i'm looking to start building my own drumset...and I'm trying to soak up every single bit of knowledge i can on the subject. So I guess i'm looking for a "building drums for dummies" esque book. if anyone can point me in the right direction, it'd be awesome. thanks guys.








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i dont know about a book, but i am looking to do the same thing. check out drummaker.com they have every part you will need!

I have been researching this for about 2 months now, but sorry... there is no "book" that you can just buy and follow along. There are a few great sites/forums out there that will get you started though.

Large communities can be found at DRUMSHED and GHOSTNOTE. If you want to start looking at shells, hardware, etc. then head over to DRUMFOUNDRY (who also has a good tutorial section) or DRUM GEAR ONLINE (where you can also stock up on some cool Saluda Cymbals for those new drums ).

Hope this helps you get started!








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Stand back! I have a COWBELL... and I am not afraid to use it.........
Saluda Cymbals - B20 never sounded so good...

your best bet is to buy the shells from a company that will cut them, drill them and do the edges for you. cutting shells, and then sanding them tons of times and drilling and and especially doing the edges are a real pain and the slightest mistake could result in a ruined shell and wasted money. if you've never cut a shell or done edges on it you might wanna get some crappy shells off ebay or something to practice with before you try it on a new shell. theres a lot more to building drums than screwing hardware on and staining it or wrapping it. then with staining theres differant techniques and steps to get a high gloss finish or a matte finish or a fade and with wrapping it you have to buy pre cut sizes to fit your shell or if you have to cut them yourself you have to make sure you cut it perfect so it looks good on the shell. find someone who builds drums and ask if you can hang out with them for a few kits and maybe even get some hands on stuff. if you dont know what you're doing you could ruin the whole kit or have a kit that doesnt look very good

I would suggest going to drummaker.com

On that site, you can get everything you need. They can cut and drill out the shells for you. I'm not sure if they will stain it for you. I suggest learning how to stain and gloss a drum. That would be the most important part. You can have all the cutting and drilling done for you for now. Like mentioned before, drilling and cutting is very hard to do correctly. Most companies have specialized machines do it. There might be some information on how they did this a long time ago, when all these fancy machines didnt exist, but if you do it that way, you run the rist of the edges being cut unevenly.

Drummaker also uses keller shells. These shells are high quality, and alot of popular drum companies use them. I believe Ludwig does. You can bassically build a pro set for less then half the price of one you'll find in a music store. It's a very good idea.

Rob








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The only thing that can prevent you from acheving even the furthest goal, is doubt. Stay dedicated.

thanks for all the help guys.
i'm actually wanting to start with an acyrlic kit.








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Http://www.myspace.com/kinseydrums

im all for building custom drum kits. its a great way to learn from the "Greats" down to shell compasition-custom paint scemes. i normally build custom snare drums. right now I built a 14"x5" 8ply mohonghy shell w/ 4 2" vent holes and it sounds in between a mohonghy and a bright pingy brass snare drum and i love it to death!!! and the rest of my snare drums just sit waiting for there turn to become cool again lol .When it comes to custom drums i like to keep the options open. I enjoy always taking the time to pick up something new to learn on building and i love what you a can come up with a wild Imaganation being new and Inavative








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MAPEX DRUMS/Tama Drums/PEARL HARDWARE

EVANS/ATTACK DRUM HEADS

ALESIS,DDRUM,

ZILDJIAN/ISTANBUL CYMBALS

VATER PERCUSSION

AMDrumparts.com.......You can get acrylic shells there, and they will cut and drill for you as well. Lots of crazy colors too.








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www.theboisdarcs.com
www.myspace.com/theboisdarcs
www.shiner.com

I've recently customized my entire kit, from the rack to the shells to the cymbal arms. The only thing I found that really needed to be kept in mind was the thin/thick shell thing. Remember, the thinner the shell the more it will resonate. If your anal about tuning (I am) then that's a good way to go. Of course, the down side of this is weaker shells. If you'll end up playing out a lot and don't have time to re-tune over and over again, thick shells are the way to go. As for hardware, I've always liked Gibraltar. I've found that anything you could think of for positioning/mounting or easy set up/breakdown they've already thought of.








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Drums are to music as water is to goldfish.

youknowitssick wrote:

i'm looking to start building my own drumset...and I'm trying to soak up every single bit of knowledge i can on the subject. So I guess i'm looking for a "building drums for dummies" esque book. if anyone can point me in the right direction, it'd be awesome. thanks guys.

Go with www.drummaker.com








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Cascinaidrums





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PEACE
Rock to the Bone

i built a few snares and they were great had fun doing it but it takes time . I fould that its about the same cost to buy a drum .

building a set would be extremely hard liek tim said your better off finding a company for the shells because if they are not made sanded or cut just right that sound will be off on that shell always. if your planning on paying that kindof money i would call dw and have them custom make you your own set by hand what you want.








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FastEddie wrote:

building a set would be extremely hard liek tim said your better off finding a company for the shells because if they are not made sanded or cut just right that sound will be off on that shell always. if your planning on paying that kindof money i would call dw and have them custom make you your own set by hand what you want.

It's still cheaper to buy maple shells (say Keller shells) and have someone else do the heavy lifting than to by a DW Custom. In some cases, by more than $1,000. If you want a DW shell, by all means ... but you're paying for more than a shell. You're paying for DW's advertising, marketing, and the right to have their name on your drum.

If you live anywhere near a big city, I guarantee there's someone there who can cut quality edges -- even custom angles -- for about $35 a shell.

def go to http://drummaker.com/. It will help you the most. Also take your knowledge of drums and incorporate that. Keep asking people, and try to take a tour of a drum company.