NAMM Observations 2013

 As I walked the floor of Hall D yesterday, I was surprised to find how many ideas that custom drum companies have been doing for years have made their way into the production lines of some of the major drum brands. Now, that is all well and good as long as it's executed properly. Many of these ideas are several years old. Drummers are sometimes hard to convince of new things and manufactures are even harder. Therefore, the drum making industry is still in the dark ages in some aspects. For example, tension rods with the atypical archaic design drum key is an idea that should have been dispensed with a long, long time ago. Find a drum key in the middle of nowhere on a gig night when you reach into your pocket and realize, "Geez, I left my drum key somewhere!" Therefore, Rockett Drum Works will be offering good 'ol Allen wrench style tension rods on all kits from here on out. Stainless steel, solid and beautiful tension rods that require a simple allen wrench that probably the janitor cleaning the kitchen at the gig has one of. Now, ya still want the old style? Fine, but you have been warned!

Single Point Lugs - I can't wait to hear the backlash from my standpoint on this one. Bring it fellas!Single point lugs are superior for 3 reasons: 1. Less contact with the drum shell. 2. Less holes drilled into the drum shell. (On a typical snare drum, you have 10 top and 10 bottom. Most drum companies' standard 2 point lugs will give ya 40 holes in your drum shell and that's before vent holes, snare strayers and the badge.) 3. Less weight and the ability to make them all one single piece of material. If you have a drum with 2 point lugs, next time you take the heads off, tap that drum shell. Sounds like a tool bucket I bet! Try that with single point lugs. Tone! Yes, there is tone, even with the attached hardware.
Look, physics are physics and if you aren't making aluminum, single point lugs then maybe you are outsourcing to China and have cast lugs made??? Yeah, I bet you are! But, then again, we all knew that.
NOTE: Generally speaking, tube lugs are essentially single point lugs in most cases with a connecting rod. Many custom companies use these and they are a nice choice as well, especially on snare drums. Rockett Drum Works will be offering tube lugs in the very near future.
NOTE: Hail to all of you custom companies showing at NAMM! You are ballsy, innovative and deserve to prosper!!!
- Rikki