Who's rockin' Hayman drums?

opentune

Platinum Member
Anybody out there playing Hayman drums?
One hears of of lots of bygone vintage drums (liek Rogers, Slingy) but not much from them, though they were noted to be loud.
Notable players were Simon Kirke (Free) and Bill Bruford (Yes).
I almost never see them on ebay or c/lists or mentioned here so they must be as rare as hen's teeth. So rare, it would seem they should have incredibly high value.
 
Anybody out there playing Hayman drums?
One hears of of lots of bygone vintage drums (liek Rogers, Slingy) but not much from them, though they were noted to be loud.
Notable players were Simon Kirke (Free) and Bill Bruford (Yes).
I almost never see them on ebay or c/lists or mentioned here so they must be as rare as hen's teeth. So rare, it would seem they should have incredibly high value.


You see a few for sale on eBay UK now and again... and they go for relatively low figures. I've played a some and very much enjoyed them. I keep meaning to pick up a set as they have a nice look about them - even though the tom holder is a mental design full of toothed ratchets (???)

Check out this band, not only is the drummer using Haymans - but he's also DAMN AWESOME:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=2gOLkwj-zVI
 
They're just not terribly desirable. They're probably the best British drums of the era (although the American Rogers probably had better, less-insane hardware) but even vintage Premiers - which are more desirable and also more common don't cost an awful lot. Hayman's are fairly rare but just not in demand. No idea why, they're lovely drums.
 
Agreed.Hayman were actually designed to compete with Ludwig and Gretsch actually.

Hayman coated the shell interior with what they called Vibrasonic finish(paint) to make the drums louder

The Idea of which came from Ivor Arbiter who was also a Ludwig dealer,and the man who sold Ringo his first Ludwig kit.

They never really took off,but I do rememember Ainsley Dunbar also played them.

I played a Hayman kit which was the backline kit in a Manhatten studio,and I though they sounded pretty good.

Some Hayman kits go for decent money these days,since the world found out that Bonzo had a midnight blue Hayman kit at home.What an endorcement that would have been.

Steve B
 
Last edited:
Hmm, interesting facts. yes I guess chances of getting them in the UK are higher.
Their lugs were oddly DW like.
The coating was apparently added to get them good and loud to compete with Marshall stacks of the day. I think Fibes picked up on that, or that somehow Hayman morphed into Fibes?

Didn't know Bonzo had a set .....but he likely had many things....even a banjo too :)
 
I saw Mitch Mitchell play a double-bass set of Hayman drums when Jimi Hendrix played in Raleigh NC. I can see them now, I think they were a sort of light blue in color. I remember feeling a bit disappointed that he wasn't playing his one-up-two-down Ludwig set.
 
My drum teached had a set of navy Haymans (is that Midnight Blue?). I might be looking back with rose coloured glasses, but I still regard them as one of the most resonant kits I've played. The dang things could SING!

Coated ambassadors were always on top ... not sure what the resonant heads were.

As a kid, I was pissed because I could never get the same sound from my Tama Swingstars. ;-)

I would think they would be a good find for those that are in the know.

radman
 
The kit I lusted after, but could not afford, back in the early 70s. A midnight blue Hayman. I heard a tale that the finish was a coating used on kitchen goods, like fridges etc. Probably wrong but that was the story.
 
WOW! thank you JohnnySomersett so much for posting that video, I had never heard of those guys and now I can't stop listening to them!
 
Back
Top