I know you drummers from the USA have seen it all; but I have to tell you that this is like a biblical resurrection of an Australian drum company, dead since 1980. Please - can anyone tell me who and what and where this is coming from:
Are these from Brady? Where are these drumsmiths?
I just deleted a really sour post regarding boutique drums riding the coattails of a famous brand name,since I actually know nothing about these drums beyond what is on their website-
You in down under know how to build drums, don't you?!
This is a rebirth which should be taken serious, as it shows how to let revive a once well-known name (quite in opposite to Slingerland, Hayman ...).
Thanx for sharing - these are seriously b*e*a*u*t*i*f*u*l drums!
Wish that Australia wouldn't be half around the world away, 'cause it makes these drums soo (= too much) expensive.
Ralf
Very cloak and dagger at this point... they do have a Metro buzz about them..
Cheers
Domain Name: drouyn.com.au
Registrar ID: MYOB AUST E1
Registrar Name: MYOB Australia E1 Pty Ltd
Status: ok
Registrant: Leigh Radloff
Registrant ID: ACN 159499859
Eligibility Type: Company
Registrant Contact ID: AURC867867
Registrant Contact Name: Leigh Radloff
Registrant Contact Email: [email]leigh.radloff@bigpond.com[/email]
Tech Contact ID: AUTC867867
Tech Contact Name: Account Manager
Tech Contact Email: [email]leigh.radloff@bigpond.com[/email]
Name Server: dns1.smartydns.com.au
Name Server IP: 54.252.86.74
Name Server: dns2.smartydns.com.au
Name Server IP: 117.104.162.111
Name Server: dns3.smartydns.com.au
Name Server IP: 117.104.164.111
Note that we are a new drum company established in 2012 and are in no way connected to any past organisations using similar names. We wish to see drum manufacturing in Brisbane and Australia grow stronger rather than disappear offshore. This is our motivation and we invite you all to be part of it.
For further information please contact:DROUYN DRUMS, Drouyn Pty Ltd ACN 159 499 859. PO Box 232, Moggill, BRISBANE QLD 4070.Phone: 1800 DROUYN (1800 376 896)
They're NOT the same as the Drouyn of old as the shells are of AMERICAN maple &NOT QLD maple as were the ORIGINAL Drouyn shells.This new "Drouyn" shels are Keller EXACTLY&PRECISELY the same as EVERY other US or European drum maker EXCEPT for Ludwig&Sonor &some of the *** makers.BUT inc the boutique&'custom" drum makers!, Metro&ALL the other "aussie" drum makers EXCEPT for Brady &Spirit use Keller shells.Consider this:seeing as this "new" Drouyn's using USA maple WHY are the kits&snares DEARER then compatiable Gretsch, Ludwig, &***/Taiwanese etc?.Surely the labour isn't a factor? seeing as the shells are imported!.
They're NOT the same as the Drouyn of old as the shells are of AMERICAN maple &NOT QLD maple as were the ORIGINAL Drouyn shells.This new "Drouyn" shels are Keller EXACTLY&PRECISELY the same as EVERY other US or European drum maker EXCEPT for Ludwig&Sonor &some of the *** makers.BUT inc the boutique&'custom" drum makers!, Metro&ALL the other "aussie" drum makers EXCEPT for Brady &Spirit use Keller shells.Consider this:seeing as this "new" Drouyn's using USA maple WHY are the kits&snares DEARER then compatiable Gretsch, Ludwig, &***/Taiwanese etc?.Surely the labour isn't a factor? seeing as the shells are imported!.
Had a few emails with Leigh. Seems like a decent bloke. From what I can tell, he acquired the name with the view to keeping it alive. It's very much a fledgeling enterprise. As far as the drums go; this could be a sort of Yamaha/Sakai deal (well, pre 2013!) The $$$ kits on the site are not Keller shells. They are custom made from native Aussie timber. So the prices are cool. The "Vintage" and "Maple" are made from Keller shells (Just like Rogers ;-)
My gut feeling is I this: I don't think this is a case of "let's buy the brand name and scam some sales on nostalgia". I think this is more like "what if we could buy the brand name (nobody wants it!) and build a good brand again using contacts we have within the drum building community and using what we know about drums"
Time will tell.
Well then,best of luck to them.It occurs to me that some American companies of the vintage/classic era were outsourcing their shells...
Here is a link to his other brand "Disturbance Drums" , he has created some nice work with those..
Cheers
I only found out about it this morning and I have been looking into this further.
I phoned a chap who knows the Drouyn Family pretty well. They knew nothing about it until I called. Apparently the Business name was never registered and whoever is behind this has just taken it and registered it for himself.
I read someone say Tucker from Disturbance Drums was doing it. I called him and he told me it wasn't him.
I am happy to be proven wrong, but if this is true.... This is a pretty s.h.i.tty thing to do. Not only to the family but to the legacy of an amazing drum company.
