All of the drums I’ve picked up in recent years have been used – due mostly to my interest in vintage gear and the seemingly endless number of great drums that pop up at the local drum shop or online. Well, that’s not entirely true.  I have purchased one new drum in the past 26 … More Dunnett Model 2N Brass Snare

The drum that started my little collecting hobby two years ago was a 1968 Ludwig Acrolite.  It’s basically a gateway drum – cheap, plentiful, sounds great – and it set me on the road of learning about the last 100 years of drum making and building a collection of essential snare drums. And as I’ve … More 1969 Ludwig Standard Acrolite Finish

As a Canadian drummer and wannabe collector, I have a particular soft spot for Ayotte drums.  Often heralded as the first boutique drum company, it was founded by Ray Ayotte out in Vancouver in the early 1980s.  The drums that came out of his shop are universally praised for their exceptional craftsmanship, with beautiful wood … More 1990s Ayotte Custom Snare Drum

A fellow Yamaha Custom Drums owner gave me the heads up about a pretty unique set of drums.  These were for sale on the Chicago Music Exchange site a few months ago, and were listed as an early 2000s Absolute Maple Custom drum kit with wood hoops. Of course, the badge says they’re Yamaha Custom … More Yamaha Custom Drums, Part 4

The great thing about collecting vintage drums is the vast range of options and pricing.  As much as I’d like to have an engraved 1920s Ludwig Black Beauty in my collection, it’s a bit out of my price range at the moment (unless I stumble across one at an estate sale or Goodwill store, which … More 1970 Ludwig Standard Snare