I scored an old marching snare drum for cheap. It’s nothing special, and came with several missing or broken lugs. I decided that, for the duration of my ability to drum outside, it would be worth fixing up on the cheap and make a fine drum for playing at Honk festivals and the like. It’s lightweight and easy to set up.
Sections of the finish were badly scratched, and in one area it was cracked. I decided to make it a real Honk! drum and cover the worst scratches with stickers, then glue down the cracked section and cover it with some tape. I got a little carried away with the stickers, but that’s okay. I wanted a cheap marching drum for my own use and enjoyment, not to impress anyone. It may look junky, but with some care and thought I can make it sound good.
I really depends on where you go.
I went to Rhythm Traders, a drum shop that offers new and used drums and has bins of parts. They underwent a remodeling last year and expanded their space, so I figured they’d have some cheap used parts sitting around. They allowed me to sift through a few bins of used lugs and assemble a set on my own.
I also considered buying new heads there. Their budget heads, made by Remo and stamped with the shop logo, cost $22 each. I grabbed a couple and added them to my planned purchases.
I asked about taking a peek in the basement, which was open to the public but marked with a sign that said “Please ask for help before going downstairs.” The salesperson asked what I wanted to see specifically, and when I told him I was just window shopping, he tried to get me to say specifics. I said again that I was just wanting to see what was downstairs. He wasn’t thrilled, and I could see it all over his face. Finally, he led me downstairs, sat in a chair, and watched me while I took a peek around. I did not like being watched like a potential thief, and after less than two minutes Ed back upstairs, being followed all the way. It wasn’t a nice feeling.
I grabbed a couple pairs of budget sticks, put them on the counter with the heads and the bag of lugs, and told the salesperson I was ready to go.
When I asked about the pricing for the lugs, which I had fished out of the bin myself, they said, “six bucks each for these.”
I gulped.
Sixteen cheap used lugs would cost me almost $100, more than three times what I’d paid for the drum itself.
I asked if they were willing to negotiate, and they said no.
I smiled, told them I wasn’t prepared to pay that much for used lugs that I’d had to sort through myself, and politely wished them a lovely day. I left everything on the counter and walked out without buying anything. They lost a sale, and probably a long term a customer as well.
Then, I went over to Trade Up Music, and music store that mostly sells gutars. Most of their drum stock is located at their Southeast Portland location, but the Alberta store is closer to where I live and easier to get to.
On a back shelf upstairs, they had a stack of “Orphan” drums, odds and ends in various stages of repair. I found an old CB700 rack tom with lugs but no heads or rims. I brought it downstairs and offered to take off the mounting bracket and leave it for them if they’d sell me the shell for five bucks. They agreed, and I walked out with more than enough working lugs to retrofit my drum.
They’re not the classic square CB700 lugs, but they’ll do just fine, and they gave me what I needed.
I swapped over the good lugs to complete the set, cleaned everything up and set it aside.
I’d taken a look at Trade Up’s prices for new heads while I was upstairs. They were a couple bucks less per head than what Rhythm Traders had wanted, and neither shop had any used heads for sale.
So at home, I went online to see what I could find.
An eBay seller was offering dozens of used heads in decent playable condition for anywhere between five and twelve bucks each, and was willing to combine postage if I bought multiples. So I made an offer on a couple of lightly used head, an Emperor batter and a basic snare side head, both made by Remo. My offer was accepted and the heads should be here by the end of this week.
My cost for both heads with shipping was around the same price as one new head would have cost me at Rhythm Traders.
I get that retail prices support retail businesses, the costs of running a brick-and-mortar shop and paying employees and insurance and all of that. And if I weren’t living as I do, I might be more willing to support small businesses by paying retail prices. But I live pretty low on the income scale, and I won’t apologize for wanting to cobble together a used drum that neither of the shops I visited would even consider selling in their space anyway. I also won’t apologize for being low income and still wanting to play a damned drum. Lower income people also want to have fun and they ought to be able to. Sue me.
I watched Olympics gymnastics qualifying rounds on TV while removing the lugs from the old drum shell and installing them on the marching drum. I cleaned each lug with some 409 and a rag before installing them on the drum. I also cleaned up the strainer and throw-off — both are actually pretty darned decent — and tightened the nuts and bolts holding them on the shell.
(I have a sneaking suspicion that the strainer and throw-off were added to what were probably large rack toms to begin with. If so, this was not a bad conversion job, and the lack of carved out snare beds won’t make a huge difference on a low-tension drum such as this.)
I’ll clean up the rims and remove whatever rust I possibly can. The rims are nice and straight, whch means tuning everything up will be a snap.
The new heads should be here by the end of the week, and after I assemble the drum, I’ll add a level bar and a leg rest so I can carry it with a simple shoulder strap.
It won’t withstand super-high tension, and I won’t need it to. I’m used to playing on Mylar heads and this drum will be more than adequate for what I have planned. I promise photos of the finished drum, and a video as well.
Happy chopping!
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