News
May 31, 2010

Cleland adds bass and tenors to carbon-fibre products

Almost a year to the day after introducing his carbon-fibre snare drums at the 2009 Toronto Indoor Games, inventor Terry Cleland of Downsview, Ontario, has brought out a line of bass and tenor drums that complete the product line. Cleland’s band, the Grade 3 400 Squadron of which he is the Pipe-Major, competed with prototypes of the new drums at this year’s Toronto Indoor.

While firm pricing has not yet been set, Cleland says that a 28″ X 16″ bass drums will retail for approximately $2,400. Tenor drums, depending on size, will be in the range of $1,600. He says that his company can also deliver bass drums with pre-installed custom graphics on the heads as an optional extra.

We have responded to interest and requests from bands across North America and Europe

6 COMMENTS

  1. Perhaps it is a minor point, but these are not the first carbon fibre hoops on the market. Dowco Triumph Street recently replaced the wood hoops on our bass drum with the new Hosbilt carbon fibre hoops. While we haven’t had the benefit of being able to play outside yet, I can say that in an indoor venue, the new hoops have enhanced the sound of the drum by providing more ‘attack’ and better clarity on each stroke. The tone quality is at least as good, and the sound more consistent on each side of the drum now that we have a hoops that are absolutely identical (as opposed to wood hoops, each of which are unique due to the variations in wood grain, density, etc).

  2. Are you saying that you have to look good to sound good? Hummers are ugly. but people buy them anyway. The real test will be the sound. After all, music ia aural, not visual.. or, at least, I think it is. Also, you get what you pay for.

  3. You don’t need to look good to sound good, but it’s preferable. If I’m picking between two good sounding bass drums… I’m buying the better looking one every time. Carbon Fibre is not new to the drumming world, but the price has kept them from ever catching on. Having said that though, rich guys like Tommy Aldridge, Jimmy Degrasso and others have used carbon fibre drums for a spell, but reverted back to wood. Aldridge was using carbon fibre drums 25 years ago! Pearl Drums’ highest end (and highest priced) drum set is the Masterworks Carbon Fibre. The shells are 6 plys of Maple with an inner and outer (single) ply of carbon fibre… and they look fansastic!

  4. That would be a ton of dough if you wanted to outfit an entire drum corps with carbon fibre drums. Then I would assume you would want to play them somewhere too that year so factor in your travel expenses. I guess there are bands that will be able to do it but it just seems like a lot of money to spend for what is a hobby. Not too many of us making a living on piping and drumming I’m afraid.

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