By Donn Bennett Like most musicians of my generation, I was deeply influenced by The Beatles. For years I obsessively studied Ringo Starr’s playing and the minute intricacies of his various drum kits. By the mid-1980s my obsession led to my first step into the world of vintage drums when I began my hunt for Ludwig Black Oyster drums like the ones Ringo played. One drum led to another, and by 1996 I opened a drum shop in a suburb of Seattle, WA. The shop eventually became a full line drum shop but specialized in rare and vintage drums. About this time, I met Jeff Chonis. Jeff was Ringo Starr’s drum tech. He owned a drum cartage business called Drum Paradise in Los Angeles, CA. His clients were the top drummers in the music world. It was always exciting when he asked me to find vintage drum gear for his […]

December 2023 Issue