Guru Drums retrospective album (Final update 2017 onwards)

I'm wondering if any of the Santos Rosewood drums survived.
 
For a time, mine was the best looking, best sounding drum I’d ever owned (and I have some good ones).
I'm sorry yours was one nature chose misbehaviour rather than compliance. Beautiful tonewood, but an absolute b&^$&^%d to work with in every respect. From dust with potentially serious health implications, through to random misbehaviour, even if I was still crafting drums, I'd never work with it again. I suspect a segmented construction would have largely mitigated the structural negatives (but would look terrible), or maybe steam bent (but it's a beast to bend), but hindsight is a wonderful thing.

I have no desire to go through this again :(

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Remember this Rich? Last time I saw your snare alive :( You, with forum members Larry & Jeff :)

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Those Rosewood drums were the prettiest drums Guru ever made. The prototype kit was up there too. It's a god damn shame about the rosewood drums. Heartbreaking. A segmented rosewood snare would look really cool IMO.
 
That Santos Brazilian Rosewood is beautiful but isn't it used mostly as veneers for guitars, furniture and other things for appearance sake? There are a whole bunch of rosewood species what is so special about the Brazilian-can another species work? It's interesting the impact of humans and their immigration and activities on the flora and fauna wherever they go. Basically harvested and globally sold all the US forest starting in 1800s then often replaced with European species they brought with them-transforming the landscape of US. Florida now has so many non-indigenous plants, reptiles, fish, etc it's crazy. I use to be able to identify about any plant or insect in Georgia now I find species I've never seen. It's all Gene flow.
I remember those days of wearing that gear to work with the rosewood. I can personally relate wearing something similar working with radioactive and caustic agents. You basically baste in your sweat and you can get claustrophobic. I bet you lost ten pounds-just body fluids LOL.
 
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A segmented rosewood snare would look really cool IMO.
IMHO Larry, the figuring would be just too chopped up with a segmented construction. Part of the beauty is the flow & evolution of the figuring in that species.

I thought the rosewood drums were segmented.
In hindsight, despite the (as I see it) aesthetic negative, I wish they were.

I bet you lost ten pounds-just body fluids LOL.
Probably not a great weight loss strategy, but more importantly for me, it takes the joy right out of the crafting process.
 
Oh no doubt the stave looks best. Still, I'd sacrifice looks for longevity all day long.

I always wondered how close the padauk tone comes to the rosewood tone.

I thought I remember you saying that padauk is in the rosewood family.
 
I can't remember, but were the insides of those rosewood shells finished or were they raw wood? The images show raw wood while cutting edges, but did you oil them or do any sort of conditioning to the interiors after the edges were cut?
 
I always wondered how close the padauk tone comes to the rosewood tone.
if anything, padauk is more distinctive, although rosewood does have a certain "something".

I can't remember, but were the insides of those rosewood shells finished or were they raw wood? The images show raw wood while cutting edges, but did you oil them or do any sort of conditioning to the interiors after the edges were cut?
They were raw, except for an application of wax. I know what you're thinking - would the complete sealing of the surface of the shell isolate it enough to avoid contraction / expansion issues. Unfortunately, the answer is no, although complete sealing may slow the process a little.
 
They were raw, except for an application of wax. I know what you're thinking - would the complete sealing of the surface of the shell isolate it enough to avoid contraction / expansion issues. Unfortunately, the answer is no, although complete sealing may slow the process a little.

Was the wood just too susceptible to movement with the humidity? My pecan stave shell had problems about 3-4 days after I put a wrap on it. I had to put it in a garbage bag with a wet towel for about a week to get more moisture in the wood, then re-glue any areas that started to pull apart. I cut the edges and shellaced the interior and edges to seal it all. The drum has been completely stable since I sealed it.

I also have a bloodwood shell that is shellaced on the outside and oiled on the interior and that one is holding strong.
 
I could look at these pics all day.

I love the pic of Yvonne. Give her my regards please. She is so much fun.

You guys made a lot of drums in the short time you were in business.

Class of their own.

Thank you for everything Andy.
 
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Second double bass Guru kit I've seen this week. They are haunting me! Please tell me this is either Uncle Larry's kit or it went to a metalhead and is being used like this, and not just a picture for pictures sake.

We talk of dream kits. This is mine. It's so rare. Did anyone ever order a double bass kit?
 
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