Vintage Corner: FIPS practice pad, early 1960s

Frank Ippolito was a New York based drummer in the 1930s through 1960s, who toured with big bands and later opened his own drum shop. Along the way, he also designed and manufactured a practice drum kit with a distinctive feel and style.

The FIPS practice kit sold mostly on the East Coast of the US, for a short time in the early 1960s. Made of a dense foam rubber, topped with a sheet of Mylar and bound with a metal hoop, it was quiet and lightweight, which made it popular among drummers who lived in apartments.

The kit was made for less than a decade, and today is very rare.

I obtained this in an online auction from a fellow who didn’t know what he had, and was asking very little money for it. It’s 14” and would likely have served as the “snare” of a practice kit, resting on a drum stand. For its age and construction it’s in fair to good shape, though the underside shows considerable wear. The dense foam material still has some “spring” in it, and when you play on the Mylar top it still has a decent feel.

I doubt I will ever find a complete kit, but am very glad to have found this single pad.

For more about Frank Ippolito, enjoy this informative article by British drummer Mike Dolbear.

Below: photos of the pad I got, and a short demo video.