Dendy Jarrett

Expert Review: ZILDJIAN Project 391 – A limited SoundLab offering. In this installment, we’ll groove the Avedis Zildjian Project 391 Ride Cymbals. by Dendy Jarrett INTRO— The history behind the project Zildjian has been building cymbals for 391 years. In the musical instrument world, the Zildjian logo is as recognizable as Coca-Cola is to the rest of the world. After 391 years, what makes these cymbals different? For the answers, we turned to Paul Francis, Director of R&D at Avedis ZIldjian. He explains that in their pursuit of developing new sounds and new alloys, they decided to work with a totally new copper/tin combination never used by Zildjian. “As this alloy is 85% copper and 15% tin, it allowed us to use 391 years of cymbal making know how and apply it to an alloy that had different frequency range than the ZBT, ZHT, and Zildjian Secret alloy.” Paul further explains: “The manipulation of the metal is much like that of an ‘A’ series, but where it starts to really differentiate is the two-step lathing process. We called upon our knowledge of how we lathe A Customs, and then we went back and lathed the bottom and top again to take advantage of the smooth glossy sound of a brilliant finish cymbal, and the bite and cut of a regular finish cymbal.” The result is a stunningly beautiful finish that is different from any other Zildjian you’ve experienced. The unique lathing pattern creates grooves in a non-conforming pattern of glossy lathes and regular finish lathes. It is quite striking. In addition to the lathing, they also have a hammer pattern. It appears to be more of a machine hammer pattern but adds to the distinctive appearance. Other than the look, I wanted to know what else sets them apart. Paul states that the bells are a little shallower on some models compared to an “A Zildjian model.” As the reviewer, I can state that this shallow bell allows this cymbal a very glassy, quick response. APPLICATION — Filling a sound palate void Soundlab is the “code name” for anything that Zildjian offers that revolves around prototype cymbals, and this Project 391 falls under that blanket. So what cymbals are offered in the series? Splash — 8”, 10” Hi-Hats — 14”, 15” Crash — 16”, 17”, 18”, 19”, 20” China — 18”, 19”, 20” Ride — 20”, 21”, 22” Besides the distinctive look due to the lathing and the shallower bell, the sound is quite different for Zildjian. In the sound spectrum of Zildjian’s offering, these cymbals sit right below the sound of an “A” or “K” and right above that of the ZHT. In the course of development, Zildjian realized that these cymbals fill a void in the sound palate they were offering prior to this development. These cymbals are best suited for pop, rock and heavier styles of playing. The alloy has a really nice mix of high and low frequencies without favoring one over the other. In the first installment I covered the Zildjian, 391 Crashes. In the second installment, we explored the Zildjian Project 391 HiHat Cymbals, and in the third, we dug into the Zildjian Project 391 Splash and China cymbals. RIDES — Ride the coolness In this fourth and final installment, we will look specifically at the ride cymbal offering for Project 391. Let’s dig into the rides: Project 391 20” Ride Cymbal: The 20” ride is the more traditional (staple) cymbal in most drummers’ mix; however, lately the trend toward bigger cymbals has been on the rise. I liked the 20” but I am a 22” player, so it took a little extra time for me to warm up to this cymbal. The definition is nice and there will be a nice wash that develops, but it didn’t have the bell presence that I like to have with my ride. This is purely a matter of personal choice, as I like a ride cymbal that is piercing (think old school Steve Smith Journey ride). Overall, the quality and look of this cymbal is exceptional, and it is a professional level cymbal that would really fit well in any playing style. Project 391 21” Ride Cymbal: The 21” ride is (for many) another “odd man out” size, but don’t let that stop you from considering this ride. I found it was a great compromise if you want something that will deliver but not overly so. This ride had a very nice bell sound despite the smaller bell size. It also develops a very nice wash and even (in heavier music formats) could be crashed. I enjoyed this cymbal very much and might be tempted to add a second ride to my set-up. Project 391 22” Ride Cymbal: The 22” ride is historically the second “staple” cymbal in most drummers’ cymbal assortment. I loved this cymbal! It was really that simple. As I stated, I am a 22” ride kind of guy. This cymbal really fit that “sweet spot” for me. While the bell is smaller than I typically prefer, it still had a nice ping. This ride can develop a substantial swell, but I never found it overbearing or in the way. While the 20” and 21” were great, this was the ride for me. Some people don’t prefer a large ride because they find that the sheer size interferes with their drum and cymbal positioning, but for me this is really a non-issue. Make sure you consider this ride! CRASH CONCLUSION— 391 years shines through With a 391-year history, it’s clear that Zildjian knows what they are doing. You may first wonder if a cymbal that is a limited edition offering is a professional quality cymbal, and the answer is emphatically yes! These unique Zildjians have a very European flavor, and I really enjoyed them. The crash cymbals cover the sound spectrum quite nicely. It was a great to play Zildjians that fell out of the normal Zildjian sound spectrum. What’s further cool is that a 391-year-old company can still find new and innovative sounds and approaches to cymbal making. You really owe it to yourself to give these cymbals a test drive. You’ll quickly realize why great drummers like John Tempesta are claiming the Project 391 cymbals as their new favorites. RESOURCES: Other Expert Reviews: Zildjian Project 391 Crash Cymbal Expert Review - Click Here Zildjian Project 391 Hi Hat Cymbals Expert Review - Click Here Zildjian Project 391 Splash and China Cymbals Expert Review - Click Here Project 391 Video: To Purchase Project 391 Ride Cymbals at Musician’s Friend - Click Here Pricing: 20” MSRP 505.00 Your Price: $289.95 21” MSRP $565.00 Your Price: $319.95 22” MSRP $610.00 Your Price: $349.94 To Discuss Drums and Percussion at Harmony Central's Drum Forum- Click Here 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.

Event: Nashville Drum Show — 2014 A walk through drum heaven by Dendy Jarrett INTRODUCTION The Nashville Drum Show was held in Nashville, Tennessee, at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds on September 20th and 21st. The official attendance record had not been released at the time of publication, but I can tell you that “officially” the place was packed! HISTORY The Nashville Drum Show started in 1996 as a small drum collectors’ get-together. It has grown into a great show with something for all drummers to enjoy. It has a professional “swap-meet” feel but, oh, so much more. This show was started by Not So Modern Drummer founder John Aldridge and grew until John moved to Oklahoma in 2002. In 2009, George Lawrence, Drummer for the band Poco, and former owner of George’s Drum Shop became the publisher of Not So Modern Drummer and resurrected the show. It bounced to Ohio for a short time, but in 2012 the show returned to Nashville and to its new home - the Tennessee State Fairgrounds. George Lawrence — THE SHOW- 2014 I’ve lived in Nashville for many years but had never made it to this show, so I was going with no preconceived notions or expectations. As I walked through the doors, it was immediately like I entered the pearly gates of “drum heaven.” Vintage and historic drums were everywhere. I’m 51, so everywhere I turned there was something taking me down memory lane. Yes, there was a fair share of used and somewhat abused drums, but what stunned me were the great examples of like-new vintage gear. One of my biggest regrets as a drummer came in 1980. I found a 1964 Ludwig Jazzette kit still in the boxes at a local church and paid $200 for it. I later traded that kit for a brand new Pearl rack when they were first introduced. STUPID MOVE! Not only were there tons of vintage gear at the show, but also new gear from the great companies you see all the time. There were also some really cool, innovative and interesting boutique companies that were represented, as well. THE WALKING GALLERY Below is a gallery of shots of some great people and gear from the show: (left to right) Bun E Carlos, Kat Almlie and George Lawrence Carolina Classics had a tremendous and clean offering of vintage drums: Carolina Classics, Bob Saull - Charlotte, NC. - a great example of the booths at the show. I was awestruck by this beautiful Camco kit he had in his booth! Some other great vintage shots: A Leedy Parade Drum: A Ludwig Kit Identical to the kit I got started playing the drums on. What a walk down memory lane: Glenn Noyes (Guitar Center) poses in front of a set of drums from the KIss era! (Classic) Beat Boogie's booth is a great example of some of the custom boutique drums that were represented at the show: Outlaw Drums out of Georgia had kits made from reclaimed antique wood. One of my favorites was this kit made from reclaimed antique heart pine from a warehouse in Georgia. They were great sounding and looking as well as environmentally friendly: Mr. Fred Gretsch and yours truly standing in front of a new Gretsch kit with a real vintage feel: Innovative Companies like Drumnetics were there who had these great pedals that utilize magnets for their smooth feel. No resistance whatsoever and the hihat while minimalist was one of the best I've ever played: Rich Wiley from Booty Shakers: My kids vote for the best named product in the drum industry! (Mark Wanko and Ken Brophy from Drum Boogers) For the rest of the Gallery, go to the Harmony Central Drum Forum - thread: The Nashville Drum Show THAT’S A WRAP Or maybe it’s not a wrap! The Nashville Drum Show is becoming as popular as some long-lived shows like the Chicago Drum Show. It is easy to boast about the show because I live in Nashville and am biased, but Nashville is so centrally located in the US that it makes getting here quite convenient. Also, the town is loaded with great drummers, so what a great place to have a show about drums! The show was a rousing success, and I will be sure to make The Nashville Drum Show a regular visit in the future. RESOURCES: PHOTO GALLERY OF SHOW ON HARMONY CENTRAL WEBSITE: The Nashville Drum Show ABOUT THE SHOW: More info specifically about the show 2014 EXHIBITORS: Amedia Cymbals AFM Local 257 Artisan Drum Works Aspen Shaker Auralex Acoustics Baker Drums – Billy Baker Beat Boogie Quality Custom Drums Bello Drums Big Fat Snare Drum Mute Bill Pace Vintage Box Kit Cajons Brian Hill Rope Drums & Museum Bum Wrap Drum Company Carolina Classics – Bob Saull Vintage Carolina Drumworks Castle Drum Company Chicago Drum and Restoration Christopher Williams - KISS Drums Consignments (10% fee if it sells) Cowpaddy Triggers CymClip Cymgard D’Addario Evans, ProMark, PureSound David Vanover Vintage David Lee Drums DaVille Drumworks Denny Dixon Vintage Drugan’s Drums Vintage Drum Boogers Drum Pickers Vintage Drum Supply House Drumtacs Drum Room Marketing Drum Workshop DrumForum.org, Bun E. Carlos DrumKitAccessories.com Drumnetics DTS Custom Snare Drums Dynamicx Drums USA, Black Swamp Earnest Tubz Vintage Jack Propps and Dan Armstrong Eccentric Systems Eric Malinowski - Vintage Display Famous Drum Company Fork’s Drum Closet Gary Astridge RingosBeatleKits.com Gary Bender’s Drum Factory vintage Goodman Drum Company Gretsch Drums Hal Leonard Corporation Headhunters Drumsticks Holloman Custom Drums Infinity Drumworks Innovative Percussion Joe Ciucci - Vintage Display Joe Mekler - Vintage Display Ken Anderson Vintage Klash Drums Laudo Drums Ludwig Drums Mapex Drums MO Drumsticks Nashville Drum Show Merchandice Nashville Drummers in the Round Not So Modern Drummer Merchandise Outlaw Drums Pearl Drums Phil Wilson Vintage Randy Rainwater, Bun E Carlos Vintage Rat Rod Drums - Paul Milkovich Rathkamp Drums RCD Drums Rudy Gonzales Vintage Roll-it-Ups Drumstick Bags Russell’s Music World Vintage & Retail Serco Percussion Sleishman Drums, Mothertone USA Snare Drum Olympics SPF Drums Steve Furcinitti Stone Custom Drums Sugar Percussion Swindoll Custom Drums SwitchKick T&R Products – Booty Shakers Taye Drums Texas Vintage Drums Tycoon Percussion U.S. Drum Supply Yamaha Drums COMMUNITY: To Discuss Cymbals, Drums and Percussion at Harmony Central 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.

Expert Review: ZILDJIAN Project 391 – An limited SoundLab offering. In this installment, we’ll groove the Avedis Zildjian Project 391 Splash and China cymbals. by Dendy Jarrett INTRO— The history behind the project Zildjian has been building cymbals for 391 years. In the musical instrument world, the Zildjian logo is as recognizable as Coca-Cola is to the rest of the world. After 391 years, what makes these cymbals different? For the answers, we turned to Paul Francis, Director of R&D at Avedis ZIldjian. He explains that in their pursuit of developing new sounds and new alloys, they decided to work with a totally new copper/tin combination never used by Zildjian. “As this alloy is 85% copper and 15% tin, it allowed us to use 391 years of cymbal making know how and apply it to an alloy that had different frequency range than the ZBT, ZHT, and Zildjian Secret alloy.” Paul further explains, “The manipulation of the metal is much like that of an ‘A’ series, but where it starts to really differentiate is the two-step lathing process. We called upon our knowledge of how we lathe A Customs, and then we went back and lathed the bottom and top again to take advantage of the smooth glossy sound of a brilliant finish cymbal, and the bite and cut of a regular finish cymbal.” The result is a stunningly beautiful finish that is different from any other Zildjian you’ve experienced. The unique lathing pattern creates grooves in a non-conforming pattern of glossy lathes and regular finish lathes. It is quite striking. In addition to the lathing, they also have a hammer pattern. It appears to be more of a machine hammer pattern but adds to the distinctive appearance. Other than the look, I wanted to know what else sets them apart. Paul states that the bells are a little shallower on some models compared to an “A Zildjian model.” As the reviewer, I can state that this shallow bell allows this cymbal a very glassy, quick response. APPLICATION — Filling a sound palate void Soundlab is the “code name” for anything that Zildjian offers that revolves around prototype cymbals, and this Project 391 falls under that blanket. So what cymbals are offered in the series? Splash — 8”, 10” Hi-Hats — 14”, 15” Crash — 16”, 17”, 18”, 19”, 20” China — 18”, 19”, 20” Ride — 20”, 21”, 22” Besides the distinctive look due to the lathing and the shallower bell, the sound is quite different for Zildjian. In the sound spectrum of Zildjian’s offering, these cymbals sit right below the sound of an “A” or “K” and right above that of the ZHT. In the course of development, Zildjian realized that these cymbals fill a void in the sound palate they were offering prior to this development. These cymbals are best suited for pop, rock and heavier styles of playing. The alloy has a really nice mix of high and low frequencies without favoring one over the other. In the first installment I covered the Zildjian Project 391 Crashes and in the second installment we explored the Zildjian Project 391 HiHat cymbals. SPLASHES — Big Sound-Small Package In this third installment, we will look specifically at the splash cymbal offering for Project 391. Splash cymbals are certainly one of those cymbals that comes down to personal taste. You either use them … or you don’t. You see a place for them … or you don’t. Many traditional style splash cymbals can be so “papery” sounding that they can become lost in the music. Not the case with these splash cymbals! Project 391 8” Splash Cymbal: Who says size doesn’t matter? It certainly does with this splash. This little 8” splash delivers a 1-2 knock out punch. It is a shrill and cutting effect that is quick as lightening but cuts right though. There will be no missing this splash while you are playing it. I mounted it both in the traditional manner as well as sitting atop a cymbal felt and inverted on the bell of another cymbal. Both ways were most effective. Like the crash cymbals, this splash has a bottle-breaking quality. In the context of music, there is no decay whatsoever; but when it speaks, people will listen. VIDEO: 8" Splash- Project 391 10” Splash Cymbal: This splash can be described as, well … a splash. The sound is literally a great “splash.” It has a nice cutting attack and a very quick decay (in the context of music). I preferred this splash mounted in the traditional suspended sense, but I did try it in the inverted position. While it was effective in both configurations, I found 10” to be too large (for my taste) in the inverted set-up. VIDEO: 10" Splash- Either of these splash cymbals would be a fantastic effect addition to any set-up, but be prepared, as big sound comes in these small packages. CHINA — Heart Stopping Effect China cymbals are probably one of the most diverse cymbals you can add as an effect cymbal to your kit. They can be mounted with the outer lip up or the outer lip inverted. You can drop an inverted crash on top of the china so that it lies perfectly within the bow of the cymbal, and it will produce a “white noise” effect. And you can add a rivet or two, which allows you to produce a “swish knocker” effect, adding sustain with the sizzle of the rivets. I am a sucker for a good china cymbal. I love them so much that I have been accused of abusing them at times. I even temporarily deafened a bass player once by playing a china cymbal as he stood a little too close. (Sorry, James!) But you have to decide if the china is the right cymbal to add to your mix. Let’s explore what is available in the 391 mix. Project 391 18” China Cymbal: The 18” is the smallest of the cymbal offering of Project 391. The best description of this china is that it is tight. It offers an explosive attack but it is a quick decay. The result is a “kang” sound that will wake the dead but is quick to get out of the way in the music. It is not overbearing, but you’ll certainly know it is there. Everyone will! Video: 18" China- Project 391 19” China Cymbal: The 19” china is one bad-boy cymbal. I typically really like the odd cymbals in this Project 391 line up, but in the case of this 19” China, I prefer the 18” and 20” cymbals (personal taste, mind you). This china produces more of a “kaw” sound. The pitch bends a little more than the “kang” of the 18”. The great part of this 19” is that you can actually ride on the interior of the cymbal and it produces a pretty nice “nasty” ride sound. Video:19" China- Project 391 20” China Cymbal: The 20” china is one bad-boy cymbal. It’s “nasty” in a Janet Jackson kind of way. (“Ms. Jackson if you’re nasty.”) I loved this cymbal. It is explosive and epitomizes what a china cymbal should be. I played it both lip up and lip down, and it performed great either way. I don’t want to beat this into the ground, but the sound was just an explosive nasty and then it has a great quick decay. Video: 20" China- If there was one disappointment in this group, it was be the absence of a 22” china. I know … it may have been overkill, but morbid curiosity was egging me on to hear a 22”. In recent years drummers have trended toward a more simplistic set up of 2 crashes, a ride and hi-hats. If any effect-cymbals could lure you back to adding additional sounds to your kit, these Project 391 splashes and chinas would be the tipping factor. Project 391— Wrap Up 391 years shines through With a 391-year history, it’s clear that Zildjian knows what they are doing. You may first wonder if a cymbal that is a limited edition offering is a professional quality cymbal, and the answer is emphatically yes! These unique Zildjians have a very European flavor, and I really enjoyed them. The crash cymbals cover the sound spectrum quite nicely. It was a great to play Zildjians that fell out of the normal Zildjian sound spectrum. What’s further cool is the fact that a 391-year-old company can still find new and innovative sounds and approaches to cymbal making. You really owe it to yourself to give these cymbals a test drive. You’ll quickly realize why great drummers like John Tempesta are claiming the Project 391 cymbals as their new favorites. RESOURCES: Other Expert Reviews: Harmony Central Project 391 Crash Cymbals Review Harmony Central Project 391 Hi-Hat Cymbal Review Project 391 Video: To Purchase Project 391 Splash Cymbals at Musician’s Friend To Purchase Project 391 China Cymbals at Musician’s Friend Pricing: Splashes: 8” MSRP $175.00 Your Price: $ 94.46 10” MSRP $205.00 Your Price: $112.46 Chinas: 18” MSRP $465.00 Your Price: $233.96 19” MSRP $500.00 Your Price: $251.96 20” MSRP $530.00 Your Price: $269.96 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.

Expert Review: DrumWorkshop – DW 2000 Series Tambourine Pedal A drum pedal that's not just for drummers! by Dendy Jarrett INTRO— About DW DW (Drum Workshop) began as a drum school in 1972; in 1977 they purchased tooling from Camco Drum Co. to re-introduce the 5000 bass drum pedal. And from there, they've made history throughout the past four decades. Their facility and drum plant is located in Oxnard, California, where they produce the majority of their drums (right here in the USA). DW is now are one of the top drum companies in the world. A New Twist — A bass drum pedal that’s not This pedal immediately intrigued me. It’s a bass drum pedal that is, well … not. Because I not only play a drum set but also spend time as a percussionist, my mind started exploring the diverse options this unique pedal offers. Based on their popular DW 2000 series bass drum pedal foundation, this pedal has a crescent tambourine mounted where the usual bass drum beater would mount. And where the typical bass drum pedal would mount to a bass drum, there's a rod that extends and holds a neoprene/rubber block upon which the tambourine strikes when you play the pedal. The result is a free-standing pedal that doesn’t need to be attached to anything to be used. Applications A drum pedal that’s not just for drummers What I really like about this pedal is the vast numbers of applications. DRUMSET — The resource section below, links to a video of Gregg Bissonette using this tambourine pedal with a drum set. The most basic use is to play it with your hi-hat foot and replace the normal hi-hat pattern. I was able to develop patterns that felt comfortable for me; rocking the pedal creates an eighth- note pattern that works great and sounds natural in most musical applications. You’ll note that Gregg takes it further, into ostinato patterns and beyond. PERCUSSION SET UP — This application is where the pedal really proved itself to me. I was able to use it while playing conga, so it really did appear (aurally) as if I was two different people playing. It filled a great void in songs where tambourine would be an asset to the music, but both of my hands were otherwise involved in conga patterns. This pedal fills a myriad of possibilities just between drum set and percussion set-ups, but this next area came as a surprise for me. SINGER/SONGWRITER SET UP — As I am based in Nashville, and already play in a regular round of singer/songwriter circles, when many fellow musicians saw this pedal and heard the patterns you can create with it, most considered it a giant breakthrough for the acoustic guitar player in a coffee house/songwriter round. Many of these acoustic guitarists are playing solo situations, with just the singer and his/her guitar. Although they typically don’t have the resources to bring along a drummer/percussionist, this pedal allows them to add a rhythm to their acoustic guitar set-up easily. If you can keep tempo with your foot, you can play this tambourine pedal. This is a market I'm not even sure DW has considered, but it sure caused a stir within my singer/songwriter circles. CONCLUSION— Give it a jingle In my over 30 years as a player, I have seen many “contraptions” invented in which the inventor thought, “Hey, this is a great idea.” For many, the great idea is simply the fact that they created it; for others, it's often gimmicky snake oil. Neither is the case with the DW 2000 Tambourine Pedal. It's a legitimate add-on item that can enhance the drum set player, percussionist and acoustic guitar singer/songwriter/solo player. It can take a few minutes to work it into your playing, but surprisingly, can come very naturally for most. You’ll soon be able to use the pedal even with dynamics as you learn to control the force of your foot. And most surprisingly with a street price around $120.00, it's affordable. This pedal has become a regular part of my setup for both drum set and percussion, and I think it will for you as well. You have to give this DW2000 Tambourine Pedal a jingle (yep, I had to go there). RESOURCES— Websites: DW’s Official Website DW’s Pedal Page Video: To Purchase the DW 2000 Series Tambourine Pedal from Musician’s Friend Pricing- MSRP: $199.99 Musician’s Friend: $119.99 To Discuss Drums and Percussion at Harmony Central 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.

Expert Review: ZILDJIAN Project 391 – A Limited Edition SoundLab offering. In this installment, we’ll groove the Avedis Zildjian Project 391 Hi-Hat cymbals. by Dendy Jarrett INTRO— The history behind the project Zildjian has been building cymbals for 391 years. In the musical instrument world, the Zildjian logo is as recognizable as Coca-Cola is to the rest of the world. After 391 years, you might think that there would be nothing left to discover — yet these cymbals are indeed different, and we had to find out why. We asked Paul Francis, Director of R&D at Avedis ZIldjian, for the answers. He explained that in their pursuit of developing new sounds and new alloys, they decided to try a totally new copper/tin combination never used by Zildjian. “As this alloy is 85% copper and 15% tin, it allowed us to use 391 years of cymbal making know-how and apply it to an alloy that had a different frequency range than the ZBT, ZHT, or Zildjian Secret alloy.” Paul further explains: “The manipulation of the metal is much like that of an ‘A’ series, but where it starts to really differentiate is the two-step lathing process. We called upon our knowledge of how we lathe A Customs, and then we went back and lathed the bottom and top again to take advantage of the smooth glossy sound of a brilliant finish cymbal, with the bite and cut of a regular finish cymbal.” The result is a stunningly beautiful finish that is different from any other Zildjian you’ve experienced. The unique lathing pattern creates grooves in a non-conforming pattern of glossy lathes and regular finish lathes. It is quite striking. In addition to the lathing, they also have a hammer pattern. It appears to be more of a machine hammer pattern but adds to the distinctive appearance. Other than the look, I wanted to know what else sets them apart. Paul states that the bells are a little shallower on some models compared to an “A Zildjian model.” I immediately noticed that the shallow bell provides a very glassy, quick response. APPLICATION — Filling a sound palate void Soundlab is the “code name” for anything that Zildjian offers that revolves around prototype cymbals, and this Project 391 falls under that blanket. Cymbals are offered in the series include: Splash — 8”, 10” Hi-Hats — 14”, 15” Crash — 16”, 17”, 18”, 19”, 20” China — 18”, 19”, 20” Ride — 20”, 21”, 22” Besides the distinctive look due to the lathing and the shallower bell, the sound is quite different for Zildjian. In the sound spectrum of Zildjian’s offering, these cymbals sit right below the sound of an “A” or “K” and right above that of the ZHT. In the course of development, Zildjian realized that these cymbals fill a void in the sound palate they were offering prior to this development. These cymbals are best suited for pop, rock and heavier styles of playing. The alloy has a really nice mix of high and low frequencies without favoring one over the other. In the first review, we covered the Project 391 Limited Edition Crash Cymbals. In this review we will discover the hi-hats. Hi-Hats — Sizzle is the Schizzle In this second installment, we will look specifically at the hi-hat cymbal offering for Project 391. Hi-Hats are such a personal thing. Either you like they way they sound and feel, or you don’t. That is why I was so surprised at how much I liked these cymbals sent to me (since I didn’t have time to “test drive” multiple pairs to find that “sweet” set I liked). Let’s look at how the sizzle is the schizzle. Project 391 14” Hi-Hat Cymbals: The 14” Hi-Hats at one time were the more traditional (staple) cymbal in most drummers’ mix; however, lately there has been a trend towards larger hi-hats. These 14” hats have a nice crispness to them that really cuts through. I still tend to lean to the traditional 14” hats anyway, so these really would suit me for most general playing applications. These have a great European characteristic to them. They have plenty of cut, but a nice sizzle. It isn’t too brassy or “generic” in my opinion, but some may find when played completely open, that the top cymbal is “kangy” for their taste. I preferred the wash that they created. Project 391 15” Hi-Hat Cymbals: The 15” hi-hats are (for many) an “odd man out” size, but out of the two, I much preferred these 15” hats. They have a great stick definition and a sizzle that IS the schizzle. The wash created by these cymbals is not ostentatious. Most drummers may find that the 15” hats give you a little more diversity than the 14” in today’s music genre variety. If there was one disappointment in the Zildjian Project 391 Limited Edition cymbal offering, it was the lack of a pair of 16” Hi-hats. As stated in the crash cymbal review, larger cymbals are becoming popular, and 16” hi-hats seem to be everywhere. As great as the 14” and 15” cymbals sound, it would have been great to have heard what 16” hi-hats would sound like in this fantastic line. HATS CONCLUSION— 391 years shines through With a 391-year history, it’s clear that Zildjian knows what they are doing. You may first wonder if a cymbal that is a limited edition offering is a professional quality cymbal, and the answer is emphatically yes! These unique Zildjians have a very European flavor, and I really enjoyed them. The hi-hats have a great distinctive sound for Zildjians and it was great to play Zildjians that complement and supplement the traditional Zildjian sound spectrum. What’s further cool is the fact that a 391-year-old company can still find new and innovative sounds and approaches to cymbal making. You really owe it to yourself to give audition these cymals. You’ll quickly realize why great drummers like John Tempesta are claiming the Project 391 cymbals as their new favorites. RESOURCES: Project 391 Crash Cymbal Review Project 391 Video: To Purchase Project 391 Hi-Hat Cymbals at Musician's Friend: Pricing: 14” MSRP $600.00 Your Price: $323.96 15” MSRP $660.00 Your Price: $341.96 To Discuss Cymbals, Drums and Percussion at Harmony Central 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.

Sabian — Flat Key The Smallest Keychain Drum Key by Dendy Jarrett INTRODUCTION Drum Keys — they're a mainstay in the drummer’s must have at all times items. But if you're like me, even with the best checklist, you've maybe found yourself without your drum key. Without a key, tuning a head and especially changing a head are nearly impossible tasks. Enter the Sabian Flat Key. WHY DIDN’T I THINK OF THIS? Did you ever come across something that made you wonder, “Hey, why didn’t I think of that?” This is one of those items. Simple, simple, simple is the key. And the best part: as long as you're carrying a set of keys (your car keys or house key), you’ll have your flat key. You’re most likely familiar with the credit card key or other types of emergency keys. Think of the flat key as the drummer’s answer to the emergency key. HOW DOES IT WORK? It is so simple it’s amazing that it has taken until 2014 for someone to think of it. This tiny drum key looks like a small box or spanner wrench, with a hole on one end to hang from your key ring. The box opening is the size of the standard drum key opening. While this may not be as easy or convenient as the standard “turn” key, it works … and very well. Best of all, it's smaller than your average house key. You can even slip it into your wallet - it's that thin. Significantly, there are no moving parts or anything that can break or cut you. It appears to be cut with a laser or water jet, and then tumbled smooth on the edges. Just slip it on the tuning rod and turn. CONCLUSION Sometimes it's the simple things that demand the most attention. There are other drum keys that are made to hang from your key chain but none like this. It is the smallest keychain drum key, and this now goes on my list of “must have at all times” items. I think every drummer should own one. What’s not to like about this? It may save your bacon at a gig! RESOURCES: SABIAN'S OFFICIAL WEBSITE To Purchase this or other Sabian products: MUSICIAN'S FRIEND SABIAN 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.

Expert Review: MAPEX Armory Snare Series – Tomahawk We pry open the weapons cache and review the arsenal of Mapex Armory high caliber Snares by Dendy Jarrett ARMORY ARSENAL INTRO Mapex recently introduced a series of five Armory snare drums, each with its own distinctive look and sound. The series is not limited to metal snares but also includes wood models. The wood models feature the SONIClear™ bearing edges, while the metal models feature the same bearing edge found on the Black Panther™ series of snares, which is a slightly rounded 45 degrees. If you purchase one of the Mapex Armory kits, it comes standard with one of the five Armory Snares called The Tomahawk which is the final drum in this series we are covering. And in an ingenious move, Mapex has a “trade in program” that I’ll explain at the end of this review. In the first four Armory Snare Drums reviews, I took The Daisy Cutter, The Exterminator, The Dillinger and The Peacemaker out on the target range. To appreciate the significance of the “Armory” grouping, consider some history. In the Daisy Cutter review, we explored the “daisy cutter bomb” and the significance it held in war-time arsenals. For The Exterminator, we looked at the P-51 Mustangs known as The Exterminators that escorted the B-17 Flying Fortress and the B-24 Liberator groups. And for The Dillinger, we looked at how the Tommy Gun had become synonymous with John Dillinger along with his reputation as public enemy number one. For The Peacemaker, we locked sights on the role the Convair B-36 played in carrying nuclear bombs, enforcing its role as the peacemaker due to having the “biggest stick.” There’s an equally significant history with this drum —and the name Tomahawk. Tomahawk — Contemporary Reminder Until this review, all of the drum names we've researched in the Armory series had names associated with some historical aspect of weaponry. The Tomahawk missile got its name from the native North American Indian axe (the tomahawk). The missile has been in service since 1983 and is still the number one tactical missile in use today. The missiles use subsonic, jet engine-powered propulsion and are designed to attack a variety of surface targets. When introduced, it was deployed for a number of ground-to-ground applications, but currently only sea-based applications (both ship surface and submarine) are being used. The Tomahawk has a modular design that allows leveraging different warheads, guidance mechanisms, and range capabilities. The tomahawks became a household name during the Gulf War when they were used heavily against Iraq. This weapon is a contemporary reminder that we are still keeping destructive weapons. The Tomahawk — Sonic Advantage The Tomahawk is a 14”X 5.5” 1.0mm black chrome stainless steel shell and comes standard on all Mapex Armory Drum Sets. If you already have a metal snare, you can use the Mapex trade-in program to trade this out for another Armory drum (see below), but I wouldn’t act so fast. You must give this drum a try — even if you have another metal snare. While I have raved about the other snares in this series, this drum is my favorite. The tone, while characteristically metal, is rich and full (with that "greasy phat-back” sound). Think of your favorite big ballad snare drums, or a snare drum you’ve heard that resonates all over a large venue — it's as if this drum has its own built in reverb. Maybe that's a slight exaggeration, but I can’t get over how great this drum sounds right out of the box. Unlike the Tomahawk missile that uses a subsonic advantage, the Mapex Armory Tomahawk has a sonic advantage. Fall Out Earlier in the review, I mentioned a “trade-in program” Mapex recently launched: if you purchase an Armory drum set that comes standard with the steel Tomahawk snare, you’ll have two weeks after your kit purchase to test the snare. If you already have a steel snare or prefer a wood drum, or any one of the other five Armory Snares, you simply fill out an easy form and ship the snare back. The return form lets you swap it for another Armory Snare. I really believe this may be an industry first. Like its namesake missile, the Tomahawk can be dialed in to be one of the most versatile of the Armory series. It delivers “penetrating accuracy and long range projection, and a devastating rim shot.” As you decide what you need in your sonic arsenal of drum gear, take the time to put the Armory Snares — which truly are high-caliber — through their paces. RESOURCES WEB: Mapex Drums Official Website Mapex Armory "Trade In" Program VIDEOS: Harmony Central Looks At The Mapex Armory Snare Series: Mapex SoniClear Explained: Mapex Armory Series Drums: SHOP: TO PURCHASE THE TOMAHAWK SNARE FROM MUSICIANS FRIEND TO SHOP THE ENTIRE ARMORY SNARE SERIES AT MUSICIANS FRIEND TO SHOP THE ENTIRE ARMORY DRUM SELECTION AT MUSICIANS FRIEND TO SHOP THE ENTIRE MAPEX SELECTION AT MUSICIANS FRIEND 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.

Expert Review: ZILDJIAN Project 391 — A Limited Edition SoundLab offering In this installment, we’ll groove on the Avedis Zildjian Project 391 crash cymbals. by Dendy Jarrett INTRO— The history behind the project Zildjian has been building cymbals for 391 years. In the musical instrument world, the Zildjian logo is as recognizable as Coca-Cola is to the rest of the world. After 391 years, you might think that there would be nothing left to discover — yet these cymbals are indeed different, and we had to find out why. We asked Paul Francis, Director of R&D at Avedis ZIldjian, for the answers. He explained that in their pursuit of developing new sounds and new alloys, they decided to try a totally new copper/tin combination never used by Zildjian. “As this alloy is 85% copper and 15% tin, it allowed us to use 391 years of cymbal making know-how and apply it to an alloy that had a different frequency range than the ZBT, ZHT, or Zildjian Secret alloy.” Paul further explains: “The manipulation of the metal is much like that of an ‘A’ series, but where it starts to really differentiate is the two-step lathing process. We called upon our knowledge of how we lathe A Customs, and then we went back and lathed the bottom and top again to take advantage of the smooth glossy sound of a brilliant finish cymbal, with the bite and cut of a regular finish cymbal.” The result is a stunningly beautiful finish that is different from any other Zildjian you’ve experienced. The unique lathing pattern creates grooves in a non-conforming pattern of glossy lathes and regular finish lathes. It is quite striking. In addition to the lathing, they also have a hammer pattern. It appears to be more of a machine hammer pattern but adds to the distinctive appearance. Other than the look, I wanted to know what else sets them apart. Paul states that the bells are a little shallower on some models compared to an “A Zildjian model.” I immediately noticed that the shallow bell provides a very glassy, quick response. APPLICATION — Filling a sound palette void Soundlab is the “code name” for anything Zildjian offers that revolves around prototype cymbals, and the Project 391 series falls under that blanket. Cymbals offered in the series include: Splash — 8”, 10” Hi-Hats — 14”, 15” Crash — 16”, 17”, 18”, 19”, 20” China — 18”, 19”, 20” Ride — 20”, 21”, 22” Besides the distinctive look due to the lathing and the shallower bell, the sound is quite different for Zildjian. In the sound spectrum of Zildjian’s offering, these cymbals sit right below the sound of an “A” or “K” and right above that of the ZHT. In the course of development, Zildjian realized that these cymbals fill a void in the sound palette they were offering prior to this development. These cymbals are best suited for pop, rock and heavier styles of playing. The alloy has a really nice mix of high and low frequencies without favoring one over the other. CRASHES — Glass-shattering coolness In this first installment, we will look specifically at the crash cymbal offering for Project 391. I already mentioned their glass-shattering characteristic, but it's noteworthy that the shallow bell allows for a fierce attack and a very immediate dip to a slow decay. Let’s "strike" up a relationship with the crashes ... Project 391 16” Crash Cymbal: The 16” crash is the more traditional (staple) cymbal in most drummers’ mix; however, lately the trend toward bigger crashes has been on the rise. This 16” has a nice bright shattering crash, with a quick rolloff on the post-attack sustain. The overtones that remain are a mix of ultra high and ultra low, and in live settings are hardly noticeable. What you're left with is an explosion of sound that gets out of the way quickly. Project 391 17” Crash Cymbal: The 17” crash is (for many) an “odd man out” size. I really liked this cymbal though. It was rich and full: I truly enjoyed “crashing” it. It possesses all the same shattering characteristics of the 16” but offersmore body to the attack and decay. And not to be confusing (since we use the word brilliant to describe finishes on cymbals), but the crash sound on this cymbal is simply brilliant. I definitely want one of these. The 16” and 17” are the soprano voice of the crash cymbals in this line. Project 391 18” Crash Cymbal: The 18” crash is historically the second “staple” cymbal in most drummers’ cymbal bag. This cymbal starts to show the “tenor” voice of the crash cymbals in this 391 line. The attack has a rich, full-bodied tone yet still possesses the same initial attack qualities of the 16” and 17”. You can definitely identify the more mid-voice range in the decay. Project 391 19” Crash Cymbal: The 19” crash is in keeping with the “odd man out” size of the 17”. I am not sure what it is about the 17” and the 19” odd-sized cymbals, but they are my two favorites of the five available sizes. The biggest difference with the 19” is that it starts to possess some ride cymbal characteristics. Even with the shallow bell, you can get a nice ping and the “wash” doesn’t get overbearing. The actual crash is still a great attack (again, think shattering glass) but really sings out in a strong tenor voice. I’ll have one of these as well. Project 391 20” Crash Cymbal: The 20” crash is one bad-boy cymbal. It is the bass voice of the crash cymbal collection. This crash means business, and can definitely double as a crash/ride. The bell has a nice ping and develops a controlled wash, but as a crash, it is big, bold and beautiful. While I typically use smaller cymbals on my set-ups, this 20” has pulled me over the line. CRASH CONCLUSION— 391 years shines through With a 391-year history, it’s clear that Zildjian knows what they're doing. You may first wonder if a limited edition cymbal offering is a professional quality cymbal, and the answer is emphatically yes! These unique Zildjians have a very European flavor, and I really enjoyed them. The crash cymbals cover the sound spectrum quite nicely. It was a great to play Zildjians that complemented and supplemented the traditional Zildjian sound spectrum. What’s even cooler is the fact that a 391-year-old company can still find new and innovative sounds combined with new approaches to cymbal making. You really owe it to yourself to audition these cymbals. You’ll quickly realize why great drummers like John Tempesta are claiming the Project 391 cymbals as their new favorites. RESOURCES: Project 391 Hi-Hat Review Project 391 Video: To Purchase Project 391 Crash Cymbals at Musician’s Friend: Pricing: 16” Zildjian Project 391 Crash MSRP $375.00 Your Price: $209.95 17” Zildjian Project 391 Crash MSRP $415.00 Your Price: $229.95 18” Zildjian Project 391 Crash MSRP $445.00 Your Price: $249.95 19” Zildjian Project 391 Crash MSRP $475.00 Your Price: $269.95 20” Zildjian Project 391 Crash MSRP $505.00 Your Price: $289.95 To Discuss Cymbals, Drums and Percussion at Harmony Central 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.

Expert Review: MAPEX Armory Snare Series – The Peacemaker We pry open the weapons cache and review the arsenal of Mapex Armory high-caliber Snares by Dendy Jarrett ARMORY ARSENAL INTRO Mapex recently introduced a series of five Armory snare drums, each with its own distinctive look and sound. The series is not limited to only metal snares but also includes wood models. The wood models feature the SONIClear™ bearing edges, while the metal models feature the same bearing edge found on the Black Panther™ series of snares, which is a slightly rounded 45 degrees. If you purchase one of the Mapex Armory kits, it comes standard with one of the five Armory Snares called The Tomahawk (which I’ll cover this drum in a future installment). And in an ingenious move, Mapex has a “trade-in program” that I’ll explain at the end of this review. In the first three installments, I took The Daisy Cutter, The Exterminator, and The Dillinger out for target practice. To appreciate the significance of the “Armory” grouping, consider some history. In The Daisy Cutter review, we explored the “daisy cutter bomb” and the significance it held in war-time arsenals. For The Exterminator, we looked at the P-51 Mustangs known as The Exterminators that escorted the B-17 Flying Fortress and the B-24 Liberator groups. And for The Dillinger, we saw how the Tommy Gun had become synonymous with John Dillinger along with his reputation as public enemy number one. There’s an equally significant history with this drum — and, with a name like The Peacemaker, one might have thought I'd round out the Armory series showing how this drum brings peace and happiness. Not so! The Peacemaker actually carries the biggest stick. The Peacemaker — The Biggest Stick The Peacemaker was the code name for the Convair B-36 strategic bomber, the first bomber that could deliver any of the nuclear weapons in the U.S. arsenal from inside its four bomb bays without modifications. It was the first manned bomber with an unrefueled intercontinental range — capable of a stunning 9,900 miles coupled with a whopping 73,000 pound payload. The aircraft was huge, sporting the largest piston aircraft engine ever produced, and had the longest wingspan of any combat aircraft ever built … at an incredible 230 feet. The B-36 was produced from 1949 to 1959 and later replaced with the B-36D which used both piston and jet engines (this later led to the development of the jet powered B-52 Strotofortress). The B-36 set the standard for range and payload for subsequent U.S. Intercontinental bombers and was the primary nuclear delivery vehicle of the Strategic Air Command. Because of the payload of nuclear bombs, it was dubbed The Peacemaker, because it carried the biggest stick. The Peacemaker — The Blast Wave The Peacemaker is based on a 14” X 5.5” 6.15mm 7ply Maple/Walnut Hybrid shell that (as Mapex describes it) has a little more “guts” than the standard 100% Maple shell. I prefer to think of The Peacemaker as having a wider blast wave than the standard Maple shell. The tone from the Walnut is warm yet still possesses that Maple crack most drummers prefer. Unlike the plain aluminum skin of the B-36, this drum has a highly figured grain that is a natural maple color with an antique ivory “white wash” (just enough of the blond maple color, with a distinctive twist) over the top. And while I thought The Dillinger was loud, this thing is incredible. Additionally, you benefit from the SoniCLEAR™ technology, which makes the tone on this drum not only great, but simplifies tuning. The tube lugs add some classic simplicity to the drum’s overall appeal, and this drum comes with a highly polished chrome finish on the hardware. The throw-off is smooth as glass to operate, and uses Mapex’s Vertical proven design with the Piston Strainer. The snare wires are premium stainless steel with brass end-plates. Finally the drum comes standard with Remo® USA Coated Ambassador® Batter drumhead, which is yet another bonus you wouldn’t expect on a snare of this price range — nor would you expect the high level of quality that’s characteristic of much higher-priced snares. But beware of this drum — if the blast doesn’t get you, the blast wave will. Fall Out Earlier in the review, I mentioned an ingenious “trade in program” Mapex recently launched: if you purchase an Armory drum set that comes standard with the steel Tomahawk snare, you’ll have two weeks after your kit purchase to test the snare. If you already have a steel snare or prefer a wood drum, or any one of the other five Armory Snares, you simply fill out an easy form and ship the snare back. The return form lets you swap it for another Armory Snare. I really believe this may be an industry first. Much like the B-36, The Peacemaker has a job to do and carries out the task exceptionally well. Understanding that the B-36 carried a payload of destruction unlike anything we have ever known will help you understand why this drum is called The Peacemaker. Once you have played this drum, you too will carry a big stick and leave a blast wave of mass destruction. As you decide what you need in your sonic arsenal of drum gear, take the time to put the Armory Snares — which truly are high-caliber — through their paces. RESOURCES: Mapex Armory “Trade In” Program WEB: Mapex Drums Official Website Mapex Armory “Trade In” Program VIDEOS: Harmony Central Looks At The Mapex Armory Snare Series: Mapex SoniClear Explained: Mapex Armory Series Drums: SHOP: TO PURCHASE THE PEACEMAKER SNARE FROM MUSICIANS FRIEND TO SHOP THE ENTIRE ARMORY SNARE SERIES AT MUSICIANS FRIEND TO SHOP THE ENTIRE ARMORY DRUM SELECTION AT MUSICIANS FRIEND TO SHOP THE ENTIRE MAPEX SELECTION AT MUSICIANS FRIEND 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.

DRUM CHARTS A How To Guide For Drummers by Dendy Jarrett and Ryan Fowler In previous drum articles, I've mentioned charting for drummers. Conventional charting involves a thorough tablature representation of the song, while the simpler Nashville Numbers method is geared toward all musicians and tracks a song by grouping bars into intro, verse, chorus, and turn around. It also notes the key changes above each section. The method that I use, as does a majority of drummers in Nashville, is what we call the Nashville Standard (although you don't have to be from Nashville to use it). It sort of melds the two methods to create a quick reference "road map" of the song. Nashville drummer Ryan Fowler put together this video and granted us permission to use it. He does a fantastic job of laying out the procedure that really works for most of us who play professionally and need a quick way to produce a drum chart— as well as be prepared for the gig. RESOURCES Ryan Fowler is part of the Nashville circle of drummers. He grew up in St. Louis and originally studied jazz and swing drumming. He co-founded the group The Highlight Reel and later moved to Nashville. He currently bounces among touring, studio work, playing showcases downtown, teaching privately, songwriting, and producing ... yes, another passionate drummer pursuing his dreams. You can learn more about Ryan Fowler by going to his website: RYAN FOWLER DRUMS To discuss Drums and Percussion visit the Harmony Central Drum Forum 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.

Expert Review: MAPEX Armory Snare Series – The Dillinger We pry open the weapons cache and review the arsenal of Mapex Armory high caliber Snares by Dendy Jarrett ARMORY ARSENAL INTRO Mapex recently introduced a series of five Armory snare drums, each with its own distinctive look and sound. The series has both metal and wood models, and the "Armory" name is definitely appropriate. The wood models, like the Dillinger, feature the SONIClear™ bearing edges, while the metal models feature the same bearing edge found on the Black Panther™ series of snares (a slightly rounded 45 degrees). If you purchase one of the Mapex Armory kits, it comes standard with one of the five Armory Snares called The Tomahawk. (I’ll review this drum in a future installment.) And in an ingenious move, Mapex has a "trade in program" that I'll cover at the end of this review. I went target shooting with The Daisy Cutter in the first installment of the Armory Series Snares, and the second installment was The Exterminator. The Dillinger is the third snare I’m going to lock ‘n’ load in the series. To appreciate the significance of the “Armory” grouping, consider some history. In the Daisy Cutter review, we explored the “daisy cutter bomb” and the significance it held in war-time arsenals. For The Exterminator, we looked at the P-51 Mustangs known as The Exterminators that escorted the B-17 Flying Fortress and the B-24 Liberator groups. There's an equally significant history with this drum, but this was more homegrown and sinister. We’ll discover why this drum could be public enemy number one. Dillinger — Public Enemy Number One Dillinger was a notorious American gangster and bank robber during the Depression era. Sadly, his first robbery occurred when he couldn’t find work because of the Great Depression, and this lack of work led to a divorce and much strife in his life. While fleeing from the first robbery he was recognized by his priest, who reported him to the police. Trying to help, his Father convinced him to plead guilty in exchange for a lighter sentence (perhaps even a slap on the wrist), but instead the judge threw the book at him and sentenced him to 20 years in prison. That time in prison led Dillinger to embrace the criminal lifestyle; and, after nine years in prison, he was released at the height of the Great Depression. With no prospect of work, he turned to bank robbery to survive. And in an ironic twist, each time he was captured, he managed to escape. It is said that during the heyday of this Depression Era outlaw, he was the most notorious and stood out as the most violent of his peers (Baby Face Nelson, Pretty Boy Floyd, and Bonnie and Clyde). In other words, this was one bad dude! Not only did he rob banks, he also robbed four police stations during his outlaw reign. In the first police station robbery he stole and began to use Tommy Guns. These guns were legal only for use by police officers, so Dillinger became synonymous with the weapon. Dillinger was so sinister and brazen that it led to J. Edgar Hoover’s establishing a more sophisticated weapon against organized crime, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). So you can see why Mapex would choose to name a drum Dillinger so that it could be referred to as "public enemy number one." The Dillinger — Musical Assault The Dillinger is a 14” X 5.5” 6.85mm 8-ply Maple Shell that can handle all musical assaults but will deliver just as much in return. For most drummers, a 14” X 5.5” snare drum will be their “go to” drum that could be appropriate for most types of music. And as you would expect, this drum delivers the "crack" of maple that all drummers love. Unlike Mr. Dillinger, this drum is quite handsome. The outer maple ply is a highly-figured maple and has a walnut stain finish — a great-looking drum. The tone is bright, as you would expect from maple, but balanced. The SoniClear™ edge technology really shines through in this drum, allowing a strong fundamental pitch that is as lethal as one of Dilliger’s Tommy Guns. The tube lugs add some classic simplicity to the drum's overall appeal, and this drum comes with a highly polished chrome finish on the hardware. The throw-off is smooth as glass to operate, and uses Mapex's Vertical proven design with the Piston Strainer. The snare wires are premium stainless steel with brass end-plates. Finally, the drum comes standard with the Remo® USA Coated Ambassador® Batter drumhead, which is yet another bonus you wouldn’t expect on a snare in this price range — nor would you expect the high level of quality that's characterisitic of much higher-priced snares. FALL OUT Earlier in the review, I mentioned an ingenious “trade in program” Mapex recently launched: if you purchase an Armory drum set that comes standard with the steel Tomahawk snare, you’ll have two weeks after your kit purchase to test the snare. If you already have a steel snare or prefer a wood drum, or any one of the other five Armory Snares, you simply fill out an easy form and ship the snare back. The return form lets you swap it for another Armory Snare. I really believe this may be an industry first. Dillinger's undoing was the fact that he became predictable and systematic. The FBI learned his patterns and from there he was found and, during an effort to escape, was shot and killed. Ironically, the predictable and systematic qualities of the Dillinger Snare are what make it a "killer" snare — and one that will likely become your favorite "go to" snare. As you decide what you need in your war chest of drum gear, take the time to put the Armory Snares through their paces. They truly are "high caliber"! RESOURCES: Mapex Armory “Trade In” Program WEB: Mapex Drums Official Website Mapex Armory “Trade In” Program VIDEOS: Harmony Central Looks At The Mapex Armory Snare Series: Mapex SoniClear Explained: Mapex Armory Series Drums: SHOP: TO PURCHASE THE DILLINGER SNARE FROM MUSICIANS FRIEND TO SHOP THE ENTIRE ARMORY SNARE SERIES AT MUSICIANS FRIEND TO SHOP THE ENTIRE ARMORY DRUM SELECTION AT MUSICIANS FRIEND TO SHOP THE ENTIRE MAPEX SELECTION AT MUSICIANS FRIEND 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.

Expert Review: MAPEX Armory Snare Series – The Exterminator We pry open the weapons cache and review the arsenal of Mapex Armory high caliber snares by Dendy Jarrett ARMORY ARSENAL INTRO Mapex recently introduced a series of Armory snare drums. There are five drums total; each is distinctive in sound and look and appropriately named. The series has both metal and wood models. The wood models, like The Exterminator, feature the SONIClear™ bearing edges, while the metal models feature the same bearing edge found on the Black Panther™ series of snares, which is a slightly rounded 45 degrees. If you purchase one of the Mapex Armory kits, it comes standard with one of the five Armory Snares called The Tomahawk. (I’ll review this drum in a future installment.) And in a move that is purely ingenious, Mapex has a “trade in program” that I’ll cover at the end of this review. I went target shooting with The Daisy Cutter in the first installment of the Armory Series Snares. The Exterminator is the second snare I‘ll lock ‘n’ load in the series. To appreciate the significance of the “Armory” grouping, let's review some history. In the Daisy Cutter review, we explored the “daisy cutter bomb” and the significance it held in war-time arsenals. For The Exterminator, there's a different but similar history. During World War II in the early 1940s the 57th Group’s 66th Fighter Wing Squadron was an escort for the B-17 Flying Fortress and the B-24 Liberator groups. They primarily flew P-47 Thunderbolts and P-51 Mustangs. Their job was to keep the enemy fighter planes from destroying the larger bombers. They were so effective that, over time, they became known as the Exterminators. The success of the carpet-bombing of the Bomber groups the Exterminators escorted is a huge part of the US success in World War II. These Exterminators were relentless in their attacks; hence, the appropriate name of the Mapex Armory Snare: The Exterminator. The Exterminator — Mass Impact The Exterminator features a 14” X 6.5”, 6.85mm 7-ply Birch/Walnut hybrid shell. The outer ply is highly figured in a quilted finish. It's an exquisite finish, and although the website states that it is an “ebony stain over figured wood,” I consider it to be more of an amber to dark-burst natural wood grain finish. This drum can be best summarized in its ability to provide mass impact. I thought the hammered drum, The Daisy Cutter, was loud - but holy heck, this drum has “gut” appeal. You get the distinctive warm scream of the birch but the cutting punchy power and projection of the walnut (two wood types you wouldn’t typically find married). Historically, most drummers think of birch as a “studio” drum, but that confining thought process is waning. This drum would fit into any playing setting. The response range from pianissimo to forte is really amazing. You can get great buzz rolls to an extremely guttural punch with backbeat that will make the crowd (your band mates) sit up and take notice. The tube lugs add some classic simplicity to the drum's overall appeal, and this drum comes with a highly polished chrome finish on the hardware. The throw-off is smooth as glass to operate and is a Mapex Vertical proven design with the Piston Strainer. The snare wires are premium stainless steel with brass end-plates. Finally, the drum comes standard with the Remo® USA Coated Ambassador® Batter drumhead, which is yet another bonus you wouldn’t expect on a snare of this price range. It has the quality of much higher-priced snares —much more than the caliber you would expect for the price point. FALL OUT Much like the 66th Fighter Wing Squadron, this drum can clear the way for you. It can deliver mass impact volume but also the subtleties of a sneak attack. It's a striking drum that would look great on any kit and work well with any musical style. And here is the great part … Earlier in the review, I mentioned an ingenious “trade in program” Mapex recently launched: if you purchase an Armory drum set that comes standard with the steel Tomahawk snare, you’ll have two weeks after your kit purchase to test the snare. If you already have a steel snare or prefer a wood drum, or any one of the other five Armory Snares, you simply fill out an easy form and ship the snare back. The return form lets you swap it for another Armory Snare. I really believe this may be an industry first (I can’t say for sure, but I haven’t seen it in my 30 plus years in the industry). So, as you decide what you need in your war chest of drum gear, you should really give serious consideration to these Armory Snares. They’re high caliber! RESOURCES: Mapex Armory “Trade In” Program http://mapexdrums.com/us/armorytradein/ WEB: Mapex Drums Official Website Mapex Armory “Trade In” Program VIDEOS: Harmony Central Looks At The Mapex Armory Snare Series: Mapex SoniClear Explained: Mapex Armory Series Drums: SHOP: TO PURCHASE THE EXTERMINATOR SNARE FROM MUSICIANS FRIEND TO SHOP THE ENTIRE ARMORY SNARE SERIES AT MUSICIANS FRIEND TO SHOP THE ENTIRE ARMORY DRUM SELECTION AT MUSICIANS FRIEND TO SHOP THE ENTIRE MAPEX SELECTION AT MUSICIANS FRIEND 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.

as reported by Dendy Jarrett, Director of Harmony Central Summer NAMM 2014 Wednesday, July 16th, 2014 Tonight officially kicks off the 2014 Summer NAMM show in Nashville, and while it is typically HOT, HOT, HOT — we are experiencing below normal temps for Nashville this week. The low last night even tied a record at 57 degrees with a high today (during show set up) at only 80 degrees with low humidity. No one's complaining! Wednesday is set up day for Vendors and this year marks the second year (hence the 'nashville 2.0' in their promotion) in the new Music City Center. Everyone loves the new Music City Center. The abundance of natural light, along with the acoustics that seemed to have been planned strategically for music-centered events, makes for a perfect venue (much better than the old venue). It is also so much more open due to the high ceilings and glass. It never leaves you feeling cramped. Curiosity abounds over what this year's numbers will look like. 2013's Summer NAMM saw a 25% increase over 2012 due in large part to 157 first-time exhibitors and many who returned after a few years off from the Summer show. The highlight of this day was Vince Gill and The Players at NAMM's " Insight: Inconic Artists and the Gear that inspires them." Vince served as host along with Two Old Hippies founder Tom Bedell. It was a great time of playing, swapping stories, joke telling, and discussions about instruments that influenced them and that were used on some of Vince's greatest hits. Vince Gill and Michael Rhodes: Vince and Tom Bedell: Just an evening to remember: (image credits: Getty Images) Thursday, July 17th, 2014 Thursday saw opening day. For Harmony Central it was a chance to get the "lay of the land" (as they say). This was the second year for the show in the Music City Center, so it is still a little "unfamiliar" and can take a day just to find your way around. I am unsure of the attendence but I did note that finding parking was no problem at all. NAMM is ever growing their education efforts and we spent a good bit of Thursday attending conferences and meetings. While these same efforts happen at the Winter show, it is a little more "sane" at the Nashville show. You also have elbow room! Here are some overhead shots to enjoy: (image credits: Getty Images) Here is an image showing one of the sessions at the NAMM idea center. This was a great session on finding educational talent: The evening finished off with a great NAMM Party at the famous SoundCheck rehearsal facility on Cowen Street. There was plenty of food with rooms set up for open jams: (sorry for the image quality- it was pretty dark in the place) SoundCheck Party: SoundCheck Open Jam: Friday, July 18th, 2014 — NEW AND NOTICED Friday is the day we buckled down. Historically, you don't find many product launches at Summer NAMM as those are saved for the Anaheim for maximum impact. This year was different. I was able to find quite a few new releases. Pearl Drums pulled a surprise and reintroduced Crystal Beat. First introduced in 1973, these acrylic drums have a stunning visual appeal. They also have a surprisingly controlled, but loud sound. Once set featured LED lighting on the interior top and bottom and was just a beauty! To learn more about these drums: http://pearldrum.com/products/kits/drumsets/crystal-beat/ Eastman Guitars released a Ray Benson Signature Model at the show. Ray is a nine-time Grammy winner and respected founder and frontman for the Western Swing band, Asleep At The Wheel. The guitar is the T486-RB and is a double cutaway featuring a deluxe laminate top, back and sides with an "ivoroid" binding through the body, neck and headstock. It features a maple neck with ebony fingerboard that has standard mother of pearl block inlays. It is a 24-3/4" scale length between the 1-3/4" bone nut and nickel Gotoh tunomatic bridge. The guitar also features a custom designed "RB" logo "branded" between the trapeze style tailpiece. It comes with a hardshell case. Eastman Booth: For more information on Eastman Guitars visit: http://www.eastmanguitars.com Sleishman Drums based in Austrailia displayed one of the most unusual (or creative) kits at the show and it was getting a lot of buzz. Drummers seem to really enjoy unique set ups and this certainly qualifies! Mothertone is the US distributor for Sleishman and are based in Nashville. This unique kit was custom built for five-time grammy winner Roy "Futureman" Wooten, who was on hand to mesmerize the crowds. These are Sleishman Pro Series drums but were being shown to emphasize that they can now build custom drums out of their Nashville location. For more info visit: http://www.mothertone.com or: http://www.sleishman.com ESP Guitars released two new guitars in conjunction with the estate of Jeff Hanneman. The Limited Edition LTD JH Tribute, based on Hanneman's iconic 'Urban Camo' ESP is a white, black and grey camo finish and while I am not a guitar guy, this guitar really did catch my eye. It features Kahler Hybrid Vibrato and EMG 85/81 pickups. This guitar comes with a certificate of authenticity and some of the proceeds from the sales will go to the Wounded Warrior Project. The other new release was the Limited Edition LTD 'Ride The Lightning' model which was created to commemorate the 30-year anniversary of Metallica's second album, and features an appropriately lightning-heavy finish to honor that specific album. The guitar features an alder body with a bolt-on maple neck, ebony fingerboard as well as EMG 60/81 humbuckers and a tune-o-matic bridge. This guitar also sports an eye-catching Metallica logo at the 12th fret and includes a certificate of authenticity and an ESP case that also supports a Metallica logo. If either of these guitars appeals to you, get your order in now as ESP is only releasing 300 of these models worldwide. The ESP Booth: For more information on ESP Guitars visit: http://www.espguitars.com TC-Helicon released their new Play Electric which is an 'intuitive' vocal/guitar multi FX combo. This 'one-stop' box features electronic guitar effects taken from their TonePrint pedals, and 'studio grade', natural sounding vocal treatments for the singing guitarist that can be guided by your guitar. The vocal path features tone, harmony, hardtune, reverb, double delay, uMod (chorus/flange, etc.) and transducer (megaphone/distortion fx). It supports separate mono XLR outputs for vocals and guitar making it painless for the sound engineer to mix the levels for the audience or users can set the output to stereo and create their own custom panoramic stereo mix. If you play guitar and sing, you'll want to check this box out. It really is impressive what it is able to deliver in such an easy to use interface. Check out more about TC-Helicon here: http://www.tc-helicon.com Gretsch Guitars had a focus on the Gretsch G5034FT Rancher. While they were not new for this show, they were a featured item due to the Nashville locale and seemed a real hit at the show based on the crowd at the booth (always packed). These guitars are Bigsby- equipped and feature a striking triangular sound opening which plays to the 1950 styling. This guitar's focus market is the Country Western or Country Swing guitarist. For more info on this and other Gretsch products please visit: http://www.gretschguitars.com Roland unveiled the new Blues Cube guitar amp series in a classic 1 X 12 combo amp combining genuine tube sound and response with a more modern reliability. The size makes for easy transport and portablilty. The amp features a classic look with a beige wrap and a darker brown tweed grill clothe. These amps have Roland's Tube Logic which reproduces the inner workings of the revered tweed-era amp. I'm including a stock image because the lighting at the show skewed the true classic color of the amp: Roland also introduced the new Boss Waza Craft pedals. These are "re-inventions" of the original Boss Blues Driver, SD-1 and DM-2 analogue delay classic stompboxes that are quite common on the pedalboards of pro and amateur guitarists everywhere. Waza is a Japanese term for art and technique, and the Japanese symbol is featured on these pedals. Boss states that these pedals are re-invented around discrete analogue components, refined circuitry, and meticulous attention to detail. For more information on Roland visit: http://www.rolandus.com/products Martin Guitar Co. introduced 7 new acoustic guitars at this show: 000RS25 Navajoa 25th Anniversary Model commemorates the 25th anniversary of the C. F. Martin & Co.'s Navajoa facility. It features a solid Sitka spruce top with a newly designed bracing system. The neck is made of solid sipo with an East Indian rosewood fingerboard. The headstock sports a 25th Anniversary logo. There will only be 50 of these produced. SS-OM42-14 Martin Show Special is a model that was born out of the popular D-42 Sinker Mahogony model that was introduced at the Nashville 2012 show. These guitars have a solid Adirondack spruce top and Sinker mahogony back and sides. They are polished to a gloss finish with an oak burst toner. They feature a Paua pearl top inlay with select Abalone pearl border. Mother of pearl is also used on the boarder for the headbplate, fingerboard and bridge. These were only available at the show and are limited to a run of 25. The labels are signed by CF Martin IV and numbered in sequence. OMXAE BLACK is a new X series OM-14 fret non-cutaway acoustic electric model. It features a Jett Black HPL top, back and sides and is equipped with Fishman Sonitone USB electronics. Also has a black Stratabond neck with a PA profile with a single ring, pad-printed rosette on the headstock. It also sports a modified 1930s style bridge. There was no indication of this being a limited run. D-28 Louvin Brothers Custom Signature Edition is the first guitar ever made by Martin that features a special photo imprint on the solid Sitka spruce top. The Graphic is inspired by the Louvin Brothers' iconic album cover, "Satan is Real." This is a dreadnought 14-fret body that is constructed with solid East Indian rosewood and has a modified low oval neck in mahogany. This guitar will also be signed by CF Martin IV and numbered in sequence with a limited run of 50. CS-GP-14 is a new Grand Performance 14 fret non-cutaway model built with complete hide glue construction. This stiking guitar was one of my favorite looking guitars at the show and is simply beautiful. The fingerboard and rosette are inlaid with a concave diamond design made up of orange/red spiney recon stone. The European spruce top is married with Guatemalan rosewood backs and sides with the back featuring a cocobolo wedge. The side sound port for the Fishman Aura VT electronics features a rosette ring. The neck is mahogany and has a performing artist profile with a carbon fiber neck rod. This guitar will be limited to 50. D-18 Sycamore is a new unique dreadnought 14-fret guitar with solid sycamore back and sides that are combined with a Sitka spruce top. They call this a torrified Sitka spruce top because torrefaction accelerates the natural aging process, which gives the guitar the appearance of being aged. This guitar also has a modified low oval profile neck with a performing artist taper and is made of solid sycamore. There will only be 50 of these guitars produced. DXAE Black is a new X series dreadnought 14 fret non-cutaway in Jett black (HPL) top, back and sides. It is an acoustic-electric model with Fishman Soniton USB electronics and much like the OMXAE above, features a single ring printed rosette and sports a 1930s style bridge. It also has a black stratabond neck with a PA profile. There is no indication of this being a limited run guitar. Another cool sighting at the Martin booth was the TV show Nashville's star Chip Esten: For more information on these and other Martin Guitars visit: http://www.martinguitar.com YAMAHA released a 40th anniversary motif XF version in white to celebrate the 40 years that have passed since it released its first portable analogue synthesizer, the 1974 SY-1. This white version supports the latest 1.5 operating system which includes reverb algorithms, amplifier simulation and multi FX. These will have a USB sound stick of soundsets each box also contains a Flash Memory Expansion Board and discount coupons for various third-party developers. Yamaha promises this is the first in a year's worth of celebrating and more products will follow. and the massive Yamaha Booth: For more information on this and other Yamaha products visit: Yamaha Musical Instruments Additionally, they have set up a page for their 40th Anniversary Celebration: Yamaha Synth 40th Anniversary PreSonus introduced a revamped USB 2.0 audio interface with the release of the bus-powered AudioBox iOne and iTwo. iOne is an entry-level model which offers one instrument input and one mic input. The iTwo increases the potential with two combo mic and switchable line/instrument inputs and both feature Class A mic preamps with phantom power. 24-bit, up to 96kHz converters with 105 dB of dynamic range. Both units ship with the PreSonus Studio One Artist DAW for PC and Mac and are designed to complement their Capture iPad recording App. PreSonus also released their PreSonus Capture iPad multitrack recording app. This allows sample rates of 24-bit/96kHz and 'basic mixing and editing features' are available in this app. What's really cool is the ability to wirelessly transfer your Capture projects to your Mac or PC where they can be worked on in PreSonus's Studio One desktop DAW. For more information on this and other PreSonus gear visit: PreSonus.com Casio hit the Nashville show floor with three new keyboards in their Sound eFX line that are sure to excite the electronic musician. It is hard to believe that it has been 24 years since they introduced their first mini-sampling keyboard. They hope to take sampling keyboards to a new level with the launch of these eFX keys. The CTK-2400 is light in weight (at 7.94 lbs.) but heavy in capabilty. It has 61 standard sized keys. with a maxiumum polyphony of 48 notes and 400 keyboard voices. The sampling time is 1 second (fixed) and the CTK features 150 Rythms, Built-in microphone, 110 songs, with "class compliant" USB connectivity. The LK-175 has lighted keys! This should be a great learning keyboard because it gives some visual excitement along with the Casio Step-Up Lesson System. This systems provides instruction and assistance which allows a keyboard newbie to gain experience and grow confidence along the way until they eventually play on their own. This keyboard has 61 piano-style lighted keys that feature Touch Response. There is an EFX Sampler with built-in microphone. It also features an Aux input for connecting your MP3 player or other device and also has a headphone connector for quiet practice. And finally it includes a music stand and song book. Great for the learning keyboardist! And the last keyboard that Casio released is the big brother to the LK-175, the LK-260. This keyboard supports all of the features of the LK-175, but also supports the new Sound EFX Sampler to record any sound and integrate it into the rhythm. This keyboard also features a USB MIDI port and is ready for computers and iOS devices without the need for driver downloads. A great keyboard. For more information on Casio's new gear visit: casio music gear.com Saturday, July 19, 2014 — The Photo Gallery Saturday is public day at the Summer NAMM show and since 95% of the Nashville population are musicians, you can imagine the ensuing controlled chaos. It can make talking to vendors quite a challenge. It does, however, make the day go quicker than you are prepared for. For the final day, I'm posting up a photo gallery for your enjoyment. Taye Drums: Remo Heads: Some Pearl Drums Kits: Gon Bops: Sabian: Gorgeous AJP kits: Notice the tamborine jingles in the bass drum hoop. This was a distinctive sounding kit. Ayotte was awarded the "Company to Watch" award! Mapex Showed some funky MyDentity colors. UFIP: Porter & Davies - Also Natal Drums represented in the booth. The Return of SilverFox: Headhunter Sticks: Prentice Practice Pads: Chop Builders Practice (weighted) Sticks. (sorry for the blurry pic, but these guys constantly laughing and moving). Lots of smaller booth manufacturers: Gretsch, KAT, Gibraltar, LP, Takamine, Ovation: QSC: IRRADIANT: CAD AUDIO: Sontronic, Professional Audio Design, MicFX: TC Group: JamStik and Casio in the booth next door: Griffin Technologies: I had to take two pics. I had Westy envy! RedSonic Sound: STAGG: Ukeleles: What's your flavor? You never know what you are gonna see at a NAMM show. This guy playing his own saxophone that sports two mouthpieces, keys and bells. Both at the same time. It was certainly 'different.' Samson: Yamaha: The Gibson Family of Musical Instruments: C.F Martin & Co. Reverend: Washburn Guitars: Warwick and Framus: E.S.P.: U-Bass: Bedell Guitars: Weber: BreedLove Guitars: Orange Amps: CONCLUSION — The Industry's On The Mend. I noticed at this show that it is an opportunity for lots of smaller manufacturers to be on the main floor of the hall and not stuck in the basement of Hall E (like they are at the larger Anaheim show). There can be a smaller manufacturer directly next to a larger manufacturer. It becomes a real diverse community, and all on one floor. Additionally, I noticed an up-tick in traffic but most importantly, lots more smiles. There was not that underlying tone of doom and gloom related to the economic conditions that have existed these last 4 or 5 years. The MI industry is optimistic again (correction: cautiously optimistic) and people are hoping for brighter days ahead. Nashville is a perfect host for this event. (I am biased — I live here) There is so much to do within walking distance of the Music City Center. So much great food. So much great entertainment. So much Southern Hopsitality. Until next year ... Onward and Upward! 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.

Expert Review: MAPEX Armory Snare Series – The Daisy Cutter We pry open the weapons cache and review the arsenal of Mapex Armory high-caliber Snares by Dendy Jarrett ARMORY ARSENAL INTRO Mapex recently introduced a series of Armory snare drums. There are five drums total and each is distinctive in sound and look. And let me add, these things were appropriately named. The series is not limited to a metal snare but also wood models. The wood models feature the SONIClear™ bearing edges, and the metal models feature the same bearing edge found on the Black Panther™ series of snares, which is a slightly rounded 45 degrees. If you purchase one of the Mapex Armory kits, it comes standard with one of the five Armory Snares called The Tomahawk. (I’ll cover this drum in a future installment.) And in a move that is purely ingenious, Mapex has a “trade-in program” that I’ll cover at the end of this review. The first drum I am going to lock ‘n’ load in the series of five is the Daisy Cutter. To understand the name's significance, consider some history. If you are not old enough to have had discussions with World War II vets or to remember the Vietnam War, you may think a Daisy Cutter means you go to a field of daisies with scissors and bring back a bouquet, it's not that peaceful and innocent. The Daisy Cutter bomb was introduced in WWII, refined for use in Vietnam, and is still being used today in Afghanistan. In brief, it weighed in at 15,000 pounds, was 17.5 feet long, dropped from 6,000 feet attached to a parachute, and had a 3 or 5-foot long plunger on the bottom as the detonator. It sucked everything upward into a mushroom cloud and sent a shockwave that could be felt three miles away! When it was dropped, you had 34 seconds to say a prayer or go deep underground. Nasty stuff! As bad as that bomb is, it makes an evocative name for the Mapex Armory Daisy Cutter snare. DAISY CUTTER — Bombs Away The Daisy Cutter is a 14” X 6.5” steel shell that is 1mm in thickness. I’m a sucker for hammered drums, so I was infatuated instantly with this drum because of the beautiful hammered shell. The hammerings are quite large dimples, which adds to the appeal. Additionally, the drum has a black plating on it that's striking against the chrome tube lugs and 2.3mm power hoops. The black plating gives it a black chrome appearance that can fall into the sinister and/or classy spectrum. While this drum has a destructive prowess, it is really a beautiful instrument. Some drummers feel like companies went overboard with the tube lug “thing,” but I believe that there is a classic simplicity to them. I really appreciates the history they represent in drum design, and love them on this drum. The throw-off is smooth as glass to operate and is a Mapex vertical proven design with the piston strainer. The snare wires are premium stainless steel with brass end-plates. Finally, the drum comes standard with the Remo® USA Coated Ambassador® Batter drum head, which is yet another bonus you wouldn’t expect on a snare in this price point. But what makes the name association with this drum to the original Daisy Cutter is the sound. GOOD GOSH! I think you could use this thing in a Zombie Apocalypse because one hit will knock their heads off. This snare requires ear protection (and should come with some). And while I'm playing the sound volume factor up a bit (as I could have played softer), it is a pretty accurate reflection of the power and projection of this drum. It has the quality of much higher priced snares, and considerably more than the caliber you would expect for the price point. FALL OUT To say this drum is explosive or bombastic might seem like a cliché; however, it would be true. As you’ll read in future installments, the entire Armory Series of snares is pretty incredible. I have my favorites of the five, and this one is on the top of the list. Earlier in the review, I mentioned an ingenious “trade-in program” Mapex recently launched: if you purchase an Armory drum set that comes standard with the steel Tomahawk snare, you’ll have two weeks after your kit purchase to test out the snare. If you already have a steel snare or prefer the hammered or any one of the other five Armory Snares, you simply fill out an easy form and ship the snare back. The return form lets you swap it out with another Armory Snare. I really believe this may be an industry first (I can’t say for sure, but I haven’t seen it in my over 30 years in the industry). So, as you decide what you need in your war chest of drum gear, you might want to go gunning for these Armory Snares. They’re high caliber! Check out the Expert Review of Mapex Armory's The Exterminator RESOURCES: WEB: Mapex Drums Official Website Mapex Armory “Trade In” Program VIDEOS: Harmony Central Looks At The Mapex Armory Snare Series: Mapex SoniClear Explained: Mapex Armory Series Drums: SHOP: TO PURCHASE THE DAISY CUTTER SNARE FROM MUSICIANS FRIEND TO SHOP THE ENTIRE ARMORY SNARE SERIES AT MUSICIANS FRIEND TO SHOP THE ENTIRE ARMORY DRUM SELECTION AT MUSICIANS FRIEND TO SHOP THE ENTIRE MAPEX SELECTION AT MUSICIANS FRIEND 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.

Expert Review: Evans Level 360 Tom Heads — Part 2 (Part 4 of the series) Conclusion of the diverse tom head offering from Evans by Dendy Jarrett INTRODUCTION Evans has been around since the mid-1950s. They are now, no doubt, a household name with drummers. My first experience with Evans Drum Heads was in the late 70s. I was too young to travel the distance required to find music gear, so my dad brought home a set of blue hydraulic heads for my vintage kit (13” mounted tom and 16” floor tom). Other than having seen them in the (then) infant Modern Drummer magazine, I was totally unfamiliar with this brand. Not only did they strike me as odd (in an intriguing kind of way), but also different, because the counter hoop back then was a composite material— not the aluminum to which I expected. They were cool, though, as they did have this bubbling effect in the head and, at the time, were dead sounding (which was the “hip” sound). Flash forward to today. To better understand part 2, you’ll want to have read Part 1 of the tom head review at Evans Level 360 Tom Heads — Part 1. BACKGROUND “Chick” Evans started the company and then sold it to Bob Beals, who then sold the company to Jim D’Addario. Over the last decade, Jim has applied the same passion he has spent years applying to guitar strings to the drumhead side of his business, and introduced a variety of new tooling and technological breakthroughs (please make sure to check out the video in the resource section below for some examples). In case you missed Part 1, let's recap what sets these heads apart. This requires understanding bearing edges, and how drumheads have been produced historically. Bearing Edge: The bearing edge is the part of a drum shell that makes contact with drumhead and (depending on manufacturer) the cut edge can vary from 30 to 45 to even 60 degrees in slope, with the high edge on the outside of the shell. Drum Head Construction: Historically, drumhead production mounts stretched and heat-stamped Mylar (or polyester) into an aluminum counter-hoop. The counter-hoop is the aluminum ring on the drumhead that the drum hoop applies downward pressure against when it’s being tightened. In standard drumhead construction, the slope of the Mylar coming out of the counter-hoop slants inward/upward to where the Mylar intersects the bearing edge. OVERVIEW If you set the average drumhead on a drum, you’ll note that it has a wobble because the bearing edge meets the head on the Mylar’s inward and upward slope instead of resting on the flat horizontal Mylar drumhead plane. Tightening the drum’s hoop against the counter-hoop provides the tension needed to pull it tightly against the Mylar’s horizontal underside, but there’s still enough slack that pressing your finger on the head above the bearing edge can create a dimple. This doesn’t happen with the Level 360 head, where the bearing edge instantly sits flush on the drumhead’s horizontal Mylar. Because the Mylar slopes almost vertically instead of slanting inward and upward, you can feel the bearing edge immediately through the head. BENEFITS This instant contact of the bearing edge against the horizontal Mylar plane makes a noticeable difference. The tuning is much, much easier; the drum head sits completely level right off the mark, so the turns of the drum key normally reserved for bringing the head down to the bearing edge immediately benefit the tuning. This also results a in a wider tone range. TOM HEADS Continuing my deep dive into the many faces of Evans tom heads, this week meets all the heads that sport colors: J1 Etched The J1 Etched head is a single-ply 10 mil film that has a very light coating on it (appears milky). To translate, the “J” stands for Jazz and that is what this head is intended for. The head has a “frappy” tone when thumped out of the box, but lots of sustain. The etching gives just enough overtone control to make them perfect for the earthy feel of calfskin with none of the hassles of humidity. · While I loved the sound these provided as a tom’s bottom head, I still prefer the aesthetics of the clear head on the bottom of my toms. ONYX 2-Ply Coated The ONYX head is a two-ply with each head being 7.5 mil. I found this head to be a cross between the G2 and the EC2 Clear SST; it’s not quite as alive as the G2, but not quite as controlled as the EC2—although it’s pretty dang close. If you thump the head out of the box, it’s completely dead (minimal to no tone). It almost reminds me of the EMAD bass drum head. The head has a black (hence the name ONYX) matte coated finish that completely controls the overtones. If I had a set of concert toms, this would probably be one of my heads of choice. This head has a fairly defined attack, almost no sustain and is pretty dark. The head’s durability would be extended compared to that of most heads. Black Chrome The Black Chrome is a two-ply head featuring a unique top 7 mil clear film over the top of a 7.5 mil black film, which gives a black mirror-like appearance. This head is quite “frappy” when thumped out of the box, but the result is a really nice “G2” type of sound with a smidge less overtone (due to the 7.5 mil second film). This head is also very attractive on the drums—looks great and sounds great! (Although of course like any drumhead, they will show marks over time.) These heads give a great mid- to low-range frequency response with an attack that’s right in the middle, as well as middle of the road sustain, and tone that falls to the dark side of the tone spectrum. This head should also hold up very well to heavy playing. Hydraulics The Hydraulics come in three colors and are a two-ply head that does actually have a thin layer of oil between the plies (unlike the optical illusion of oil that happens with some two ply heads). This oil decreases sustain, as you might expect. It enhances attack and low end. To quote Evans: “Gives the fat, wet sound that was pioneered in the ‘70’s.” o Hydraulic Glass – This is a crystal clear head that sports the unique bubbles of the oil in between the layers. I love the “vintage sound” these give. Lots of controlled sound and they look great on the toms. o Hydraulic Black – These have the same sonic attributes as the Hydraulic Glass heads; however, the solid black finish looks almost identical to the Black Chrome head reviewed previously, and is very attractive on the kit. o Blue Hydraulic – This head is a crystal-clear film with Evans’ distinctive blue finish, and again with the unique oil bubbles. If you have the right color kit, they can look fantastic but if you don’t, they can look somewhat out of place. (Green sparkle and blue hydraulics can be funky, but some might not find it so attractive.) CONCLUSION As stated in part 1, we can sometimes get locked into one brand or another and yes, I’m guilty of this too. When this happens, change can be hard to accept. But with these Evans Level 360 heads, you’ll realize how many options are available for drummers and for the sounds we’re trying to create with our drums. In the past 10 years, Evans has dialed in their technology and manufacturing processes. As you can see from this review, they truly have a drumhead to meet every need—and very possibly every desire. RESOURCES Website: Evans Drum Heads Official Website Video - Evans: Video - Harmony Central: Video - Historical Perspective from the late Bob Beals To purchase this and other D’Addario Evans Products from Musicians Friend: Evans Level 360 Tom Heads Evans Level 360 Snare Drum Head Evans Level 360 EMAD Heavy Weight Batter Head Evans EQ Bass Drum Muffler Evans EMAD Tom and Snare Dampener Evans Magnetic Drum Key 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.

Drummers — When rehearsal is not an option! A drummer’s prep by Dendy Jarrett INTRODUCTION When you’re a somewhat active drummer in Nashville, it inevitably happens — “Can you play a writer’s showcase this Thursday? And by the way … there’s no rehearsal.” Many times, it’s all original music and you may get a rough-cut mp3. Typically, these are 20-45 minute sets with eight or so songs. You don’t have to be from Nashville for this to happen. It can be a local pub band or the like. So, what can you do to help avoid a drumming train wreck? PREPARATION GEAR First, be prepared. Check out my Gig Essentials For Drummers- Don't Forget article which covers the things that you don’t leave home without! It's stressful enough to walk into a gig without the benefit of rehearsal. The last thing you need is to realize you don’t have a hi-hat clutch or sticks! MUSIC I have several ways to prep for a gig like this, starting with listening (and listening and listening) to the music. I create a playlist of the songs in my smartphone, within the title, I’ll include the tempo (e.g. Song: Unpredictable_GeneCook_72). Sometimes if the songs are somewhat more complicated or if two or more are similar, I’ll even sleep with my inner ear monitors as the list cycles in my sleep. (Hey, it works for me!) I’ll also request a Nashville Numbers chart of the music. This is a music shortcut roadmap where the chords are mapped out with indicators for breaks and dynamics. If one isn't available, I’ll create my own version (I can read Nashville Numbers, but I can’t write out a complete NN chord chart, so I will create my own variation). On either chart, I may notate specific fills or make notes about how the song starts. During this time, I’ll communicate with the artist/songwriter to ensure there aren’t specific deviations from the recorded version for our live set. Because of studio arrangements, the song may have a different beginning or end in a live setting -- I need to know this in advance. I also check that the live tempo is going to be the same as that of the recording. Finally, I'll check to see if I (as the drummer) am establishing the tempo or if the artist/songwriter is kicking off the songs. While in most settings the drummer will establish tempo, in Nashville many songwriters are pretty adamant about counting off the song. Depending on how much time I have and how close the live version will be to the recorded version, I may simply stop at the playlist I've built and reference it during the gig by mounting my iPhone and using my ear buds for a quick reference. Even though sometimes I panic thinking that things aren’t moving quickly enough during a live set, I find that songwriters want to tell a story, sp there's typically plenty of time to check a songs first few bars and establish a tempo. If not, there's a very useful app on my iPhone called Tempo Advance (by FrozenApe; I’ll cover this app in depth in the future). This app has the most diverse number of tempo configurations so you can establish not only tempo but also the groove. It also has a gig set list builder and a “gig mode” setting, which allows only this app to run while during a gig — no phone calls or texts will disturb the performance! This app allows fast referencing when time is tight between songs. PERFORMANCE One of the key lessons I've learned (especially as a player in Nashville) is the importance of being flexible as exemplified in the situation described in my article Drummers Be Flexible. I was called to do a showcase where the stage space was minimal and was asked to do the showcase with no bass drum or hi-hat. I improvised a self-made cocktail kit using my floor tom and an x-hat. Pretty crazy! But you must be flexible. Remember, the groove is important, NOT the gear on which you are playing. Another key factor is being musical. In The Musical Drummer, I walk through the fundamentals and application of being a musical drummer. It is important that you are playing for the music. While it's important in any gig environment to play for the music, this is accentuated in a singer/songwriter showcase, where the song can make the difference between being signed or not being signed. And, finally, don’t let them see you sweat. Sure, you're “winging” it — but don’t show that. Play with confidence. If you use eye contact, listen and always look like you know what you're doing, the gig will go much better. If you make a mistake, make it with authority and own it. You can make a mistake seem like it was part of the song if you're musical about it. Remember, the audience doesn’t know the material … this is their first listen. CONCLUSION It doesn’t matter if you're a semi-pro drummer (weekend warrior) or a professional drummer; at some point in your career you'll be called upon to do a gig with no rehearsal. Sure, you can decline the gig; but in our neck of the woods, if you decline a couple of gigs the phone stops ringing. Just as if you were taking a journey, make sure you have all your gear, be prepared with a road map (of the material), communicate, listen, be flexible, be musical, and finally, play it like you own it! RESOURCES TO DISCUSS DRUMS & PERCUSSION: Harmony Central Drum Forum TO BUY DRUM GEAR: Musician's Friend Drum & Percussion 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.

Expert Review: Evans Level 360 Tom Heads — Part 1 (Part 3 of the series) A first look at Evans' diverse tom head offerings by Dendy Jarrett INTRODUCTION Evans was started just like many other drum companies, by a drummer who thought he could improve the drumming experience. Marion “Chick” Evans had grown tired of humidity affecting his calf skin drum heads, so he took a piece of plastic film (Mylar) and constructed the first commercially viable (coined phrase) “All-Weather” drumhead. He realized he had a revolutionary product for drummers, and started the Evans Drumhead Company. According to the company, “After Chick developed his landmark drumhead in 1956, he traveled to music stores around the country, shocking music dealers by mounting the head on a drum, showing the surprising similarity of sound to calfskin, then proceeded to pour water on it, stand on it, and then play it again. The calfskin heads of the day could never take such abuse; the water alone would render them useless.” During the early years, Chick produced these heads by hand. He eventually realized he needed a partner who knew how to build the machinery to mass- produce these heads so he partnered with Bob Beals, who had an engineering background. Beals significantly improved Evans heads over the years with his innovative designs introducing the first two-ply head, the first clear (or “glass”) heads, the Hydraulic oil-filled head, and the first heads with internal rings, dry-venting, and offset ports (the EQ bass line and Genera line). When “Chick” retired, Bob Beals purchased Evans Drumhead Company. I was fortunate to have known and become friends with Bob during my tenure with several different drum companies. He was passionate about drummers and drumhead technology as well as a very kind and friendly soul who would always engage in a smiling conversation about drum heads. In 1995, Bob Beals retired and sold Evans Drumheads to J. D’Addario & Company, Inc. Jim D’Addario took the same passion he had for guitar strings and applied that passion to drum heads. D’Addario has taken Evans from a 3% market share to a 40+% market share in a few short years. When I was asked to review their Evans Level 360 heads, I had no idea that I was in for a bounty of heads that would make reviewing tom heads a fun, yet challenging, task. To recap from the review I did on the Level 360 Heavy Weight Snare Head and the Level 260 EMAD Heavy Weight Bass Drum Head : BACKGROUND: To understand what sets these heads apart, it's important to understand what a bearing edge is, and how drumheads have been historically produced. Bearing Edge: The bearing edge is the part of a drum shell that makes contact with the drumhead. Typically, these bearing edges have a cut edge that can vary depending on manufacturer from 30 to 45 to even 60 degrees in slope, and the high edge is on the outside of the shell. Drum Head Construction: Historically, drumheads are produced in a process by which Mylar (or polyester) is stretched and heat-stamped as it is mounted into an aluminum counter-hoop. The counter-hoop is the aluminum ring on the drumhead against which the drum hoop applies downward pressure against when it's being tightened. In normal drumhead construction, there's a slope of the Mylar coming out of the counter-hoop slanted inward/upward to the point where the Mylar intersects the bearing edge. OVERVIEW: Level 360 is different from those aforementioned constructed heads in that, instead of the Mylar slanting inward and upward, it slopes almost vertically. If you set the average drumhead on a drum, you’ll note that it has a wobble, because the bearing edge meets the head on the Mylar's inward and upward slope instead of resting on the flat horizontal Mylar drumhead plane. We rely on tightening the hoop of the drum against the counter-hoop for the tension needed to pull it tightly against the Mylar's horizontal underside. I also noticed that when I placed any other head on the drum, there was enough slack that, by pressing my finger on the head above the bearing edge, it creates a dimple. This doesn’t happen with the Level 360 head. You can actually feel the bearing edge immediately through the head. With the Level 360, the bearing edge instantly sits flush on the horizontal Mylar of the drumhead. BENEFITS: This instant contact of the bearing edge against the horizontal Mylar plane really makes a noticeable difference. For example, the tuning is much, much easier. The drum head sits completely level initially, so the turns of the drum key normally reserved for bringing the head down to the bearing edge immediately benefit the tuning. This also results in a wider tone range. TOM HEADS: When I was asked about reviewing the Evans Level 360 lineup of tom heads, I didn’t have a clue about how many different heads were offered. When these huge boxes showed up, I was somewhat overwhelmed. Think of it as having too many choices on the menu. But then, I thought … how many people get an opportunity to sit down with every tom head a company offers and do a comparison study to determine what they like best? Besides, who needs weekends anyway? G14 Clear The G14 Clear head is a single-ply 14mil film that isn’t crystal clear, but somewhat opaque. The head has a nice tone if thumped right out of the box (not mounted — this indicates a head that can produce a great tone once mounted). This head to have a dark, throaty sound with a lot of sustain, and a rather warm tone, and the ability to hold up well to stick abuse. G12 ClearThe G12 Clear head is a single-ply 12mil film. Again, this head is not crystal clear either. The head had a "frappy" tone when thumped right out of the box (not mounted). When mounted as a batter (top head), it produced a punchy attach but open decay. This is a very resonant head; the tone fell right in the middle of the tonal spectrum. This head held up well, but I did note a few stick dimples form with reasonably hard hitting. G2 ClearThe G2 Clear is a two-ply head with each ply being 7mil (14mil total) and the film is crystal clear. Many mistake these two-ply heads for having an “oil” in between the film because the two plies produce an iridescent sheen, but this is simply the two films reacting to one another. This head produced a solid tone when thumped right out of the box (not mounted) but the dual ply kept the overtones under control. I love this head and the sound it produced on my toms — a guttural growl, with a nice tone rolloff. The head held up extremely well under stick abuse. G1 ClearThe G1 Clear is a single-ply 10mil head. This head is not crystal clear but rather hazy, and produced a "frappy" sound when thumped right out of the box. Mounting as a batter head produced too many overtones for me. I used this head on the bottom and really liked the result (for the playing situation in which the head was going to be used). As a batter head, this single thin ply head holds up well but will dimple with heavy playing. EC2 Clear SSTThe EC2 Clear is a two-ply and like the G2 it is two 7mil plies. The defining difference in this head is it features an Edge Control™ ring around the head's outer perimeter. This head is also crystal-clear, and is a very good-looking thanks to the two stripes around the outer edge. For the upcoming gig, this was my head choice, due to its aggressive, defined attack and a medium but controlled decay. The tone was middle of the road. Due to the Level 360 technology, I was able to get great low-end tone out of my floor toms with slightly more than finger tightening the head. The EC2 also stands up against heavy hitting. Out of all the heads, this was a personal favorite. CONCLUSION: As drummers, we can sometimes get locked into one brand or another; when this happens, change can be hard to accept. But with these Evans Level 360 heads, you’ll realize just how many options are available for drummers and for the sounds we are trying to create with our drums. There are six more tom heads in the Evans Level 360 tom head series and we'll break those down in the next installment of the Level 360 series. Part 2 of the Evans 360 Tom Head Review RESOURCES: Website: http://www.evansdrumheads.com/EvansHome.Page?ActiveID=1194 Video - Evans: Video - Harmony Central: Video - Historical Perspective from the late Bob Beals To purchase this and other D’Addario Evans Products from Musicians Friend: Evans Level 360 Tom Heads Evans Level 360 Snare Drum Head Evans Level 360 EMAD Heavy Weight Batter Head Evans EQ Bass Drum Muffler Evans EMAD Tom and Snare Dampener Evans Magnetic Drum Key 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.

Expert Review: Mapex Mars Series — 528 Crossover Shell Pack in Smokewood by Dendy Jarrett INTRODUCTION Mapex has been around since the early 1990s and has become a “drummer” household name by now. As Mapex has evolved, the quality of their mid-line drums has really raised the bar, with ever-improving attention to detail — as evidenced by their recently launched SONIClear™ Edge technology that's standard on all Mars Shells. SONIClear™ Edge allows the drumhead to sit on a flatter (less sharp) bearing edge. If you take a drumhead and place it on most drums, you’ll notice that the head will still move around in a wobbly fashion. With the SONIClear™ it sits completely and solidly flat on the bearing edge with zero movement. The benefit is a head that tunes with much more ease than typical shells and also allows for a lower, deeper, and stronger fundamental tone. The net result is a drum the tunes easier and quicker, with a wider tuning range. MAPEX BASICS Mapex, like every other company, offers levels of drums. To understand where Mars ranks, I'll outline the series levels. Mapex Product Lines: Level Series Name Entry Rebel Entry + Voyager Low-Mid Mars Upper-Mid Armory Custom-Mid MyDentity High Saturn IV Premium Black Panther So you can see Mars falls right in the middle of the rank for Mapex, but ... MARS SERIES Don’t be fooled! Sometimes ranks can be misleading. I live close to the Mapex facility, so they were gracious enough to set up the drums along with a few other Series in their performance hall and invite me for a test-drive. They only completed the sets partially so that I could experience assembly on some items, as well as the SONIClear™ tuning. The set-up was straightforward. The tuning was really a noticeable differentiator — these new SONIClear™ bearing edges remind me of an older-school bearing edge from the late 1950s through the late 1960s where the bearing edge was round, versus the more common (today) sharp edge. The result is a warmer tone and “phatter” sound. All Mars kits use a wrapped faux-wood, three-dimensional finish that's exceedingly rich. I had to be told it was a wrap because it feels like real wood. Furthermore, although not all drummers would agree, I prefer the sound of a drum with a wrap on it. The wrap holds up better for a gigging drummer, but also a drum shell's wrap restricts shell vibration somewhat. This restricts the unwanted overtones and provides just the right amount of controlled tone. FEATURES General: Borrowed from the higher Saturn Series, the rack toms feature the SONIClear™ Suspension System. This is Mapex’s version of an isolation tom mount. It's a clever design, and I like how it connects to the base of the lug casings and has a dimple rest on a small badge mounted on the shell. The bass drum claws feature a rubber isolation gasket that protects the wooden hoop from damage, as well as prevents rattles or buzzing. Configurations: The available kit configurations offered: All of the shell packs feature a matching 14X6.5” snare drum. (more on the snare later) 529S Rock Shell Pack: Features a 22X18” bass drum, 10X7” and 12X8” mounted toms which are mounted to the bass drum, and a 16X14” floor tom 528S Crossover Shell Pack: (being reviewed) Features a 22X18” bass drum, 12X8” mounted tom which is mounted off of a single mount attached to a cymbal stand, and a 14X12” and 16X14” floor toms 504S Fusion Shell Pack: Features 20X16” bass drum, 10X7 and 12X8 mounted toms which are mounted to the bass drum, and a 14X12” floor tom 446S Rock 24 Shell Pack: Features 24X16” bass drum, 12X8” mounted tom which is mounted off of a single mount attached to a cymbal stand, and a 16X16” floor tom Finishes: The kit I was reviewing had a finish called Smokewood. This is a basic yet handsome finish that would show well in a rock band where everyone is tatted, or in a gig where everyone is in tuxedos. The faux-wood is a grey finish with a deeper grey (almost black) wood grain. All the Mapex Kits were assigned hardware color based on the finish color. The complete Mars Series color offering: Smokewood (GW): grey hue wood grain wrap with Chrome Hardware Bloodwood (RW): wine hue wood grain wrap with Chrome Hardware Bonewood (AW): white hue wood grain wrap with Black Plated Hardware Nightwood (ZW): ebony hue wood grain wrap with Black Plated Hardware Wood Shells: The Mars Series features a 100% Birch 6-ply shell. While I typically play a maple shell, I was super impressed with the punchy sound these Mars drums produced. Because I was in a room with several Mapex series, I was able to do some comparisons, and let me tell you … these Mars drums held their ground. I actually preferred the sound of these drums to the higher ranked series to which I compared them. The sound from the bass drum and snare drum were simply unbelievable — warm and punchy, but really demanded your attention. And, of course, all feature the SONIClear™ bearing edge. Snare Drum: Oh, my gosh … this snare drum was one of the real unexpected surprises. While I was playing, I cranked the snare up a couple of turns from where it was tuned when I arrived. Some of the staff started poking their heads in to see what drum I was playing, as it was simply bombastic. It had a nice meaty tone with just the right amount of ring — but not too much. It was the sound I would have expected from a much more expensive snare drum. To have a matching snare drum with a kit in the mid-price range is a bonus. CONCLUSION This kit surprised the heck out of me. I would so totally play it out at any gig. While the price may not reflect it, this kit was outfitted to compete with any high-end kit. All the features were there — all the quality was there — and all the sound was there. If you're looking for a kit that will meet high standards but not break the bank, the Mapex Mars series should be high on your list of contenders! RESOURCES: VIDEOS: Mapex Mars Series- Harmony Central: Mapex SoniClear Explained: Mapex Mars Series Hardware: To Purchase Mapex Mars Series from Musician's Friend 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.

Liberty Snare Drum — 14X6.5” Birch with Inlay Edition A British Contender ... by Dendy Jarrett INTRODUCTION Regal. Royal. Majestic ... all words that gushed into my head when I pulled this snare drum out of the box. If you follow any proper British brands such as Jaguar, Land Rover’s Range Rover, Chatsford, Twining’s Teas and the like, you will likely know that most carry a proper badging that evokes the characteristics of regal, royal, and majestic. So the initial quality didn’t surprise me … but another British brand? OVERVIEW These snare drums demand respect right out of the box. Yes, there are things British that just ooze quality; Liberty is one of those brands. These drums are 100% built and manufactured in the UK. Even the plied shells are made by Liberty Drums, unlike the many companies that buy shells pre-made from another manufacturer, then simply cut bearing edges and drill holes for the hardware. With Liberty this process starts all the way back to wood selection. There's careful consideration given to all the woods purchased by Liberty, and everthing is hand-selected based on grain quality and characteristics. They make sure all of the plies have perfect butt edges where the plies meet throughout the shell. Unlike some manufacturers who use heat to cure their wood shells while they're in the molds, Liberty allows for the natural drying time to process the shell. The unspoken benefit is that when shells are produced, the wood fibers retain the memory of the shape into which they are being “molded.” When you force heat on them, they will remember, but that memory is “forced”; when you let them cure naturally, that memory becomes ingrained. The result is a drum shell that better maintains “round.” SPECIFICS Let’s talk badge — I love the Liberty Silver Icon badge used on this snare drum. It speaks to British heritage, pomp and circumstance, and all those double-decker buses and Hackney Carriage British Taxis. This specific snare drum is a 14X6.5” handcrafted 100% Finnish birch shell with a tri-line inlay of rosewood. The birch on this drum is flawless, as is the finish work. The result of the birch with the darker rosewood inlay is a strikingly simple design that exudes elegance. The drum is an impressive 15-ply shell and, while substantial, it is not heavy. Liberty calls this particular lug style their “beetle” lugs, and they're sleek and sexy. They harken back to styles of the 1950s and 60s. The snare strainer is a Dunnett R7 strainer (tried and true), and the drum sports 2.5mm steel hoops. SOUND Typically I use a maple snare drum or metal snare, so I was really curious to hear this birch in action. Amazing! This thing is so sweet, it’ll make you want bangers and mash for dinner along with a Blackheart Stout! Stout is everything that this snare drum says. It means business. It would be great for the studio or live playing. I’d place this snare drum against any other snare I have ever played — warm but commanding, subtle tones but steadfast. What can I say? I want this drum! CONCLUSION Liberty Drum Company was founded in 2006 by Andrew Street. He started in his garage in England, but the company has grown and moved three times to their current manufacturing facility. Liberty is a great example of a drummer’s hobby that moved into a full-blown manufacturing facility, but remains small enough that the quality control is completely evident in the product. Whether you are seeking a secondary snare or your primary “go to” snare, this drum would fit the bill. The quality is of custom made status, yet has a price that doesn’t break the bank. The clear impression is that Andrew Street and Liberty Drums mean business. Give one a go, and I am sure you too will see that it’s a real “bobby dazzler”! RESOURCES: VIDEOS: Harmony Central Talks with Liberty Drums: Liberty Drums walks through the entire Liberty line up including the Birch In-Lay Edition: PURCHASE SNARE DRUMS: MUSICIAN'S FRIEND SNARE DRUMS _________________________________________________________________ Dendy Jarrett is the Publisher and Executive 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.

Technique: Concert Toms Vs. Double-Headed Toms — the Mystery and History by Dendy Jarrett INTRODUCTION Wide ties, skinny ties. White appliances, stainless appliances. Concert toms (single-headed tom toms), regular toms (double-headed toms). The last time single-headed toms (dubbed Concert Toms or Melodic Toms) were in favor was before Billy Joel embarked on his first world tour. Since then, skinny ties have been in and out of favor three times! So, what’s the story on concert toms vs regular toms? HISTORY In the Beginning The first mounted toms were Chinese tom toms; these had a bowed side with tacked heads on them (top and bottom). Then tuned tom toms started being produced, which initially had a tuned top head and a tacked bottom head (i.e., a calfskin tacked directly to the drum's shell -- see image below). Eventually both top and bottom heads were tuned heads. During the late 1940s through the mid 1960s, while there were advances made in hardware and production methods, both top and bottom heads existed on mounted toms. Advent of the Concert Toms I still remember that first 1975 Ludwig catalog my dad brought home to me. We were looking at a used drum kit, so he picked up the drum catalog for a comparison and price guide. I would sneak that drum catalog into the classroom and look at it behind my three-ring binder all day long … just day-dreaming about drum kits. Yet, I digress. Why do I mention this? That 1975 drum catalog featured “melodic tom tom” drum kits. ( Below: Actual Page from the 1975 Ludwig Catalog) If you are mid 40’s or older, you’ll no doubt remember AM radio and the advent of FM (stereo radio). Many of those late 1960s through mid 1970s hits on the radio were drummed by Hal Blaine, who was part of the famed group of studio musicians called The Wrecking Crew. Hal pioneered the single-headed tom and the unique sound of those drums. He did this for two reasons: Better sonic isolation —with the bottom head off the drums, you could get the microphone right up into the drum and catch the stick's attack, while better isolating the tom from the other drums. A more "melodic" approach to playing—many times in the studio the drums were tuned so that they were in the song's key, and accentuated specific runs or fills to pair up with other instruments – hence the term “melodic toms. (Below: Hal Blain in the 1970s in the studio with Melodic Toms) By the early to mid 1970’s this single-headed approach was the favored way of tuning your drums. In fact, this became so popular that finding double-headed kits that were missing the bottom hoops became more common than finding complete drum kits. Drummers even started removing the front bass drum heads! The sound of these drums was commonly referred to as Tupperware or “Tubby” toms. Another trend with these toms (again started by Hal Blaine) was taking a white sheet and cutting it into a 3- or 4-inch wide strip and pulling it tight under the top head. It left the drums very dry and boxy-sounding. The first “real” drum set I ever played was a Ludwig Blue Vistalite Quadra plus drum kit. This durm kit was owned by my school and to this day, I can still hear the distinctive sound of those drums. So popular were these drums that some manufacturers with unique ideas appeared including North Drums, which were made from a fiberglass mold and featured a tom with a curved forward-facing bell at the bottom of the drum. Another boutique drum company, Staccato produced a similar design; but, instead of a round bell, it featured a cloud-shaped bell. (see image Slingerland offered a “cut-a-way” version of their concert toms that featured a tear-shaped back that hung lower than the front. (see image) (Below: Slingerland Cut-A-Ways from the 1980 Slingerland Catalog) As Concert Toms became more in vogue, they also grew in depth. So, in the late 1970s and early 1980s when double-headed toms came back in style, deeper toms were what became the most popular drum tom. In the industry we called these “square” toms. Classic toms were a rectangular dimension, like 9X13, whereas a “square” tom would be a 13X13. Most drummers will remember the instantly recognizable left-handed set-up of concert toms used by Phil Collins. (see image: Phil Collin’s kit featured at 2014 NAMM Gretsch booth) The Shift Back to Double Headed Toms By the era of “big rock” ballads, larger double-headed toms came back in style. As mentioned above, the deeper toms were in favor then. Great drummers like Journey's Steve Smith and REO Speedwagon's Alan Gratzer were playing large drum kits with many tom toms, and most were playing deeper regular toms. The sound was large and bombastic. By this time the only remaining concert tom was an orchestral version of the same single headed tom called … well, a concert tom … and were being used primarily by percussion ensembles and the like. Most touring drummers by this time were using these larger setups. During the early 1980s through the 1990s it became common to see a pretty widely diverse use of drum sizes. Early in the 1980s Stewart Copeland was drumming for The Police and used double- headed, standard-sized drums. He even tuned them in a fairly “jazz” oriented tuning so that the toms were ringing. This started a trend toward that sound; yet, at the same time, larger groups still preferred the larger drums with the large sound. During this time, you never knew what a drummer would be using. Keep in mind that electronic kits were coming into favor, so it would not have been uncommon to see a drummer using nothing but electronics on stage or a mix of acoustic drums and electric drums. (Below: Stewart Copeland with The Police ) In recent times, late 1990s and through the 2000s, double-sided drums have been the norm and drum kits diminished in size to more simplistic setups. One mounted tom was not unusual. Return of the Concert Tom At Winter NAMM 2013, we saw a few companies reintroduce Concert Toms, but it was a sparse offering at best. Then in 2014 DW, Tama, Gretsch, Taye and others started showcasing Concert Toms again. Then last week DW posted the kit pictured below as the new kit for the upcoming Depeche Mode tour (see image). CONCLUSION We don’t have a crystal ball, but if we did, I'm sure that it would show a resurgence of Concert Toms. Some of this is market-driven as manufacturers look for new ways to reach new drummers. If the marketplace is flooded with double-sided head drums and a push for single-headed toms becomes all the rage, then a new untapped market emerges for drum manufacturers. Some of this is sound-driven and in some cases (I suspect) style-driven. Taylor Hawkins used a concert tom drum kit a few years ago on a Foo Fighters tour, and I believe this is what started pushing this new interest. Whatever the reason, the use of Concert Toms seems once again on the rise. It's true what they say: “What’s old is new again” and “what goes around, comes around.” Better dust off those old narrow ties in my closet! Hal Blaine: Steve Smith Solo 1980 Journey: Steward Copeland: The Police (1983) TO SHOP FOR DRUMSETS: SHOP MUSICIAN'S FRIEND DRUM SETS TO DISCUSS DRUMS & PERCUSSION: Harmony Central Drum Community Forum 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.