Repairs & Custom Work

I have been repairing and building drums for nearly as long as I have been playing them; for nearly 40 years now. My first kit was a random collection of spray painted Ludwig, Rogers, & Olympic drum sets that my dad bought for $150. That's where I cut my teeth disassembling, refinishing, repairing, and reassembling drums to make a useable kit (and I wish I still had those old drums too!).

Years of experimenting & repairing turned into assembling custom drums and eventually learning how to repair almost any drum malfunction.

Deep in my gut, I would much rather help you bring an old kit back to life than to sell you a new shiny kit.

So bring me your problems and I'll help you find a solution. New wraps, cracked shells, re-cutting edges, plugging & drilling holes — I can help with all of it. Below is a quick price breakdown of my most common options, but we can work out most any issue.

These services are generally for local customers that can bring their drums to my shop, but you can also ship your work to me as well. As always, reach out to me in an email or text message first and we'll discuss the details.

— Christian Kline

📷 [PLACEHOLDER: Insert Workshop or Vintage Drum Photo Here]

Tuning & Setup

Work covers installing heads, tuning, snare wire setup, and working out minor mechanical & bearing edge issues. Pricing depends on the type of drum, dimension, and scope of work. The price of heads and other materials is not included in these prices.

  • Snare Drum Setup: Starting at $35
  • Tom Setup: Starting at $25
  • Bass Drum Setup: Starting at $35
  • 5-Piece Kit Tune-up: Starting at $50
  • 5-Piece Kit Full Re-head & Setup: Starting at $150

Precision Bearing Edges

Price is per bearing edge. I can cut nearly any edge profile you like, including round-over, 30-degree, 45-degree, or custom combinations. Let's discuss the specific sound you want to achieve and decide on the best cut to get you there.

  • 6" to 10" Shells: $15 each
  • 12" to 14" Shells: $20 each
  • 15" to 18" Shells: $25 each
  • 20" to 22" Shells: $30 each
  • 24" to 28" Shells: $35 each

📷 [PLACEHOLDER: Insert Close-Up Bearing Edge Photo Here]

Shell Refinishing & Wraps

Prices cover labor and moderate shell prep only. The cost of wrap or finishing material is separate. Old finish removal or extensive shell repairs will be calculated at our standard hourly shop rate.

Shell Size Wrap Labor Oil & Satin Gloss Finishes
6" - 10" $25 $40 $100
12" - 14" $35 $50 $125
15" - 18" $45 $60 $150
20" - 22" $55 $70 $175
24" - 26" $65 $80 $200
28" $80 $85 $250

Custom Modifications & Repairs

  • Cutting Snare Beds: $20 per drum
  • Shell Cutdown: $25 per cut
  • Drilling Holes: $10 base fee (covers precise layout and the first 1-5 holes), then $1.50 for each additional hole.
  • Hole Repair: $10 - $50 *(Depending on severity. Common fixes include plugging structural holes with matching shell/wrap material or filling minor cosmetic holes with resin/epoxy).*
  • Other Structural Repairs & Bench Fee: $60 per hour *(Applies to complex structural repairs such as fixed cracked shells, securing lifting seams, precise finish touch-ups, or fixing frozen hardware).*