Percusize Me!: Restauration

This project is a consequence of a larger one; namely, to provide myself with the proper drums to recreate as close as possible the original sound, character and looks in I. Stravinsky´s "The Soldier´s Tale".

For the bass drum I used a 28"x12" Premier (model 188) from the 70s. Here you have a photo from the catalogue and a technical description:

It was finished in "Burgundy Pearl" and it featured "Everplay" heads:

Here you can see the bass drum when I used it in "Pagliacci" at the teatro Campoamor in Oviedo:

This is the bass drum ready to be modified. As you can see, the finish was not specially beautiful.

The first thing I did was stripping off the shell, a task which was not very difficult, as the wrap was glued only in a narrow band.

The next step was sanding the shell until it was perfectly smooth. Once done, I applied several layers of tung oil.

These are the original lugs. Although I like very much their "Art Déco" style and I have already used identical lugs on some of my drums, it was not the look I was looking for (apart from the fact that they were not in perfect condition).

In order to get a more antique and simple look I got some tubular lugs at STDrums:

I also added some leather gaskets (STDrums) to avoid contact/friction noise. They look beautiful!!!

Here you can see everything already mounted on the shell:

I then started working on the counterhoops. I got rid of the red wrap and the black paint (not from the central "channel" as it would get covered with the new wrap). I sanded them until they were perfectly smooth and, again, I applied several coats of tung oil. The next photo shows two different stages of the process:

I glued a strip of white marine pearl wrap (STDrums) I had from previous projects. Because I was going to fit the drum with natural heads, I susbstituted the original square-headed tension rods with tap-style ones. Changes in temperature and humidity greatly affect natural heads, so you have to constantly adjust the tunning of the bass drum. Tap-style rods are much more practical. I got these "Paris style" tension rods at STDrums:

Here you can see the original claws and the new tension rods on the counterhoop:

With everything ready, I only had to put the goat skins on (Baena Sonido) and mount everything. Here you have some photos:

This bass drum features the measures, character and look I was looking for for my project; on top of that, it sounds fantastically well! Also, apart from being a perfect chamber-music-bass-drum, it can also be incorporated into a trap set (remember this article on Milhaud´s concerto), so it is doubly useful.

A future article will show the different mounting possibilities of this bass drum. Stay tuned, as this has just began 😉.

…et in Arcadia ego.

My last acquisition is a 14"x10" Premier "Soundwave" snare drum and, as you may have guessed, I bought it on eBay.

©Drum Attic Warminster

The seller advertized it as a 9.5" deep drum, but didn´t provide much details, as he couldn´t find much information about it. Once I got the drum, my investigation started...

It features those charasteristic "Soundwave" lugs (early 80´s), which got their "powerboat" nickname due to their futuristic look.

©Premier Drums

This drum features the RW finish:

©Premier Drums

The shell is made of birch with solid beech support rings (see the "New drum shells" section on the first catalogue photo). Its diametre is slightly less than the nominal 14" (see that same photo), a new feature (back then) in the "Soundwave" series which was to be repeated in the legendary "Genista" series. See how the head overhangs the shell, a feature Premier had already added to its Elite timpani.

©Drum Attic Warminster

Knowing it´s a Soundwave, identifying it should have been easy, but the deepest snare drum in this series was "only" 8" (next photo, model 2005 under the section "Snare drums, wood shell"), and this one is 10"...

©Premier Drums

Ths particular drum is exactly 14"x10", so there are only two options: it´s a a snare drum that, somehow, was made to specific request and was not on the official catalogue, or it´s a modified tom-tom...

Its support rings have not been moved (there are no signs of such modification) and they are in pristine condition, so we can deduce this is not a drum that was cut from a bigger one. In addition, lugs are perfectly symmetrical and there are no extra holes, so it´s clear the drum is intact and keeps its original sizes.

There are some more hints... The shell features two Premier badges, something you can see very often on tom-toms:

©David Valdés

There are two holes under the snare strainer (the classic 632 model by Premier) that shouldn´t be there (unless this drum was originally a tom-tom). These holes (now a pair of vent holes) would have been be part of the original mounting system. You can see them behind the strainer:

©David Valdés

In addition, the bolts and washers holding them in place are different and newer:

©David Valdés

This drum features snare beds (an essential structural element).

©David Valdés

From the outside, we can see it´s very well done. From the inside, we can see it´s been hand made and "a posteriori" (very well, but we now can confirm it´s not original):

©David Valdés

This last photo also shows us that the hardware holding the snare strainer (central line, first and third bolt/washer from above) is Premier (it´s the same as that in my 1049).

All this hints guided me to a conclusion: this drum is not a model specifically made by Premier, but a modification of a tom-tom... As its sizes are original, the only tom-tom Premier had on its Soudwave catalogue measuring 14"x10" was the 4440 (see the "Tom-toms, double headed" section on the next photo). It can´t be the 4114 (see the "Tom-toms, single headed, concert" section) as it would only had featured the batter head (very trendy at that time), meaning the person who modified it would have had to drill, get more lugs, bolts...

©Premier Drums

So, this snare drum was born as a 4440 "Soundwave" tom-tom. It got snare beds added (very well made, by the way), snare strainer and butt end (all of them Premier), which are hold in place with original hardware. An original resonant hoop featuring a snare gate was also added, together with a Premier snare. The original holes holding the suspension system were converted into vent holes and were hidden behind the strainer. It´s a modification so well made that the previous owner could not find information about the drum because he couldn´t imagine it was a "transgenic" tom.

Before we start with the restoration process, here you have a link to an inmense resource of Premier catalogues: DRUMARCHIVE. I hope you find it useful.

First thing I did was getting rid of all the hardware, leaving the shell bare nude. The washers protecting the shell from the screws holding the lugs were rusted and stained the wood, so that was our first task...

©David Valdés

I used a delta sander:

©David Valdés

First, using 80 grade paper.

©David Valdés

Then, 120 grade.

©David Valdés

180...

©David Valdés

Lastly, a 320 grade for a smooth finish.

©David Valdés

I also sanded the support rings.

Once the inner part of the shell was smooth as a baby bum, I applied five layers of tung oil to protect and nourish the wood and make it look better.

©David Valdés

I cleaned the outer part with a cloth lightly dampened with ammonia, and then applied some wax (which I got at Leroy Merlin).

©David Valdés

Once each layer was dry, I buffed the shell with a peace of cloth (which I also bought at Leroy Merlin) attached to a drill.

©David Valdés

Because I wanted a very shiny finish, almost like a mirror, I applied ten layers and buffed like crazy...

©David Valdés

Once the shell was done, I started restoring the hardware.The washers causing the rust stains were cleaned and chromed.

©David Valdés

The lugs were cleaned and buffed using this Leroy Merlin kit.

©David Valdés

This is the final result. I promess this photo doesn´t make the lugs justice...

©David Valdés

Looking at this detail you can see why they got their "powerboat" nickmane.

©David Valdés

©Dubai Travel Guide

I also cleaned and buffed the snare strainer and butt end.

©David Valdés

The tension bolts and their washers were also chromed.

©David Valdés

Counterhoops...

©David Valdés

The screws holding the lugs...

©David Valdés

The strainer and butt end screws...

©David Valdés

Once everything was like new, I mounted the drum back.

©David Valdés

Finally, some decent photos of the instrument (which don´t show the mess in my workshop... :-D ).

©David Valdés


©David Valdés

©David Valdés

At the moment, this snare drum is fitted with a REMO Controled Sound Black Dot as its batter head, paired with a REMO Coated Ambassador as its resonant head (funny, isn´t it...? I´m trying something I´ve read on a forum about 80´s sounds). The goood thing about this drum is its versatility: now it can provide a monstruous backbeat to your 80´s sound. If I fit it with calf heads and gut snares, it will make a fantastic rudimental drum. If fitted with a REMO Renaissance Diplomat or a REMO Thin Coated as the batter head, a REMO Diplomat SD as the resonant one and some GROVER Club Bright snares, I´ll have a fantastic drum for playing certain orchestral excerpts... Not to mention the different head tensions we can play with in order to get those many different colours/sounds.

A fantastic drum, isn´t it? From now on I have a super versatile new toy in my arsenal... ;.). Stay tuned, as a future article will include a video of this drum in different musical situations.

…et in Arcadia ego.

Posts by themes

Percusize Me! en español.

Saturday, 13 August 2022

Modification of a Premier bass drum (1)

Tuesday, 18 August 2015

Premier "Soundwave" snare drum restoration.