First pictures - Guru Origin series - Drummerworld exclusive!

Andy

Honorary Member
Ok, here it is, for me, probably the most important thread I've ever put up here. These pictures are not of the production kit, but not far off. We attempted to fast track 2 kits for early press review, unfortunately, we failed, but we will be ready for our October London Drum Show launch. However, we did manage to get this pre production kit up to scratch for review. There will be changes in production, most noticeably chrome plating of the aluminium hardware (these are polished aluminium), & equal proportions to the bass drum external rerings. This is the performance range kit in the Origin series. Classic range & custom range currently in first production.

Spec's:

All padauk 6mm thick vertical grain stave, rim vented, & with padauk rerings. Natural buffed clear wax finish.

All hardware aluminium machined from solid, made in the UK, & bespoke to Origin series. M5 threads.

Hoop options available, but this model fitted with genuine "S" hoops as standard.

22" x 16" Guru signature padauk segmented hoops.
16" x 15"
14" x 13"
12" x 8"

The eagle eyed amongst you will notice no bolting or screws through the shell, not even bass drum spur or floor tom leg brackets, they're free from the shell too. This is the core design focus of the Origin series. Special RIMS mount lugs allow the toms to be lifted straight out of the mount, & offer improved isolation from traditional tension screw mounted rims & all other suspension mount designs.

This is me & Dean laid bare. It's our best shot, & it's taken every ounce of energy out of us. Literally thousands of hours A - B testing every tiny detail of the design. The best stuff is yet to come, but as I promised to everyone here, here's your early heads up. Thank you all so much for putting up with my design & features questions, you've helped much more than you think.

Andy & Dean.
 

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Radial drums have finally come of age!

These things are absolutely beautiful Andy. I've been looking forward to this thread since you showed me the early shell prototypes several months ago. I was really impressed with the concept then and these more than live up to that anticipation.

The lugs are really classy and I love the look of the rest of the hardware. It's very functional but I believe that is sometimes the best design for these items.

Really great stuff Andy. I hope the review goes well. It should do, these are fantastic drums.
 
Spectacular!!!! I can only imagine that they are an absolute dream to play. Congratulations and creating something extraordinary....

To think you were able to do this and still be involved with the home repair is staggering.

What have you sacrificed - sleep or eating?
 
These drums are beautiful. Everything about these drums is perfect. The hard work and dedication that went into these are obvious and you should be proud.
 
Absolutely stunning kit, the details and originality of it's design is simply mind blowing, you can almost think they're free floating lugs which could be mounted anywhere around the perimeter of the shells, amazing, then there's the rubber end of the floor toms, they're open and isolate the drum from the ground, and much more... I've never seen anything like it.

What can I say Andy, it's better than what I expected to see, can't wait to hear them though :)
 
Andy you've created a masterpiece. Just stunning. You must be too tired to be proud lol.
Can't wait to hear them.
 
Thanks guys :) I can't pretend that this journey hasn't taken a chunk out of myself & Dean. It's bloody hard work. Dean has been an absolute star from the start. There's no way this would ever have got off the ground if either of us had attempted it on our own, but together, we've pooled our strengths & gone for it.

The fit & finish is standard to Guru, it's how we do things. Although the design looks simple, it's deceptively difficult to get right. Those thin stave shells & external rerings required some very innovative tooling to pull off. The hardware was a big challenge. Designing your own hardware that works in a standard way but looks different is easy. Designing something that remains utterly stable, is ultra lightweight, & can't rely on bolting through holes is on a different level.

Henri, those floor tom feet are Pearl's. They're good, but when we can afford the tooling for our own, they'll be fitted to production models. Different design, of course ;) BTW, floor tom legs & bass drum spurs are aluminium too.
 
Like I've said before....your drums are where mastery of an art meets science,meets beauty.Something that beautiful just HAS to sound good.Padauk eh?

This achievement is going to be tough to top.The Stratavarius of drums.Bravo sir,nicely done Andy,hip hip.:)

Steve B
 
I think I've nailed what I like aesthetically from these drums.

They're very minimalist in appearance. There's nothing unnecessary and there's nothing there that isn't focussed towards your end goal - supreme sound. It all leads to a very clean appearance and that really adds to the quality. There's no hiding when you make drums as clean as this and the quality is in very clear evidence. Just great.

Interesting that you went for the Aquarian heads too. I suppose you must've found a bulk supplier!
 
Absolutely gorgeous, wonderful, spectacular, unique, exceptional... I'm fast running out of adjectives! Way to go you guys. Just as soon as I make my first million, I'm placing an order!
 
They look awesome! Great job!

In my experience Padauk has a very open grain. Did you fill the grain with anything? Last time I used a paste wood filler on a padauk jewerly box but I would think it might dampen the shell.

And how thick are those shells? Most stave drums I've seen/made are a good bit thicker.
 
Andy,

Those are beautiful! The gearhead in me loves the polished aluminium hardware. I love the finish and the look of the whole outfit. Very, very nice work you guys!
Need to hear a sound file from those bad boys.
 
I'd just love to know how tard reacts when he sees this thread. :]

And I wouldn't sell the style of the polished aluminum short against the satin-esque finish you have. Looks very fitting.

I presume that the gap between flesh hoop and rering is adequate for a full tuning range? Also curious about the Superkick.. Always seemed like a rather dead sounding head, though perhaps you need it to tame the shell tone you promise.
 
Andy, awesome drums man. They are beautiful and you guys really challenged traditional thinking concerning mounting and hardware. Pretty awesome. I'd love to hear them in person and hear the richness of tone that is screaming at me through those pictures. One thing though, how could you place that gorgeous bass drum on a bed of stones! :)
 
Andy, the more I look at those drums the more I like them...AND they are the sizes that I would prefer in a kit. If they sound anything like they look.......wow!
 
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