CONTACT CCD

Check this out. I ate dinner with James Zumbrock, Neil Holmquest and Rod Morgenstein a few months ago. Neil and I became fast friends and are trying to hook up next time I’m heading to Nashville and down 65 in mid-Indiana. James was a top-notch person and with an incredible passion for drums, and I enjoyed listening to him talk about his manufacturing process that he does by hand, by himself from start to finish. I about died when he pulled one of his pieces of art out of the case for Rod to check out, I wanted to snatch and grab, but figured I’d be caught! I want to stop out and see his operation and get a snare drum I think he’s somewhere not to far from here in Ottawa to drive around Sycamore. . .

The snare Rod got was more delicious looking than food to me, it looked like it was made out of deep swiss chocolate. It’s top notch construction, with a great trick throw off and hardware and the finish was out of this world. I sat there drooling imagining what it would sound like in the studio. A couple of Rod swats in the restaurant confirmed it sounded amazing. I’m not sure if Boomer is hip to him… as I’m not sure if James is hitting all the drum shows.

I think he’ll make custom sized drums to whatever dimensions for drummers Rod is excitedly getting a set after touring with the snare with Winger for the last year). I’m mulling it over before the price goes through the roof – it would be nice not to be constrained to standard issue sizes with my interest in recorded tones only – and I’d like to get into some exotic hardwoods like Birds eye or flame maple, and African Ebony as it’s my preference for neck hardwoods being generally about 10% harder than the hardest versions of maple. Solid wood instead of plywood seems to make a lot of sense. My luthier ( I play no brand name anything anymore) is always freaking out at how hard it is to cut my necks out and finish due to the wood hardness, and it gives my neck as glass-edge timbre (I play with muted highs, but that definition is incredible and has improved my playing and tone in quantum leaps) that defines my ideal tone coupled with the hand-made aspect of tolerances and fitting which just blow away CNC machined necks. Nothing like having a tool shaped to your vision of tone and hands. Once I play a few, I’ll know how to gauge what aspects I want customized like depths.

I was at Chicago drum company the other day picking up parts and getting an old slingerland set refurbished – and mentioned the Crook stave snare and Garry Hane and old friend that works there gave me double take when I mentioned the selling price and said they’re giving away the snare at under $1000 for what you’re getting. James knows it, but realizes it takes a good long while to build a brand name up in the drum world. Check out him out, it’s almost Christmas and time for every musician to think of themselves for a change 🙂 before you blow all your cash on your family!