Blog Articles

“You got to do things the hard way …“
10/29/2022

“… if you’re ever gonna do them right.” Okay, I don’t usually discuss my build processes but, hey, let’s talk about bearing edges, just as an example. ... Continue reading


Resonance vs. Ring vs. Sustain
9/20/2021

A couple of weeks ago, I played on the worst-sounding kit I have ever encountered in more than six decades as a drummer. ... Continue reading


Let’s talk about resale value
5/3/2021

There used to be a saying that the minute you drove your new car out of the dealership, the value of the car dropped by half.

You don’t hear that these days because a couple of things have happened since then. ... Continue reading


Getting “that” snare sound
2/13/2021

I suppose most boutique drum builders get requests to make a snare that matches the sound of the snare in a certain recording or a certain video; I know I get a lot of them myself. And when I go online, I see hundreds of posts from drummers who want to know what drum was used in a given video or recording, so that they can go buy the same model for themselves.

Here’s why I don’t build to match a recorded sound. It’s not that it can’t be done, it’s that it doesn’t always make for a very good drum. ... Continue reading


The drum ... or the drummer
12/18/2020

I miss jam sessions.

I know they’ll be back eventually. And it’s not just that I miss playing music, with the enjoyment of people I know and the challenge of locking in with people I don’t know. Early on in my drum building venture, I found a great benefit – and great enjoyment – in another side of jam sessions. ... Continue reading


The things that determine a drum’s sound
12/2/2020

Whenever I’m planning a drum build with a client, I try to ask questions that’ll help me design the drum to fit the client’s own needs and goals. If I can get a clear picture of what they want, I can arrange the elements to make the drum able to do the job. But the sound of a drum isn’t something that’s easy to describe. ... Continue reading


Is a high-end drum really better, and what does that mean anyway?
10/21/2020

It seems like every week or so I’m seeing an online discussion about the price tags that go with boutique drums, and most of the participants lean toward the position that inexpensive drums sound just as good and do the job just as well. Recently I was reading a magazine article that stated that “pricey drums often have upscale features that have little effect on a drum’s tone or overall usability.”

Well, I beg to differ – not because I make high-end drums, but because I have a little more information about what goes into them and how it can make a difference. ... Continue reading


What’s going on under your snare drum?
10/2/2020

Most people think of the snare drum as the most important drum in the kit. Certainly, it creates the most distinctive voice for each drummer, and it cuts through the mix more than any other drum. But it’s also the only drum in the kit that sits right in the drummer’s lap so that he or she is looking directly down at it – and yet not seeing or accurately hearing what’s happening on the reso side, under the drum. Which is kind of concerning, considering that everything that makes it a snare instead of a tom is operating down there. ... Continue reading


Taking a snare drum for a test run
9/17/2020

There was a time when I exhibited at drum shows. (Why I stopped might be a future topic. Or not, we’ll see.) So I’ve watched hundreds of people trying out snare drums, in lots of different ways, at my booths and other places. Some of them came away with some acquaintance with the drum. Most didn’t. ... Continue reading


Why a blog?
9/15/2020

For years, I’ve been a participant in open discussions about drums and drum-building, both online and with clients, other drummers, and other builders. I’ve also been an avid consumer of tips, guides, tricks, and reference from a myriad of sources – open eyes, open ears, and open mind being the first steps to becoming informed. And of course, as a builder, I’ve learned from a whole lot of experimenting, testing, and just plain figuring out.

But one of the things that’s always bugged me is that there’s at least as much misinformation out there as there is good factual knowledge ... Continue reading