FEATURE BIG HITTERS
Paiste’s Twenty Masters have exotic hammering and highly polished finishes
Top of Meinl’s newcomers is the mid-
price Classics Custom range with B10 bronze alloy used rather than the B8 of the regular Classics series. The company has added new Sand hi-hats and Trash crashes to its cast Byzance Vintage series and extended its M-series B20 bronze cymbals with eight new models. The biggest cymbal noise though is
mid-price is the buzz behind its new Performance series, made at the company’s Mexico factory. With many of the hallmarks and looks of DW Custom kits, including North American hard rock maple shells with newly designed round turret lugs, outline DW badge and beautiful lacquer finishes, these look set to pull the punters in. Premier’s replica Nicko McBrain kits
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will be available in September under an exclusive licensing deal with the Iron Maiden drummer. Sonor launched Signature snare drums for fellow metal heads, Tool’s Danny Carey and AC/DC’s Phil Rudd, together with Signature models for Steve Smith and Benny Greb. Retro is the word at Pearl which has
launched a Reference Pure range of vintage sounding kits to go alongside the more contemporary sonics of the Reference range. With thinner shells for a warmer more resonant sound, these drums come with small, vintage-looking tube lugs and new FatTone hoops that are a hybrid low mass design combining die- cast and triple flange styling. The Masters series gets a Masters Premium Legend range with six-ply maple shells and FatTone hoops while the mid-low price Vision series is streamlined into Vision Maple lacquer, Vision Birch Lacquer and Vision Birch ranges, all with new finishes. Tama’s new Silverstar range offers birch shells, Star Cast mounts, lacquer
28 July 2011
Cajons rule. The little boxes are now very big business, with a multitude of variations and finishes
and wrap finishes and a wide choice of sizes all at a keen mid-price while the Star Classic Maple’s Molten Satin Brown Burst finish with black nickel hardware is eye candy for those with deep pockets. Fans of Mapex’s Black Panther snare drums will be pleased to hear the company has launched two Black Panther drum kit ranges; the Blaster and the Velvetone.
Pure and cymbal
The blizzard of new cymbal models from the big four manufacturers has now slowed to a more manageable level. Zildjian has launched an impressive
looking and loud Z3 Ultra Hammered China in 19 and 21-inch sizes as well as a newly designed 22-inch A Zildjian Swish Knocker. There’s also a new Rarities series of limited edition cymbals, including a 22-inch K Constantinople Renaissance ride, designed in conjunction with Adam Nussbaum, a 22 K Dark Thin ride and K Custom Special Dry crashes. Sabian has also looked east with
the innovative Holy China, featuring sound control holes and extensive hammering.
Remo’s new Infinity Mondo Djembe, with contoured tuning brackets
being made by Paiste, whose new Twenty Masters series of highly distinctive B20 cast ride cymbals with exotic hammering and highly polished finishes have got tongues wagging. Also new is the relaunch of the Formula 602 range of B20 bronze models, popular among jazz and prog-rock drummers in the sixties and seventies. Istanbul Mehmet celebrates its founder’s birthday with a 61st Anniversary ride and a Hat Trio package, featuring a bottom cymbal and two top cymbals in heavy and light weight for endless sound variations, while Bosphorus has decided to launch a Samba cymbal series with dual playing surfaces in time for summer. The big news at Remo is the Powerstroke Pro series of bass drum heads with their distinctive ridged profile, innovative dampening and massive sub- sonic punch, while the company’s new Infinity Mondo Djembe updates the earlier Mondo model with contoured tuning brackets and new Mondo Skyndeep heads. LP has introduced the
Cube Shaker, which rapidly got nominated for a MIPA Innovation Award due to its innovative and effective shaker and effects possibilities and Meinl has introduced a
foot tambourine, a percussion
FX pedal and bongo cajons. Elsewhere though, cajons rule. The little boxes are now very big business with a multitude of variations and finishes to rival any
drum range. Among this year’s more notable models are Pearl’s Two Face
cajon with a side port and different playing surfaces on the front and back, while Tycoon, distributed by FCN, launched Acrylic models and Legacy series exotic wood cajons. Visually and sonically though, two Spanish cajon manufacturers really stand out. PRK Percussion has some beautiful models with highly distinctive front playing surfaces, while the De Gregorio cajons, distributed by Soar Valley, have superb construction, an endorsement from Dave Weckl and tons of exotic wood and graphic finishes. Jon Newey is the editor of UK jazz
mag, Jazzwise.
ww.mi-pro.co.uk
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