John Dittrich is the well known drummer, singer and founding member of the country/pop band Restless Heart who had numerous hits in the country and pop genres. He is retiring after a successful career of touring and recording with Restless Heart for thirty years and has consigned 25 snare drums, 50 cymbals and two drum sets to DrumSellers.com to sell.
Read moreMike Clark: Remembering Tony Williams
“Like many of us, I was pondering Tony Williams' effect on the music world.
I remember how we all sounded before Tony and after. Very Different... Most of us were trying to sound like Max Roach, or Philly Joe Jones but then 'Four and More' came out. Within a year on the West Coast if you wanted to work with guys like Bobby Hutcherson or Woody Shaw - you had to have some sort of answer for this 'new and modern' type of playing. Tony turned the jazz drumming world upside down.
Read moreLudwig Downbeat No. 988-1PCX Pink Champagne
This total restoration took me an awful long time and hours of countless elbow grease. I purchased this from the original owners brother, he had passed away decades ago and he couldn’t bring himself to part with the set. But he finally realized that they were just wasting away and that they should be brought back to life and played again. I’m glad he did. He is a very nice guy and he was thrilled to know that I was not only going to restore them, but play them as well and keep his brothers legacy alive. As promised I will be sending him the “after” photos.
Slingerland WWII Bomber orphans kit restoration
These drums are without a doubt the cleanest most reliable "Players grade" Bomber set of unborn together drums out there. Every screw nut bolt and bits as well as interior moisturized and protected shells has been addressed. All of the drums will have medium modern batter heads and thinner reso heads that are a combination of Aquarian vintage and remo ambassadors.. The BD has an Aquarian SKIII batter head and the Fiberskyn Reso head. The snare has been modified for maximum performance with in its original design. Calfskin could be an option for a reflected price and of course results are not guaranteed. (SOLD)
Read morePaul Brown: Give it up for Mitch Mitchell !
Roger recalls being approached by, ex Animals bassist, Chas Chandler asking " Would you guys mind giving up your middle set tonight? " for a new act. After clearing it with the club`s manager and confirmation that they would still be paid in full for the night, Roger and the band also agreed to loan their backline and drum kit. Enter the recently formed Jimi Hendrix Experience who, after recording their first single `Hey Joe` only two days prior, were about to perform their British debut showcase gig!
Read moreFrom editor George Lawrence
*The death of 50 year old Taylor Hawkins last week stunned the world of drummers. Why was he so immensely popular and admired by drummers the world over?
Read more1924 - 1926 Leedy ‘Paisley Gold’ Professional Model Snare Drum - Finish : Paisley Gold (Uncatalogued) Size : 5 x 14
There are two known examples of this particular Leedy finish on snares. The first first example belongs to Mike Curotto, which was previously referred to as "Antique Wallpaper", given the pattern and nature of the material, and the second being this featured drum only recently uncovered in October of 2021. It is also understood that there is an example of a bass drum that was seen however not documented to my knowledge as of this writing. The shell and wrap on these drums are what makes them so unique.
Read moreThe Mystery of Ludwig & Ludwig “Butterscotch Pearl”
There have been sightings over the years of Ludwig & Ludwig oval-badged drums with an unusual dark golden marine pearl wrap. The history of these drums is a bit unclear as Ludwig catalogs, ads, or brochures do not reference them. I first saw such a kit in Bun E Carlos’s collection back in a visit to Rockford, IL in 2013. I was quite struck by the amazing, rich, golden color of the pearl.
Read morePete Cater: Remembering Tony Williams
“Tony was, in my opinion, one of the few master improvisers of our instrument. He added significantly to the vocabulary of jazz drumming and though his earliest recorded output is now over sixty years old, it nonetheless sounds as ground breaking and innovative as if recorded yesterday."
Read moreMike Clark: Words of Wisdom - Chapter 27
“Some shuffles might be too nasty for some bands or players so you have to take some of the grease or looseness off of it - or change how it moves. Same with funk beats, some are too funky and cats don't get it. Am I the only one that has experienced this? It's like a 1958 Chevy with a big engine and glass pack muffler. It shook when you went through the gears. It felt like the body was fitting on the frame real loose. Some cats would drive it and think something was wrong.”
Read moreMiles Ahead - A look back at Canada's Milestone Percussion
The Milestone shells -- each one lovingly hand formed by Clapham and Co. -- were made from a range of 'formulas', each one selected for tone and resonance. Type 2 and 4 made for great bass drums. Toms were available in formula 3 and formula 6. Snares came in formulas 5 and 8. To my ears, there are subtle but discernible differences between the formulas.
Read more1928 Slingerland “Speed Sticks” Counter Top Drumstick Display.
You don’t find “Speed Sticks” advertised in Slingerland catalogs after the early 1930s.
I believe that this is one of two still in existence today, and also one of the very first if not the first dealer display items ever made by the Slingerland company.
RIP Taylor Hawkins of Foo Fighters
Taylor Hawkins, to me, was the ultimate drum nerd. He had so much fun playing the drums and talking about drums and drummers, and was a fan of the other great rock drummers: his peers. He plays and nails so many of the iconic rock drum parts in this interview video. At 41:00 he plays the drum part to the Toto Song "Rosanna" that the late Jeff Porcaro created, which is not an easy part to play with the finesse that Porcaro did. Taylor nails it in this video. Especially
Read more1960s Ludwig Hollywood Set
This is a 1960s Ludwig Hollywood set that I bought from my longtime friend Bill Pace, who by the way is doing fine. I talked to him this week and even though he doesn't get out and go as much as he once did, he is playing his drums and still buys and sells at times. He felt that the kit was in need of restoration, including a new finish, so this was his project 20 plus years ago. He said the finish was badly damaged and wanted to make them look and sound good again.
Read moreThe Most Important Sticking Ever?
Watch any drummer in any situation -- especially during a drum solo -- and you'll probably see a rather ordinary figure. And you'll see it a lot. That's because the sticking is simple, versatile, easily executed, and very effective … and it‘s a lot of fun to play. It's this one: RLL (or LRR if you prefer).
Read moreFrom the editor
There are some major changes in the works for Not So Modern Drummer and DrumSellers.com. Long range plans are to combine certain aspects and functions of both sites to add new features that will be very useful to our subscribers and readers.
Read moreLen Companaro - A Successful Drummer
Len may not be a name that is well known in the drumming world but he is a guy that has played places that many of us dream about and worked with some of the greatest musicians in the world. If the definition of being successful means that you are blessed to do something you love, then I believe that Len has lead a very successful life.
Read moreHoward Grimes passes - backbone drummer of Memphis Soul
As a drummer for Hi Records' house band the Hi Rhythm Section in the 1970s, Grimes worked closely with artists including Al Green, Ann Peebles and Otis Clay, among others. His beats on songs including Green's "Let's Stay Together" and Peebles' "I Can't Stand the Rain" served as a crucial foundation for the burgeoning Memphis soul sound of the era.
Read moreModel Numbers in Vintage Gretsch Drums
Tags from a 1963 Gretsch Round Badge set
Gretsch began placing paper labels inside their drums in about 1962. The paper labels possessed both model numbers and serial numbers. The focus of this article is on how model numbers were presented on the paper labels.[i] Knowledge of how Gretsch expressed model number is another useful dating tool.[ii]
Read moreVideo - NSMD writer Mat Marucci: A lesson in swinging hard with the Jimmy Smith Trio
Most of the NSMD writers are accomplished drummers. Featured this month is Mat Marruci who has written a number of educational articles for us. I told Mat that I was very envious that he got to play with the Jimmy Smith Trio.
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