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G'day, y'all,
I've been becoming a bit of a fanatic about free-floating drums, (not like the inaccurately labeled Pearl ones) where the shell is in contact with nothing but the drum heads, no hardware touching the shell. This way the shell sings like a birdy, and the heads are not choked.
All my investigations in this area end up in Australia. Schleisman drums makes virtually the only ones (other than rope tension drums), and the other company that makes hardware like this, Pure drums, has it made in Australia, although they're selling it out of Hawaii.
Anyone familiar with these drums?
Is this one of those duckbill platypus oddities, an Aboriginal thing, or what gives? :p
Ted

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anonymous Sun, 03/10/2002 - 16:01

Hey Ted!!...

I am starting to feel all patriotic with all these OZ questions so here goes...

Yes there are some exceptional hand made 'drumsmiths' for want of a better word here in Australia.

Most of these drums are made of exotic Australian hardwoods as well as some rare African varieties. All of the manufacturers will cusotm make the drum of your dream.

Being an engineer i like to have a few snares to choose from when the band/artist comes in witha dog. I can say why dont we try ...this one etc. And several of them happen to be Australian ones. The ones that people will have heard of most are probably Brady. These particular snares are just awesome and sound way better than any off the shelf snare from the major manufacturers.. did i mention that they have tone! and tons of it.

I have several mates that work in or own drum shops. The number of times that i have been visiting them and International bands/artits that are on tour stop by to try a few Brady's out is astonishing nad more so when they walk out with 3 or 4 different varieties. On one oaccasion one drummer went away with 6!!! so they must get the sel of approval.

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There are also a few other makers like Sleishmann, who do make 'Fully' floating drum kits as well as the snares and theya re just a good as brady but have different tone and sound alltogether.

I am no drumhead but there are also a few other companies to look out for like spirit drums, Drouyne (fantastic snares made from Queensland tropical birch). Perhasps the best hing is to do a search for Australian drum or the like.

hope it has helped

PEACE
Wiggy

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Ted Nightshade Wed, 03/13/2002 - 07:10

Cassowary's OK, but got nothing on the capybara. YMMV. I just like to frighten my cat with talk of 50 pound rodents. Thanks heavens they aren't exactly the giant rats of sumatra.
Although those are available more or less locally too?

What I find charmingly potentially tellingly Australian: All kinds of folks make steam bent. solid shell snares with seams and reinforcements, but Brady is the only one making a seamless one out of a log with a chainsaw.
Ted