D rum Solo drums are the work of Greg Gaylord, a craftsman who combines a love of drumming with a keen environmental awareness to say nothing of his skill as a builder. Greg creates drums that feature shells constructed of dozens of horizontal segments, arranged in a sort of brick­laying pattern (as opposed to the conga-like vertical segments seen in "stave construction" shells). All of the exotic woods that Greg uses are 100% FSC (Forestry Stewardship Council) certified, mean­ing that they come from environmentally responsible suppliers that are involved in reforestation and replacement efforts.

Our 100% cherry wood review kit consisted of a 5'/ 2x14 snare, a 17x18 bass drum, and 8x12 and 1404 toms. When I unpacked the drums, I was struck by the rich color of the wood and the smooth finish of the block segments that made up the shells. Then I set them up and began to play, and every­thing went hazy....

The Wood

One of the most striking features of the kit is the look created by the block construction. It reminds me of an elongated chessboard, or perhaps a butcher-block table. I asked Greg Gaylord about the dif­ferences in color among the blocks, and within each block. He explained that the color differences occur because the segments come from different parts of the tree. He uses wood that s all from the same tree, and that is as consistent as possible, in order to get a similar look and sound. The center of each segment is face grain, while the end is end grain

All of the work needed to create Drum Solo drums is done by hand. The blocks are assem­bled in the order that they were cut off the board. The theory behind block construction is that the amount of glue needed to make a block shell is much less than that required for a multiply shell. The blocks only need enough glue to bond the edges together, while a ply shell has to have each ply covered with glue in order to achieve a solid bond. Some drum builder - including Greg Gaylord - feel that all this glue inhibits the resonance of the shell.

Drum Solo lugs are machined out of solid brass stock. This process eliminates the possibility of air being trapped inside the bodies of the lugs when they're attached to the shells. This can happen with hollow cast lugs, and Greg believes that its another factor that can reduce drum resonance .

The kit came fitted with single-ply Aquarian white coated heads. All of the drums responded to a wide range of tuning, giving the impression that they could be employed anywhere.

The toms possessed the kind of tone that seemed to swell and grow as I played them. It was quite an experience to play on a 14' floor tom that sounded larger than most 16s-and some 18s. This quality remained con­sistent whether I played single notes or complex passages. There was no choking or muddiness at all.

When I first got the call from MD to review this kit, I was told that the editors had been drawn to the Drum Solo display at last Januarys NAMM show by the full and reso­nant sound of its bass drum. When I struck the bass in my testing room, the surrounding space seemed to fill up with thunder. As with the toms, there was a tremendous amount of fullness available. You simply would not believe that this bass was only 18' in diameter if you heard it blindfolded.

The bass drum and toms were impres­sive, but even they didn't prepare me for the life and crack that came out of the cherry snare. The nature of cherry wood gives all the drums great sensitivity and response, but these features were most apparent on the snare. It sounded clean and articulate, with a rich fullness. When I played a solo passage filled with rimshots, those shots came crackling back at me with a vengeance. The drum also features the recently introduced Trick GS007 machined-aluminum throw-off mecha­nism, which has a high-tech design that promotes snare sensitivity.

Please note that a drum this respon­sive and articulate will convey to the audience (or the recording engineer) absolutely everything that you're playing. In other words, if you play something, you'd better mean it. For me it was pure joy.

Closing

Greg Gaylord founded Drum Solo in 1991. Since then he's been building custom drums for players representing all styles of music. He fabricates most of the components himself in order to maintain control over the quali­ty. His drums are built not just assembled from purchased parts.

Greg also has a great deal of respect for wood. He seeks out odd and rare types of wood from all over the world, even obtaining boards from his­toric sites. He combines this passion with an understanding of the nature of the sounds those different types of woods produce. These qualities make him an excellent source for players looking to custom-tailor their drums. If you're looking for a kit to define your sound, Drum Solo drums should definitely be seen and heard.

THE NUMBERS

Drum Solo does not establish "manufacturers suggested retail prices." Instead, drum builder Greg Gaylord deals directly with each customer to establish a price based on the materials and labor involved in the creation of that customer’s particular drum.
(415) 898-2647, www.drumsolo.cc