Precision Drums!

This is very exciting news for me! I have been endorsed by Precision Drums. I spent forever figuring out what I wanted in a drum set and hashing out the design, then the built it for me and let me tell you - it sounds great. There are pictures of it at http://precisiondrum.com/html/endorsers.html, and I'm reposting the testimonial that I wrote for them here. If you're a drummer I highly recommend thinking about getting a snare drum or a whole drum set made by Precision - they can do anything you can imagine, and playing a drum that is a product of your own imagination is a thoroughly fulfilling experience.

Here's the blurb I wrote for Precision:

Let’s start with a simple statement of fact: Precision Drums are awesome. My set is the most responsive, beautiful sounding, and beautiful looking kit that I have ever played. The finish is striking and masterfully done. In fact, as soon as I have them out of the cases, I have people coming up to ask me who made them.

As to the details of the construction of the drums, I selected a 20 ply maple snare (4x14).This is the first time that I have used such thick wood on a snare, and the extra plys have an interesting effect on the tone. Tuned tightly, it produces a strong, wood-tinged pop with dark edges, and the tone is strong enough that it can clearly cut through other instruments on stage without needing to be cranked to marching-snare level tightness. Hitting near the edge of the head causes the higher frequencies of the wood to respond, so the result is a startlingly different ringing snap. Also, in part due to the thicker shells, rim clicks from this drum are positively deafening.

The toms (9x12, 13x16 – Maple, 8 ply) ring out loud and clear. They can also handle different types of heads and different muffling styles, so you can suit them to the situation easily. The tone is both warm and vibrant, and the wood responds well to even light pressure.

The bass drum (18x22, Maple, 8-ply) is definitely a professional’s instrument. It produces tons of sound, and the there are many options as to how to shape and direct that sound. The shell of the bass is very responsive, so it will ring strongly without having to pound the drum as hard as you can (although I still tend to do that anyways). I use a muffled batter side head to balance the sound with the other instruments, but that does not detract from the satisfying THOOMP you get out of it. It’s basically a made-to-order producer of awesome.

The whole process of designing the kit was greatly facilitated by Gary and the rest of the team at Precision Drum Company. They were able to take my half-baked ideas and turn them into something tangible, and could answer every question I had with an amazing wealth of knowledge. This drum set is going to last years, and is one of the best that you’ll be able to find anywhere.