The name dropping as you like to term it was a big point you seem to have missed, these people are at the top of their fields they themselves call themselves, drum techs/ guitar techs/amp techs they are working for the biggest most famous artist on the planet. you are the one phrasing luthier which is from the string instrument industry. I used Dan Erlewine as an example, there is no bigger name in the guitar luthier camp than Dan but yet when he is working for a band he himself calls himself a guitar tech, You can belittle the term all you want to , but the fact still remains the name has already been chosen by those whom do it for a real living. I'm not trying to start a fight over this. you think it is a cut down but those whom do it Professionally have coined this phrase with pride. The artist that these people work for chose them do to the fact that they are at the top of their chosen professions. Here are some terms that are used now by various people. Drumsmith, drum builder, custom drum builder, and Drum Tech. I copy and pasted this from another well known person in the drum industry using the word designation already used and accepted by the professionals. from Cherie Willoughbyif anyone is looking for a tour manager/drum tech for upcoming fall tours, let me know as I am available.
I used the word luthier only for comparison's sake. It's a time honored term that has more than a thousand years of history behind it. It connotes a high art form in every respect. I don't think it's unreasonable that as drum builders a comparable term should exist. Also make no mistake, I am not by any means trying to belittle drum techs, nor the term. I'm simply saying it's not really the best term to describe the artist who creates drums.
I think it's rather telling that most of the examples you mentioned work for bands and musicians. That is the very point I'm trying to make. Drum tech is perfectly descriptive of these professionals. But it's not the term used in the literature of most custom drum building shops. Tribes, C & C, SJC, even Billy Blast, I can't find the words drum tech in any of their literature. But I do find the words builder and drum builders. Also probably the largest website dedicated to the drum building community is GhostNote, and it clearly calls itself "The drum builder's community" not the drum tech community.
So my argument and point stands. Drum tech is primarily used to describe someone who practices his craft in support of a specific musician or group of musicians. Drum builder seems to be used primarily to describe someone who designs and builds drums in support of no one in particular, but rather in support of their own art.