I must say that a fellow vintage drum guy informed me of Anthony and his shop. He was a great choice for this venture. A very humble and capable guy. Hes done some very nice work for me, is about to do another job and has one of the nicest drum shops in New England.
Congratulations on your effort to revive this critical name in the developement of American drum manufacturing.
Great question!
Yes... drums will be built from hardware and shells sourced from other manufacturers... Just like the old days.
W&A didn't make shells or lugs. They were sourced from drum companies they did business with. I will provide these details on the launch of the first new W&A kit.
W&A was and will always be about the 'one word' they branded all their instruments and accessories... "Perfection". Freedom from fault or imperfection.
Perfection is the standard of the quality craftsmanship you will get from a Walberg and Auge drum... yesterday and today.
Rob Kampa takes great pride in his work and reputation of being one of the great drum builders of our time. Rob started Magstar Custom Drums in the early 90's. Over the years, his drums have been reviewed by Modern Drummer 7-8 times... all rave reviews.
I met Rob and his creations in the early 90's. We became good friends and have played/owned his drums ever since.
Rob also does part-time work for Drum Supply House. Here is a video they put together where Rob demonstrates a drum build.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMEJs02tAQk&feature=share&list=UU-7KtMLaQYpA20gd3yjbNNQ&index=2"]2007 Visit to DSH Shell Shop - YouTube[/ame]
Thanks again!
Jeremy
How "American" will the drums be? How many US sourced materials?
I don't quite understand the non-profit status. You obviously will need to earn money from drum sales. Anyway, sounds like a great venture. Good luck.
Will you sell hex keys? I could use one!
Best of luck!!!! Eager to check the new stuff!
You mean like these ?
Or, maybe you mean this type of hex wrench? i have bought a couple of these little gems.
http://www.stewmac.com/Luthier_Tools/Types_of_Tools/Wrenches/Bracket_Hex_Wrench.html
I wish you the best of luck in this endeavor. I am really excited to see what you will be building. Just to ask a bit of a hardball question:
In a world full of boutique builders, what will set contemporary W & A drums apart?
Great questions indeed.
It would be really cool and nostalgic to bring back the hex tension rod and key. These were drum set components the early W&A actually made. Unfortunately it would be to costly for the new start up.
To answer the 'non-profit' question... it's more cost effective to create/establish a non-profit corporation as opposed to a profit corporation. W&A is a historical preservation and educational venture.
I've taken the initiative and personal finances to bring back the Walberg & Auge name and brand to celebrate and document its contributions to the drum set, innovations, quality, and document its history by developing a book.
I'm actually very surprised no one has done this yet... I'm grateful for the opportunity to do so. The W&A name and trademarks have been available since 1983.
I felt that W&A really never received the recognition it truly deserved. Bring back W&A is my contribution to the preservation of an American Icon Drum Company and efforts in educating current and future generations of musicians by developing a W&A book and drum sets.
Bring back W&A is not about the money for me... nor will I be quitting my day job anytime soon. The drum builder will make their money first... that is most important to me and to keep W&A going.
W&A is also a celebration of the drum artisan... as W&A did in the past with Robert George Bernard (RGB) and his father George Bernard... who started with the company in 1905.
I'm really doing this as a hobby... but a serious hobby... and everyone is having a great time with it!! There's been a lot of excitement around W&A and the support W&A is receiving is inspiring. Let's see where it goes!
The main goal is to keep the Walberg and Auge name alive, active and present.
As a vintage W&A drum enthusiast, player and collector, I felt it would be more productive and gratifying to use my vintage drum spending funds to bring back W&A.
The money I make as a musician also goes towards W&A. Playing out is the win - win... The more I play out, the more exposure and funds goes towards W&A.
Today... There isn't much money in building drums... especially when you can buy maple shell drums with 'American' band names on them for $499 at your local Guitar Center. I'm not out to disparage anyone or any company for doing this. It's how they stay alive today.
Walberg and Auge is once again an American company. The build is American, the shells are American, the quality is American. Walberg and Auge is and will continue to be 'Perfection'.
