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Modern Drummer is the world’s most widely read drum magazine, is dedicated entirely to the art of drumming and caters to the needs of amateur, semi-pro, and professional drummers.
GMS - Special Edition Series Drumset
Back in 1987, when Long Islanders Rob Mazzella and Tony Gallino joined forces to create the GMS Drum Co., there weren’t many companies offering custom drumsets that didn’t need some type of “doctoring” (bearing-edge work, hardware upgrades, etc.) in order…
Zildjian 21" K Custom Organic and 20" K Constantinople Renaissance Rides (Video)
Zildjian recently teamed up with two of its artists, drummer/educator Pat Petrillo and jazz great Adam Nussbaum, to create specialized signature rides designed to offer varying degrees of “crashability” and pinpoint articulation. Let’s take a look at each. TO READ…
Castle - Tapered Snares (Video)
Massachusetts-based craftsman David Cheney has developed a unique conical snare drum shell with function as its focus. The shell is created using solid wood staves and features a 14" batter side that tapers down to a 13" resonant end. TO…
Cymgard - Cymbal Accessories (Video)
The drum industry has plenty of cymbal accessories, including mutes, bags, and fancy felts. So what’s next? Cymgard thinks it has the answer, and the company sent us three cymbal mutes/edge protectors to check out: the Standard, the Lite, and…
SJC - Maple/Brass Hybrid Snare
Product Close-Up SJC Maple/Brass Hybrid Snare A powerhouse drum combining the spray and bite of hammered brass with the warmth of maple. When I first started playing, choices for snare drums were a bit more limited than what you see…
Vic Firth - Barrel 5A and 5B Drumsticks, Split Brushes, and Tala Wand Bamboo Slats
Product Close-Up Vic Firth Barrel 5A and 5B Drumsticks, Split Brushes, and Tala Wand Bamboo Slats Clarity, balance, and control are what’s up with these new implements. Always looking to fill voids in its catalog with products that drummers need,…
Paiste - Masters Dark Crashes and Hi-Hats
Product Close-Up Paiste Masters Dark Crashes and Hi-Hats Rich, warm, mix-ready tones from Switzerland’s super-consistent cymbalsmiths. The Masters series started in 2011 as a dozen ride cymbals, made from Paiste’s CuSn20-formula bronze and designed for use in a variety of…
Maxwell Drums - Nesting Kit
Product Close-Up Maxwell Drums Nesting Kit Big, versatile tones in an ultra-compact package. If you’ve ever had to pack up your set and navigate city streets, stairs, and sidewalks, you might agree that bigger is not always better. It’s no…
Gretsch - Renown Birch and Walnut Drumsets
Product Close-Up Gretsch Renown Birch and Walnut Drumsets Two new shell offerings expand the tonal spectrum. Acouple years back, Gretsch revamped its Taiwanese-made “touring drummer” Renown series so that it stood closer in line with the company’s top-end U.S.-made counterparts.…
Sugar Percussion - Stave-Shell Snares
Product Close-Up Sugar Percussion Stave-Shell Snares Discreet design, careful construction, and top-shelf tones. Although it’s a relative newcomer in the crowded world of custom drum builders, the Santa Cruz–based Sugar Percussion has already earned high praise from top artists like…
TRX - Blends Series Cymbals
Product Close-Up TRX Blends Series Cymbals A best-of-both-worlds approach to achieving power and warmth. Earlier this year, the California-based/Turkish-made cymbal company TRX released what it’s calling a “mash-up” of its medium-weight, traditionally lathed and hammered MDM series and its heavyweight,…
PRODUCT CLOSE-UP - Liberty Drumset
Liberty Drums is a UK-based manufacturer that builds its own shells from nearly limitless timbers and veneers into a wide range of handcrafted drumsets and snares. In addition to allowing drummers to design custom kits online at libertydrums.com, the company…
PRODUCT CLOSE-UP - TRX New DRK Series Cymbals
PRODUCT CLOSE-UP TRX New DRK Series Cymbals Warm, dark, classic sounds with pre-drilled holes for rivets. by Miguel Monroy TRX has released several new options in the past year or so, including the Blends series, which was reviewed in our…
PRODUCT CLOSE-UP - Beier 15" Steel Snare Drums
There’s been a bit of buzz building around the snares coming from Jim Beier’s shop in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. Blue Öyster Cult’s Jules Radino, Olivia Newton-John’s Mark Beckett, and Charlie Daniels’ Pat McDonald have been using them live, and Nashville session…
