Currie, Fry added to British Drum Co. recipe

The British Drum Co. of Manchester, England, has added to its roster of pipe band experts as the three-year-old organization works to develop and expand its range of pipe band instruments.

Tyler Fry, a pioneer in the art of tenor drumming, and 30-year pipe band veteran bass section percussionist Scott Currie have joined snare drumming legend Jim Kilpatrick and accomplished Grade 1 corps drummers Steven Shedden and Gareth McLees.

The company also formally unveiled its previously announced Axial range of pipe band drums, including snare, bass and tenor instruments. The debut was made at a “Giving Back” demonstration by Kilpatrick in Glasgow on August 13, and also at the annual Drumming For Drinks event on August 14.

The company described the Axial snare drum as their “most advanced pipe band snare drum, with innovative design and engineering taking a leading role,” with a 14″ x 12″ high-tension, free-floating drum developed around a hand-built eight-ply Scandinavian birch shell, using the company’s “X-Frame” cage-style tension system, and patent pending Direct Drive top and bottom snare mechanisms.

The drum also uses the British Drum Co.’s N-Circle snare drum bearing-edge technology, designed to equalize tension across the bottom head, with a 45-degree bearing-edge for “optimum balance between head contact and tension for controlled tuning and excellent playability. The resulting increase in structural strength creates a more resilient shell and allows for higher tension throughout the drum.”

The bass section instruments also incorporate new drum technology, including a “FlipBack” quick release system on the tenors for rapid head changes.

Pricing and weight of the new instruments were not readily available.

A top-grade band is expected to compete with the new Axial drums at the 2019 World Pipe Band Championships.

The British Drum Co. enters an extremely competitive pipe band drum market, with Andante, Pearl and Premier owning almost the entire share, each of those brands used under endorsement deals with most Grade 1 bands and many Grade 2 bands.

Both Kilpatrick and Fry have been the subject of full-length pipes|drums Interviews. Currie’s thought-provoking and outspoken opinion piece on the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association was published this year by pipes|drums.

Related articles

British Drum Co. launches new Axial line
July 26, 2019

British Drum Company adds Shedden, McLees to pipe band effort
September 26, 2018

Kilpatrick joins British Drum Co., leaves Pearl Percussion
August 26, 2018

Tyler Fry: the pipes|drums Interview – Part 5
June 2, 2019

Opinion: Clean Break – a call for change – Part 1
May 28, 2019

Opinion: Clean Break – a call for change – Part 2
May 29, 2019