Drums made of stone & other extraordinary drum-material

M

marthy

Senior Member
I have always been interested in drums made of extraordinary drum-material. A few days ago i found a Italien drum-builder that builds drums made of Alabastro stone(see link bellow). It sound rather good or what do u think? Someone that have any ideas when it comes to durability on the drums? will the drums sound last etc?
I also found out about this stone drum from Finland(see link bellow).
Someone else that knows about drums made of stone or other extraordinary drum-material etc would be nice if u guys wrote comments.

Alabastro drums
http://www.alabastrosonoro.com/drums.html

http://www.alabastrosonoro.com/snaredrums.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pq2k4afQjQY&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qf-zDQMw1Dg&feature=related

Kimmu drums(Finland)

http://www.kumu.fi/features/feature_09_en.html

Have a nice day /Marthy
 
Ford Drums recently introduced a snare made of Corian.

How heavy does a stone/marble drum become before it 'outweighs' the sound it makes? Seems like anyone much over 50 isn't going to want to haul one of those around!

Bermuda
 
bermuda said:
How heavy does a stone/marble drum become before it 'outweighs' the sound it makes? Seems like anyone much over 50 isn't going to want to haul one of those around!

Bermuda
Click to expand...
Good point, & count me in on the weight thing too :)

The stone kit sounded as I expected it would. Bright, loud, & a ton of attack. Stone isn't warm when you sit on it, so don't expect it to be warm when you play it :)

Kumu are on to something though. They make very good drums, & know what they're doing. They're not prone to gimmicks either, so I'd be tempted to take that snare drum seriously.

As a general rule, snare drums are much more suited to a variety of materials, as sustain isn't much of a consideration, & the ratio of shell depth to diameter diminishes the shell's influence on the resultant sound. I have a 1.5" thick ebony stave snare as my favourite live drum. In terms of weight & hardness, it's getting close to stone, & I really appreciate it's cut, sensitivity, & brightness. Despite it's mass, it still manages a woody undertone to it's character. It's primary function in life is to deliver killer rimshots in the direction of the guitarist ;)
 
I'm mostly familiar with "vintage" stone drums, like from the 60s. Wood has a maturing process, but stone has an "eroding" process, which is comparable...as the shell gets thinner, the sound gets "warmer" and more "earthy". As the energy from the head gets transferred to the shell (we call that the "quake factor"), tiny tectonic plates shift, and you really get a low-end rumble that you can feel all through your body. Simply amazing, these old stone drums. I'm surprised they haven't caught on with rock drummers...
 
caddywumpus said:
I'm mostly familiar with "vintage" stone drums, like from the 60s. Wood has a maturing process, but stone has an "eroding" process, which is comparable...as the shell gets thinner, the sound gets "warmer" and more "earthy". As the energy from the head gets transferred to the shell (we call that the "quake factor"), tiny tectonic plates shift, and you really get a low-end rumble that you can feel all through your body. Simply amazing, these old stone drums. I'm surprised they haven't caught on with rock drummers...
Click to expand...
Now that is super interesting! I wouldn't have guessed that the vibrations from a head were enough to effect such a structural change in the stone. Fascinating! Thanks Caddy, now I feel I've really learn't something today :)
 
The finer kinds of alabaster are employed largely as an ornamental stone, especially for ecclesiastical decoration and for the rails of staircases and halls. Its softness enables it to be carved readily into elaborate forms, but its solubility in water renders it unsuitable for outdoor work. If alabaster with a smooth, polished surface is washed with washing-up liquid (dishwashing liquid), it will become rough, dull and whiter, losing most of its translucency and lustre.
 
caddywumpus said:
I'm mostly familiar with "vintage" stone drums, like from the 60s. Wood has a maturing process, but stone has an "eroding" process, which is comparable...as the shell gets thinner, the sound gets "warmer" and more "earthy". As the energy from the head gets transferred to the shell (we call that the "quake factor"), tiny tectonic plates shift, and you really get a low-end rumble that you can feel all through your body. Simply amazing, these old stone drums. I'm surprised they haven't caught on with rock drummers...
Click to expand...

Really witch brand made stone dums in the 60s?

I dont think Kumus snare drum was real stone (not 100 % anyway) the material was kind of secret but i guess it was some kind of composite.

Like the corian material but dont u think it will sound like carbon fiber( i mean they are both composite materials)?

I really like those Alabaster drums but the snare cost 850-1400 euros so i was thinking about one thing. If u dropp the Alabaster shell 1 meter and it hits the floor then it will not break or what do u guys think?
 
Ok a drog joke i guess, being stoned and things like that. Not understand so good but now i will not do research about 60s stone drums***smile**.
 
One of the best sounding snare drums I have ever heard is Dixon's ceramic marble snare.

A554NMARBLE.jpg

http://www.playdixon.com/soundroom_detail.aspx?ID=28
PDS7554MB Marble Snare 5.5 x 14" $850.00
PDS7654MB Marble Snare 6.5 x 14" $900.00

You can check out a review here:http://www.mikedolbear.com/story.asp?StoryID=1918
 
Ceramic marble that sounds interesting to read about. No suprise its heavy. I have a Dixon kit that i Jelly Bean sprayed(see my other threads) but i thought it was a low end brand. How much does it cost?
 
marthy said:
Like the corian material but dont u think it will sound like carbon fiber( i mean they are both composite materials)?
Click to expand...


The fact that it's a "composite material" has nothing to do with the sound. Keep in mind that plywood, which most drums are made of, is a composite material.
 
caddywumpus said:
I'm mostly familiar with "vintage" stone drums, like from the 60s. Wood has a maturing process, but stone has an "eroding" process, which is comparable...as the shell gets thinner, the sound gets "warmer" and more "earthy". As the energy from the head gets transferred to the shell (we call that the "quake factor"), tiny tectonic plates shift, and you really get a low-end rumble that you can feel all through your body. Simply amazing, these old stone drums. I'm surprised they haven't caught on with rock drummers...
Click to expand...

Caddy, you'd better trade mark that "quake factor" line before John Good gets a hold of it.....

Reminds me of the Timeless Timber video, & I can just hear him talking about a "new find" now....

:)
 
KarlCrafton said:
Caddy, you'd better trade mark that "quake factor" line before John Good gets a hold of it.....

Reminds me of the Timeless Timber video, & I can just hear him talking about a "new find" now....

:)
Click to expand...

I can see it now:

John Good of DW says, "We've come across a supply of limestone that was buried underneath the Great Pyramid. This particular sample of limestone has aged to perfection, with the weight of the pyramid really compacting the slab for millennia, which makes for a more resonant and full-sounding stone--it really brings out the foundation note. We've developed these shells, using Quake Factor™ technology, and cut Mortar And Pestle™ bearing edges with our brand new, super high tech laser. These shells will revolutionize how drums are constructed from now on, and will be the new benchmark by which all other drums are judged. Supply is limited to 10 kits made, 5 to be released in the U.S., 4 to be released worldwide, and 1 to be given to Neil Peart."

...does that about cover it?
 
Mindblowing information. Stone drums. Never heard of such a thing. They must weigh a ton. Alabaster is soft - do they break easily? There is a thread here about glass drums and glass is basically molten stone.

Paiste had an entire kit made of its cymbal bronze. There is a thread here for carbon fiber drums.

The link below for Ironwood Drum Set is to drums that are milled from whole logs, no plies or seams, just natural whole wood. The ironwood sinks in water.
 
marthy said:
Ceramic marble that sounds interesting to read about. No suprise its heavy. I have a Dixon kit that i Jelly Bean sprayed(see my other threads) but i thought it was a low end brand. How much does it cost?
Click to expand...


Dixon like most of the drum companies have several levels of quality, the ceramic marble snare is in their top shelf artisan series, retail prices are as follows:
PDS7554MB Marble Snare 5.5 x 14" $850.00
PDS7654MB Marble Snare 6.5 x 14" $900.00
SoundroomImageHandler.ashx
 
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