DRUM! Magazine – Issue 14-3, Pg. 29, 33

PERCUSSION

The bright day-glow orange booth set up by Remo blinded visitors, but when their vision cleared, they got to see some truly remarkable instruments. Remo recently developed technology that will allow congas to be wrapped in a huge variety of finishes, like the snakeskin-like offering on display, and other delicious concoctions we can’t begin to describe.

Toca’s Limited Edition congas and bongos are available in four colors, and their new Custom Deluxe and Elite fiberglass drums boast two brilliant blue finishes. The company’s Sheila E. congas and bongos finished in white with sparkle stripes caught our eye, but her line of affordable, entry-level percussion instruments for children took the cake.

Not to be outdone, Meinl showcased a new red sparkle finish available on their fiberglass drums. But the big news was the company’s new Luis Conte congas and bongos, which spoke volumes with their traditional look and sound. Very classy instruments.

People were drawn into the Latin Percussion booth by the red, white, and blue Puerto Rican flag designs on the Matador Puerto Rican Heritage bongos, congas, and maracas. People could check out the Aspire Santana wood djembes and cha cha cowbells that are festooned in a commemorative design celebrating Carlos Santana’s career … when Santana’s Raul Rekow and Karl Perazzo weren’t playing them, which seemed to occur about every 30 seconds.

Perhaps the most sought-after congas were located ten feet in the air at DW. Yes, congas at DW. The company recently acquired the legendary Gon Bops brand and showed off an amazing set of white congas with red flames next to a matching drum kit. All the other Gon Bops creations were covertly hidden inside the DW booth, available only to those people who were invited in, which, in itself, created a buzz in the exhibit hall. DW will begin to offer the line of congas (decked out in finishes like only DW can do) later this year.

Over at Pearl, visitors got to look at yellow congas wearing orange flames, red and black congas with unique designs, and black congas fading into white – or maybe it was the other way around? Bauer Percussion didn’t need shiny colors (although they had them anyway) to draw attention. The fat (okay, big-boned) congas on display prompted curious visitors to head over and give them a good wallop. They boomed so loud we were surprised that the NAMM noise police didn’t shut down the booth.

Although Mountain Rhythym had various djembes, cajones, and tchotchkes, it seemed that their tongue drums were the most popular new item. In fact, one DRUM! staffer and a friend of the magazine purchased tongue drums before they headed home. Various percussion builders flew in from all over the globe. All the way from Pakistan, Halifax & Co. displayed various congas, bongos, djembes, and dumbeks. The udu, zumbi, and bata drums at the Rhythms Exotic booth were all made traditionally by tribal instrument makers in West Africa. Each instrument sang with a unique voice that can’t be replicated in a factory. More beautiful handmade drums could be found a few booths down and around the corner at Rungo Drums. Hailing from the land down under, Rungo featured a djembe fitted with a furry goatskin head. Booths like Sol Percussion, Maru Lawton Percussion, and Inter-American Trading also added flavor with their lines of percussion.

STICKS

Vic Firth set forth a new standard with Collectible Series drumsticks. Although they’re not really made for playing, the sticks feature wraparound designs from colleges, universities, and music artists, and can be used as fundraiser items. As far as playable sticks go, Stanton Moore and Arthur Hull have new Signature models, and Steve Gadd’s new brush boasts angled tips that help keep the bristle tips from getting snagged on coated heads.

If you took your eyes off the constant stream of big time drummers at Zildjian, you got to see a wide variety of sticks and mallets. The Dip and Anti-Vibe lines now have new Super 5A and 5B models in wood and nylon tip, and there’s new stick wax for you slippery-handed types.

Regal Tip displayed Daniel Adair and Byron Landham performer sticks, but Tyler Stewart’s Dipped version of the Typhoon bundled dowel sticks stood out with their sweet blue handles. Drummers also dug the E Series sticks that produce the warm sound of wood with slotted nylon tips.

Sly as a Silverfox, the drumstick maker featured two new sticks – the Fat Boy for heavy hitters and the Rock Steady for those needing something between a 5A and 5B. The Fingerstix at Earthtone drew constant crowds because they’re so darn neat. About 3″ long, you slip them on your fingers and then wail away like you’re playing a piano. Can you say Edward Drumstickhands?

Squarebeat Drumsticks proved that it is indeed hip to be square with its line of square drumsticks. Using them for gigs may be a little uncomfortable, but they seem to be a great tool to practice grips and rudiments. Among their myriad holders, QwikStix had one that held three-foot long sticks. Yeah, you read right.

Sweet Synthetics. You didn’t get wood at the synthetic stick booths, but you got a little excited. Over at Ahead, the kids went crazy playing around with Joey Jordison’s Slipknot sticks. Those crazy kids also went nuts over Tommy Lee’s silver color sticks. Still, they probably aren’t nuts over the price – hey, what’s 30 greenbacks?

Coda modular drumsticks feature interchangeable tips, necks, handles, and rear weights so you can definitely find something to work for you. Honestly, I wouldn’t want to be on my hands and knees on a dark stage looking for a lost tip, but the concept is pretty cool nonetheless.

Powerstix felt a little funky and awkward, but it doesn’t really matter when the suckers light up. Imagine doing a solo in the dark so that all the audience can see are bands of light as you tear it up. You can change the lights inside the sticks to play around with different colors. Sweet.

Atkins dieters didn’t stay away from the Carbostick booth. The carbon fiber sticks are designed to last three to eight times longer than wood sticks, but they feel pretty close to the real thing. They won’t dent or chip, and with a truckload of choices, these are definitely worth a closer look.