Big Drum Thump

Drum and Drummer News and Photos

Category: Gear

  • Alesis Ships DM5 Pro With Surge Cymbals

    We wrote about Alesis’s new Surge cymbals way back in March, and now it looks they’re finally shipping….with a DM5 Pro no less. Or maybe it’s the other way around….

    Whatever the case, Alesis’s flagship electronic kit comes outfitted with the venerable DM5 sound module, which features more than 500 studio-grade sounds and 21 programmable drum sets recorded at 48kHz in stereo with ambient effects.

    800 bucks also gets you a dual-zone snare pad, three tom pads, and a kick pad with 8″ mylar, tension-adjustable drumheads and 2.3mm triple-flanged counterhoops. Surge cymbals are made of brass cymbal alloy and feature built-in triggers; a 12″ hi-hat, 13″ crash, and a 16″ dual-zone ride are included. Pretty damn sweet.

  • New Finish in Taye’s RockPro Series

    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.

  • New Colors for Taye’s GoKit

    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

    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.

  • Lenny White’s Signature Stick

    Every Tom, Dick, and Travis has a signature stick these days, so it’s about time living-legend Lenny White got one too. With an appropriately white shaft, his Vic Firth signature whacker is 16″ long and has a .580″ diameter, which is somewhere between a 5A and a 5B for those of us who don’t speak metric too well.

    Vic Firth has also posted some really interesting vids of Lenny jawing about drums and drumming here. There’s even a classic live clip of Return to Forever from 1976.

    [Update 2022: Damn it, the vids are no longer active on Vic Firth’s site.]

  • New Ludwig Gear

    Not about to let Gretsch get all the drum thunder, Ludwig too has recently announced some new bangables.

    First up is a modernized version of the company’s legendary Black Beauty snares. Featuring the same nickel-plated brass shells as their big bros, the new Black Magic snare drums are outfitted with matching die-cast hoops for increased volume and tube-style lugs for maximum shell resonance. They’ll be available in three sizes—14″ x 5″, 14″ x 6.5″, and 13″ x 7″—and they’ll be priced to move, starting at $489.99.

    Then Ludwig really takes off the gloves with its Centennial series of affordable maple shell packs. The drums boast Ludwig’s new Classic Micro-Lug, Vibra-band mounting system on toms, and 2.3mm drum hoops. The finish options include transparent high-gloss and as well as the new 2mm SuperFlake sparkle lacquers. MSRP starts at “less than $1,400,” which we presume means $1,399. We can’t do the math on what the cock-rock double-kick kit in the second pic below will cost, but we’re certain it’s totally worth it.

  • Gretsch Gear Out the Poop Shoot

    That is to say, there’s a bunch of new Gretsch stuff on the way.

    First up is a high-end bubinga beauty in the Renown Purewood series. It’s a limited-edition shell pack (“limited” as in only 110 available worldwide), and it features six drums: a 22″ x 18″ kick, 10″ x 8″ and 12″ x 9″ toms, 14″ x 14″ and 16″ x 16″ floors, and a 14″ x 6″ snare. The shells themselves are 9-ply, 100% bubinga with a clear gloss finish. The damage: $3,850 retail.

    More appealing to the cash-strapped among us is the latest in the Catalina Club Mod line. Featuring an exclusive G-Tube finish, the 4-piece shell pack comes with a 22″ x 20″ bass drum, 12″ x 8″ tom, 16″ x 14″ floor tom, and a 14″ x 6.5″ snare. The drums are made of mahogany, and that’s reflected in the price: $1,075 MSRP.

    Still too many digits for your bank account? Maybe just settle, then, for one of these new Renown Purewood Rosewood snares. They are, as you astutely guessed, made of 100% rosewood, which we are going to assume sounds way bitchin’. The drums will be available in three sizes—14″ x 5.5″, 14″ x 6.5″, and 14″ x 8″—and will come outfitted with 30-degree bearing edges, die-cast hoops, 10 lugs (20 lugs for the 8-incher), and 20-strand snares. Respective prices are as follows: $770, $845, and $925.

    Now to the drum porn:

  • Zildjian Rezo Crash Video

    Boston Drum Center has posted a little clip of a 17″ Zildjian Rezo in action. Fast-forward to the 0:12 mark.

  • Zildjian K Custom Dry Complex II Rides

    Man, Zildjian is seriously busting out with the new gear lately. First Pitch Blacks, then Rezos, and now Dry Complex II rides in the K Custom line. They were designed in consultation with jazz guru Bill Stewart and feature a wider bell design with a lower profile that helps to control metallic overtones, hence the “dry” in the cymbals’ moniker. Three sizes are available: 20″, 22″, and a big old 24″.

    Check out the promo vid, again not capable of being embedded, here.
    Sigh.

    [Update 2022: the promo vid is down of course, but we’ve embedded a demo vid from our fav cymbal-demo-channel, Memphis Drum Shop.]

  • Zildjian’s Pitch Black Promo Vid

    Today is the day that Zildjian officially unveils its Pitch Black line (even though pics and prices and actual purchasable product leaked weeks ago). The promo vid, irritatingly unembeddable, is available here on the Zildjian site and features Diecast drummer Dennis Pavia bashing the new cymbals.

    Surprisingly, they don’t seem completely horrible…but there ain’t no way we’re trading in our A Customs. Sound quality, after all, is still the new black.

    [Update 2022: the official promo video is no longer available, but there is a different version in French below as well as some other vid tidbits.]

  • Budget Bashing With Rogers

    Once a celebrated manufacturer, the Rogers drum company fell on hard times and was almost relegated to the history books before Yamaha stepped up and bought the name last year. Of course, it might have been better to let Rogers die with a little dignity instead of becoming a budget brand aimed squarely at beginning players. But what can you do? We live in some ruthless times.

    Yamaha is, however, at least expanding the Rogers line with new sizes and finishes in the Trailblazer and Prospector series. The first new Trailblazer kit features a 20″ kick, 10″ and 12″racks, a 14″ floor tom, and a matching 14″ wood snare. The second Trailblazer set boasts a 24″ bass drum, 12″ rack, 16″ floor, and a 14″ x 6.5″ steel snare drum. The latest Prospector configuration sports a wee 18″ kick, a 12″ tom, 14″ floor tom, and a matching 14″ wood snare. No mention of what wood the drums are made of, but it’s probably some poplar or poplar-like mix, the standard for entry-level drums now.

    The new finishes include this not-too-shabby Brushed Copper in the Trailblazer series. Definitely better than a bunch of cardboard boxes anyway.

  • Zildjian Rezo Crashes

    Not content to unveil only one much-talked-about line of cymbals (can you say Pitch Black?), Zildjian is showing off some sweet-looking new crashes called Rezos. They are part of the A Custom line and feature alternating bands of spiral and full lathing techniques in traditional and brilliant finishes. You can grab ’em up in six sizes: 15″, 16″, 17″, 18″, 19″, and 20″.

  • Paiste Black Alphas

    Well, we’ve devoted a considerable amount of bytes to Zildjian’s Pitch Black line, so now it’s Paiste’s turn. The Swiss cymbal maker’s Black Alphas were designed with input from Slipknot shredder Joey Jordison and are made from Paiste’s proprietary CuSn8 bronze, the same alloy that is used in the excellent 2002 line. The sound is described as “bright, crisp, energetic, powerful, and cutting.” Anyone tried them out yet?

  • Assloads of New Tama Gear

    Happy 4th from all of us here at BDT. We couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate independence and freedom than providing you with lots of extremely hot drum porn. Forget the family for a few minutes, lock the door, close the curtains, turn out the lights, and enjoy a little you-time courtesy of Tama.

    First up are new bubinga/birch shell packs. They are part of Tama’s venerable Starclassic Performer series and will come in four possible configurations. The 7-piece version lists for $5,649.99.

    Next comes more news from the bubinga front: a limited-edition Starclassic Reserve kit. The high-end drums feature Tama’s bubinga shells with an outer-ply of North American walnut. Sets will be available in two configurations: a 5-piece kit with a 20″ x 18″ bass drum, and a 6-piece kit with a thumpin’ 22″ x 20″ kick. A total of only 50 kits will be available worldwide. If you got a spare $7,689.99, better get in line now.

    Can’t part with that kind of cash but still want some new gear? Tama has also unveiled a few limited-edition snares that are more wallet friendly. The one we really want is the Artwood Custom (pic below), which features a 14″ x 8″ maple shell that screams ’80s arena rock. Only 100 of the drums will be available, and they’ll all be sold only in the good old U.S. of A. The list price is $549.99.

  • Zildjian Pitch Black Cymbals in France

    An online music store in France is displaying pics, prices, and descriptions of Zildjian’s Pitch Black cymbals. They are essentially coated ZHTs, and it looks like they’ll be heavily marketed to the young, up-and-coming bashers among us. For pics, scroll past our very rough (and possibly inaccurate) translation of the French promo text. If there are any native French speakers out there, let us know in the comments if we blew it bad.

    Pitch Black: “Black is black”! Change your vision of cymbals! The Pitch Black series has a formidable and explosive Rock sound that approaches perfection! These cymbals were designed by and for heavy hitters who need a huge sound! Based on the manufacturing process of the 12% bronze formula that is already used in the ZHT series, the Pitch Black line has an additional tin element that reinforces the cymbals’ character. That in particular makes it possible to add weight and width to these cymbals, which gives a profile to the Black Pitch that is perfect for metal heads! These cymbals are guaranteed 100% Rock’n’roll, 100% brilliant, 100% as you love them! Zildjian worked for months to find a process that makes it possible to keep the black coating of your cymbals intact, even after years. Eight models of common Rock sizes are available. Once again, Zildjian is confirmed as being THE mark of innovative cymbals for discriminating musicians.