custom drum companies

omer

Junior Member
Hi everyone
Im looking to buy a custom drum kit in reasonable price (somthing like 2500$ or less) is there such thing?
All the famous custom drum companies (truth etc) doesnt seem to worth the price and i asked unix who said the price is minimum 3000$ (altough i read someone who wrote here he bought a five piece in 1800$)

Thanks
Omer
 
Curious as to why you're focused on custom companies. Many are more like drum assemblers really, using Keller shells and putting their own unique finish on them. No disrespect.to Keller shells (they're fine) but your custom kit will sound little different from other makes. Given the price range you're shooting for, I believe one of the major drum makers will give you the most bang for the buck, unless you're focused on getting a custom finish.
 
I agree. If you really want a custom kit under $2500 (my stave kit was about $3000 and you couldn't buy that from any major manufacturer), maybe just order some Keller shells yourself, get them cut, drilled, & edged by a pro, and assemble it on your own. That's technically what I did (the builder just did shells, I bought all the hardware and assembled it). If you go for relatively generic hardware on a 4-piece (with snare) you could probably get all the hardware for under $1000, and shells aren't like SUPER expensive.

I actually have been sort of compelled to assemble myself a sort of gigging kit with Keller's new Magnum shells, but I don't exactly have the cash since I bought the stave less than a year ago.

EDIT: Well, in a fit of sickness, I just assembled a shopping cart for a 3-piece Keller Magnum 5-ply kit in 12x9", 14x11", and 20x16", including Ego aluminum lugs, Bum Wraps mappa burl fade, single flange tom hoops, and some other actually nice stuff for about $1700 (not incl. shipping, which isn't that much from the places I looked at). That gives you a little idea of what you could get with mildly custom aspects for a bit more than a comparable kit (probably the closest thing in mass-production there would be a Gretsch Renown, though getting aluminum lugs & single-flange hoops would bring you pretty much equal).

Now to delete these carts because I need a laptop... not another kit. :C
 
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Eames is a custom builder. I betcha you can get a new set of Eames for that kind of scratch. I have a set. Wonderful sounding instruments.

In addition to Keller, you could try Vaughncraft. The upside there is it's a steambent 1 ply shell compared to the multiple ply Keller shells. Only a very tiny percentage of drummers play 1 ply steambent drums. I'm sure you could get the shells for way under 2500, but you will have to line up the hardware and finish. I believe Vaughncraft will edge and drill them for you. Get some rockenwraps, or line up a paint job and you're GTG. This is the route I was gonna take but then Guru drums shifted my focus.
 
Eames is a custom builder. I betcha you can get a new set of Eames for that kind of scratch. I have a set. Wonderful sounding instruments.

In addition to Keller, you could try Vaughncraft. The upside there is it's a steambent 1 ply shell compared to the multiple ply Keller shells. Only a very tiny percentage of drummers play 1 ply steambent drums. I'm sure you could get the shells for way under 2500, but you will have to line up the hardware and finish. I believe Vaughncraft will edge and drill them for you. Get some rockenwraps, or line up a paint job and you're GTG. This is the route I was gonna take but then Guru drums shifted my focus.

Judging by the Vaughncraft website (very generally), their shells are about double the price of Kellers so the total shell price would be about $11-1200. If you really go economical on the hardware, you might be able to get under $1800. Maybe do some tung oil finishing yourself?

Was going to suggest Kumu too, but it seems that a 3-piece of theirs is somewhere around $2700 so a little out of range :)
 
Epiarch Drums. They make excellent kits using Keller shells with a ton of custom finishes and hardware. They have the best prices I've ever found.
 
Thanks everyone for helping

The reason im intrested in custom is the possibilty of choosing the exact size wood type and thickness of the drum and less the finish or hardware
The problem with buying shells is that i dont really know how to build drum from them and i dont really know any drum builders in my country (i live in israel)
Also the keller shells only come in maple and thinking towards a kit from bubinga/mahagony but im not fixated on it
 
If you get shells and hardware separately, and the shells are drilled, all you have to do is put the hardware bits in their holes and screw it in on the inside.

I don't know anybody making custom ply shells like that. As suggested, there's Vaughncraft (which most custom builders source their steambent shells from). The guy I've bought all my shells from (Terry Thompson) builds stave shells for a great price, I don't know if he'd assemble them for you- but you would be able to choose thickness, species, etc. The shells for my Purpleheart stave kit (10x7.5, 12x8, 15x14, 20x15+bass drum hoops, all drilled, edged, and semigloss finished) were about $1600.
 
There are three big questions that you haven't provided answers for, but that will determine the pricing of a kit because they determine the fixed costs:

What configuration do you want -- how many drums and approximately what diameters? Are you talking about a 3-piece shell pack, 4-piece, 5-piece ....? Small drums, large drums?

What's your expectation of hardware selection? Quality and price tend to be related for this aspect.

What kind of wood and construction do you want? The more exotic the wood, or the more unusual the configuration, the more it's going to cost. Keller maple is probably the most affordable of the high-quality shells, and low-quality shells are not worth buying. Getting into other woods, multiple species, or solid woods will increase the cost. Thinner ply shells will cost less than thicker ones, but there's also a big difference in sound.

If you're not in a position to finish and build out the kit yourself, then you need to allow for labor and finishing materials in the total cost. Adding up the parts cost is not going to give you a real number, because a builder is not going to charge only for his out-of-pocket costs. Somewhere along the line, he's got to pay for having tools and expended materials (sandpaper, applicators, stains, varnishes, bits, etc.) that get used to build your kit, as well as something for the hours of work he puts into it.

More information in the form of answering those three questions can give you a more realistic number as well as some direction toward a builder who would be a good match instead of just shopping by price.
 
There are three big questions that you haven't provided answers for, but that will determine the pricing of a kit because they determine the fixed costs:

What configuration do you want -- how many drums and approximately what diameters? Are you talking about a 3-piece shell pack, 4-piece, 5-piece ....? Small drums, large drums?

What's your expectation of hardware selection? Quality and price tend to be related for this aspect.

What kind of wood and construction do you want? The more exotic the wood, or the more unusual the configuration, the more it's going to cost. Keller maple is probably the most affordable of the high-quality shells, and low-quality shells are not worth buying. Getting into other woods, multiple species, or solid woods will increase the cost. Thinner ply shells will cost less than thicker ones, but there's also a big difference in sound.

If you're not in a position to finish and build out the kit yourself, then you need to allow for labor and finishing materials in the total cost. Adding up the parts cost is not going to give you a real number, because a builder is not going to charge only for his out-of-pocket costs. Somewhere along the line, he's got to pay for having tools and expended materials (sandpaper, applicators, stains, varnishes, bits, etc.) that get used to build your kit, as well as something for the hours of work he puts into it.

More information in the form of answering those three questions can give you a more realistic number as well as some direction toward a builder who would be a good match instead of just shopping by price.
Omer - read this & absorb. It's the truth.

i asked unix who said the price is minimum 3000$

Thanks
Omer
& this is a prime example of apples to apples comparison/costs. Unix build mostly stave & segmented solid shell drums. Damn good ones too. You cannot compare the cost to someone bolting Asia parts bin hardware onto a Keller shell. Not only is the cost basis utterly different, so is the resulting instrument.

Just because something is custom, doesn't mean it's good. The same for major manufacturers too. You have to judge each instrument on it's merits. Moreover, how well designed the instrument is, & of course, how it performs. Are you putting your money into a fancy finish, or high quality construction, or both? Ask yourself what you want to achieve, & find a good builder who can advise you accurately on how to get the characteristics you seek. If you're thinking of specifying unique features (sizes, bearing edge designs, wood species, etc), make sure you've really done your homework. Remember, one feature in isolation rarely offers the result you expect. It's the whole design that needs to work together towards a realistic goal.

The very first thing you should consider is, why you feel the need to go custom in the first place. Only when the major manufacturers can't offer you what you want, should you consider going custom. The only exception to that is when certain custom builders make a better job of it than the majors. Some boutique offerings at least equal, & sometimes exceed, the performance offered by the majors. Again, do your homework.

Good luck.
 
i would add fortunedrums.com as Dale there will duplicate the sound in your head. it's amazing & he has done this many times for me over 20 years.
 
Thanks everyone for helping

The reason im intrested in custom is the possibilty of choosing the exact size wood type and thickness of the drum and less the finish or hardware
The problem with buying shells is that i dont really know how to build drum from them and i dont really know any drum builders in my country (i live in israel)
Also the keller shells only come in maple and thinking towards a kit from bubinga/mahagony but im not fixated on it

Both motleyh and keep it simple,are top notch custom drum builders,so I would listen to their advice.,the truest being only considering a custom buils,ONLY when a major manufacturer con't offer you the features you want.In order to understand that....you need to educated in drum design,shell materials,and sonic properties of ply ,solid,segmented and stave construction and shell thickness and size..Consider the type of hardware and,how it interacts with the drum itself.

You may also want to consider resale value,which with custom drums,is very low,when compared with say Ludwig and DW.When you buy a custom kit,you should be buying it for life.

I think if I were you,I'd do some research on exactly,what materials and ply lay ups the majors are currently using,and just what the sonic properties are of those materials and hardware.

BTW,Keller dosen't only sell maple shells. http://www.kellerproducts.com/

Steve B
 
I have 2 Unix snares and they are amazing pieces of work. Francois is VERY easy to work with and without providing sizing, it would be hard to ballpark.

F
 
Thanks everyone for helping

The reason im intrested in custom is the possibilty of choosing the exact size wood type and thickness of the drum and less the finish or hardware
The problem with buying shells is that i dont really know how to build drum from them and i dont really know any drum builders in my country (i live in israel)
Also the keller shells only come in maple and thinking towards a kit from bubinga/mahagony but im not fixated on it

Keller offers shells in maple, birch, vintage maple and vintage mahogany and ply configurations are 5,6,7,8,9,10 and 15.
 
Curious as to why you're focused on custom companies. Many are more like drum assemblers really, using Keller shells and putting their own unique finish on them. No disrespect.to Keller shells (they're fine) but your custom kit will sound little different from other makes. Given the price range you're shooting for, I believe one of the major drum makers will give you the most bang for the buck, unless you're focused on getting a custom finish.

Bernie Stone bought all the old Slingerland molds and completely refurbished them to 21st century standards. He's making ply shells in many wood styles in both short-run and long production.

http://stonecustomdrum.com Drop Kenton Snyder a line [email protected] and see what he can do for you.
 
My suggestion is this: If you only have a certain amount of money to spend, then why take a chance on a custom drum UNLESS you can play it and hear it and feel it in advance?

If this is the only money you are going to have for awhile to spend on drums, then buy something that you know sounds good to you. The only way to find out is to go try out any kit you can find in your price range and pick the one that sounds good to you.

You may order a kit in the sizes, thickness and finish you want only to find out it doesn't sound like you expected. If at all possible, try it before you buy it.
 
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