60s Japanese Drums
Lots of drummers got started in the 60s and 70s playing
drums made by then, young companies- Pearl and Tama. There were plenty of names
used but the two most common seem to have been Whitehall and Apollo.
The
Whitehall Drums were imported by the David Wexler Company of Chicago. They were
made by Pearl and very much resembled Slingerland drums, especially the lugs and
pseudo Stick Saver hoops. The drums came in red sparkle, blue sparkle, white
marine and a couple other finishes.
Apollo drums were imported by St.
Louis Music, who had also bought in Trixon from Germany. The Apollo drums were
also Slingerland clones complete with bridges on the snare drums, which
resembled those on Radio Kings.
The Beatle era created such a demand
and not all stores could even buy the American drums. The imported drums offered
an inexpensive alternative. Four piece sets were between $250 and $325. No
wonder there are so many great memories.
I will have an expanded story
in Modern Drummer on this issue.
If you'd like to learn more about
vintage drum companies, I invite you to order my book from Modern Drummer called
"The Great American Drums". It's only $19.95
plus shipping and I'll send you an autographed copy. |
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