Only Admins can see this message.
Data Transition still in progress. Some functionality may be limited until the process is complete.
Processing Attachment, Gallery - 142.29645%

One word: "Plastics" Last viewed: 2 days ago

Posts: 5176 Threads: 188
Loading...

For those old enough to remember Dustin Hoffman, in "The Graduate"....

Anyway....

I am not aware of any plastic drum kits -other than the really cheap kid stuff/junk/toy range.

But I got to thinking about why there hasn't been any real experimentation with plastic drum shells and/or hardware components. Trixon messed with it a little bit back when the technology was more limited....Keep in mind, there are a variety of types of plastics that don't easily crack. Old telephones used to be made from an almost indestructible type of plastic. Those big, blue water bottles are another example of extremely durable types of plastic.

So.....WHY Plastic?, you might ask. Well....mainly because WHY NOT? in light of the fact that just about every other material has been tried, if for no other reason! It's waterproof. It's fairly lightweight. It's commonly available. Seems like it would be relatively inexpensive. I dunno...lots of reasons!

Anyway...like I say, maybe there already are some serious plastic drums that I don't know about.

please discuss

"God is dead." -Nietzsche

"Nietzsche is dead." -God
Posted on 2 years ago
#1
Loading...

Seems like plastic is close enough to acrylic in consumer's general perception, and we've been there already.

John/Levelpebble

Tama Superstar 81 Aqua bop
Rogers Cleveland BDP (x2), Silver bop, Champagne, Black/Gold Duco, WMP, Blue sparkle; Dayton Red Onyx;
Camco Oaklawn 12 14 20 5x14 Tuxedo WMP
LW 59 SC Blue Sparkle, WMP
WFL Gold Sparkle SC, WMP Compacto
Gretsch 49/50 Broadkaster WMP
Fibes Copper Forte
Remo MasterEdge Bop, Gold Crown, Mondo
Slingerland Conway Black Satin
70's MIJ Del Ray, my first and fav ok I'm lying here
Way Too Many Snares, She Says
Posted on 2 years ago
#2
Loading...

I believe Rogers tried this with Rogers II Series...and we all know how that turned out!

-Mark

Posted on 2 years ago
#3
Loading...

From O-Lugs

But I got to thinking about why there hasn't been any real experimentation with plastic drum shells and/or hardware components. ....Keep in mind, there are a variety of types of plastics

Plenty of examples really (some successful): Fibes, Blaemire, Vistalites, Pearl phenolics and even this Ludwig snare

http://vintagedrumforum.com/showthread.php?t=67212&highlight=plastic+snare

Posted on 2 years ago
#4
Loading...

Pearl phenolic drums are about as close to plastic as you can get.

I played a snare and it was actually OK.

But at $500 bucks...

Posted on 2 years ago
#5
Loading...

I have a couple of Arbiter toms which I purchased years ago. I simply wanted to experiment. I believe they are made from PVC which, according to a bit of googling, are a type of plastic. I'm relatively sure that the bass was as well. I don't know about the snare.

Brian

Just a drummer who loves all things about vintage drums! Nothing more, nothing less.
Posted on 2 years ago
#6
Posts: 6170 Threads: 255
Loading...

I've got a Ludwig Vistalite Combo set and a Ludwig Educator set. Both of these were very late 70's and have plastic lugs. I play them, so I replaced them with conventional lugs...same hole pattern...and put the plastics up for keeping. I also have a "composite" Ludwig Combo snare which is very much like plastic and has plastic lugs. I have a Educator snare with the same composite material but it came with metal lugs. There is a member on another forum who has a late 70's/early 80's Ludwig Acrolite that had plastic bowtie lugs.

Mike

Posted on 2 years ago
#7
Loading...

Back in the late 70's, there was a drummer at the Red Onion in Canoga Park, CA with a huge kit of plastic shells. Custom made somewhere.

Sounded normal through the PA.

Acrylic is a good example of plastic shell material. It is hard and dense.

Softer colored plastic for bottles and such? Probably not dense and Ridgid enough.

But with the right mics.....that cookie container might be the right sound for this record.

I am a Blaemire appreciator.

BLAEMIRE DRUMS
Thanks to Mr. Jerry Jenkins
Posted on 2 years ago
#8
Posts: 5176 Threads: 188
Loading...

Interesting!

I just remember that the old telephone housings were made of some type of plastic that's almost indestructible...receivers being slammed down during arguments...dropping on the hallway floor...In fact, I don't think anyone truly "owned" those phones. They just came as part of your telephone service back in the day....kinda like a cable box or something...Anyway, I digress.

Vistalites and those types of acrylic drums are another type of plastic I guess...the type that would sometimes crack at stress points. But I know there are other formulas that could be utilized and wouldn't crack. I guess what I'm suggesting is that acrylic was nice because it was transparent and looked cool...but maybe wasn't the ideal formula for crack-resistance.

I think there are even some types of plastics that are literally bullet proof! Are some of the plastics too expensive to make, I wonder?

And while I do agree that there are materials similar to it, such as fiberglass, carbon fiber -as well as a lot of other types of materials, all-told, plastic just seems like it would have been "the" thing when everyone was making stuff out of it back in the day.

It just occurred to me that Peavey RadialPro 500 drums were made of some type of composite plastic! I should have thought of them right away!

I wonder if plastics will be utilized more for drum shells and parts in the future.

"God is dead." -Nietzsche

"Nietzsche is dead." -God
Posted on 2 years ago
#9
Loading...

In my mis-spent youth I worked for Jimmy Corder at his Custom Clear Drum Company which made clear acrylic drums. The most know early clear drums were Zickos I believe. I know the idea had been around for a long time and have some photos that are pretty interesting. I don't know anything about the drums in the photos but of course they came from California.

Posted on 2 years ago
#10
  • Share
  • Report
Action Another action Something else here