This one is a 15" x 7" Maple/Gum/Maple hybrid built around a shell reminiscent of the classic Gretsch shell construction started in the '50s. I sealed the interior in silver and finished the outside in a custom pale green Mottled Satin finish. It combines 16 vintage Gretsch lugs, die-cast hoops, and a modern Micro-Sensitive throw-off with a vintage tension knob. The bearing edges are cut at 30° with a subtle 1/8" outer round-over. I paired a hand-aged single-ply batter head with my Ringz vinyl dampening ring on the underside to keep the drum's naturally big voice focused.
What's the story with this drum? The size and color was inspired by a 15" Slingerland concert snare drum I remember seeing in the back of the band room in middle school; the white marine pearl wrap had faded to this strange sea-foam green color and it always stuck with me. A few years ago I had bought a 15" Nordic maple/gum/maple shell on a whim, and the hardware was made up of pieces I'd collected over the years... it was all just waiting; begging to be turned into something a little bit odd. And honestly - the drum turned out even better than I could have expected. This drum can be deep and throaty, or tuned up through the roof to get a distinct "crack" that still sounds big and meaty. I absolutely love this thing - and I know I will build a similar drum for my own collection one day!
Shell
- Size: 15" × 7"
- Shell: 7-ply Maple/Gum/Maple
- Interior: Silver sealed
- Bearing Edges: 30° with 1/8" outer round-over
- Finish: Custom Pale Green Mottled Satin
Hardware
- Lugs: 16 × vintage Gretsch
- Hoops: Vintage Gretsch die-cast
- Throw-off: Gretsch Micro-Sensitive w/ Vintage Tension Knob
- Butt Plate: Pearl SR-018
- Snare Wires: Puresound 15" / 20-strand
Every Workbench Series drum begins as just a collection of components. Each drum is carefully curated, by me, and built as a unique one-off instrument, every piece waiting to find the right partner, each with its own voice and character
— all combined into an instrument that is unexpected yet still familiar.