my very first
selfmade drum
Apart from long-time plans to build drums myself and subsequent experimenting, dating back to 2003, good advice from and discussion with other makers made me develop my own drums, only guided by my ears and by my imagination of the sound I want as an experienced player. A carefully adjusted skin, with sound properties underpinned by scientific sound analysis and research, and a perfect workmanship are the basic qualities of my drums.
DESIGN
I quit the traditional tack design and mounted the skin on the inside of the main frame instead. It runs over one edge instead of two, and over a special tuning rim profile that is useful for improving the sound properties of the drum.
Due to the construction the skin is brought to full tension on a very short stretch.
To make tensioning and tuning the drum much easier, I developed the "Lever Tuning" system. It cosists of solid maple rockers who´s middles push up against a bolt on the main frame and who´s both ends push down on the tuning frame. By hand-turning the knob at the screw on one end of a rocker you control two neighbouring points, and you have a geared power transmission that needs half the turning moment of a conventional hand tuning system. The shallow and flexible tuning frame is supported at sixteen evenly spaced points that are controlled by eight adjuster screws. Thanks to Christian Hedwitschak for his help with dimensioning the rockers.
The main frames are made from four hand-selected maple layers that are taper-jointed, each layer is separately sanded and high-pressure glued, so you have the feel, acoustics and frame vibration of a solid piece of maple, a wood known by instrument makers for its good vibration properties. Due to the unostentatious design that leaves the outside of the drum without screws, tacks or ribbons, the drumshell is decorated with a noble veneered and shellac polished or oiled outside surface of your choice.
Apart from the frame features, my main concern is clearly on the proper preparation of the skins. I had the great luck of discussing with reknown leather experts and that, combined wit my own knowledge as a trained chemist, made me able to process my pre-selected quality raw hides into premium bodhrán skins that have exactly the properties I want for a brilliant sound without loosing their natural strength and stability.
On some of the Artist drums I work a special formula into the circular skin area close to the rim, to build up a kind of invisible tape, which has a weaker effect than conventional tape and makes the bass and the overall sound very sweet and harmonic.
Due to the construction it´s also open to the player if he or she wants a less open sound by pressing some of the rear portion of the drum towards his/her chest.
Apart from "classical" goat skin in three thicknesses, thin (ringing, preferably controlled by the "invisible" tape), medium (boomy, present) and thick (dry short sound), I also offer different kinds of deerskin, that proved to be a very intersting alternative in performance and sound.
There´s rare & limited thin "grey" skins, more Lambeg-like, and regularly available thicker "brown" skins, whose surfaces are harder and more responsive than goat.
Especially with the use of the big variety of hotrod-style tippers I produce, these skins give a very clean and lively sound.
Depending on the stock of my drumskin experts, there might be a limited quantity of other skin options from time to time, for instance calfskin.
The Workman drum is equipped with thin and even goat skin prepared to be easily tuned and modulated under the load of the annuar tape, it creates a clear bass sound that´s easy to bend and is suited for beginnners as well as for experienced players. On the Artist model I use somewhat thicker skins that also have a harder surface. My preparation ensures that they vibrate readily and are easy to modulate without being too springy and soft. Consequence is that you will get a very even response form bass to high treble with only little empasis on the bass side if they´re new, they have lots of percussive and fast attack, emphasis on the high "tacks" and best possible tonality to play discrete notes, enough sustain to create "bent" notes, and the drum will mature dramatically in sound and bass perfomance if played regularly.
The Workman Drum will sell for 295 EUR.
The Artist model has got a basic price of 420 EUR for the goat-skinned version with outside veneer of your choice.
38 cm / 15" outside diameter
32.5 cm/ 13" vibrating skin diameter
14.5 cm / 5,9" standard depth
(custom shallower or deeper up to 20 cm / 7.9 ")
It´s a very good size for convenient playing as well as good tonality and volume.
I´m preparing moulds for smaller as well as larger diameters in the near future.
If you want a dark or stained outside veneer, there´s the possibility to stain the inside of the drum in a matched colour, including the tuning mechanics.
This comes at an extra price (refers to some of the drums in the gallery) of an additional 40 Euros.
Deer skins will cost an additional 20 Euros.
I invented the very convenient Pivoting Crossbar that adjusts its angle to provide a maximum support area on the back of the players hand no matter how he holds it. This solid smooth maple bar will cost an additional 30 Euros.
If you´ve got further questions, I´d be happy to answer them ! The more I know about your demands for a perfect drum, the closer I can get to make one to fit your expectations !
Ralf
See currently finished drums !