David La Mole Ortiz-Puerto Rican percussion treasure

Puerto Rican maestro David "La Mole" Ortiz. One of my favorite drum videos.

Back On The Block

Yes, it's been forever, but I'm back and committed to dusting off this sucker and firing it up again. It's full of gasoline and ready to hit the road!

DW Drums - Now at Musician's Friend

DW's super-fine drums can at long last be found at Musician's Friend. The offering for now is limited to one of DW's newest entries - the Eco-X Series.

Eco-X provides drummers with a distinctive sonic option, while at the same time using renewable resources. The bamboo that is used in Eco-X's "hybrid" shells along with birch, grows at a far faster rate than the hardwoods used for the construction of most drum shells, thus offering a material that is more quickly replenished while delivering DW's trademark deep, vivid tones. Eco-X drums are big and full-sounding tubs with a huge fundamental, and all of the warmth, resonance, and attack that Collector's Series drums are known for.

The unique hybrid bamboo/birch shells provide increased high-end attack, while DW's X Shell technology offers unprecedented low-end response. Plus, DW drummer-friendly features such as True Pitch Tuning, STM (Suspension Tom Mounts), Proportional Counter Hoops and DW Heads by Remo USA all come standard. It's a giant leap forward in shell technology and everyone wins!

DW's X Shell technology all started with DW's foray into VLT, or Vertical Low Timbre Technology. They found that in experimenting with alternate ways to cross-laminate a shell, the tension on the shell could be greatly decreased if the majority of plies were run vertically, rather than horizontally. Just like a guitar string, the tighter it gets, the higher in pitch it goes.

Shells must be cross-laminated for strength, so the idea of designing a completely vertical shell to achieve optimal low frequencies was never an option, until now—enter X Shells. The concept was derived from DW's popular line of VGE (Vertical Grain Exotics). DW had been laminating veneer in a diagonal orientation for a while, but had never considered the sonic benefits until Master Drum Designer John Good proposed it, "If we can mimic the effect of a complete VLT shell, we'll have created the lowest sounding drum ever." The first prototype was made and the result was a home run. Exactly what Mr. Good had anticipated, big, full sounding drums with a huge fundamental, and all of the warmth, resonance and attack that Collector's Series drums are known for.

Cymbals and hardware not included.

DW Eco-X 5-Piece Shell Pack Features:

* Hybrid bamboo/birch shells
* True Pitch Tuning
* STM (Suspension Tom Mounts)
* Proportional Counter Hoops
* DW Heads by Remo USA

Sizes:
* (Choose between) 20" x 18" or 22" x 18" bass drum
* 10" x 8" tom
* 12" x 9" tom
* 14" x 12" floor tom
* 5-1/2" x 14" snare drum