Crash & Ride

CRASH & RIDE THE MAGAZINE

ANGEL DRUMS • ZION CYMBALS SWINDOLL • DRUM CONCEPTS MEINL • LOWBOY BEATERS

ISSUE NO 1 WINTER 2015

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CONTENT SWINDOLL CUSTOM DRUMS 4 DRUM CONCEPTS 5 ANGEL DRUMS 7 LOWBOY BEATERS 10 ZION CYMBALS 11 MEINL FEATURE 14 HEADHUNTERS DRUMSTICKS 16 DRUMNETICS 17 OUR TEAM

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF —Freddy Charles DEPUTY EDITOR —James White ASSISTANT EDITOR — Katrina Lee Villanueva

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EDITORIAL

I

wanted to move away from the known with Crash & Ride, and take a journey into the lesser known world of talented people making quality products. As a drummer for over 20 years I've played just about everything..

It wasn't until I started diving into the custom builder world though, that my eyes began to open extremely wide. It sunddenly wasn't all about mainstream anymore. I started meeting incredible people that were more passionate than me about drums and drumming. Soon it was evident that there was a completely unknown world of drums, cymbals, sticks, pedals etc out there- and your average drum nut had no idea. Thats when I decided to create Crash & Ride. I love exposing people to new things, ideas, sounds. Our inaugural issue is packed with amazing products-some you may have heard of, others maybe not. The one common thread is quailty. I do hope you enjoy our content and look forward to hearing from all those out there that have outstanding products waiting to be discovered. Happy Drumming.

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SWINDOLL CUSTOM DRUMS

Jordan Swindoll is a pretty cool dude. His knack for drum building however, makes him even cooler!

I tried a myriad of Swindoll's snare drums a few months ago.. needless to say I was very impressed.

Swindoll uses a pallatte of exotic woods to build his stave master pieces. Each drum is hand made

by Jordan in his tiny shop . Thats wahat makes a good drum though-attention to detail and passion.

Swindoll possess all of the above and continually puts out high quality product.

So how do the drums sound you may ask? Awesome is my answer. I played a half dozen Swindoll snares and each brought a unique sound to the table. I will say that a particular birch drum I played had all the components I personally look for in a snare. Wet and fat sounding with great stick articulation. We torqued up the heads a bit and bam!! The drum was still buttery sounding and clean. Quite a treat for the ears. Swindoll is also making full drum sets as well.

Although I haven't played one yet, I'm guessing the quality will be evident.

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DRUM CONCEPTS Kevin Smith and his line of interchangable beaters is revolutionizing the way we play the bass drum.

I

first met Kevin in Nashville where he was debuting his new switch kick line of interchangable beaters.

Intrigued I sat down on the kit whikle he showed me the process and tonalites of each beater. I was immediately impressed by how effective and applicable this could be depending on the musical context.

But it is not just the beater type that produces this striking innovation, it's Drum Concepts patented method of quickly interchanging the beater. Kevin has designed a simple attachment for your bass pedal that allows you to simplly alter the beater with the turn of the shaft. It's fast, easy and honestly pretty cool. I personally enjoyed each different beater I played. It is one of those acessories that can truly influence your playing in a way you never thought of. Try attaching a brush to the pedal and use that on the kick- it feels so different, yet refreshing at the same time. Another favorite was the oversized felt beater. The sound produce was soft and mellow as expected, but surprisingly had enough weight to produce a solid hit on the drum. Keep an eye out for these guys as I'm sure you will see an array of cool products launching very soon.

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DRUM TRACKS Just a few releases worth checking out this year.

Mark Guiliana's new record My Life Starts Now packs a n interesting blend of acoustic and electric playing.

Jojo Mayer's Nerve drops it's most musical EP yet. Jojo sounds more and more like a machine with each track.

Virgil Donati's In This Life is an energetic hardcore driven record. The sticksmith definately hasn't missed a beat.

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ANGEL Angel Drums caught everyone by surprise this year. The combonation of expert craftsmanship, innovation, and down right great sounding drums have made Angel a contender in the custom drum world.

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T

he custom drum market is growing rapidly, with companies churning out products that are not only beautiful but also innovative. Founded in 2011, Angel Drums produces quality custom pieces made in Hungary by master craftsman Zoltan Angel. Each component is manufactured in house with impeccable attention to detail, including the hand-machined, solid brass hardware, cast bronze throw-offs, and patent-pending stainless steel hoops.

T

he patent-pending Angel hoops used on these drums are hand rolled from high-grade, single-flange steel. The tension rods fit into little half moons that are welded onto the outer side of the hoop and hang below, allowing the hoop to sit evenly on the bearing edge and hold the drumhead firmly in place. All other Angel hardware is machined from solid brass and bronze. The lugs are threaded completely through, so they don't require any springs or other potentially rattling parts. The tension rods are always in contact with the threads, which provides extra gripping power to prevent the rods from detuning. The solidbronze throw-off was super-durable, and the bottom component, where the snare wires attach, swivels to ensure even placement on the snare bed. Another unique feature of Angel drums is the symmetrical venting.

The company has done away with the single eyelet vent and added tiny holes under each lug. The holes are almost imperceptible and, according to the company, result in a 30 percent improvement in both volume and projection. It's hard to say if this is an accurate measurement, since I wasn't able to compare our review models with an identical drum featuring a traditional eyelet hole, but it does make sense, even with my basic understanding of physics.

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CRASH & RIDE

LOWBOY BEATERS

Low Boy is changing the way we play the kick. Their proprietry design is light weight but packs a huge punch. The unique design gives the drummer a different feel on the kit, which is a good thing. The beaters can be turned either way for a different attack and feel on the head. The best part is, Low Boy beaters are completly customizable. different Colors and logoslogos are welcome

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WINTER 2015

CYMBALS

EPIC

T

hey sound right and they feel right. A proprietary patina process even ensures they look aged. The aura is remarkably authentic - thin cymbals flexing with that individual hand-made vibe, desired not only in jazz and session circles, but in any music which aims to capture the organic grooves of timeless jazz, soul and pop. The series is epitomised by the 20" ride which has all the character we're looking for. The flavour is dark, the stick definition is clean and clickily precise for those jazz 'ten-to-tens', but effortlessly prompting a full deep wash and spread - that oh-so-slightly trashy, breathy 'ttarrhhh' which is the hallmark of a lightweight, heavily hammered ride.

ELITE

T

hese are new cymbals made in the ancient tradition, and each one is an individual work of art, painstakingly hand forged and hand hammered. These cymbals have warmth that seduces at low volume and thunders with a froth of dark undertones at more extreme volumes. These cymbals come alive, shimmering and wobbling, as if the mere touch of human hands excites the cymbal and it can't wait to get its voice out there and sing.

Elite cymbals are resilient and slightly soft on the stick. The undertones are warm, rich and dark with an edge of dragon's breath. Each one is a unique, complex voice that will excite your imagination.

FX

P

icking up each cymbal, the thinness is immediately apparent, but unlike most thin cymbals they don't flex easily - there is obvious tenacity to the bronze. The two smallest cymbals - 16" and 17" - have average-sized bells; from 18" up to the largest 20" cymbal, the bells are proportionally bigger and far more pronounced.

This makes the profile of the cymbals deeper, guaranteeing more volume and cut. The top of each cymbal is circled by a large number of small hammer marks arranged in orderly bands that start just outside the bell and continue all the way to the edge. Similarly tight bands of lathing flow over the entire surface of each cymbal on both sides, with the exception of the smooth underside of each bell

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SAKAE

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SAK AE TRILOGY

he Trilogy shell consists of three maple-poplar-maple plies. Such a thin shell needs reinforcing rings, in this case four-ply maple on toms and six ply on bass drums and Trilogy snares. This is a step back in time, recalling the shells made by Ludwig, Slingerland and others up to the 1960s. The difference is those companies often used mahogany as well as maple, and their reinforcing rings were solid, not ply. As befits modern methods Sakae uses thin ply to fashion a daintier reinforcing band. You get the strength but not the bulky bearing edge which some feel blocks too much of the cylinder. This method is also cheaper and lighter. Including the re-ring, tom shell thickness comes to about 7mm, making the actual shells somewhere between 3mm and 4mm, which is thin by any standards. Sakae president Enzo Nakata points out that, unlike some other companies Sakae's bass drums remain at three ply, with just the re-rings bulking up to six plies for stability

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CRASH This issue's spotight cymbal feature capture's the essence of some of Meinl's top cymbals. We've tested three crashes and four rides this time, looking for those hard to hear subtleties. And when it comes to tonal subtleties, Meinl is always pleasing to our ears.

EXTRA DRY

V I N TA G E

O

V

ne of my favorite crashes I've come across in a long time. It doesn't even matter which size you hit either, although I'm partial to the 18". The Meinl Extra Dry thin crashes are incredibly dark, yet versitle. True to their name they sound dry as a bone. Medium attack, warm and dark. You can incorporate them into any musical context though. This is probably the main reason I like them as much as I do. Line up a 16, 17 and 18 and revel in the differences. These babies are for real.

intage Byzance crashes are growing on me. The thinner the better and the ones I've played seem to sit very well in a mix. Again I'm a fan of the 18", finding it nearly flawless for a cymbal this thin. The tone is rather dark too, which is surprising but not because we are dealing with Meinl here.

CUSTOM CLASSIC

T

heGerman made Custom Classic series has been written about time and time again.

Not quite a pro level cymbal is how it is billed, although I don't believe cymbals should always be placed in those catagories. Either way, this is a loud rock crash cymbal, period.

It can be subtle though if need be. It's meant to be played hard and you can't be afraid to whack it. This cymbal cuts through well.

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& RIDE DARK

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ether or not dark sounding rides are your thing, this series comes through strong. I personally like the stick response and the sound is epic. A first rate ride cymbal in my eyes.

TRANSITION RIDE

SOUNDCASTER

M

S

ike Johnston's cymbal has been gaining much attention lately. From what I see this is Meinl's answer to Sabian's Omni and K Zildjian's Hybrid series. That being said, I'm not a fan. Sound wise I don't mind the cymbal at all, but I have a problem with the stick response. I feel the cymbal is a bit too thin, and the action is a bit weak. It's challenging to make a thin cymbal that has awesome stick response. I don't feel this is the best option out there.

oundcaster Fusion cymbals are super crispand clean. The medium ride is a great all purpose ride hands down. Great stick response and a medium wash make it perfect in nearly any musical setting.

SAND

B

enny Greb perfected this instrument and it shows in its sound. I am a fan of the Sand series. They accomplish alot of different tonalities and seem to be great in every setting I've tried them in. The ride inparticular, wether 20 or 22" have great stick response and still maintain some crashability. Benny surely knew what he was doing when he helped Meinl cook up these bad boys.

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HEADHUNTERS

I

met Dave Rundle, owner of Headhunters drumsticks at the Chicago drum show in 2014. He surely wasn't anewcomer on the scene, as his company has been around for quite some time. Based in Canada, Dave has some of the most interesting sticks, rods and brushes in the industry. His patented modifications to brushes have been making waves amongst brush players. Headhunters also carries an array of grooved sticks, as well as rubber gripped sticks. As their slogan says, "stick with the groove" they sure have some unique designs. I personally own a few pairs of Dave's sticks and find them to be extremely well made and very accurate. Keep an eye out for these guys as they continue to grow their market share. I wouldn't be surprised if you start seeing more drummers in the USA playing Headhunters.

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PEDAL SPOTLIGHT:

DRUMNETICS

MAGNETIZED MOMENTUM

D

rumnetics has created a revolutionary pedal using magnetizm and gravity to create the smoothest pedal you may ever play. I was fortunate enough to give these a test run a few months ago and was blown away by the feel the pedal gave off. The pedal uses a series of several magnets to control the natural spring action of the pedal. The craftsmanship on this device is awesome as well. Solid parts that seemlessly glide when you bare down on the pedal.

HARDWARE

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STAR B Y TA M A

STAR: B Y TA M A

A T

ama built a number of hardware innovations into the Star series; most reduced shell weight and minimized hardware-to-shell contact, thereby increasing drum sustain and resonance. They also added rubber linings and bumpers in strategic spots to isolate shells from stands. Included among these additions is a new bridge-style lug that is both tasteful in appearance and minimizes the resonance robbing effects of full contact lugs.

The die-cast bass drum claws were also designed to have less contact with the hoops. They use the wooden vent-hole grommet found on Tama’s Starclassic line, which weighs less than a die-cast grommet.

new three-point Super Resonant Mounting System distributes shell weight across three contact points. Rubber is used at these points on the top hoop and bottom rim to maximize shell vibration. This system is designed to work even for drummers who tilt their toms drastically, which is a situation in which many other mounting systems fail. Star drums also feature Tama’s new Quick-Lock tom brackets. By sliding a black plastic lever, the bracket separates the unit from the memory lock, which remains on the stand or floor tom leg as you remove the drum. This has the added benefit of

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C O L D M O U N TA I N

B

rian Baron does not mess around when it comes to his drums. Cold Mountain Drums are the epitome of custom builds. The first time I played them I had to stop for a second and recalibrate my brain. The sound was enormous, thunderous even. I clearly remember the shallow toms sounding like canons, and having a great responsive feel. The snare was crisp and tight, with great tonal structure and warmth as well. The bass drum was crazy... it was so fun to play as it landed a firm sonic boom.

Q

uality comes at a price though. These drums will set you back a pretty penny, but will be worth every cent. Baron handmakes everything in his Cleveland factory. He even makes the hardware himself and has been experimenting with a unique bass drum concept lug.