Drum Workshop is a drum and hardware manufacturing company based in Oxnard, California

Oxnard, California

Oxnard is the 113th largest city in the United States, 19th largest city in California and largest city in Ventura County, California, by way of population. It is located at the western edge of the fertile Oxnard Plain, and is an important agricultural center, with its distinction as the...

. Their slogan is "The Drummer's Choice".

History

Drum Workshop was founded in 1972 as a teaching studio by Don Lombardi. It originally offered private lessons and the occasional workshop. However, Lombardi, along with student (and current Senior Executive Vice President) John Good, began a small drum equipment sales operation to cover the facility's operation costs.

This operation soon created the first-ever DW product: The height-adjustable trap seat, which was envisioned by Lombardi. The demand became so great that, after accepting an offer to purchase all of Camco

Camco Drum Company

The Camco Drum Company was originally a drum hardware manufacturer. The company did not begin producing drums until after a hostile takeover of the George H. Way drum company....

's manufacturing equipment, the primary focus of the DW operation became drum hardware manufacturing. DW's Camco origins can still be seen on their drums today in their unique round "turret" tuning lugs which were designed by George H. Way and originally featured on George Way drums. Following this, the next big product introduced by DW was the 5000 series nylon strap bass drum pedal, which was essentially a Camco pedal with the DW name placed upon it. The pedal was soon joined by the double bass pedal, the rotating-base and cable remote hi-hat stands. After additional growth and expansion, the first full DW endorser was found in Tommy Lee

Tommy Lee

Thomas Lee Bass , best known as Tommy Lee, is an American musician and founding member of glam metal band Mötley Crüe. As well as being the band's long-term drummer, Lee founded rap-metal band Methods of Mayhem, and has pursued solo musical projects...

 of Mötley Crüe

Mötley Crüe

Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil...

 after he tried out a prototype DW drumset when he came to the shop to get his pedals adjusted.

Expansion, Acquisition and New Methods

DW expanded into larger facilities in Oxnard, California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

, and grew to oversee a new company, Pacific Drums and Percussion

Pacific Drums and Percussion

Pacific Drums and Percussion is a subsidiary company under Drum Workshop established in the year 2000 to provide high quality drum equipment to those unable to afford the higher prestige and quality Drum Workshop equipment. Pacific Drums and Percussion also manufactures drum hardware and...

, a value oriented company offering quality lower-priced drumsets for any individual.

DW pioneered the timbre-matching technique of grouping a set of drumshells together by listening to the note each shell holds before it is sanded. Each shell that comes out of the DW factory is stamped with the note of that shell on the inside. DW offers pre-made standard sized sets as well as custom drums made to customer specification.

More recently, DW entered the drumstick market with the "3" drumstick lineup.

Endorsements

Many highly regarded drummers endorse DW, including Joe Morello

Joe Morello

Joseph Albert Morello was a jazz drummer best known for his 12½-year stint with The Dave Brubeck Quartet. He was frequently noted for playing in the unusual time signatures employed by that group in such pieces as "Take Five" and "Blue Rondo à la Turk"...

, Derek Roddy

Derek Roddy

Derek Roddy is an American drummer and snake breeder, originally from South Carolina. His ability to record entire drum tracks in one or two takes earned him the nickname "One Take"....

 (Serpents Rise), Dave Grohl

Dave Grohl

David Eric "Dave" Grohl is an American rock musician, multi-instrumentalist, and singer-songwriter who is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter for Foo Fighters; the former drummer for Nirvana and Scream; and the current drummer for Them Crooked Vultures...

, Dominic Howard

Dominic Howard

Dominic James "Dom" Howard , is the drummer for the English rock band Muse.-Early life:Howard was born in Stockport, Greater Manchester, in England. When he was around 8 years old he moved with his family to Teignmouth, a small town in Devon. He began playing drums at about the age of 12, when he...

 (Muse

Muse

The Muses in Greek mythology, poetry, and literature, are the goddesses who inspire the creation of literature and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge, related orally for centuries in the ancient culture, that was contained in poetic lyrics and myths...

), Steve Jocz

Steve Jocz

Stephen Martin "Steve" Jocz was born on July 23, 1981, and is best known as the drummer for Canadian punk band Sum 41.-Early life:...

 (Sum 41

Sum 41

Sum 41 is a Canadian rock band from Ajax, Ontario. The band was formed in 1996 and currently consists of members Deryck Whibley , Tom Thacker , Jason McCaslin and Steve Jocz .In 1999, the band signed an international record deal with Island Records...

), Brooks Wackerman

Brooks Wackerman

Brooks Wackerman is the current drummer for the American punk band Bad Religion and the younger brother of Chad Wackerman, formerly a member of Frank Zappa's band.-Career:...

 (Bad Religion

Bad Religion

Bad Religion is a punk rock band that formed in Los Angeles in 1979. Their current line-up consists of Greg Graffin , Brett Gurewitz , Jay Bentley , Greg Hetson , Brian Baker and Brooks Wackerman . Gurewitz is also the founder of the label Epitaph Records, which has released almost all of the...

), Scott Travis

Scott Travis

Scott Travis is a Grammy Award winning American rock musician, best known as the drummer for the English heavy metal band Judas Priest and the American heavy metal band Racer X.-Biography:...

 (Judas Priest

Judas Priest

Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, England, formed in 1969. The current line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. The band has gone through several drummers over the years,...

), Scott Phillips (Creed

Creed (band)

Creed is an American rock band formed in 1995 in Tallahassee, Florida. Becoming popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the band has released three consecutive multi-platinum albums, one of which has been certified diamond, and has sold over 28 million records in the United States, with an...

 and Alter Bridge

Alter Bridge

Alter Bridge is an American rock band that was formed in 2004 in Orlando, Florida by lead guitarist Mark Tremonti, bassist Brian Marshall, and drummer Scott Phillips, who are all also members of Creed. Lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Myles Kennedy, formerly of The Mayfield Four and the frontman...

), Abe Laboriel Jr.

Abe Laboriel Jr.

Abe Laboriel Jr. is an American session drummer. He is the son of Mexican bassist Abraham Laboriel, Sr. and brother of producer, songwriter, and film composer Mateo Laboriel....

 (Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney

Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...

), Neil Peart

Neil Peart

Neil Ellwood Peart , OC, is a Canadian musician and author. He is the drummer for the rock band Rush.Peart grew up in Port Dalhousie, Ontario . During adolescence, he floated from regional band to regional band in pursuit of a career as a full-time drummer...

 of Rush

Rush (band)

Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...

, Dave Matthews Band

Dave Matthews Band

Dave Matthews Band, sometimes shortened to DMB, is a U.S. rock band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1991. The founding members were singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, drummer/backing vocalist Carter Beauford and saxophonist LeRoi Moore. Boyd Tinsley was...

's Carter Beauford

Carter Beauford

Carter Anthony Beauford is an American drummer, percussionist, and founding member of Dave Matthews Band. He is known for his ability to adapt to a variety of genres, and both his ambidextrous and his open hand drumming styles. He plays the drums and sings backing vocals in the band...

, Zak Starkey

Zak Starkey

Zak Starkey is an English rock drummer. He is the son of Beatles drummer Ringo Starr and Starr's first wife Maureen Starkey Tigrett. He is also well known for his unofficial membership in the English rock band The Who, with whom he has performed and recorded since 1996. He is also the third...

, and Nickelback

Nickelback

Nickelback is a Canadian rock band from Hanna, Alberta. Since 1995 the band has included guitarist and lead vocalist Chad Kroeger, guitarist and back-up vocalist Ryan Peake and bassist Mike Kroeger.. The band's current drummer and percussionist is Daniel Adair who has been with the band since 2005....

 and Martone drummer Daniel Adair

Daniel Adair

Daniel Patrick Adair is a Canadian drummer best known as the current drummer for Canadian rock band Nickelback and his previous work with American rock band 3 Doors Down...

. Thomas Lang

Thomas Lang

Thomas Lang is an Austrian drummer, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and record producer. He is the founding member of the Los Angeles-based progressive/avant garde metal trio, stOrk.Lang took up drumming at the age of 5...

 has also recently switched to DW drums. Terry Bozzio

Terry Bozzio

Terry John Bozzio is an American drummer best known for his work with Missing Persons and Frank Zappa.-Biography:Terry Bozzio was born December 27, 1950 in San Francisco, California. He started at age 6 playing makeshift drum sets. At the age of 13 he saw The Beatles premier performance on The Ed...

 and the late Troy Penland use them as well. Tony Royster Jr.

Tony Royster Jr.

Tony Royster, Jr is a German born, American drummer. He was raised in Hinesville, Georgia and graduated from Liberty County High School class of 2002. At the age of 3, he began to learn how to play the drums from his father. Son of Tony Royster Sr...

 is on their endorsment list along with Max Weinberg

Max Weinberg

Max Weinberg is an American drummer and television personality, most widely known as the longtime drummer for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band and as the bandleader for Conan O'Brien on Late Night with Conan O'Brien and The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien.Weinberg grew up in suburban New Jersey...

.

Drums

Most of DW's drums can be custom-ordered to suit the customer's needs with a wide array of shell sizes (from 8" to 28" drums), finishes (Exotic, Lacquer, Satin Oil, Hard Satin, Graphics, and FinishPly wraps), and hardware color (chrome, satin chrome, 24-karat gold, black chrome, and black nickel) in any of DW's Custom Shops. Unique to DW's drum kits are its True-Pitch tuning rods (tension rods with finer threads), DW's Coated/Clear drumheads made by Remo

Remo

Remo is a male given name of Latin origin - see Romulus and Remus.Remo may also refer to:* Remo, an American drum skin company* Remo , another name for the German wine grape Riesling* Remo language, a Panoan language of Brazil and Peru...

, STM tom mounts, and Specialized Shell Configuration (SSC), which allows the customer to choose between X, VLT (Vertical Low Timbre), or VLX shells for a unique sound. They also have cocktail drum

Cocktail drum

Cocktail drums are a type of portable drum kit which combines bass drum and snare drum sounds in a single drum.- History :Cocktail drums were first put into production in the 1940s with the Carlton combo kit, consisting of a vertical 20 inch bass drum, a snare drum, cymbal and other assorted...

s, a junior drum kit, bass drum woofers, and effect toms like rata toms and gong drums available.

Drum lines

• Collector's Series - DW's flagship line of drums made from either North American maple or birch. A wide array of finishes are available, including Exotic, Laquer Specialty, Lacquer, Satin Specialty, Satin Oil, Hard Satin and FinishPly. For 2011, Collector's series drums can now be ordered with VLT Maple/Mahogany shells.
• Jazz Series - DW's drum line made exclusively for jazz drummers. These drums are made from a maple shell with a gumwood core and feature die-cast hoops (in chrome only) and coated heads as standard equipment.
• Classics - DW's vintage drum line made from poplar and mahogany with maple reinforcement hoops to create a vintage sound. These drums also feature a white bass drum head with a vintage-style logo and "beaver tail" bass drum rods for a vintage appearance. They are only available in FinishPly wraps.
• Eco-X Project: - Drums made with bamboo/birch X-Shells. They are available as a five-piece kit, with add-on toms and bass drums available.
• Performance Series - Officially launched in November 2010, Performance Series drums are made with DW's "HVX" maple shell technology, which provide superior sound quality in live and studio situations by combining wood layers with grain orientations that run horizontally, vertically, and diagonally. These drums feature a unique outline logo on the bass drum resonant head, new "turret lugs" which is a scaled down version of the unmistakable DW "round lug" on toms and bass drums, new "tub-style" lugs on the snare drums, and redesigned badges. Prices for the Performance Series are much more affordable and than any other DW series, mainly to give consumers DW qualitity at a lower price. This series, along with the Eco-X Project, is not considered "custom", as most of the other DW series drums can be made to order. Currently there are four shell packs available, which include a choice of five different hand-sprayed lacquer finishes. All Performance series components are available for individual sale as well. For 2011, three new FinishPly wraps are available.

Specialty Drums

DW offers a special line of drums that are very different from "standard" drums and are generally used in situations which call for a new sound.

• Cocktail Kit - This drum kit combines the use of DogBone clamps, smaller drum sizes, and the Sidekick offset pedal in order to hugely reduce the size of the kit. With shallow toms and the bass drum mounted vertically under the floor tom, this 4-piece kit takes up the space of a 2-piece kit.
• Gong Drum - A large single-headed 10-ply maple drum with a 21" or 23" diameter mounted on a stand and intended to be struck with a drumstick. It aims for a sound between a tom and a bass drum. It is available in all hardware colors and finishes.
• Woofer - An 8" deep by 18" to 28" wide drum mounted in front of the bass drum. It amplifies the low-end punch of the bass drum and includes a pre-installed AKG D112BD internal mic.
• Piccolo Toms - 2.5" deep steel toms available in 8", 10", and 12" diameters.
• Rata Toms - Single headed toms made from North American maple with a 6" diameter and largely varying depth options. It produces a loud crack and is available in all hardware colors and finishes.

Snare drums

DW manufactures an assortment of snare drums. Available are "made to order" snares, which can be completely customized, or mass-produced snare drums. All DW snares come standard with True-Tone snare wires, Remo batter/resonant heads and True-Pitch Tension Rods. Introduced in 2009 was the DW "Mag Throw-off", which is a snare throw-off system uses a three-way butt plate that has three different settings, loose, medium, and tight. This system uses magnets to keep the snare throw-off in the "on" position, and makes changing the sound of the snare wires much easier. Other throw-off systems include the DW universal throw-off, which is a simple on-off design, and a swivel throw-off which can be turned 180 degrees in any direction to turn the snares on or off. Different-colored snare hardware is available for all DW Drums, and can be easily changed or upgraded.

Collector's Wood

• Collectors Series - Like their drum counterparts, they are available in either Maple or Birch shells in either a 6+6 (six plies w/six additional plies of reinforcement rings) or 10+6 configuration (10 plies w/six plies of reinforcement rings) with a wide array of colors and shell sizes.
• Solid Stave - Snares made from staves of Oak, Ash, or Asian Para Wood. They are only available in a lacquer finish.
• Super Solid/Super Solid EDGE - Snares made from a single piece of wood with integrated reinforcement hoops. Like the Collector's Series, they can be custom-ordered. Super Solid EDGE drums can be customized with cherry, walnut, and maple rings to create different sounds.

Collector's Metal

Collecor's Metal drums come in a variety of metals such as steel, stainless steel, copper, brass, bronze, and aluminum. For 2010, the Vintage Steel line is released and they come in either copper or brass finishes. Steel, copper, brass and bronze snares are only available in the polished vintage finish. The knurled type has been discontinued.

Collector's Specialty

• EDGE/Top EDGE - Snares made from chrome-plated brass with a maple ring in the center. Like the Collector's Series drums, they can be ordered in an array of finishes. In 2010, the Top EDGE snares were introduced. They are similar to the standard EDGE, with the difference being that the metal is at the top and most of the wood, made with X-Shells, being on the bottom.
• Acoustic EQ - Designed with help from Randall May, the Acoustic EQ snares fetaures a slide vent that allows the player to adjust the amount of air escaping from it. Available in Collector's 10+6 Maple shells with Satin Oil finishes.
• Connoisseur "Snakes and Arrows" - DW's first line of signature snares. Designed by Neil Peart
  Neil Peart
  Neil Ellwood Peart , OC, is a Canadian musician and author. He is the drummer for the rock band Rush.Peart grew up in Port Dalhousie, Ontario . During adolescence, he floated from regional band to regional band in pursuit of a career as a full-time drummer...
  
  , these snares are made from maple shells and are available in either Bubinga or Walnut, both with Sycamore inlays, or Birdseye Maple with Walnut inlays featuring Rush
  Rush (band)
  Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
  
  's "Snakes and Arrows" logo and black nickel drum hardware.
• Ballad - A 16x10 floor snare made from VLT shells and a deep snare bed.

Other Snares

• Classics - A Super Solid snare made from poplar and mahogany with vintage tube lugs and 2-ply coated heads made available. They are only available in FinishPly wraps.
• Jazz Series - Snares made from maple with a thick gumwood core. Like the Jazz Series drums, they come with die-cast hoops as standard equipment with flanged hoops made available. They can be ordered in any Custom Shop finish and hardware color.
• Eco-X - Snares made from bamboo and birch X-Shells without reinforcement hoops.
• Performance Series - Snares made from 10 ply North American Maple or 1 mm Rolled Steel, the Maple shells are constructed with HVX Shell technology. Sizes available are 5.5"x14", 6.5"x14", and 8"x14". The 6.5" and 5.5" models are available in both steel and maple; the 8" model is only available in steel. These snares feature tub-style type hardware, True-Pitch tension rods for accurate tuning, and DW's Mag-Throw Off.

Hardware

In addition to making drums, DW has also made high-quality drum hardware. Most of DW's hardware feature its patented "TechLock" on their cymbal stands, which uses a drum key to lock the cymbal tilters in place, preventing slippage. Also unique to DW is the development of the DogBone system, which minimizes the use of multiple cymbal stands. They have also developed hardware for percussion instruments as well as a rack system.

Hardware lines

• 9000 Series - DW's heavy-duty hardware line.
• 8000 Series - Introduced in 2010, the 8000 Series is DW's ultra heavy-duty line of hardware designed for rock and metal drummers. All 8000 Series stands come with large tripod bases for added stability, counterweights on their cymbal stands, and diamond base plates on their hi-hat stands. Unique to the 8000 Series is the dual-purpose arm, which allows players to mount their toms and cymbals on the same stand. The 8000 Series was discontinued in Spring 2011.
• 6000 Series - DW's light-duty hardware made for jazz drummers. Unique to the 6000 Series is the canister throne which doubles as a hardware case, an idea created in the 1970s.
• 5000 Series - DW's medium-duty line of hardware.
• 3000 Series - Introduced in 2010, the 3000 Series is DW's budget-priced line of hardware. It is the re-released version of the discontinued 7000 Series. Sharing most of its features from the 5000 Series, these stands are lighter in weight than their 9000 Series counterparts, making transport easier.

Pedals

In addition to hardware, DW is also known for its extensive line of pedals. A unique feature to DW's pedals is the ball bearing hinge, which helps reduces friction during play. Another unique feature found on DW's double pedals is the single-post casting, which allows the secondary pedal to be positioned closer to the hi-hat, allowing for more fluid footwork.

• 9000 Series - DW's high-end line of pedals. These pedals feature an adjustable cam which allow the player to switch from Accelerator (increased speed) to Turbo drive (increased power), a floating rotor system, and a nylon strap for conversion to strap drive.
• 8000 Series - Set between the 9000 and 5000 series line of pedals, the 8000 series has features borrowed from both series. They are also available with Power Footboards, a feature taken from the 5000 Series. Discontinued in Spring 2011.
• 6000 Series - DW's line of lightweight pedals. Available in Turbo, Accelerator, and strap drives.
• 5000 Series - DW's most versatile line of pedals. These pedals are available in Turbo or Accelerator drives, as well as strap-drive. For 2010, the 5000 Series line of heel-less pedals are introduced.
• 3000 Series/2000 Series - DW's budget-priced lines of pedals. These pedals are rebadged versions of DW's discontinued pedals; in this case, the 7000 Series and the 4000 Series, respectively.

External links

• DW official website http://www.dwdrums.com
• Online information about DW and PDP http://www.musicianshut.com/about-dw-pdp-drums/
• Pacific Drums and Percussion official website http://www.pacificdrums.com/
• "3" drumsticks official website http://www.3drumsticks.com/