Drum Historian Rob Cook – Part 1: Inside the Legacy of Iconic Drum Brands Join us for an enlightening journey into the world of vintage drums with esteemed author and historian Rob Cook. In this first installment, Rob delves deep into the rich histories of legendary drum companies and the pivotal moments that shaped modern drumming.📚 *Exploring Drum Company Histories:*Rob shares insights from his comprehensive works, including *The Ludwig Book*, *The Slingerland Book*, *The Rogers Book*, and *The Gretsch Drum Book*. These texts chronicle the evolution of these iconic brands, offering a detailed look at their contributions to the drumming world .🎤 *Endorsements and Iconic Drummers:*Discover the intriguing story behind Ringo Starr's association with Ludwig Drums. Despite not having a formal endorsement, Ringo's use of Ludwig drums catapulted the brand into the spotlight during the Beatles' rise to fame .🏪 *Frank's Drum Shop – A Chicago Landmark:*Rob reminisces about Frank's Drum Shop, a cornerstone of Chicago's music scene from 1938 to 1978. Under the ownership of Maurie Lishon, the shop became a haven for drummers seeking quality instruments and expert advice .🎪 *The Chicago Drum Show:*Learn about the origins of the Chicago Drum Show, founded by Rob in 1991. This event has grown into a premier gathering for drum enthusiasts, showcasing vintage and custom drum gear while fostering a sense of community among drummers .🔧 *Innovations in Drum Design:*Rob discusses significant advancements in drum construction, such as Ludwig's internal mufflers and the introduction of Vistalite acrylic drums in 1972 . He also touches on the development of the Octa-Plus kit, popularized by session drummer Hal Blaine .🏭 *Camco Drum Company's Legacy:*Explore the history of the Camco Drum Company, known for its high-quality drums and hardware. After ceasing operations in 1977, Camco's assets were acquired by Drum Workshop, influencing modern drum manufacturing .🔒 *Rogers' Memory Lock Innovation:*Understand the impact of Rogers' introduction of the memory lock system, a hardware innovation that set new standards in drum stability and has been widely adopted by other manufacturers .In a previous interview with JR Robinson https://youtu.be/dQH2CUUiA7s?si=jdJ2Jy10qFdlLgni
he revealed the DW reboot of Slingerland and shared his thoughts on DW's involvement with Gretsch. After our interview with Rob, he shared his thoughts on the DW/Gretsch situation via email.Here's his reply - " It occurred to me what JR probably meant about Gretsch going away. As I mentioned via Zoom it is a rather complicated situation and I did not explain it very well. Here is the deal:-DW had an agreement with Fred W Gretsch to build (in Savannah) and distribute the American-made Gretsch drums in the USA. DW also had an agreement with Hal Leonard to distribute Gretsch import drums in the USA.-GEWA is a large music distributor and manufacturer in Germany that had been distributing DW drums in Germany, and they began to build their own line of high-end electronic drums which were directly competing with Roland V-Drums. GEWA began to export their electronic drums in the USA shortly before Roland bought DW.-When Roland bought DW, the agreement with GEWA to distribute DW drums in Germany was terminated. This was because Roland is a competitor of GEWA.-GEWA negotiated with DW and/or Fred W Gretsch and arranged to build (in Savannah still) and distribute American-made Gretsch drums in Germany, AND in the USA. They (GEWA) also now sell the Gretsch import drums in the USA, through Hal Leonard.-DW did not mind giving up USA distribution of Gretsch, since they are developing Slingerland.
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