Avenue Custom Drums 14×7 Maple Snare

I like Mike Strickler. He’s a big dude with a big voice and a big beard (for reasons that should be clear from my videos, I like that), but more importantly, he makes beautiful drums. After starting his company, Avenue Custom Drums, out of “boredom and a love of drums”, he’s developed a sizeable […]

BrushFire Review and Contest Winner Announcement

First of all, please let me say a huge thank you to Imperial Cymbals, SilverFox Percussion and everyone who entered our very first contest here at Drum Gear Review. Partnering with these excellent companies and being able to give away these beautiful instruments is the absolute best thing I’ve been able to do with this […]

NAMM 2012 Part 1

I wasn’t able to make it out to Anaheim for this year’s NAMM show, but I’ve been keeping a close eye the coverage coming though a number of outlets. So, here I’ve compiled my favorite photos and video from the show. Big thanks to DrumART, DRUM! Magazine and each of the companies that shared their […]

Ear Filters

Reviewing hearing protection isn’t easy. On one hand it should be one of the most important and thoroughly researched decisions a musician makes; on the other hand, understanding the impact of a particular unit from a written description can be very difficult. However, after discovering Ear Filters at the 2011 Summer NAMM show, I felt […]

Phattie Distressed Acid Etched Snare

Specs: 14×7 10 ply maple shell Trick 007 snare throw and butt Puresound Custom snare wires Solid brass tube lugs Triple-flanged hoops Nylon snare straps Phattie proprietary edge Something Special I live in an area with an uncommon affinity for high-quality, local craftsmanship. Asheville, NC hosts an ever-growing community of extremely talented artists and […]

Say Hello to Slickbag

Before I get to the excellent Slickbag promo, please check out this video I put together to supplement my review of Crush Drums and Percussion’s Sublime Maple drums, M4 hardware package and M1 double pedal. The print review is out in the January 2012 issue of DRUM! Magazine. Crush Video Review Regarding Slickbag; I’m very […]

Geo. H. Way Studio Snare – Under Further Review

I get quite a few hits each week from searches for Geo. H. Way snare drums, so I wanted to update the site with a few videos of the Studio model I reviewed a while back. I hope you enjoy the clips below (please forgive my awful brush playing), as well as the photos I’ve […]

Pro-Mark Tubz

Designed in conjunction with player/educator Paul Wertico, Pro-Mark Tubz offer an excellent alternative to traditional sticks and mallets. At 16 ½” long by 1 ¼” thick, these light-weight, yet very durable plastic strikers find an interesting place in the range of conventional drum set timbres. To my ear, Tubz kind of split the difference between drumsticks and […]

The Late Show’s Drum Solo Weeks 1 and 2

Twice this year, the Late Show with David Letterman has offered drummers a rare moment in the spotlight with a full week of monster drum solos. The second round of “Drum Solo Week” ended nearly a month ago, but having watched these a few times now, I wanted to compile them all in one and […]

SilverFox Sweet Pea Drumsticks

Earlier this year, I had an opportunity to check out a few of the drumsticks, rods and brushes available from SilverFox Percussion. After hearing so much about the quiet Massachusetts based company, I was eager to get a little hands-on experience with their product, and maybe get to the bottom of their “hit harder, lasts […]