Freaks

    I've decided that the world needs to know about my obsession with creating drum freaks (custom drums made from mixed sources). Who knows, maybe this will help with World Peace.
   Currently I've got a Ludwig set in the pipeline with a Slingerland bass drum not far behind. The Ludwigs were given to me by my buddy Max. He got them years ago for mowing someone's lawn. They were painted black at the time. He improved them by spray painting bright yellow. I took off all the hardware and stripped the shells. The toms, 12 and 16 concert style, are maple/poplar/maple from the early 70's, while the 20 inch bass drum is mahogany/poplar/mahogany from 1967. I've stained the toms a yellow to orange to green fade. Over this I'm french polishing which gives a wonderful texture with depth and warm sheen. The bass drum I left natural mahogany with french polish. Anthony at Village Drum sold me a couple of old wood hoops which got stripped and stained orange. Don't know what I'll do with the grooves in the hoops yet, maybe veneer or wrap. I could paint a design in the grooves. I like adding leather gaskets under the lugs, apologies to the purists. The hardware is a mixed bag of Ludwig lugs, Gretsch t-rods and claws and import tom leg supports.
   For ten bucks, I bought a 22 inch 70's Slingerland bass drum with WMP wrap shell. Used to belong to the Providence school system. The wrap is in good enough shape to use. I've got some Japanese copys of Slingerland lugs which fit the hole pattern and a chrome hoop with WMP inlay. Got to find some claws that will work with the old school t-rods I already have. A tom mount, some spurs and a second hoop will get it up and running. Heads are a problem because of the cost but I'll scrimp and save.

   In the band I'm in, Limbic System, I've been playing a kit finished in mahogany veneer(what was under the original wrap) comprised of 1968 Slingerland 20 inch bass drum and a 12 inch mounted tom with a 70's 15 inch converted Ludwig snare that's now a floor tom. Anthony had a 60's Japanese set with lugs that look like they were copied from vintage Sonor lugs, with sharp ends, very 50's car like style. They look fantastic on this set with chrome hoops on the toms and natural maple hoops on the bass drum. I made a mahogany dutchman patch to cover up the area on the bass drum where the tom mount was. My current favorite snare is 5 x 14 maple 2ply with ash re-rings, made from an old Kent floor tom, that I cut down for several shells. I love maple, fairly easy to work and always interesting grain and color. Kent seemed to use some funky stock for their shells which is one reason they didn't stay very round. With the addition of re-rings, I've been able to get them more round. Anyway, I stained this one with a yellow/orange analine stain with double ended Kent lugs and leather gaskets, piccolo strainer and triple flanged hoops topped with Remo Ambassadors. Great sounding snare but a can't really lean into too much, good for smaller clubs, tuned just up from a nice doo sound.