Portland Drum Co.

RobertM

Platinum Member
Hey Folks: I hadn't heard of this drum shop until recently, so I thought I would share a video demo I found of a Portland Drum Co. bop drum set:


(Playing starts at 1:50)

PDC uses Nordic shells, which is quickly becoming the new "Keller" standard as Keller ceases shell making. Pork Pie and Buck Co. Drums use Nordic shells.

The kit in video is finished with a wood veneer, not a wrap. Apparently, Nordic is known for providing excellent wood veneers.
 
Hey Folks: I hadn't heard of this drum shop until recently, so I thought I would share a video demo I found of a Portland Drum Co. bop drum set:


(Playing starts at 1:50)

PDC uses Nordic shells, which is quickly becoming the new "Keller" standard as Keller ceases shell making. Pork Pie and Buck Co. Drums use Nordic shells.

The kit in video is finished with a wood veneer, not a wrap. Apparently, Nordic is known for providing excellent wood veneers.

They should rebrand themselves at the "Zero Sustain" drum company. That isn't a very pleasant sounding kit - I'm sure tuning and recording probably played a part...but that pingy tone is rough.

Looks nice though.
 
Oh that's George Colligan-- pianist in Jack Dejohnette's band for many years. Among a thousand other big gigs. Saw him playing with Lenny White not long ago. I'm sure the drums are fine, there's something weird with the recording, sounds like a skype lesson.
 
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he has em table-top Tight... Or the shell is thick as yer arm? can't
 
All for custom drum start ups and small makers, and I like Nordic shells in general.....but damn, that video is almost like negative PR for those drums. When he was initially hitting that mounted tom I thought it was the snare with the snares off......

I am making the assumption the drums would sound "decent, good or OK" at least with some proper tuning, but this ain't it....... at least to my ear....

Would have probably sounded better at JAW if he was going to play it at an extreme.....
 
Agreed with the tuning, I don't think you can really tell how good a drum sounds when it's cranked... I guess that works for drum&bass?

But had not heard of Nordic. If it's true that Pork Pie uses them, then they must be great. I love the PP stuff, and Bill D is no slouch when it comes to sound.
 
Agreed with the tuning, I don't think you can really tell how good a drum sounds when it's cranked... I guess that works for drum&bass?

But had not heard of Nordic. If it's true that Pork Pie uses them, then they must be great. I love the PP stuff, and Bill D is no slouch when it comes to sound.

Regarding Nordic........ N&C has swapped to Nordic as Keller was dicking them around on their orders and Keller seemed to have less focus on drum shells vs. their other businesses.

If it is good enough for N&C, then there is something to be said for their ability to make a shell.....
 
I have seen MANY Portland Drum Company drums around, usually for sale in local shops. They’ve always been good. The snares are pretty decent, too. Don is who a lot of people hire to redo their edges, etc. In fact, I just had him cut down a bass drum for me (22x20 cut down to 22x14) this summer, and he did an exceptional job!

So, I’ll personally vouch for PDC. Also, the drums in that video are tuned horribly! That tuning would make ANY drum kit from any company sound horrible!
 
Tightly tensioned drums was really popular in the 50's - you hear on all the old bebop albums, I supose the drummer in the video was going for the classic bebop sound. Also it seems to me it was recorded just with a phone so, I'm sure those drums would sound fine live, and could be tuned lower if that's the sound you prefer.
 
As far as high tension goes, that's old school Max Roach tuning. Watch Kenny Washington play in the Canopus demo videos--his floor tom is tuned where most folks would put their 12 tom. His 12 tom is HIGH:

 
Agreed with the tuning, I don't think you can really tell how good a drum sounds when it's cranked... I guess that works for drum&bass?

But had not heard of Nordic. If it's true that Pork Pie uses them, then they must be great. I love the PP stuff, and Bill D is no slouch when it comes to sound.
Yes, it's true Bill D. is using Nordic shells. Nordic even has Bill's endorsement blazed on their website. Nordic is the new Keller.
 
I have seen MANY Portland Drum Company drums around, usually for sale in local shops. They’ve always been good. The snares are pretty decent, too. Don is who a lot of people hire to redo their edges, etc. In fact, I just had him cut down a bass drum for me (22x20 cut down to 22x14) this summer, and he did an exceptional job!

So, I’ll personally vouch for PDC. Also, the drums in that video are tuned horribly! That tuning would make ANY drum kit from any company sound horrible!
Don re-cut the edges on a set of vintage Ludwigs that I own and he did a fantastic job with them. They were almost unusable when I bought them, but now they are my most consistent drums to tune. They tune up easily and stay there. I'd absolutely have him work on any of my kits, if they needed edge work or wrap work.
 
As far as high tension goes, that's old school Max Roach tuning. Watch Kenny Washington play in the Canopus demo videos--his floor tom is tuned where most folks would put their 12 tom. His 12 tom is HIGH:


Yea but that tom has some sustain and tone at those tunings...
 
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