last ten. He’s the owner and creator of the world renowned Guerrilla Drum Making DVD, which helps the average Joe build his own professional custom drum set with no tools and no experience. He’s also heavily involved with live gigging, studio gigs, and teaching drums. Lastly, he is the newest addition to our rooster of competent guest-bloggers, and this is his first contribution. Enjoy:

The minimalists guide to knowing your drum shells and designing the perfect sound.

Let’s jump right in and start talking about the most important factor in the sound design of drums: drum shells!

Any drummer who’s played a variety of drum types knows that the shells are the meat and potatoes… the heart and soul of the drum. It’s where the true sound of the drum comes from. Other factors like heads, snare wires, hoops, bearing edges and tuning styles affect the tone of drums as well. But remember… with good shells those factors help boost your sound and with bad shells, you’re dependent on those things for a good sound. I’ll take the former, thanks.

But this isn’t about what’s good and what’s bad – that’s just to subjective. In each variety of wood (it’s estimated there are over 100,000 species of trees), metal, synthetics, and construction of all three… there’s huge potential for some awesome drum tones with unique sounds perfect for what style of music your after.

If you want a minimalist guide to understanding drum shells with some easily digestible sound explanations, this is it. Hopefully this will get you started down the road to designing the perfect sounding drum set with the best products.

Let’s break this guide into three parts: Wood, Metal, and Imitation Drum Shells (A.K.A Synthetics).

PART 1: WOOD

Wood Drum Shell Construction – The Big 4 and 1 Other One
1. Plied Shells: good range of pitch (great for tuning) and long sustain. Built with plys and lots of glue!

2. Steam Bent: very strong and brilliant sound with long sustain and resonation. Built by steambending a plank of wood and glued at an overlapping joint. Low amounts of glue and lots of wood!

3. Solid Shells: tone is like steam bent shells but higher in pitch and more woody. Truly a solid construction (think of a hollowed out tree trunk made into a drum) with no glue.

4. Segment: not long sustain but high pitched and more “wood” sounding. Lots of glue used with grains running horizontally.

5. Stave: awesome construction with low amount of glue and wood grain that runs vertical. Shell tone has long sustain and a rich resonation.

Popular Wood Drum Shell Types
– Maple: very even sounding wood. good high tones and low tones and all around a great all purpose shell.
– Birch: hard wood with higher pitch than maple and cuts through nicely, but very similar to maple as well. Awesome shell for studio gigs in my opinion.
– Mahogany: a very soft wood…nice rich low end that resonates beautifully
– Bubinga: also a very rich low end with a punchy sound and beautiful looks. Makes awesome snare drums.
– Beech: if maple and birch had a child, his name would be beech.
– Poplar: very smooth and even tone with highs, mids and lows.

Please note: there are tons more wood type than the above mentioned. However, these are the most common.

Depth, diameter, and thickness all play a huge roll in sound design as well. Remember this rule of thumb when considering your shell thickness: the thinner the shell… the lower the tone. The thicker the shell, the higher the tone.

PART 2: METAL

Metal Drum Shell Construction- The Big 2
1. Cast: liquid metal pored into a mold. sounds like,… metal! high pitch.. long sustain and good tuning range.
2. Spun: formed by high speed spinning. Spun metal also has great resonation and sustain and a high pitch.

Popular Metal Drum Shell Types
– Brass: Nice open sound. Good range of high tones and low tones and sounds awesome at live gigs and in the studio.
– Steel: very high pitched sounding drum with decent lows.
– Aluminum: a very versatile sounding shell with a lot of tuning ranges. good highs, mids and a nice low thud!
– Titanium: Very metal sounding! Resonating high pitch and not the greatest low end tones.

Please note again: there are tons more alloys than the above mentioned. However, these are very common shells.

PART 3: Imitation or Synthetic Shells

Popular Synthetic Shell Types:
– Fiberglass: an even sounding, soft shell with nice tones. Projects well in live gigging situations and very clean sounding.
– Acrylic: Very powerful and aggressive sounding shell. Awesome for live shows and harder to control for studio gigs yet perfect for that big rock, aggressive sound
– Carbon Fiber: A Dry sound. the high end tone outdoes the low end and mid range qualities of the shell, but can be perfect for that cracking snare drum your after.

Why isn’t there much info on synthetic shells?!! Well.. to be honest, synthetics have only been in the shell marketplace for about 40 years. There’s still a lot to learn!

CONCLUSION:

All in all… there’s a ton of options to consider when designing your perfect drum set. Things like shell thickness, diameter and depth, bearing edges and other important factors are not included in this minimalist list to understanding drum shell properties. But I hope you’ve learned a little more about shell types and their sound qualities, so that you can pick a type that best suits your immediate needs.

Questions? Comments? Opinions?! Leave them below in the comment section.

Good luck and have fun!
-John Dutra

Visit John’s website here: www.guerrilladrummaking.com

Till then, here’s a introductional video:

Guerrilla Drum Making DVD: DIY Drum Building from GDM on Vimeo.