Dunnett's E-Drum Key
By Dendy Jarrett |
Dunnett’s E-Drum Key
A Dang Sexy Drum Key
Oh, The Curves:
This key has been around for a little over a year, and it's taken me this long to get my hands on one.
As drummers, some of us are just about the playing and couldn’t care less about the gear. Some of us, on the other hand, are just “eat up” with gear and have this insatiable need to see and try new things. I fall in to this latter bucket.
I was so very excited to finally get my hands on a Dunnett R Class E Drum Key in Chrome. I hope the title of this review doesn’t offend anyone, but there is simply no better way to describe this drum key. Really! It's just “dang sexy.”
It is no secret that many drum companies use different design elements to bring identity to their brand. Some drum companies use straight, hard lines to define who they are, while others use curvy, sensual, feminine lines to call attention to themselves.
Ronn Dunnett chose the latter route for many of his R Class products. They are just plain sexy, not only to the eye, but also to the hand. This E-Drum Key in chrome is simply one of those items.
Design For Days:
This key isn’t your average drum key. The weight of it is a first giveaway. It is substantial. You know when you hold it that you are holding something special.
The Handle:
The handle is designed to fit the average hand perfectly. It has a gentle slope and on the reverse side and features a concave elliptical groove for your thumb. Because of the shape, it allows you to get significantly more torque or leverage than you would with a standard “T” key design. Because of this gentle slope, your other fingers fall into a nice position. When you are tuning, there is no undue pressure on your hand. There is nothing worse when changing a head than hurting your fingers trying to tune, and having to jump on the kit to play with those aching fingers.
The Stem:
The stem of this key attaches to the handle with a knurled knob at the top. This is important to note because this knurled knob unscrews and you can take the handle off, flip it, and then have a left-handed drum key. A very cool feature! The “key” slot has an internal magnet, which isn’t uncommon these days, but does come in handy for two reasons. First, it keeps the key from being easily knocked off a tension rod, thus damaging your drum finish as gravity wins. And second, the magnet holds the lanyard on the key.
The Lanyard:
The version that I have for review is a Dunnett branded version. There is a non-Dunnett-branded version also available. The key I received has a very nicely designed rubber collar attached to the lanyard clip. This rubber collar has the Dunnett logo as a design element on both sides that also serves to assist the magnet in keeping the key affixed to the lanyard mount. A gentle tug removes the key from the lanyard for use. Having the lanyard is quite useful, and, honestly, this key has such a great design that you feel good wearing the thing around your neck.
The Dunnett Logo:
On one side of the key’s handle is the Dunnett Logo. The logo itself is a sexy design. It evokes an air of class. One would assume because of the great design of this key that it would be an expensive purchase. Surprisingly, this thing only has an MSRP of $22.00.
Dang Skippy:
Some things in a drummer’s life are utilitarian and serve a purpose, and you couldn’t care less how it appears. Probably for most, a drum key (based originally on the design of a skate key) falls into this classification. But now you have a choice. You can own something that embodies form and function and even would get an award in my book for design. The key I have is the chrome version, but there is also a polycarbonate handle version in a cool clear, black, and I have seen a few other colors floating around on Dunnett’s Facebook page. I hear that the future even holds a USB thumb-drive version.
So, in my book, the sensual curve, impeccable chrome, and overall design simply makes this a dang sexy drum key!
RESOURCES:
To Purchase the generic version of this key, go here:
To Purchase a Dunnett Classic Drums Snare Drum to pair with the key:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/search?sB=r&Ntt=Dunnett
Dendy Jarrett is the Publisher and Director of Harmony Central. He has been heavily involved at the executive level in many aspects of the drum and percussion industry for over 25 years and has been a professional player since he was 16. His articles and product reviews have been featured in InTune Monthly, Gig Magazine, DRUM! and Modern Drummer Magazines.
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