Vintage Corner: Restoration, BR commemorative pad

I recently acquired this pad, a Buddy Rich Commemorative model made by Drum Workshop in the 2010s. This is a very different pad than the Buddy Rich commemorative models made by HQ/Real Feel in 2002. 

This pad uses DW's white rubber on a laminated wood base. a black foam on the underside serves as a second playing surface and is nice for quiet warming up. The white rubber isn't as freely bouncy as that found on the Real Feel pads, but requires a little more effort to "pull" strokes out when playing. I find that it works best with concert or drum kit sticks, rather than marching sticks.
The top of the pad is ringed in a mother-of-pearl trim that echoes the finish found on Buddy's drum kits, making for a very classy finish. The pad was made in limited quantities and originally sold for well over $100 at the time (roughly 2015-17). It's is now highly collectible and difficult to find on the used market. (There's one available on Reverb right now and the seller is asking over $800 for it.)

My pad arrived in good, but dirty, condition. I set about giving it a nice glow-up.
 

Tan or white rubber on vintage (and/or used) pads can discolor with age, use and exposure to sunlight.

You can often return rubber to its former glow with some careful cleaning.

I use Scrubbing Bubbles bathroom cleaner and a fine-textured white sponge (like the soft “erasers” used to clean computer screens).

Work outside because many bathroom cleaners often have a little bleach or vinegar that sensitive noses don’t like.

Shake well, spray on in a circle and let the foam lift the dirt for one to two minutes. Scrub gently with the computer sponge until the dirt and grime have been lifted. Then wipe off all the cleaner with a warm, damp cloth and let dry.

Also: white and tan rubber don’t handle direct sunlight well at all. When not in use, store these pads face-down and away from direct sunlight to preserve the rubber longer.

Below: before and after photos of my most recent pad find.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(And no, it's not for sale.)

Vintage Corner: Restoration, Remo pad 1964

Restoration: Remo pad, 1964.

I purchased two of these old 10” pads, with metal rims, plywood base and fiberboard underlay. They came to me in a pretty filthy state. The original foam had been pummeled enough that the foam in the center was worn away a bit.

Here are before and after photos of one of the pads.

I carefully scrubbed the metal rim and the head with warm, mildly soapy water and a sponge. I also repaired the gap in the metal rim, originally covered with a “Remo” sticker, with some metallic plumbers tape.

The head was old and had a bald spot in the middle where the coating had been worn away by a lot of practice. To reinforce the worn center and help the head last a little longer, I applied a couple of strips of clear packing tape to the underside and smoothed them down.

When I reassembled it, I replaced the original foam with layers of bubble wrap, yoga mat and ensolite sleeping pad. 

The three layers stacked just a bit higher than the metal band that held the foam, meaning that it would compress nicely when the head was replaced and re-tensioned.

(Below: the layers, in order. L-R: bubble wrap, yoga mat, ensolite pad. Lay the bubble wrap with the flat side up so it sits flush against the middle yoga mat layer.)

All of these materials can be found for cheap or free at yard sales, thrift shops and in packages you might receive.

It plays beautifully with concert sticks.

I did the same thing with the other pad, and it’s also much more fun to play on now. I’ll probably keep one of the pads and rehome the other one.

Vintage Corner: Bower Practice Pad, NOT a replica!

It’s here.

I managed to obtain an original Harry Bower practice pad in an online auction, and it arrived today.

If you remember, back in 2021, I made a replica of this pad from found objects, and it was successful enough that I offered to make a few more for some fellow pad enthusiasts.

It turns out that my guesses at materials were only slightly off.

The original pad, designed by Harry Bower in 1919 and approved for patent in 1921, was made from a round of solid wood (probably pine, which was cheap and easy to obtain), with holes drilled to allow the attachment of a playing surface with some wool batting stuffed between the playing surface and the wood.

I’d assumed that the playing surface was leather, and my replica sounded and felt rather nice using this material. However the original seems to have been made either from a leather that has hardened so much with time it’s no longer really playable, or with a surface made from fiberboard, the same material used then (and now) in making drum cases. If this is fiberboard, it makes for a harsh, unresponsive playing surface. If it’s hardened leather, then my hunch was correct.

Additional info, from the original patent application of 1919:

“ …present embodiment of the invention consists of .arather thin plate which may be formed of gutta percha, whalebone, or a composition, such as papier mache, fiberboard, or any relatively stiff yet flexible or vibratory material which will be affected by the impact of the drum sticks similar. to the effect occasioned by said sticks when they sense by those acquainted with the art of drumming.”

So this solves the mystery. The original design did not use leather, but a piece of hard fiberboard such as that used in the making of drum cases from the 1920s through the 1980s. 

Apparently, the reason for using fiberboard was to give the most exact response possible, something on which mistakes could possibly be hidden.

The OG pad measures exactly the same size as my replica.

I’m very pleased to have found an original of this pad, which is likely the first pad officially patented for commercial production in the US.

By modern standards, it’s horrible.

Even my replica isn’t all that, though the supple leather does make for a nicer response.

I may be inspired to design a display case for this pad, to hang it on the wall and keep the dust off. I’ve never felt this way about any other vintage pad. Though to be fair, this pad is actually an antique at over 100 years old.

I am so glad to be able to give this piece of drum history a home.

Vintage Corner: 1950s pad, maker unknown

When the world gets scary, I get geeky.

I did a mad bunch of flipping to come up with the scratch to obtain this beautiful old practice pad. Ludwig stand dates from the early to mid 1970s. The practice pad is older, probably from the 1950s. Pad is possibly homemade (it’s a little too narrow for the big mass producers of the era), and the rubber feels surprisingly bouncy and nice for its age.

It’s a keeper.

All the proof I need

Marching percussion is still run by men most of the time.
Yes, there are more girls marching in the battery, women drum instructors, and even a woman who's a percussion caption head for a DCI corps. And that's great.
But the fact remains that the larger portion on what's happening in marching band and drum corps is still being run by men.

The sexism may not be as blatant in all corners, but that doesn't mean it's not happening.
Male staff are still being accused of sexual misconduct, but fewer women are being believed.
And behind the scenes, women and girls who complain are being riduculed and even threatened for making a stink about it.

This pad appeared on an online marketplace focused on marching percussion.
It was a stock image from Xymox that you could order when selecting a photo-finished practice pad in 2011.
The Wayback Machine can't tell me how long this image was offered, but I suspect that it was available for more than one season. It was gross then, and it's gross now.

Honestly, I just don't think this will ever end. It might get better in increments, but I doubt it will end. And in our current political and social climate, there's nowhere to go but down.
Color me bummed.

Product Review: Beetle Percussion Last Pad, Single-sided/concert

Early last year, I had an opportunity to put Beetle Percussion’s Last Pad through its paces. At the time, there was only a double-sided, marching focused version available. It was designed for modern marching drummers, able to take very high tension. You can read that review in two parts here, and here.

Eventually, after multiple experiments with that pad, I passed it along to a drummer with more experience playing modern, high-tension drums for further testing. Then, I turned my attention to other pads.

A few months back, I was offered the chance to try out the newer single-sided version of the Last Pad, designed for lower-tension concert and traditional marching practice. I readily agreed.

The single-sided Last Pad arrived this weekend, and I assembled it.

Beetle kindly sent the pad with two coated heads, one in single-ply Ambassador weight and the other in a heavier, two-ply Emperor weight. Since I already have a few pads with Ambassador heads on them for concert work, I chose to assemble this with the Emperor head.

The Last Pad comes with everything needed for assembly, including:

— Valchromat base, pre-drilled

— your choice of a lower-profile S-Hoop or a regular triple flange hoop

— all the necessary tuning bolts, nuts and washers

— a 14” insert consisting of 1/2” dense foam laid into a Valchromat base, designed to fit under the drumhead and on top of the primary pad base. You can order inserts made with recycled tire rubber if you wish, but the foam insert is necessary to make a lower-tension concert/traditional pad.

— a 14” head (not included in the base price, but you can buy one from Beetle for an extra charge or use one you already have)

You’ll need a standard drum key and a 5/16” open wrench. Beetle sells these as extras, too, if you don’t already have them.

The Valchromat primary base comes in multiple colors by request. My primary base is orange, and the insert (which is unseen once assembled) came in blue.

At left: the underside of the primary base, finished with foam discs for a nonskid experience on a tabletop.

Below: the top side of the primary base, inlaid with the same recycled tire rubber used on other Beetle pads.

The insert is inlaid with dense foam that, when placed under the drum head, provides a buttery feel that’s ideal for lower tings and coated heads.

Remembering my experience with the double-sided Last Pad and how the insert could wiggle slightly off-center, I put down a small rolled piece of clear tape between the primary base and the insert to keep it centered during tensioning. (Once it’s tensioned, the tape won’t affect the function of the assembled pad.)

The primary base comes pre-drilled to receive the tuning bolts, nuts and washers. I assume that two washers are used to provide greater strength and stability, with the larger washer going in first, followed by the smaller washer and then the nut. The holes of the washers have different inside diameters, so pay attention when assembling.

I took my time, using the overturned box as an assembly surface. Because everything came pre-drilled, assembly was very straightforward. However, you need to take your time and be patient because there are twelve nodes of contact. Tensioning and tuning properly will take longer, and you’ll want to make sure the insert doesn’t wiggle around while you put everything together. (The tape helps a lot with this.)

The holes are drilled to take counter-sunk washers on the bottom, and the elongated ovals make it easier to set up the tension bolts while you work your way around the pad. Once you assemble everything hand-tight, positioning each tuning bolt in or near the middle of the oval is straightforward.

After going around enough to ensure that nothing rattled anymore, I put the pad into a concert snare stand and began tuning more assertively. My concert stand of choice is a vintage Hamilton stand that is strong and heavy. The arms don’t line up with the cutouts in the primary base, but that’s not a problem here. A stand with three arms of equal length and distance will match up with the cutouts easily.

When it was all done, I tried it out. First, I used marching sticks:

Then, I turned to some concert sticks and tried some buzz rolls and a lighter touch:

Finally, I tried some brush strokes:

The foam insert definitely makes you put in a little more effort and thought to “pull” the strokes out of the head, just as you would when playing a traditionally-tensioned field drum or a snare from a drum kit.

That’s a feature of playing lower tensioned drums, and not a mistake. Anyone used to chopping on Kevlar will have to adjust their approach accordingly.

At some point, I may swap in the Ambassador head and try that out but honestly, I am so delighted with the feel and response of the Emperor head that I’m going to hang out with it awhile.

If you’ve been on the fence about the Last Pad, it’s worth the money and the time you’ll invest in it.

If you’re focused on marching snare and you chop on Kevlar, get the double-sided version and put different heads on each side. If you’re looking for a really fine concert or traditional pad, the single-sided is ideal. 

(Note: Beetle Percussion does not pay me to test and write about their pads, or to help market them. Now that they offer hoodies, though, I may just have to buy one.)

Happy drumming.

Brandon’s Demo: Beetle Percussion Last Pad (singlesided)

Here’s a really nice demo of the Beetle Percussion Last Pad, provided by Brandon Graves.

If you remember a couple years back, I reviewed the double sided Last Pad, which was really designed for modern marching drummers and capable of taking extremely high tension. It was really not a pad that applied to my uses, and with Bradley’s blessing I sent it along to another, younger drummer for further testing.

Meanwhile, I’ll soon be taking delivery on the singlesided version of the Last Pad, which is designed to be optimal at a lower tension and is more suited to concert and Mylar marching work. Since I don’t yet have my pad, I thought I’d share this video from Beetle artist Brandon Graves to whet your appetite.

(NOTE: Beetle Percussion does NOT pay me — or even ask me — to post these articles or to hype their pads. I do so because I believe Beetle makes some of the nicest and the most sustainable practice pads in the industry, and I think they’re worth your consideration. That’s all.)

I expect to receive my Last Pad within the next month or so. Remember that these pads are craftmade one at a time right here in the US, and as with all things Beetle, they're worth the wait.