Gretsch’s Latest Innovation: Hickory Drums

By Andy Doerschuk (originally published July 23, 2012)

Hickory drumsticks? Sure, every company makes hickory sticks. Hickory drum sets? Well now, that’s an entirely different matter.

Hickory has long been the primary choice for stick makers due to its hardness and shock resistance, but while experimenting with the species in its drum shells, Gretsch discovered that the wood’s density leads to a sound with substantial low end, while maintaining a solid, controlled tone with tons of clarity. Before long the new Gretsch Renown Purewood Limited Series In American Hickory was born, and as you can see from the photo, it’s a thing to behold.

While the inside of the shells feature a natural finish, its outer shells are treated to a finely applied gloss lacquer to accentuate the distinct grain pattern of the wood. The classy kit comes complete with chrome hardware, die-cast hoops, Evans drumheads, and 30-degree shell bearing edges

Want to make your drummer friends jealous? Gretsch Renown Purewood Hickory drum sets are available in a five-piece shell pack (MSRP $3,080.99) and a six-piece shell pack (MSRP $3,999.99).

Zildjian 3 Hat Packs Expand Hi-Hat Colors

By Andy Doerschuk (originally published August 16, 2012)

I had a friend named Andy Florio who was a cymbal freak. He literally had more bronze in his house than you could find in a Turkish bazaar. Andy has since passed on, but if he were alive today I bet he would be all over the new hi-hat box sets coming out of Zildjian these days.

Designed to promote mixing and matching of hi-hat pairs, these two new 3 Hat Packs ultimately deliver new sounds for drummers to play with. The 14" 3 Hat Pack (MSRP $969) features the legendary A Zildjian New Beat hi-hat pair. In this standard pairing, a medium weight top cymbal on top of a heavy bottom cymbal provides a powerful balance of bright overtones. The addition of a 14" K Custom Dark top hi-hat cymbal offers the darker K Zildjian colors.

In contrast, the 15" 3 Hat Pack (MSRP $1,114) features the 15" K Light hi-hat pair. In this standard light pairing, a medium thin weight top cymbal on top of a medium weight bottom cymbal provides a warm balance of dark overtones. The addition of a 15" A Zildjian New Beat Top provides brighter A Zildjian colors.

When using all three cymbals in the pack in every possible combination, drummers are provided with six distinct set up options that range from a lighter dark blend to a bright and full bodied tonal center. The variations also impact stick definition, chick performance, and overall dynamic range.

Crescent Cymbals Makes It Debut

By Andy Doerschuk (originally published July 5, 2012)

You can look forward to an entirely new cymbal brand that will soon grace racks at your local drum shop. The interesting twist is that CymbalMasters, the people behind the new Crescent Cymbals brand, are hardly new faces. In fact, it’s the same team that formerly made up the U.S. distribution arm for Bosphorus brand – Stanton Moore, Jeff Hamilton, Bill Norman, and Michael Vosbein.

“When we formed the original company we were determined to bring the highest quality sound to discerning musicians everywhere, but we soon found that our supply could not keep up with our demand,” says Vosbein, President and CEO of CymbalMasters. “All of us (CymbalMasters) are professional drummers so we like to be very hands on with design and development. Now we can create demand and keep up with it.  I know that Crescent will be the tone that others are judged by.”

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