Capelle Drums

KC Elstun

Junior Member
Hey all,

Anybody heard of these? I had a kit fall into my hands the other day and I'm wondering if investing in new heads would be a waste of money. They are a student level set but I'm wondering if, with a little TLC, they could be made good enough to gig with.

It looks as if they are out of business (no website) but Woodbrass here in France is, apparently, still selling them. Seven ply poplar, 45 degree bearing edges... here is the page: http://www.woodbrass.com/BATTERIE+CAPELLE

A web search didn't turn up much. They made a crazy deep double bass drum kit in the 80's, and also apparently made drums for Orange.

Any opinions?
 
Anybody heard of these?

I used to have a Capelle hi-hat at the end of the seventies, and many pro French drummers used one at that time. Vintage Capelle hi-hat

Around 1983, I remember having to do some tom overdubs in a studio near Paris, on a Capelle set, and the bearing edges looked like they had been hit by sticks, and they were in a really bad shape. Quite impossible to tune the drums...

I briefly met the owner, Jacques Capelle, in a music shop in Paris, around 1985. I also remember they where doing those ridiculously deep bass drums also around 1985.

And you're right, before they were called Capelle, those drums and pedals had an Orange logo, but I don't know what the exact connection was.
 
I used to have a Capelle hi-hat at the end of the seventies, and many pro French drummers used one at that time. Vintage Capelle hi-hat

Around 1983, I remember having to do some tom overdubs in a studio near Paris, on a Capelle set, and the bearing edges looked like they had been hit by sticks, and they were in a really bad shape. Quite impossible to tune the drums...

I briefly met the owner, Jacques Capelle, in a music shop in Paris, around 1985. I also remember they where doing those ridiculously deep bass drums also around 1985.

And you're right, before they were called Capelle, those drums and pedals had an Orange logo, but I don't know what the exact connection was.

Fibes in the 70's used to rebrand their high hats and pedals.
 
The French made Capelle folded years ago. Design wise, typically quirky European: http://www.drumarchive.com/capelle/ I never got to see any of their gear in the flesh, but remember the advertisements in Rhythm magazine and used to wonder at those bass drums.


The Woodbrass.com link looks as if someone is using the name to shift FEPOS kits; similar to the modern kits being marketed under the Trixon, Leedy etc marques.
 
Design wise, typically quirky European
Just curious: what do you mean by «typically quirky European»?

The Woodbrass.com link looks as if someone is using the name to shift FEPOS kits; similar to the modern kits being marketed under the Trixon, Leedy etc marques.
Fully agree with you. Nevertheless, I think that Jacques Capelle has been producing quality drums at least until 2009 / 2010: https://youtu.be/BbYdxg-oqKU / https://youtu.be/jbXfPkWVXpo / https://www.youtube.com/user/capellesa/videos

One last thing: Capelle bass drum pedals and hi hats were not bad at all: I played them both in the mid-80's and liked them quite a lot (in particular the hi hat stand).
 
Just curious: what do you mean by «typically quirky European»?


I don't have much time at the moment, but I'll just put down a couple of things off the top of my head.

Quite a few new but yet unusual to many, (Especially across the pond) innovations were coming from European manufacturers in, effectively my 'formative years' during the late 1970's and early 1980's. I always remember Capelle drums for (Metaphorically) thinking outside the box, HiPercussion came up with possibly the most innovative (Not necessarily good though) mounting system I've ever seen, Sonor were panned by many for daring to create black hardware with the HiTech's, Premier mixing metal and wood in snare drum shells............. Be it cars, planes, fashion etc; I believe Europe has, but doesn't hold the monopoly on obviously, more progressive and daring designers.


Fully agree with you. Nevertheless, I think that Jacques Capelle has been producing quality drums at least until 2009 / 2010: https://youtu.be/BbYdxg-oqKU / https://youtu.be/jbXfPkWVXpo / https://www.youtube.com/user/capellesa/videos

One last thing: Capelle bass drum pedals and hi hats were not bad at all: I played them both in the mid-80's and liked them quite a lot (in particular the hi hat stand).

Every days a school day, I was always under the impression that Capelle didn't make it through the low-cost equipment revolution of the 1990's. Regarding hardware quality, as I alluded to, I never had the opportunity to try any as Capelle drums didn't seem to make it to dealers in Northern England that I frequented.
 
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