Vintage Corner? Pecker Practice Pad Company, 1970s-80s?

The Pecker Practice Pad Company was based in the very small town of Wills Point, TX, located about fifty miles from Dallas.

The pad’s construction is very similar to designs from Rudimental Drummers and Rudimental Control, with a smaller wood disc glued atop a larger laminated baseplate. 

(Because of the use of Allen bolts instead of drum tuning bolts that take a key, I wondered if this might not have some connection to either Rudimental Control or Drumslinger, both made in Texas; but so far I haven’t been able to connect the dots clearly to either one.

I also searched for businesses registrations in the vicinity, which turned up nothing; and for obituaries for anyone named Pecker in the vicinity of Wills Point, but so far the only obit that came up was someone who’d served in WWI and died long before this pad was designed or made. (Research geeks: sometimes obituaries can lead you to the maker of a vintage pad that wasn’t mass-produced.)

I’ve reached out to the city of Wills Point to see if they can tell me anything, and also to Rudimental Control and Drumslinger; both companies are based in Texas.

I got a response from Bill at Drumslinger, who wrote: “ From Bill at Drumslinger: 

"I remember a couple of '70s/'80s West Coast drummers mentioning the Pecker Pad, when trying out my pads at my PASIC booth, pre-Covid. I had never seen one before your pics. From what I remember, they might have been made briefly in the 70's. Looks like a stacked center type with soft fill under the head. It looks like it would be quiet, like you mentioned, and suitable for general drum set or concert/orch. stick warmup or chop out work. 'Popcorn' pad sound, but a step up from a Remo."

It’s a cool little thing that reminds me a little bit of the Baby Chop pad from Rudimental Drummers (and which also comes with an 8” head). The only downside of this pad is that it takes just four tuning nodes, rather than five or six; so if you’re tempted to crank it down too hard you will warp the metal rim a bit as has happened here. I may cast around for a replacement rim, but for now I’ve lowered the tension a little and it seems fine. 

The more I chop on the pad, the more I really like it.