Since 1985
Crafting Inspiration
A little History…
Well, It all started in a small Drum Shoppe a little north of Toronto more than 30 years ago…
That’s where I (Seppo Salminen) started fixing and repairing drums, parts, and pieces… even started refinishing them! Then slowly got into making some matching snare drums, toms and bass drums for customers and local artists. I remember even cutting bearing edges and snare beds by hand with a
Back in the day, there were (are still are) a lot of people claiming to fix, repair, and even build customized drum kits, or complete vintage drum restorations. I remember customers telling me horror stories of how hard it was to get some serious work done on their drums. I know I hated taking my drums in for repairs. I didn’t mind paying the money if the job was done right, but I hated feeling like I didn’t get a good job, or the job looked pretty poor, or that it wasn’t even fixed right. Many times I remember thinking that I could have done things a little better. So… I did…
Today, there are some really excellent drum shops, but only a few can offer the depth of drum servicing required. There’s nothing wrong with that, retailers can only do so much because of drum line availability, staff knowledge, and the space required for a decent repair shop, and basically… the want. Stores just can’t fit in a full drum repair shop, tools, sanders, drill presses, and spray booth. It’s nice to sell drums, cymbals, and the latest cool toys… but custom work is another expertise altogether.
So… where do you go to get your Vintage Drum Kit repaired, or a true Custom Drum Kit built the way you want it? Well, that was my question years and years ago…. and probably yours as well. Being an avid Vintage Drum collector and somewhat of a historian, I didn’t want just anybody working on my drums, they had to know this stuff inside and out. So, I took matters into my own hands.
I wanted to create a place were drummers could go not only to get all their repairs done but also a workshop that designs and crafts complete custom drum kits.
At The Rhythm Section, we offer total custom drum set design, repairs and refurbishing. We can repair, re-wrap, or re-lacquer your drums. We can find you
We can even have your hardware custom powder coated, or re-plated, in any colour for a new and cool look.
Our own line of TRS Custom Drums
What Drives Us
Our Mission
To design a timeless and professional drum that performs as desired in all playing situations. We want to create a place were drummers could go not only to get all their repairs done but also a workshop that designs and crafts complete custom drum kits. Putting quality, service, reputation, and experience first.
“The drum kit must inspire one to play and improve and develop!” – Seppo Salminen
TRS Team
Our Drum-Smiths
Jari Salminen
Drum-Smith
Seppo Salminen
Founder of TRS and RNM Productions
Jeramy Burton
Drum-smith
Jari Salminen
Drum-Smith
Jeramy Burton
Drum-smith
Seppo Salminen
Founder of TRS and RNM Productions
How We Do it
Our Process
So what goes into our craft here at TRS Custom Drums?
We will do a quick breakdown of the structure and what goes into each of the series of drums we manufacture. Simply put…we are true ‘wood-workers’, and understand the nuances of wood, the ageing of wood, the extreme variability of wood, and, the work required to get a not only a beautiful finish but also an awesome sounding drum.
Also, we are avid collectors of drums and have a large inventory of vintage and collectable snares and kits. Need vintage drums refinished or refurbished… properly?
We are the ‘go-to’ guys…. a vast knowledge of vintage drums and edges and woods, have made us first hand historians…. and as builders, we know the sounds and tones of pretty much any and all the drums out there. How can you build anything without knowing the history and tones of those great vintage drums? You know the past to clearly see the future!
It all starts with the shells. TRS Custom Drums offers four distinct shell types for a wide variety of tonality, diversity, and styles;
Maple Shells – Classic 100% A Grade All Canadian Maple shells – These consist of our 5 and 7
They make up the following three series.
Studio Series – Classic Maple Shell — 5 Ply toms and floors and 7 Ply Bass drums – These shells are clear shell types with no reinforcement rings.
Savant Series – Classic Maple Shells — 6 ply Maple shells with 6 ply top Re-ring only. Bass drum consists of 8
Vintage Series – Classic Maple shells in 6 ply as standard. Clear shells no re-rings – Vintage Round over Edges, Vintage Spurs, Rail Consolette, Antique White Interior Paint Sealer, and Stick Saver Hoops.
Both Series can be finished in a variety of Custom Wraps, Exotic Veneers, or Brilliant Lacquer Finishes. Custom hand laid Inlays and custom hardware also available.
Custom Craft Shells – These are our own Exclusive Vertical Grain 100 % Canadian
Maple Exterior, and a Vertical Grain African Mahogany Interior – 7 and 9
This is our
Elite Shells – Custom Mahogany / Poplar blend. 5 ply shells with thin 6 and 8 ply Maple re-rings. These are truly Vintage and Warm. Not straying too far from those sweet old Radio Kings of yesteryear.
This is our Elite Series!
Exotic Shells – Our Exotic Shells consist of Solid Shell Steam Bent, Stave, and Segmented Shells of various woods and descriptions.
Also represented are Exotic Wood Veneers on our Classic Maple, Custom Craft, or Elite Shells.
All shells are selected and finished for their tonal qualities and visual appeal.
The quality of our finishes is only matched by the quality of our shells. Our finishes go from high-gloss lacquer finishes, satin stains, natural and exotic veneers, to elegant hand laid inlays and everything in between. Every drum is hand-sanded, stained, sealed, finished, and hand polished in-house by our professional drum-smiths to give you a truly beautiful drum. A beautiful look and feel that’s completely original.
4 Step Inner Shell Sealing Process – All Shells go through our tried and true original shell sealing process that not only seals and protects the shell for moisture, but also enhances the beauty, and adds to the warm and round tones of all our shells.
We use only the highest quality hardware and parts on all our varied drum designs. We have designed specific lugs to use for our specific kit lines, but you can pick and choose the lugs of your choice for a truly unique and custom kit.
Attention to detail is foremost as we drill and mount lugs and parts onto any new or vintage shell. Parts can also be customized, plated and/or powder coated.
Probably one of the most important aspects of a drum’s tone, sustain and feel. Each line has a specific cut edge to bring out the best quality and enhanced tone of the shell and wood structure. Each edge is then hand checked, cut, sanded, oiled, sealed and waxed. Our bearing edges are crafted to transform and bring the best tones out of each drum.
Specifics are laid out in the product descriptions.
After all the drilling and assembly of the components, we will check and tune each drum to assure quality control and that no drums leave the shop untested. TRS Custom Drum specs have been designed with years of testing and knowledge to provide the best combination of tone, attack, warmth, and sustain.
We’ve listened and learned from our players over the last 30 years and moved with the styles and sounds our players require. We’ve pretty much tried, built, and tested just about everything and every possible combination of shells, parts, finishes, and heads. We’ve let our players and endorsers be the judge and help in designing and redesigning the edges and shells to get the best of each shell construction.
All TRS Custom Drums must meet our highest standards before we send out the final finished products to their destination – you!
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drums@trscustomdrums.com
(+1) 905-751-7849
Unit 3, 1215 Twinney Dr. Newmarket, Ontario, Canada
Hours: Wed-Sat 9am-5pm
Studio hours may vary