2014 NAMM Show Anaheim CA

January 23-26th 2014 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, CA.

Will Yamaha Drums have anything new to offer?
Will we see the amazing drums they have claimed will be coming.....

YAMAHA DRUMS, the ball is in your court now, what are you going to do?

Not to steal away your interest in Yamaha's situation, but apparently Ludwig is going to introduce a range of drums which is actually put together by customers from component parts - drilled shells, lugs, mounting, hoops, rims and heads. Lower street price as a result.

Very cool idea. I predict it will go like fire and other companies will follow suit.

This is another aspect of how the DIY movement has effected the marketplace, whether the majors admit it or not.

I don't quite understand how that would work, Asaph.
How would Ludwig keep a handle on quality control or
a set standard.

The diminished quality control was the very thing that
pushed them off the competitive drum market in the
first place.  Now that they're on the rise again they're
doing something like THIS?!

Bold move, no doubt.

I will be at NAMM with Billy, January 25th btw.

Basically, if the lug holes are drilled alright you can't fudge it up. Same with spurs. I don't know if snare drums will come that way. Mounting strainers can be tricky, but it can be done by anyone.

So, really, quality control should not be an issue as long as the shells are packaged well to protect the edges. I believe this is going to be for intermediate lines, not the pro stuff, but it could certainly go there if the prices were cut enough to make it worthwhile to consumers. It could be done for any line of instruments.

The idea is saving labor costs for assembly and passing it on to the consumer. I have heard Ludwig had quality control issues which set them back, though I don't know what they were.

Lucky dog. Going to NAMM. Always wanted to go to one of those.

Asaph, the thing I'm saying is quality control WAS an issue
with Ludwig itself. I ordered a 12 piece kit from them back
in the early 90's and one of the hoops was warped.

You say "if" the holes are drilled properly"? Those are some
pretty substantial if's! Personally I just don't see this working.
But we'll just have to wait and see.

Well, today all holes are drilled on multi-bit machines set to extreme tolerances. I said "if" as a broad statement for anyone seeking to drill holes for lugs. The holes are drilled now and no one seems to find a problem with crooked lugs. They will just send the drums out with no lugs mounted. Everything pre-drilled.

Warped hoops, huh? That's a human oversight there, unless Ludwig made their own hoops, but most everyone gets their metal from Asia now. Someone should have caught that and never installed that hoop.

It will fly. Kids will love the idea of building their own drums, and maybe get Dad involved. Adults, too, for better lines, or even intermediate. Intermediate lines are pretty nice these days. Of course, I speak as a diehard DIYer.  

Asaph, I think I misunderstood you. I'm thinking that customers
were going to build drums for Ludwig, but I guess what you're
saying is they will basically be able to assemble the kits from
parts sent to them by Ludwig?

Don't know what I was thinking.