It sure has been a busy April and May. It has been so nice to have a few projects to work on. Of course it can't be easy, right? With the increase in work for WCH also came many hours at the day job office...blah. But enough about that, how about the projects WCH is working on?
First off is some news on the custom snare being made for a customer in Japan!! This particular customer approached his local music store about the possibility of ordering a drum like one he saw on the WCH website. They contacted me, and well then the rest has been mostly a waiting game for the custom parts. The shell is to be a custom steel shell. It has been purchased through All Star Drum works. The shell has been formed and welded and will have the final touches done before delivery to WCH in the next couple weeks. The lugs are like the lugs used on several WCH drums in the past (Ego Drum Supply). This will be another round of flat black Maniac lugs. In the past I have used black nickel, flat black, and also a set of the rounded lugs in tube lug format. All have been of the highest quality and well worth the price! The customer wanted a throw that WCH doesn't usually use as a standard...but hey...that is why it is a custom drum, right?! He specified a Trick throw and I am excited to check it out once it is mounted on the shell.
Another project that has been in the works, a custom wrapped drum set. I was approached by a wife that really wanted to do something special for her husband. Well...I had a brand new, un-used Ludwig Accent in my basement...partial that my brother-in-law had purchased from a friend. But the plain black finish just wasn't enough for this particular drummer...he is a fire fighter and it needed to be much more unique and well...awesome. So, I started working out some suggestions with the wife and with my choice for all my custom wraps, Rob from Cazdude. Cazdude did the wraps on the Camp Riley kit as well as other drums WCH has made. So...now the wrap has been designed (diamond plate with flames at the edges), printed, shipped, and is on the drums as I type this. On the resonant head for the bass, I had my source for custom vinyl create the FD Maltese cross with this firman's badge number in the middle...it loosk GREAT! Included with the kit I put in a throne, two cymbal stands, a hi-hat stand, and a snare drum. The original snare was missing from this kit when I got it...but the replacement is a mint condition Ludwig Accent snare. I got really lucky to find the same line and in such great shape! The best part, the snare has Ludwig lugs on it. I am not too crazy about the lugs Ludwig put onto the accent drum kit...but they look nice and do the job. This kit will be delivered on Friday May, 25th while the unsuspecting husband is hard at work. Can't wait to hear about his reaction!
In the middle of these projects my good buddy Tim Newman was working on a project he unveiled at the 2012 Chicago Drum show on May 19th & 20th. This project was a little different for WCH. Tim and I have worked together on several projects now but this is the first that I only did the shell sizing and edge work. The set turned out beautiful! Tim let me know that he did receive some encouraging feedback about this E-drum/Acoustic drum cocktail kit combination.
Along with the snare for Japan, custom drum kit, and work on the cocktail kit for Tim, I have also been searching for the perfect Slingerland kit for an ex-student of mine that is continuing his drumming journey. That makes me happy and proud to be a part of that. I have made a few connections and one in particular in Illinois seems to be where I will be getting something from. Due to schedules and what-not, I missed out on a couple of sets he had that he sold at the Chicago show (one to Japan and one to Finland). I will be giving him a call to see what else he had and hope to keep you posted.
Thanks for keeping up with news from WCH Custom Drums!! God bless!
Sincerely,
Paul Hunt
WCH Custom Drums
Decatur, IN
www.woodencrosshardware.com
www.wchdrums.com
