John's BlogThe life of a roadie

This year has started with a bang in terms of drums coming through for engraving. In January, I engraved drums for Ronn Dunnett, Joyful Noise, and Natal for their NAMM show offerings.

Dunnett offers a Titanium drum engraved. It’s a beautiful look with the matte finish of Titanium behind the shiny facets of the engraving. The pattern is an exclusive to Dunnett as well, a single band of scrollwork around the shell. This drum is available by special order through Dunnett Classic Drums.

Joyful Noise Drum Company introduced the “Blackbird Studios” model this year as a limited production model specifically targeted towards recording drummers and studios. Only 20 of these specially modified brass shells will be produced with the Blackbird logo engraved in a panel surrounding the JNDC air vent/badge. Sold exclusively by Fork’s Drum Closet in Nashville.

The Natal Drum Company is a relatively new offshoot of Marshall Amplifiers which is owned by drummer Jim Marshall. Their engraved model, “The Power & The Glory” features an engraved version of the Natal logo, tied together with a Tribal motif on a 6.5 x 14 mottled bronze shell. Production is limited to 50 drums.

In addition, I also did a really unique custom job for my good friend Neil Schaefer, the front-of-house engineer for REO Speedwagon. Neil is a gun enthusiast and spends a good deal of his off the road time shooting at the range with his lovely wife Devon. The drum that I engraved for him features several automatic rifles (AK-47, AR-15, etc.) along with mini-submachine guns, Colt 1911 pistols, and other gun oriented artwork. Surrounding all these firearms images is a scroll that, while based on the 100th Anniversary Ludwig scroll shape, has several improvised sections designed to flow around the other artwork on the drum. Of course there are always a few individual custom jobs floating through as well.

You can see all of these drums online in my facebook photo gallery under either Production models, or Drums Engraved for Individuals.

The shells are piling up, so I’d better get t0 scratching.

John Aldridge

Engraver

It’s been a good month at home. Iveengraved a slew of cool drums for my ever-so-patient customers. Check the Facebook gallery for updates!

Finally settling into the new digs in Austin Texas. All my okie buddies think I’ve lost it moving down to “that state below the river” but it’s pretty cool so far!

I’m sitting here engraving a drum. Ho hum.