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A review by Mark Parsons of Modern Drummer; December 1997
Custom Quality... on a budget!
"You shouldn't have to break up your family to own a nice musical instrument, says Calvin Hall, owner of African American Drum Company, summarizing his "corporate philosophy." To this end, Calvin attempts to craft pro-quality instruments without letting the price get out of hand. A fairly recent start-up (the company is only about 3 years old), AACD has boldly joined the swelling ranks of "boutique" drum manufacturers: small companies who build high quality custom kits to order.
We were recently sent a kit for review, and the first thing we noticed when we opened the boxes (before we even saw a drum) is that the drums are shipped in padded bags. That's right, every African American drum includes a bag in the purchase price. Our test kit came with Humes & Berg Tuxedo bags, although Calvin says AADC typically uses Porcaro bags. Either way, it's a nice touch. But enough about amenities, let's get down to the drums.
Construction and Hardware
The five-piece kit consisted of an 18x20 bass drum, a 5.5x12 snare, and 8x10, 9x12, and 12x14 toms. All the drums except the kick featured 6-ply reinforcing rings. The kick drum had an 8-ply shell with no rings. (Like many drum builders, AADC starts with raw maple shells from Keller.) Other sizes and shell configurations are also available. Additionally, African American drums come in several different stain and lacquer finishes.
All the heads on our review kit were Aquarian models, though AADC will ship with whatever heads the customer desires. The kick had a Super Kick I on the batter and a ported Resonator on the front (more about these later), while the snare sported a single-ply Satin Finish (coated) on top and a Classic Clear Snare Side on the bottom. The toms had medium-weight single-ply Classic Clears on top, and thinner Hi Frequency heads on the bottom.
All the drums except the kick had 2.3 mm chrome counterhoops. (Brass or die-cast hoops are available as options.) The kick had 1.5" deep, 8 ply maple hoops. The kick-drum spurs were high-quality "generic" models that locked positively into position. Gretsch claws adorned the kick: Their smooth, rounded shape added a touch of class to the drum.
The snare throwoff was a Kaman design front-drop unit. However, instead of pivoting 90 degrees (or more) like some models, it reaches the limit of its travel within 45 degrees. This didn't present any problems except when I had the snare wires tensioned tighter than normal, in which case it would occasionally fail to completely disengage all wires from the bottom head - which caused a slight rattle when I played the drum in the "snares off" position. Under normal snare tensioning, however, the throwoff functioned perfectly.
All the toms were fitted with RIMS suspension mounts, which are included in the base price. (Another nice bonus!)
Lugs
One of the things unique to AADC drums is their custom lugs. Cast in bronze, the "basic" lug bears theAADC logo is affixed to the shell with 2 screws. During manufacture, a threaded insert is placed in the lug prior to the lug being filled with clear silicon sealant. This accomplishes two things: It holds the insert securely in place while still allowing it to flex slightly (thus reducing the chance of cross-threading), and it also effectively "packs" the lug, dampening any possible vibration noise.
In addition, to their logo lug, AADC also offers three styles of lugs built on the same base but featuring different animal designs on the face. One is the Lion, lug, one is the Bear, and one is the Wolf. (AADC will soon be making their own snare throwoff, which will also be available with these animal designs on the front.)
As if all this weren't enough, AADC is also implementing their "design your own lug" program for customers who want truly custom lugs. The customer can submit an original design or logo and, as long as the design will fit on their standard casting base, AADC will turn the design into a tuning lug (in whatever metal is desired, be it bronze, brass, silver, or even gold!)
Fit and Finish
Our test kit had a fairly glossy "natural" finish, which showed the grain of the maple to good advantage. In terms of shininess it was somewhere between a "satin" finish and a high-gloss "wet look" finish, and overall it made quite a positive impression. The insides of the shells were left unfinished, which has a tendency to make drums sound a little warmer (due to the absence of the bright overtones you often get with a reflective glossy interior).
The bearing edges were of a double-cut design (45 degrees out, 30 degrees inner), in an effort to get the edge on the flat part of the head. With one exception the bearing edges were smooth and true (although there wasn't a lot of evidence of hand sanding having gone on once the shells left the router table). The exception was on the bottom edge of the 8x10 tom, where it looked like the router might have slipped during the edge-cutting process, causing a "detour" in the circular path it was supposed to follow and leaving a "step" in the inner edge. The actual point of the edge (where the head rests) seemed okay; most of the damage seemed cosmetic in nature and was confined to the reinforcing ring. Still, it seemed like an anomaly on an otherwise well-finished kit. When queried about this, Calvin explained that the edge had been scheduled to be redone, but in the rush to get the set out for review it was overlooked. He added that AADC guarantees customer satisfaction on all the drums they make.
Sound
Now to the heart of the matter. All of the AADC drums sounded fine, but I was really taken by the bass drum. I've owned seven or eight drumsets, but never one with a 20" kick. I just figured I couldn't get the sound I wanted without a 22" or 24" drum. Well, the 18x20 AADC kick drum just might change my mind.
Although, it may seem like a contradiction in terms, the best sonic description I can come up with for this drum is to say it produced a "dry boom." Due to the drum's reduced diameter, the fundamental note may have been slightly higher than that of a similarly tensioned 22" drum. But that note was very solid, with lots of sustain - yet without the over-ring usually present on wide-open kick drums. (We tested the drum without any additional muffling.) Part of the reason for this is undoubtedly the choice of heads. The Aquarian Super Kick I is a single-ply batter head that incorporates a full-diameter felt ring (with a fiber overlay to protect it) attached to the inside surface of the head. The Resonator (which was smooth white with the AADC logo printed on it) is also a single ply head with a felt/fiber ring, but with two differences. First of all, the felt dampening ring is only about 8" in diameter (and is centered on the inside of the head). Also, the head has a small offset port. (The port actually cuts through the felt ring, but this created no obvious ill-effects.) I think the whole point behind these heads is that with the dampening encircling the head instead of being packed into the bottom, it allows the whole head to move evenly. I'd also guess that the added mass near the center of the Resonator will (just as with a mass-loaded speaker cone) lower the resonant frequency. All in all, the drum and the heads added up to a big sound without lots of overtones, but with lots of sustain.
The toms sounded pretty much like you'd expect 6-ply maple toms to sound: warm and resonant. AADC claims the bronze cast lugs add a "bronze note" to the character of the sound. I don't know about that, but I do know this: They certainly didn't hurt the sound of the toms. With the Classic Clear heads on, the toms seemed to favor a midrange tuning that would work in a variety of styles. With coated Ambassadors installed and the tension increased, the drums put out a bright lively tone. Switching to double-ply Evans G2s brought out a big, round character that was right at home in a rock setting. Did the funky bottom edge hurt the 10" tom? Not as far as I could tell. while the drum didn't have as much sustain as some 10" maple toms I've known, it certainly sounded fine. So that was probably just the natural character of that particular drum.
The little snare was wonderful. While I generally think of 12" snares as specialty items, this puppy could conceivably be used in just about any type of setting outside of metal or power ballads. Possibly due to its thin 6-ply shell, this drum put out a fairly full sound in a medium tuning range - better than some 12" snares that only really work at higher tunings. I don't want to give the impression, however, that it didn't shine up in the piccolo range. It did, putting out all the crack and pop you could ask for. I ended up leaving it in a "medium-tight" tuning most of the time, where I got the best of both worlds. Rimshots were strong, sensitivity and projection were good, and the tone was excellent.
Prices and Conclusions
With the exception of a couple of dealers in California (Drum World in San Francisco and the Pro Drum Shop in Los Angeles), African American drums are only available direct from AADC. All drums are ordered a la carte from a detailed price list. (It lists over twenty-five various tom sizes alone.) Turnaround time from the placing of the order until the kit is shipped is four to six weeks.
List prices are as follows: 18x20 kick - $1,010; 5.5x12 snare - $585; 8x10 tom - $425; 9x12 tom - $495; 12x14 tom - $625. AADC offers a 25% "direct purchase discount" on drums bought directly from the factory (which means virtually all their drums), which puts the price for our five-piece review kit at $2,350. Considering that this includes RIMS and padded bags, I'd have to say that's a heck of a value. You can contact AADC at P.O. Box 4385, Arcata, CA 95521, (707) 668-4173, or by email at calvin@aadrum.com.
About me: Calvin Hall ---"I made a conscious decision to build drums--I realize there are a lot of good drums on the market,but they're charging an arm and a leg for them.As a drummer,I think that is ridiculous.You shouldn't have to break up your family to own a nice musical instrument.What I want to do in my heart is give a guy a set of drums in a range he can afford.It's a spiritual thing.You shouldn't have to sell your soul to own an instrument.Once I build them,I have a hard time seperating from them,I mean,it's not a possession thing,but I put the spirit in there.I take the time-it's almost like a child.You grow together."
Who I'd like to meet: The creator of heaven and earth,true disciples.
John, thanks for the friendship, leave my name with Peter at the gate.
-Calvin
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