Porthan classic custom drums
Get a great sounding, lightweight custom drum kit with timeless classic looks straight from drumsmith for a very affordable price. You can choose any sizes you want (diameter x depth). Stardard configuration gets you
- 3-ply Beech, Birch, Mahogany or Maple shell (6 mm / 1/4") with reinforcement rings
- Fat outside roundover bearing edge
- Natural or coloured hardwax oil finish
- Double flange steel or wood hoops
- Compliments from sound engineers
Details
Shells
We build every drum shell to custom specifications using responsibly harvested tonewoods such as Mahogany, Beech, Birch and Maple. Reinforcement rings are not needed for strenght but we add them for the balanced sound quality they produce. Then we add precision cut and sanded bearing edges with an outside roundover. What do the finished drums sound like? Resonant and responsive with rich overtones and just the right amount of warm sustain.
Hardware
Standard hardware configuration includes 2,3 mm double flange hoops, full lenght brass tube lugs or center mounted lugs. But if that's not your cup of tea we are not stuck with them. Wooded tom hoops? Beavertail lugs and brackets? Sound King lugs and Stick Saver hoops? Not a problem.
Finish
We use environmantally friendly hardwax oils to finish the shells. They have many important qualities besides being toxic free. They protect the wood by penetrating the shell and protecting it by forming a durable surface on top. You can choose either natural or coloured finish.
Built for you
We have 25 years of experience building drums but also working in music shops selling and servicing drums. Hundreds of drums have gone through our hands, new and vintage. So we've tons of experience with all the best drums on the planet and what makes them sound so good as they do. We have a preference how we build our drums and what we want them to sound like. But we're not making drums for ourselves, we are making them for you. So we're happy to adjust to your custom specifications. Just let us know what you're after:
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More wood, less glue
3-ply shells with thickness of 6 mm (1/4"). In another words our shells are constructed of much thicker plies than usual.
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Sound
Sonically somewhere between steambent solid shell and classic multi-ply shell.
Resonant, responsive tone with rich overtones and warm fading sustain.
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Solid brass tube lugs
Brass has a musical tone to it. Think of brasswinds or snare drums. Solid tuning as a bonus.
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Double Flange Hoops
Similiar to standard triple flange hoops but without the (third) arch at the edge of the hoop. Like hoops used back in the good old days - think of "that great pre-57 sound". Rich tone and wide tuning range.
"They don't make them like they used to"
Vintage drums refer to a type of drum set construction that was popular in the mid-20th century. These drums were typically made with three layers or plies of wood glued together - which later evolved into using more and thinner plies. This construction technique was used by all the prominent drum manufacturers including Ludwig, Gretsch and Rogers.
The vintage construction technique was favored for its ability to produce a warm, resonant tone. Vintage drums are highly sought after by collectors and musicians, and can command high prices depending on their condition and rarity. However, many musicians feel that the sound quality of vintage drums is well worth the investment.
Well, there's an alternative. Our ply shell (around 6 mm, 1/4") shell is constructed using either 2 mm thick plies of responsibly harvested premium wood in different combinations and configurations, protected with environmentally friendly hardwax oil finishes.
What do they sound like? Resonant and responsive with rich overtones and just the right amount of warm sustain.
Best of all, you get to choose the setup - sizes, shells, hardware, finish. Odd-sized snare drums, single headed drums or weird snare/tom hybrids which you can use all over the set, whatever you like.
Enough already. Now let's build something for you!