Tama’s Soul Toul Snare Drum
October 3, 2008 | Leave a Comment
If you’re anything like us provincial, ignorant bastards, you didn’t know what a soul toul was either. Turns out it was neither a “tool” for extracting soul nor a “toll” for purchasing it. Nope, Soul Toul is a dude, a shredding drummer dude from Japan, and he just got a signature snare from Tama. His 14″ x 5.5″ drum features a 1.0mm steel shell that has a custom bearing edge “lined with a special compound that facilitates the drum’s warm yet extraordinarily precise and articulate response.” What the hell that special compound is we have no idea…but the shell itself, dressed in a black nickel plate, looks very fine. You can snag Toul’s drum for an MSRP of $399.99.
[via Harmony Central]
Performance Percussion Goes Electronic
September 28, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Primarily known for its line of budget acoustic drums, Performance Percussion has entered the sub-$1,000 electronic market with the new PP900E. The kit features five drum pads, a kick pedal, and three cymbal pads (including a hi-hat pad and control pedal). The drum module comes with 215 high-quality voices and 20 preset kit sounds. The entire package retails for about 800 bucks, but we did find one U.K. store selling it for $662.13. At that price point, you’re going to be sacrificing a whole lot of sound quality and feel…but it beats the hell out of playing on telephone books.
Frankie Banali Interview
September 14, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Ludwig has posted a lengthy interview with longtime endorser Frankie Banali, who chats a bit about his new projects, the success of Quiet Riot, and the death last year of Kevin DuBrow. And never fear: Banali also throws in some details about his current Ludwig setup. Of course.
New Finish in Taye’s RockPro Series
September 4, 2008 | Leave a Comment
The drums that started it all for Taye now come outfitted in a new Brushed Copper finish…but they don’t just look hot. RockPros feature premium birch-basswood shells and are available in a wide range of configurations that won’t bust your bank account. A 5-piece kit with hardware starts at an MSRP of $1,249.
DVD Review: Guerrilla Drum Making
September 2, 2008 | 1 Comment
Guerrilla Drum Making:
Drum Making With Realistic Tactics and Realistic Tools
86 minutes
$41.99
Preamble
First off, a confession: I suck at building stuff. I can’t turn on a power tool without soiling my shorts (the fear of puncturing or outright severing a limb is really quite the bowel loosener), and frankly I can’t even hang a poster without bruising a finger. So even though I love the hell out of drums and have long been fascinated with the art of drum building, I didn’t think there was any way I could customize a kit on my own.
Until now. John Dutra’s Guerilla Drum Making demystifies the process of customizing drums and—most important of all—gives you the knowledge and confidence to do it yourself. While watching the DVD, you’ll soon be thinking, “I really can do this.”
The Lowdown
Just to be clear, though, this DVD doesn’t show you how to build actual drum shells. If you have a hankering to carve out a kit from that big birch tree in your backyard, Guerrilla Drum Making won’t help you. What the DVD does instead is expertly guide you through DIY methods for customizing the look of shells.
Like all good teachers, Dutra starts with the basics and clearly defines his terms: what’s a unibit? Or a straight-edge square? Or tailors tape? The DVD’s first chapter shows the viewer what those and other recommended tools actually look like and how to use them, along with a few time-saving tips. For any tooltards out there like me, it’s a greatly appreciated intro.
The rest of the 86-minute vid is divided into 6 more chapters that demonstrate how to work with and apply a variety of finishes—from stains to wraps to veneers to acrylics. Looking for a cool-ass collage kit? Chapter 2 takes you through each step to a perfectly finished and unique drum. Want a striped laminate for your bass drum? Check out Chapter 6. As each chapter progresses, you’ll also learn how to mark and drill a shell for proper lug placement, whether the lugs are in-line or offset.
Throughout the DVD, the vid quality is top-notch, the camera work is slick, and Dutra’s voice-over explanations are professional and easy to follow. Even the background music, which ranges from downtempo to metal, is good.
Who Should Watch
If you’ve always been interested in customizing drums but didn’t know how to get started, then Guerrilla Drum Making is essential viewing. Stop whatever you’re doing and go buy it now.
If you have some experience with drum building or are even a seasoned pro, then Guerrilla Drum Making is highly recommended viewing. You’ll pick up some great tips that will make your drum-building life easier. And at the very least, you’ll see the instructional quality you need to aspire to in case you ever decide to turn teacher and make your own video.
If you have no desire to ever take a drill or piece of sandpaper to your drums, you’ll still get a lot out of watching this DVD. Dutra’s clearly a guy who is passionate about the craft, and he imparts his knowledge well. You’ll appreciate drums even more after seeing the skill that goes into making them. In this case, learning some of the tricks doesn’t at all spoil the magic.
BDT rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Countdown to Dixon’s “Drum Your Way to Hollywood” Contest
August 30, 2008 | Leave a Comment
No time to waste, thumpers. There’s less than a month left to enter Dixon’s “Drum Your Way to Hollywood” contest. All you have to do is haul ass to your nearest Dixon dealer, have a buddy record you playing your shreddingest 2-minute solo on a Demon kit, and then upload the vid to YouTube. Click on over here for the entry and prize details.
Buy Bobby Jarzombek’s Drums
August 24, 2008 | Leave a Comment
If you’ve always wanted to own a little piece of metal drumming history, now’s your chance. Bobby Jarzombek is selling the Pearl Masters kit he used on a couple of Halford albums and tours. Here are the details straight from Bobby and his MySpace page:
Well, the time has come to “thin out the herd” so to speak. With my move back to San Antonio I was trying to figure out what to take with me and what to leave out in Cali. One thing I have decided to part with is my PEARL Masters Custom Maple drumset (comes with the Pearl Icon rack system) even though I have a strong sentimental attachment to it due to the memorable music that I created on it.
The reason I am now selling the kit—other than lack of space—is because I changed drum companies a couple of years ago (I am with DW/PDP now and no longer endorse Pearl) and I haven’t been using it much at all since. I’m thinking of putting it on eBay but before I do that I figured I’d let a Halford fan or drum enthusiast among my MySpace friends have first crack at it.
There is quite a bit of metal history connected to this kit: I recorded HALFORD - ‘Live Insurrection’ (various tracks), HALFORD - ‘Crucible’, and ROB ROCK - ‘Holy Hell’ with it and used it live with HALFORD touring in the US, Canada, and South America on the ‘Resurrection’ and ‘Crucible’ tours, including the 2000/2001 tour with Iron Maiden and Queensryche and the ‘Rock In Rio’ show in Brazil that’s about it be released on DVD. It can also be seen in the ‘Betrayal’ video.
This is a great sounding kit and still in very good condition (I got it in 2000) except for the standard “wear and tear” from being on the road. No major war wounds though. I have posted a number of photos of the drumset so click here to take a closer look.
Drums:
(2) 24″ Bass Drums
10″ Mounted Tom
12″ Mounted Tom
14″ Mounted Tom
16″ Floor Tom
14″ Snare Drum
* The drum color is ‘black mist’
* All Pearl drums have serial numbers
* The (3) rack toms are suspended using the Pearl OptiMount Suspension System
* The rack toms and floor tom are equipped with Pearl MasterCast Die-Cast Hoops
* The snare drum is a 5 x 14 Remo MasterEdge snare drum which I used as my main backup snare
* All drums are fitted with brand new Evans drumheads
Hardware:
The extended rack system includes:
* (8) leg assemblies w/ stabilizer feet, (4) long front and side mounting bars, (2) medium mounting bars for back cymbals + (1) very short front middle mounting bar
* (13) pipe clamps for an easy setup and locking of the tom arms and cymbal booms
* (3) tom arms featuring the Pearl Uni-Lock System
* (10) cymbal booms (6 long and 4 short) allowing for multiple configurations and angles for mounting cymbals (cymbals not included)
(2) Pearl Eliminator Pedals
Pearl snare stand
Pearl hi-hat stand
The kit is currently in storage in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles; I would prefer to find a buyer in the area who can pick it up as I’d rather not ship it.
If you are located outside of SoCal and can’t pick up the kit in person shipping costs would obviously have to be added to the selling price.
I am asking $3,500 for the complete drumset and drum rack system. Interested parties please contact me at bobbyspearlkit@yahoo.com.
New Colors for Taye’s GoKit
August 22, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Drummers on the go have already discovered that Taye’s GoKits sound really damn awesome, and now the drums are lookin’ a little sexier too in a couple of new colors: Black Micro-Flake and Blue Micro-Flake.
Spaun’s Edgevent Kits
August 13, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Forget about vintage gear. The contemporary drums that manufacturers are busting out with are infinitely more exciting and creative. Check out, for example, this Edgevent kit from Spaun. The drums feature a unique “shell within a shell” design that’s not just for crazy looks. The outer shell holds all the parts (lugs, spurs, strainer, butt, etc.) and also has outside holes for venting. The inner shell has no holes and no parts attached, so it resonates independently from the outer shell for a big, fat sound. Because all Edgevent sets are custom built, with a nearly unlimited choice in sizes, finishes, and options, we can’t tell you exactly how much a kit will pummel your bank account. But we’re pretty sure it will be worth it.
Another Reason Why Live Drummers Will Always Have a Gig
August 5, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Drummer Talk Dave inspired this meme. Other drumming sites, show us some more.
