So why ‘custom’ drums? I’ve had a few friends and colliges tell me how great it is to own and operate your own business… set your own hours and work when you want…. (?!?!?)… I’ve had others say they’d love to be doing just what i’m doing…

So again, why custom drums? Well… it’s not for the money, that’s for sure…!!

I’ve always told people to not get into the custom drum building business… it’s not worth it… Since i’ve started the business in 1985, i’ve seen five custom drum companies come and go in Canada. If your main goal is to become another Pearl, Tama, or Yamaha… do not get into making drums… get into importing… that’s where the $ is.

I remember talking to the owner of one of those companies, and he mentioned it was the worst thing he’d ever done… he lost a lot of money. He said he gave up his endorsement with a very reputiable drum company to lose money at his own.

It’s hard to sell a custom drum made in North America, when you can purchase one that is made overseas for a third of the price. So how do you survive in the business? It’s tough, very tough. I feel i’ve been blessed to be one of the lucky few that has survived this long. I do it for the love of the drum, and the love of seeing and hearing the end result…. because that’s all there is at the end…

A lot of ‘custom’ drum companies offer a wide list of drum components, shells, hardware and finishes… and then say “order all this and you’ll have an amazing sounding ‘custom’ drum set”. Not true… period.

My biggest pet peeve about the custom drum companies is that they think that by just grabbing some parts and shells, they’ll be able to offer an amazing drum kt. They often just sell the sizzle, not the steak. They offer every kind of finish, every kind of part, and will even custom paint and/or powder coat your hardware.

Over my twenty years of building and designing, i’ve found you can’t just grab and shell and slap some hardware on it…

Here’s some of the intregacies i know will affect the drum tone…

First you have to understand the material you’re working with… Maple, Birch, some sort of composite material… how does it resonate, how many plies, how does the thickness affect the tone. Then you have to know where to place the hardware and why. You can’t just copy the measurements of your favourite drum company and set you hardware there, there has to be a factor involved in the placement of the lug casings. I pretty much know what lugs sound good where… and why… it’s been a lot of testing, and it continues to be, but knowing the weight, size and type of lug will dictate the location on the drum… and this can change from drum to drum as the size and thickness changes on the shells.
Next, you need to know how the hoops will change and sound and feel of the drum. Triple flanged, Die cast, or wood hoops will all react differently… should the location of the lug, or lug type, change because of the hoop? How about the bearing edges? How will the drum sound with different edges… depending on the hoops… depending on the location of the lugs… depending on the placement of lugs… depending on how many lugs per drum. How about offset lugs on snares and toms… Does powder coating change the tone of a drum? In some cases, yes. We haven’t even touched on the sound differences of lacquers (satin or gloss), and wraps, if any… and then mounting the toms.. does that change the sound… or how about sealing the inside of the shell… reflective surface or not… the list goes on…

i think it was bill bruford who said “a drum, is a drum, is a drum”… there’s some truth to that… out about 10 feet is anyone really going to notice those small changes in lug placement, wrap, hoops, mounting, heads, etc… hopefully they’ll be noticing your playing instead. But there is a lot of truth in the fact that if you like the sounds of your drums you will be inspired to play at your best.

I’ve always said to not buy into the sizzle, know what you’re looking for and why… not because you heard it on this CD or MP3… not because you favourite drummer this month is playing it…

It is more important to get a set of drums that will respond to the heads you put on. Will bring out the characteristic of that head. Will be tunable into the different ranges of music (within reason), and will hold up under the rigors of transportation and hitting.

Forget powder coating and the fancy flame of the month paint job, if you plan to have the kit for some time. Just look at some of the kits out there after a few years of touring and playing.

Any reputable company should not offer you every kind of lug casing under the sun. Or anything you want just to get your business. The true ‘custom’ drum company know’s what works and why… and what things will have little bearing on tone, sound, longevity, and what things will greatly effect the same.

The Simple breakdown…

Never buy the sizzle of the new finish or something you might get tired of.
Shells First – Know what shell sizes will work for you and your playing style, sitting height, and ability.

Pick the proper shell thickness and plies for the tone and sound you want.
Marry the right combination of lugs, hoops, and bearing edges to get you sound.
Use the correct heads and tuning to produce the sound you want.

Exterior Finish – Lacquer, or wrap… in all cases you should be happy and inspired.

Interior Finish – Lacquer type for the tone.