Big Drum Thump

Drum and Drummer News and Photos

  • Gretsch Unveils G-5000 Solid Series Snare Drums

    [Press Release]

    For the first time in recent memory (possibly as far back as 1927, when Gretsch introduced the first-ever multi-ply laminate drum shell in the industry), Gretsch will offer single-ply wood snare drums. Gretsch’s G-5000 Solid series feature a single-ply, solid snare drum and are available in either solid maple or solid walnut. Each shell includes solid maple reinforcement hoops to ensure true shell roundness, and shells are finished in clear Nitro Cellulose gloss lacquer. Handcrafted in Gretsch’s Ridgeland custom drum shop, G-5000 Solid snares include 30-degree bearing edges, die-cast hoops, 20-strand snare wires, and coated Permatone batter heads with underside dot. All models are available with either a Lightning or Dunnett throw-off and butt plate.

    G-5000 Solid maple snare drums offer the ultimate in tonal balance with deep mid-range warmth and a bright and clear high-end. Features include a solid maple shell, “DropG” badge, and a 30-degree edge in natural Nitro Cellulose gloss finish. The 14″ x 5.5″ model with 10 lugs retails for $1,875. The 13″ x 6″ model with 6 lugs retails for $1,740.

    G-5000 Solid walnut snares offer a darker timbre, but still project plenty of attack. Features include a solid walnut shell, “DropG” badge, and a 30-degree edge in natural Nitro Cellulose gloss finish. The 14″ x 6.5″ model with 10 lugs (pictured below) retails for $1,810. The 13″ x 7″ model with 6 lugs retails for $1,750.

  • Gretsch Offers Catalina Club Jazz Drum Set in New Finish

    [Press Release]

    Gretsch’s new Catalina Club Jazz drum kit in a Walnut Glaze finish offers classic looks and timeless tone. The shells on this set are constructed out of mahogany and have a single exterior basswood ply to enhance the glossy walnut finish. Notable features include 30-degree bearing edges, mini Gretsch lugs, triple-flanged 1.6mm hoops, Evans G1 coated batter heads, and a bass-drum-mounted tom holder with GTS tom suspension mount. The kit includes an 18″ x 14″ bass drum, 12″ x 8″ tom, 14″ x 14″ floor tom, and a 14″ x 5″ snare drum. The retail price of the set will be announced at a later date.

  • New Gretsch Drum Badge and Finishes for 2009

    [Press Release]

    Gretsch USA is proud to incorporate some enduring and classic graphic elements from its past that die-hard Gretsch fans have been craving. Beginning January, the current “Since 1883” square badge will change to the “DropG” Gretsch stop sign badge (pic below) for all USA Custom drums. The “Since 1883” square badge will still be available for add-on drum matching. Interior shell labels will change from the current red/white/blue “Gretsch American” label to a classic silver and black, serialized interior shell label. Lastly, the Gretsch bass drum logo will move from the 12:00 clock-face position to an offset, 10:00 position.

    In addition, Gretsch USA is also introducing several new finishes for 2009. New finish options include Red/Silver Duco, Piano Black Gloss Lacquer, Piano White Gloss Lacquer, Vintage Oyster White Nitron, and Sky Blue Pearl Nitron.

  • Gretsch Introduces Classic Bop Custom Kits in Retro Finishes

    [Press Release]

    Gretsch USA Custom’s Classic Bop kits echo vintage 1960s-era style and performance. Available in Vintage Oyster White Nitron (pictured below) and Sky Blue Pearl retro finishes, Classic Bop offers classic Gretsch tone from 6-ply maple shells, 30-degree bearing edges, and Silver Sealer shell interiors. Contemporary features include a GTS tom suspension mount, foldout/telescoping bass drum spurs, and G9025 tom and floor tom leg brackets. Classic Bop kits also includes Gretsch’s new “DropG” stop sign badge, bass drum mount plate, single tom arm, T-Rods, Fiberskyn bass drum batter head with offset logo, Snap-In key holder, and coated resonant heads. Available sizes include an 18″ x 14″ bass drum, a 12″ x 8″ tom, a 14″ x 14″ floor tom, and a 14″ x 4.5″ snare.

    The retail price of the drum set is to be announced.

  • Dixon’s Double Pedal for Lefties

    [Press Release]

    Dixon is proud to offer left-handed players a new heavy-duty double bass drum pedal for 2009. Dixon’s sturdy 911DB-L bass drum pedal includes a dual-surface beater, easy-access bass drum clamp, and a double chain cam drive system. Other noteworthy features include a beater angle adjustment and an aluminum center u-joint housing with two adjustment points. Stabilizer platforms on the main and slave side pedals include built in spurs. The pedal retails for $349.99.

  • Dixon Drums Unveils Urban Camo Finish

    [Press Release]

    Dixon Drums is proud to expand their popular Demon series with a striking new Urban Camo wrap finish. The Demon’s 5-piece Urban Camo kit (DM-522E-UC) is constructed with 7-ply birch/mahogany shells featuring 45-degree bearing edges and 1.6 mm hoops. All toms and the snare include Evans G1 coated batter heads. Sizes: 22″ x 18″ bass drum, 10″ x 8″ tom, 12″ x 9″ tom, 14″ x 14″ floor tom, and 14″ x 5.5″ snare drum.

  • Dixon Drums Offers Rosewood Snare

    Dixon is expanding its snare offerings with a 13″ x 6″ rosewood snare and a free snare bag. This rosewood snare (DS-0613-RWD) features a 100% rosewood shell with tube lugs, 2.3mm power hoops, and Dunnett throw-off and butt plate. A sturdy and padded snare bag bearing an embroidered Dixon logo is also included. Retail price: $779

  • Yamaha Drums Introduces More Hardware

    [Press Release]

    Yamaha Drums introduces a rugged, functional, and flexible lineup of hardware at Winter NAMM 2009, including the 800 series, the 900 series, and the 1200 series.

    New additions to the 800 hardware series include cymbal stands (CS-850 and CS-865), a snare stand (SS-850) and a hi-hat stand (HS-850). Cymbal stands incorporate several design changes, including a toothless cymbal tilter for minute angle adjustment, a new boom tilter with a hinged clamp for a more secure hold, and plastic caps placed in the vertical tubes to prevent rattling. Pure zinc castings at all stress points provide added strength.

    “The new toothless tilter has been road-tested by many of our artists and they have been raving about it,” says Dave Jewell, marketing manager for Yamaha Drums, “and I think it will also be a big hit with consumers. Even a small detail, like caps on the vertical tubes, illustrates our commitment to making the very best hardware on the market.”

    The HS-850 hi-hat stand (pictured below) features an improved spring tension adjustment that makes it easy for drummers to find their preferred settings when changing hi-hat cymbals. The sturdy clutch stays closed, even for heavy hitters.

    The 900 series has been streamlined to a single cymbal stand model. The CS-965 retains the 900-series tripod base and incorporates the new toothless cymbal tilter and boom tilter clamp. The CSBW extra-long accessory boom is fitted with Yamaha’s toothless tilter and a heavy counter weight to keep them stable and sturdy even during the biggest cymbal crashes.

    “The CS-965 streamlines our 900 series and gives extreme drummers a versatile stand to meet their needs,” says Jim Haler, product manager for Yamaha Drums. “This stand is perfect for hard-hitters or those who place their cymbals high off the ground.”

    The SS-950 snare stand features a ball-and-socket adjuster that lets players position the drum at the perfect angle for their style—a great feature for drummers who appreciate the ability to fine tune their kit’s setup. The basket height can also be adjusted to accommodate deeper snare drums. Built-in spikes in the feet ensure stability.

    New hi-hat stands include the HS-1200, a straight-pull, three-leg stand; the HS-1200D, a two-legged version of the 1200 model; and the toggle-link drive HS-1200T. The spring tension also features a numbered scale for easy reference, and all models ship with two upper pull rods of different lengths. The new locking clutch keeps cymbals solidly in place. “The 1200 series stands let every drummer pick the feel he or she wants,” says Jewell.

  • Yamaha Absolute Series Drums Adopt New Features

    [Press Release]

    Onstage and in the studio, the Yamaha Absolute series drum sets offer professional quality sound and exclusive new features. At Winter NAMM 2009, Yamaha will introduce a new Absolute series with several features and options.

    Yamaha’s new YESS mounting system for the tom-toms, which debuted on the PHX series in 2008, now comes standard on the Absolute series and uses a chrome-plated steel mounting plate. Drummers can also choose the new hook lug as an option and can order a 20″-deep bass drum in the 22″-diameter size shell.

    “The innovative new hook lug and redesigned YESS mount continue a long tradition at Yamaha Drums of taking key features and adapting them to other drum lines,” says Dave Jewell, marketing manager for Yamaha Drums. “Now, these improvements are available to a wider range of drummers.”

    The YESS mount enhances sustain by shock-mounting the toms with dense rubber spacers between the shell and the mounting plate. The deeper bass drum provides a bigger sound by pushing more air without having to resort to a 24″-diameter drum. The hook lug makes changing heads much easier and increases the drum’s tuning range.

    “The new hook lug takes the advantages of the Nouveau lug and makes it better, while the new design of the YESS mount increases the drums’ sustain and adds clarity to the tone,” says Jim Haler, product manager for Yamaha Drums.

    The kits come in several exciting colors, including Burgundy (first pic below), Caramel Sparkle, Blue Ice Sparkle, Deep Blue, Luminous White Sparkle (which glows in the dark and you can check out in the second pic below), Solid Silver, and White Grape Sparkle.

    The Absolute series of drums, available in birch or maple, is expected to ship in July 2009.

  • Tama Debuts Hydraulic Lift Thrones

    Good news for your butt: Tama has unveiled the company’s first foray into hydraulic thrones.

    Though gas-powered stools are nothing new in the drummingverse, the thrones in Tama’s new series, dubbed the 1st Chair Hydraulix line, feature seats that come off easily from the base for a fast pack-up. There are two flavors available: the HT750C Ergo-Rider comes with Tama’s ergonomically shaped bicycle seat. The HT650C Round-Rider (pictured below) boasts an all-new rounder-shaped seat with lower profile seams for completely unimpeded leg motion and a special air pocket in the bottom that helps reduce playing fatigue.

    The HT750C Ergo-Rider Hydraulix lists for $265.99, and the HT650C Round-Rider Hydraulix lists for $249.99.

    A small price to pay for a smooth ass ride, no?

  • Want to Interview Neil Peart?

    Now you can kinda’, sorta’ do so courtesy of DRUM! magazine. Peart will be the cover story for DRUM!‘s June 2009 issue, and instead of having the Professor interviewed by a regular old drumming journo, the magazine is turning over the question-asking to you, Neil Peart’s rabid fans. Just send your favorite to the following email address: neilpeart@drumlink.com. Fans whose questions are chosen will receive their names and pictures in the article. You got until March 15 to think of a good one. Check out the full details below:

    [Press Release]

    Enter Music Publishing, publishers of hip percussion mags worldwide, will feature Neil Peart on the cover of DRUM! magazine in June. However, instead of having one of its staff writers interview Neil, the company is inviting Neil Peart fans to conduct the interviews via email. In fact, the company has set up a special email address, neilpeart@drumlink.com, so the Neil Peart population can have their say. (Readers can also go online or access a question page on DRUM!’s YouTube site.)

    Those fans who want to participate simply email their questions, and if chosen by editor Andy Doerschuk, they will have their names and pictures included in the story. “We’ve done this once before and it was a great success,” said Phil Hood, publisher of Enter Music Publishing. “With Neil’s fans it will be even better. We’re very curious to see what the results will be of our email story campaign.”

    After receiving all of the interview questions, which are due by March 15, Doerschuk will then weave them into an integrated interview. “Neil Peart seemed like a great pick for this kind of story,” Doerschuk said. “After all, he has won DRUM! magazine’s “drummie” of the year for two straight years. Our fan base, regardless of age, obviously respects him and that did play into our decision to try this with him.”

    DRUM! magazine expects a great response from Peart fans to this opportunity. The company just hopes that its drumlink.com server will not explode due to the amount of incoming email.

  • Tama Adds Titanium Snare Drum to Warlord Collection

    Tama’s Warlord collection is known for three things—big sounds, big looks, and freakin’ bloody-big price tags. The new Titan model is no exception. The bad news first: one of these bad bastards will cost you $2,849.99 (MSRP). The good news is that the drum weighs much less than its Warlord brethren, even though it produces a louder sound, one that we’re told borders on painful (RAWK!!!!!). It features a 14″ x 6″, 1.0mm titanium shell with Tama’s Resonant Sound Edge bearing edge, die-cast hoops, and a hard-shell case.

  • Lars Ulrich Asked for New Tama Color

    We’ve already posted several pics of Lars Ulrich’s signature kit, and now we got the goods on how its color came about.

    [Press Release]

    Metallic drummer Lars Ulrich wanted a new color in his life. More specifically he wanted a new orange finish for his set for the Death Magnetic tour.” And not just any orange,”said Terry Bissette of Tama.” Lars Ulrich was very specific that he wasn’t looking for something we already had, such as our Marigold Sparkle or anything like that. Our people in LA and Japan worked with Lars for a while before we came up with just the right shade to match what he was looking for.” That finish went on to grace Lars’s kit for the tour. Fortunately, for Tama and Metallica drumming fans, Lars Ulrich was willing to share.

    For 2009, that special orange finish, now named “LU Magnetic Orange” for both the tour and drummer, is now an available finish for Tama’s Starclassic maple series. Drummer’s can re-create Lars’s tour kit, or choose from any of the staggering number of diameters and depths available in the Starclassic maple series.

  • New PDP Platinum Finishes

    The Platinum series is PDP’s flagship line, with 8-ply North American maple shells, double-oval tube lugs, and now a bevy of new finishes. Over 20 were introduced at NAMM 2009. Three that get our sticks hard: Camo Glass FinishPly, Blue to Black Burst Satin Oil, and Vintage Sunburst Satin Oil (shown below).

  • Sins of Drumming: Drum Solos?

    Why, oh God why, do you think it’s a good idea to do a drum solo? First off, I don’t like guitar solos either, but at least ones that aren’t “Eruption” or Malmsteen douchebaggery are in an actual song. Even if the solo is a bunch of show-offy garbage, there’s still a band to listen to. But drum solos. Fuck, man.

    Now, I know this is a drum site, and I know blah blah Neil Peart blah, but save it. What Neil Peart does is extremely impressive with his 150 tubs and miscellanea twirling around him like a junkyard carousel, but can you actually just drive down the road and listen to one of those indulgences? If so, may I suggest listening to actual music?

    And no, drum solos sure as fuck aren’t music. Watch these fucking clowns pull off their wanking parlor tricks. Maybe if your band calls for a four-minute snare roll you can blow everyone away, but seriously, these dudes may as well be twirling around yo-yos.

    The question is this: if you’re so good at your instrument, why don’t you write a song that incorporates these amazing parts? Is it because you’re the guy who has to sit in the back obscured by a bunch of metal and wood so that while your bandmates go do a bunch of blow off groupies in the back, you get to be the center of attention? Is it because you suffer from the malady of so many other drummers where you have to play at every available moment, like when you’re at practice and your guitar player is telling a story and you start doing paradiddles like it’s not distracting? Seriously, you gotta cut that shit out.

    There is no denying the talent of dozens of drummers who illustrate their aptitude by soloing. But keep in mind that when you start really opening up on rack toms and blaze through an 11:17 polyrhythm, that’s usually when people go get another beer.

    Your opinion of drum solos:

    1. Drum solos should only be allowed for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
    2. Drum solos should only be allowed for one-armed drummers who aren’t Rick Allen.
    3. At least it’s not a bass solo.
    4. As long as it’s in a spinning cage, no problem.
    5. I’m John Bonham’s ghost and the acid just kicked in.