That depends on what you do to it. There are a lot of factors that affect the sound of a wood when built into a drum that are often taken for granted. In a solid, stave or steambent shell you are hearing the characteristics of the wood itself to a much greater extent than a ply version. Our build methods ensure that as much of the 'reflective' and 'resonant' character of each wood comes through loud & clear. Free floating shells are especially known for their ability to accent the individual qualities of a given species. That said, each wood in our system will produce a great sounding drum when it's properly utilized. While not all woods adhere to simple rules, the density, grain pattern and mineral composition within a particular species has the greatest effect on the sound it produces. Check out our Wood Properties Database to do some research on the specifics of each species. We've done some pretty extensive testing of woods in regard to both resonance and surface reflection to conclude that those with similar physical characteristics sound quite similar when constructed into a drum. The REAL magic lies in the details that turn that wood into a drum. Assembly methods, venting, hardware placement and bearing edge profile are key to opening up the natural contribution of a given shell. These are the details that distinguish Oregon Drum.
Where can I hear your drums?
While we don't have a dealer network, we have MP3 samples of a few of our drums
in the Myrtlewood Series online. We've also produced a
Myrtlewood Series Sample CD
that highlights the subtle differences between models of different shell types. If you find
yourself in Southwestern Oregon and would like to hear some drums in person, we would love to
show you around. While you can't pick out your tree, you can sure see what one looks like. Our
news section also gives you an idea about where our drums might be appearing in the near future.
A number of album, television and live projects feature Oregon Drum snares on a regular basis.
Will it really take 45-60 days to get my drum?
With thousands of possible combinations, we certainly can't keep completed shells for every
drum on hand. We typically source the wood for each drum when ordered. This assures that it has
been stored in a controlled environment by folks that store wood for a living, not simply kept
in our shop awaiting your order. The number of possibilities can create a delay in getting
the chosen hardware components for your drum. Many people don't realize the painfully long
lead times imposed by many of the hardware vendors. While a number of our hardware components
are exclusive to Oregon Drum, we get to wait in line with everyone else for other parts.
The given time frame also gives us some wiggle room to ensure your drum is taken through the
process without cutting corners. In many cases, your drum will ship sooner. We will always
contact you if there is something that we anticipate will delay your drum beyond our
stated wait. We actually have one of the shortest lead times in the built-to-order drum
business.
Check our Wood Pile too before you order! You might find that your dream drum has
been waiting for you.
Can we discuss specific build details for my drum?
We prefer to discuss details (bearing edges, wood characteristics, snare beds, construction)
in a way that creates a knowledge base for future use by others. We are considered less of a
'custom' shop and more of a 'refined
process' shop with a vast supply of options. Where's the distinction? The way we
approach a snare drum is a result of decades of experience in a number of related industries.
Bearing edge profile, shell construction, wood selection, finishing methods, snare bed style
and hardware options are what make Oregon Drum different.
We support and participate in a discussion forum on AcousticDRUMS.com, a site dedicated to
exploring new concepts and ideas in acoustic drumming since January, 2001. The Oregon Drum
forum can be found here,
within the main forum structure. Our presence at this site allows us to interact
with potential clients as well as hobby and other professional builders that are interested
in learning more about the somewhat obscure realm of custom drum construction.
We look forward to YOUR input in this friendly environment of technical discussion.
Where is the vent hole on my drum (shell)?
Free floating shells don't require a vent hole, as the free floating carrier itself
incorporates one under each side of the strainer system. This is adequate ventilation to
allow the air to escape the drum and prevent differences in humidity to occur between the
inside of your drum and the outside world. On the majority of our drums you will find the
vent hole behind the 'Oregon Drum' badge. Why do we do this? For one,
we've always preferred not to disturb any more panels of a drum than necessary when building
one out. However, the main reason for this is actually based on acoustic research. With our
innovative system, we can actually tune the amount of air flowing in and out of each drum. By
using spacers of different thickness between the badge and shell, the response of the drum can
be adjusted. Additionally, the air is diffused to eliminate that pitched whistle you hear when
you press down hard on the batter head of a typical drum. Due to the neoprene seals
on the internal hardware points of many of our product lines, this diffused vent is the only
escape for the air in your drum. Without this combination a drum will 'leak' around it's
hardware points in addition to the whistling vent grommet. Our trademark badge is the key to
efficient diffused
venting of your drum. It allows a complete seal to be made if desired, or a number of other
configurations used to improve the response of the snares or alternately 'dry out' the sound
of the drum. You may also have noticed that we've taken venting to the extreme on a number of
our specialty models.
Do you build complete kits?
We firmly believe that the snare drum is the dominant voice of the modern drummer.
While toms and kick drums could surely benefit from the philosophy and standards we've built
Oregon Drum upon, the market is currently saturated with endless 'custom builders' using
cheap shells and the same hardware to build complete kits from. Dealing with these additional
hardware procurement headaches would detract from our focus of building premium snare drums.
Our advice? Buy a high quality factory kit instead and save your money for the best snare drum
and cymbal collection you can afford. Many drummers hold on to these items through a number of
different kits.
Why the focus on Free Floating shells?
The Free Floating system has been around for more than 20 years. Pearl, Legend and Gretsch have
all produced models based on this same platform. We find that the enhanced resonance of a
high quality, properly designed shell in this system produces one of the purest snare drum
sounds you'll ever hear. Yes, there are other
systems out there that have come and gone over the years. Yet, each
introduces it's own set of compromises. The system of
which the Pearl is based upon is by far the most popular and flexible. It is the original Free
Floating standard that our shells are designed for. They are available in standard and 'plus'
sizes for each model of drum. Taller shells will fit shorter carriers with the included
extended length tension rods. Our ordering system ensures that you have what you need to
upgrade your drum when your shell arrives. Keep in mind that all shells are 1" shorter than
their listed size to maintain the overall height when installed in the carrier. A solid,
steambent or stave shell in one of these carriers is the best gift you can give this classic,
proven design.
Who endorses your drums?
Hopefully, anyone who has bought one. Seriously, without a big kick drum head to park our logo
on, we see little benefit to this common industry practice. We aren't selling toaster pastries
or basketball shoes. The market for our drums tends to lead the pack rather than follow. We've
sold to a number of professional touring and studio drummers within the industry. A few have
even come back and bought a couple more, without the lure of an endorsement contract. With a
number
of companies in bidding wars for the big name players, we find our time and money better spent
investing in the equipment, designs and processes necessary for crafting the best drums money
can buy. That said, if you're a great drummer with an image and reputation to match, we would
love to have you playing one of our drums and would enjoy helping you find your voice within our
product line.
Do I have to pay with PayPal?
Although PayPal is really the most practical method, we also accept US
drawn Money Orders and Cashier's Checks. It's important
to note than PayPal accounts can also utilize your credit card or checking account, eliminating
the need for a redundant merchant account.
PayPal is the primary method simply as a result of the 'on the fly' pricing system used for our
V2R snare drums.
PayPal proved to be the best cart-based online payment processing method available for
a company with thousands of database-driven product options. The system we built requires a
payment method equally as flexible. Once you've found what you want, drop us a line with our
contact form. We'll confirm your order and arrange alternate payment with you at your
convenience.
Who developed your Virtual to Reality Design System?
The parent company of Oregon Drum (Logistix Productions, Inc) designed and developed the
Virtual to Reality System. While the proprietary system was developed for Oregon Drum,
Oregon Drum was made possible in part by this system. The monumental task of quoting
product pricing for thousands of options on an individual basis has proven to be the
undoing of many a small drum company over the years. Oregon Drum didn't want to be in a
position of having to choose between chasing potential customers with quotes or having the
resources to support the orders we have. While such a system would typically cost tens of
thousands to develop, Oregon Drum had programming allies in the parent company with a vision
for the long-term benefits of showcasing such a system in the current drum market. To some
degree, Oregon Drum has proven as a successful test bed for Logiztix use of this Internet
technology in custom product design and ordering systems.
Logiztix (dba) has been developing Internet-driven database
applications for business, government and educational institutions since 1996. Oregon Drum's
design, preview and ordering system serves
as a showcase for this technology in addition to streamlining the daily operations of quoting
hundreds of unique snare drum offerings. Oregon Drum incorporates similar database technology
in everything from it's polling system to it's Stave Drum Calculator. Logiztix is in the
process of using V2R in enhancing a number of other online operations, including others
specializing in custom drums. Will Logiztix build a similar quoting system for your company?
You bet! What if it's a drum company? Even better! Contact us for details.
