The drum shop no more...

Competing against GC isn't that difficult. Sam Adato did for years. The first owner of Drum World (where I worked) did for years.

It's competing against the internet.

No, you can't get by selling $10K drum kits, particularly when some online shop will sell you the same drum kit for pennies on the dollar.

And manufacturers shoulder some blame.

Case in point:
My preferred drum stick a Zildjan Super 5A wood tip. Nothing too exotic.

Where can I go to buy a pair?

No where.

If I go into any local music store, be it a GC or Chad Sexton's (before they closed), or where ever, they don't have them in stock.

They do, however, have the latest 5 models of signature stick from those guys who's recently been on the cover of DRUM! magazine because they're the hottest names in drums among 14-24 years old drummers.

But I don't want a signature stick from the latest superstar, I just want a pair of super 5a wood tips.

Can't have 'em.

But Amazon does.

It's getting that way with cymbals too.

Want a basic 18" crash? Well, we have the new K extra dark super toasty crash, and this Sabain so-and-so signature crash, and this new Extra-sounds-good crash by such-and-such company. Great, how about a stack of basic 18" A, with a couple to choose the best from? No, don't stock that, there isn't enough room to carry those because we have this new 18" crash developed by the guy who had that hit youtube video last year.....
 
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Our little city was lousy with music stores; Boyd's, Daryll's, Kimball's, Peterson's, Presto, and Advanced Music. Advanced is the only remaining shop. Burlington had an especially thriving scene (given our small population), especially in the 80s and 90s.

Boyd's was my favorite. Hanging out with Boyd in the 70s, as a kid, playing on a Ludwig Blue Tivoli kit? man, I was in heaven.
 
DrumEatDrum said:
Competing against GC isn't that difficult. Sam Adato did for years. The first owner of Drum World (where I worked) did for years.

It's competing against the internet.

No, you can't get by selling $10K drum kits, particularly when someone line shop will sell you the same drum kit for pennies on the dollar.

And manufactuers shoudler some blame.

Case in point:
My preferred drum stick a Zildjan Super 5A wood tip. Nothing too exotic.

Where can I go to buy a pair?

No where.

If I go into any local music store, be it a GC or Chad Sexton's (before they closed), or where ever, they don't have them in stock.

They do, however, have the latest 5 models of signature stick from those guys who's recently been on the cover of DRUM! magazine because they're the hottest names in drums among 14-24 years old drummers.

But I don't want a signature stick from the latest superstar, I just want a pair of super 5a wood tips.

Can't have 'em.

But Amazon does.

It's getting that way with cymbals too.

Want a basic 18" crash? Well, we have the new K extra dark super toasty crash, and this Sabain so-and-so signature crash, and this new Extra-sounds-good crash by such-and-such company. Great, how about a stack of basic 18" A, with a couple to choose the best from? No, don't stock that, there isn't enough room to carry those because we have this new 18" crash developed by the guy whop had that hit youtube video last year.....
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I feel you on sticks.

I use Vic Firth 1A American Classic's and there always seems to be a low availability of that model.

Each time I go to buy a pair or two I search the usual sites and nothing.

Have to rely on Amazon, who I really dislike for drum gear on the principle of giving money to a UK independent store as a priority (to be fair I've just checked again and Amazon only have two pairs in stock).

Maybe it's the model but finding those type of sticks are hard to come by from stores and I have to take my business elsewhere (very begrudgingly)
 
Woolwich said:
I feel really lucky by comparison.
Within a 10-20 minute drive of my house I've got-
The Drum Shop in Washington Tyne and Wear. It's been going for years and moved to larger premises a few years back. Lots of stuff on display, great staff, a strong online presence which I think is essential as it becomes more difficult for 100% bricks and mortar shops to survive. The shop runs regular Sale Clubs at which really good gear is sold at ridiculously low prices, they've pulled me out of trouble several times without breaking the bank, a Paiste Alpha Crash and PST8 hi hats happily appeared at knockdown prices almost simultaneously as my own crash cymbal and hats developed cracks, a Natal aluminium snare was added to my armoury just before Christmas and scratched my itch for an aluminium drum at a reasonable price.
Newcastle Drum Centre. Like the above but on a smaller scale. The shop went out of business a couple of years back and was bought out by the Drum Shop since when it's thrived. I bought my most recent kit from them a year ago for £375 as opposed to a retail price of about £550.
Willy's Drum Shop. A tiny Alladin's Cave of second hand gems, essentials like sticks and skins and genuine collectables, not to mention always ready with a good story and time to chat. Not much brand new stuff there but the ability to buy sell and trade adds to the fun. A new "D" Case for my bass drum for £25 as opposed to more than double that on Amazon, a brand new PS3 bass drum skin for £15 (again less than half retail) and a selection of barely used 13" skins to experiment on my snare drum for a fiver a throw are recent highlights, not to mention the used 12" Black Panther snare drum that's still my "go to" snare after I think 6 years that could still pass for new.
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Hi Woolwich.

You are a lucky man. I lived 20 miles away from the Newcastle Drum Shop for years and loved the place. Did it go out of business? The story I heard was that the lady who owned it retired and the staff obviously could not afford to buy it.

I have been in since it re opened and its not quite as good as the original. I was looking at cymbals in the original shop and one of the assistants came up and handed me a stick and said "Hit them, till you find one you like". What a refreshing outlook that was, Instead of the usual music shops that insist yuo do not touch anything.

We are moving back to the Geordie Delta later this year, so I look forward to proper drum shops again.
 
PlayTheSong said:
In Ottawa, in the 70's, there was an awesome 2nd floor walk-up shop in the Byward Market called Drummers' Dream that sold only drums. To an aspiring teen drummer it was pure magic, filled with all the funky outrageousness that drum companies were putting out in the 70's. I don't think it survived far into the 80's, but I'd love to go back as see it as it was then.

Modern music stores seem devoid of imagination compared to that place.
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Too bad I missed the place. Steve's Music on Rideau was the place to buy gear when I was starting out in the early 80's.
 
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