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Legendary drum builder Ronn Dunnett joins the crew this week and gets into the hotly debated topic of drum tuning! We showcase some of Ronn's drums, give away prizes and answer your questions.
John's guest is Ronn Dunnett, CEO & President of Dunnett Classic Drums, The George Way Drum Company and Milestone Percussion. John and Ronn discussed Ronn's early years as a drummer playing throughout Canada, forming Dunnett Classic Drums 30 years ago, acquiring the George Way Drum Company and most recently his acquisition of Milestone Percussion. Ronn gives a great history lesson on George Way and his designs and innovations that are still being used today. Ronn shared insights on being an independent drum company, his strategy for building relationships with customers and dealers, and much more! Check out this episode with a Drum Industry insider!
John's guest is Ronn Dunnett, CEO & President of Dunnett Classic Drums, The George Way Drum Company and Milestone Percussion. John and Ronn discussed Ronn's early years as a drummer playing throughout Canada, forming Dunnett Classic Drums 30 years ago, acquiring the George Way Drum Company and most recently his acquisition of Milestone Percussion. Ronn gives a great history lesson on George Way and his designs and innovations that are still being used today. Ronn shared insights on being an independent drum company, his strategy for building relationships with customers and dealers, and much more! Check out this episode with a Drum Industry insider!
Ronn discusses his new acquisition of the classic Canadian brand, Milestone Percussion! Milestone was founded in the 1970's by Michael Clapham, and then was later purchased by Paul Mason and became the also beloved, Tempus Drums. Now, in 2022, Ronn has brought the original brand back to life and is relaunching with the extreme attention to detail that we have all come to expect from all Dunnett products. Ron doesn't spare any details of what he thinks went wrong with the original run of the company and what he is doing to improve and make it a long lasting Canadian brand. We also learn about Ronn's work process and great info on all of his brands - Dunnett Classic Drums, George Way Drums, and now Milestone Percussion. Check out Paul Masons episode on the history of Tempus Drums here: https://www.drumhistorypodcast.com/post/ep-109-the-origins-of-tempus-drums-with-paul-mason Keep up with Ronn on social media and at https://www.dunnett.com/ Enjoy this episode and check out Ronn's bonus episode at www.patreon.com/drumhistorypodcast
Ronn discusses his new acquisition of the classic Canadian brand, Milestone Percussion! Milestone was founded in the 1970's by Michael Clapham, and became a beloved brand of Fiberglass drums that hold a special place in many drummers hearts. Now, in 2022, Ronn has brought the original brand back to life and is relaunching with the extreme attention to detail that we have all come to expect from all Dunnett products. Ron doesn't spare any details of what he thinks went wrong with the original run of the company and what he is doing to improve and make it a long lasting Canadian brand. We also learn about Ronn's work process and great info on all of his brands - Dunnett Classic Drums, George Way Drums, and now Milestone Percussion. Keep up with Ronn on social media and at https://www.dunnett.com/ Enjoy this episode and check out Ronn's bonus episode at www.patreon.com/drumhistorypodcast
Founder/Owner & all around drum guru; Ronn Dunnett of Dunnett snares & George Way drums talks about the surprisingly good year of 2020, the process of developing his signature Titanium snare line, “tensioning” over “tuning” drums, the broad tuning range and wide snare beds that are a hallmark of his snare line, the overhyped nature of bearing edges and seamless shells, the mystical world of tuning drums, designing a unique throw-off as well as other hardware tweaks with throw-offs, quick releases and adjustable ventilation designed with more functionality in mind, the often overlooked history of the George Way drum line and why he wanted to continue the legacy, killer sounding kits in barns , mountain biking, motorcycling & much more! https://www.dunnett.com/Live Stream May 15 !:https://m.facebook.com/dunnettclassicdrums/
Rob tells us the story of the postponed 2020 Chicago Drum Show and what we can expect in 2021. He also tells us about the 30 year history of the show going back to year one with some great stories along the way. We also chat about drum legend George Way and fill in some gaps in his history that has been covered in previous episodes on Way. This is an unprecedented year for many things around the world, and drum shows are no different. Rob was faced with a tough decision but I think he made the right choice to keep everyone safe. This episode also fills in info about George Way that is to supplement a previous episode with Ronn Dunnett title "Legacy of George Way" and Rob's previous episode titled "The Leedy Way". Enjoy!
Rob tells us the story of the postponed 2020 Chicago Drum Show and what we can expect in 2021. He also tells us about the 30 year history of the show going back to year one with some great stories along the way. We also chat about drum legend George Way and fill in some gaps in his history that has been covered in previous episodes on Way. This is an unprecedented year for many things around the world, and drum shows are no different. Rob was faced with a tough decision but I think he made the right choice to keep everyone safe. This episode also fills in info about George Way that is to supplement a previous episode with Ronn Dunnett title "Legacy of George Way" and Rob's previous episode titled "The Leedy Way". Enjoy!
George Way is one of the most innovative people in drum history, and is known as the godfather of the modern drum set. George passed away in 1969, but Ronn Dunnett has been carrying on the legacy of George Way Drums since 2006. George worked for basically all of the classic American drum companies including Leedy, Slingerland, Rogers and many more. His designs were decades ahead of what was being used at the time and many of his inventions are still found on the modern drum set. Ronn and I go through the entire life of George H. Way and many of his greatest contributions, plus the many ups and downs he faced in his career. George was faced with tragedy towards the end of his ownership of his own company which later turned into Camco, but he continued to work in the world of drumming until the end of his life. Ronn tells us all about how he acquired George Way Drum's and the relationship he has had with DW about the use of the round lugs (a George Way invention). He is also the owner of Dunnet Classic Drums and makes some of the finest drums available today and is a master drum builder. -You can check out Dunnett Classic Drums here: http://www.dunnett.com/ -The George Way Drums website with the history I reference in this episode: http://waydrums.com/ -Here is a wonderful article written by Bob Campbell for Modern Drummer about George Way Drums and Ronn Dunnett: https://www.moderndrummer.com/article/february-2018-george-way-drum-company/ -Here is a link to Rob Cook's book "The Leedy Way" which is an amazing source for information on both Leedy and George Way: https://www.halleonard.com/product/266454/the-leedy-way Thanks for listening! - Follow Drum History on Facebook and Instagram for daily drumming videos! @drumhistory_podcast - Please give us a rating and a review if you like the show. I love getting feedback from everyone and hearing how you like the show, get in touch and let me know what you want to learn about next!
George Way is one of the most innovative people in drum history, and is known as the godfather of the modern drum set. George passed away in 1969, but Ronn Dunnett has been carrying on the legacy of George Way Drums since 2006. George worked for basically all of the classic American drum companies including Leedy, Slingerland, Rogers and many more. His designs were decades ahead of what was being used at the time and many of his inventions are still found on the modern drum set. Ronn and I go through the entire life of George H. Way and many of his greatest contributions, plus the many ups and downs he faced in his career. George was faced with tragedy towards the end of his ownership of his own company which later turned into Camco, but he continued to work in the world of drumming until the end of his life. Ronn tells us all about how he acquired George Way Drum's and the relationship he has had with DW about the use of the round lugs (a George Way invention). He is also the owner of Dunnet Classic Drums and makes some of the finest drums available today and is a master drum builder. -You can check out Dunnett Classic Drums here: http://www.dunnett.com/ -The George Way Drums website with the history I reference in this episode: http://waydrums.com/ -Here is a wonderful article written by Bob Campbell for Modern Drummer about George Way Drums and Ronn Dunnett: https://www.moderndrummer.com/article/february-2018-george-way-drum-company/ -Here is a link to Rob Cook's book "The Leedy Way" which is an amazing source for information on both Leedy and George Way: https://www.halleonard.com/product/266454/the-leedy-way Thanks for listening! - Follow Drum History on Facebook and Instagram for daily drumming videos! @drumhistory_podcast - Please give us a rating and a review if you like the show. I love getting feedback from everyone and hearing how you like the show, get in touch and let me know what you want to learn about next!
Ronn Dunnett is a colorful character who I had the great pleasure to finally meet at Victoria Drum Festival this year. He is a one-man show who is responsible for some of the finest instruments crafted in our industry today. Both with his Dunnett Classic Drums line and his continuation of the George Way legacy, Ronn pours love and care into each creation. He has high standards and does not sway off the path of excellence, as he has been known to be quite outspoken about certain aspects of the drum industry on social media and is misunderstood sometimes in the tone of his message. As we said (off-air) in our pre-chat, he is the guy who kicks the ball when others stand around waiting for someone else to take action. The bulk of our conversation is focused on his revival of George Way Drum Company. In 2006, Ronn decided to restore the old company and honor its roots and tradition. Ronn is very interested in the history of the man, the story of the company and George Way, and the brand both in its innovation and focus on quality and sincerity of the products. Ronn realizes just how much responsibility he is faced with and he holds a high standard to honor what George might have wanted in regards to what the company would eventually evolve into if George were still alive. Listening to Ronn speak on this is very interesting and it says a lot about his character and what he values. Beyond that we talk some shop, have some good laughs, discuss his lifetime acheivement, and contemplate the future of Ronn's companies and when he may decide that it is time to live out the rest of his days outside of his "factory". Audio is taken from Carter McLean's Drumeo lesson and a demonstration of the George Way birthday kit, played by Carter McLean. Ronn's Socials Instagram | Facebook | Website George Way Website DrumGAB's Socials Instagram | Facebook | Website
Daily content is a sure fire way to gain the attention and admiration of social media users. Part of the reason why I feel these types of projects gain so much notoriety is the level of dedication and discipline that is required to actually stick with daily content. I am certain that many of Tristan's followers are looking to him as a source of inspiration for their own aspirations and admire BeatADay. Tristan Kelley is an individual that pursued this (at the time this was written - 07/19/17) 1173 days ago. That to me is really impressive and really difficult to fathom. Heading into this interview I had so much curiosity surrounding the idea of daily content and the process that he uses to constantly keep up with this daily obligation. Can he do it forever? Does he ever find it difficult to continue this pursuit? Is there pressure from sponsors or from the followers to continue? I will admit that my mind runs to the defeatist mentality with daily content, but only because I could never do it. Tristan and I begin by discussing his personality type and how BeatADay serves him to move past the perfectionist mentality that plagued him, prior to BeatADay, to complete projects. To Tristan, larger projects are mentally crippling and so BeatADay is perfect for him for just putting out content. It has in many ways relieved the need to perfect everything he produces and that’s not to say the quality of his content is poor. In fact, it is some of the most polished and consistent material you will find on Instagram, but if the notation to his videos are off slightly or there is an additional note played from one slide to the next, he doesn’t let it get to him anymore, unlike in the past. He actually states that an error in his content in the past may have led him to delete his account and start from scratch, regardless of the time invested. So what will succeed BeatADay? Tristan explains this next avenue as a “sophomore syndrome” as he feels that BeatADay has been very successful but that he isn’t sure what can top that and so that places pressure on someone like Tristan who is in high visibility online. I can understand this completely. As one project becomes successful, the audience places expectations on your next effort. Also, Tristan is considering his personality when it comes to his next project. He is considering a subscription based venture but this will mean a lot more work for him and again with his “perfectionist” mentality, he will have to negotiate this trait and use it to leverage the quality of his work, instead of allowing it to prevent him from moving forward. In short, Tristan has gained a great deal of support from his fans and his sponsors who include, Meinl, Ronn Dunnett, Vic Firth, SJC, Lowboy Beaters and KBrakes. Through a simple yet effective concept that he has managed to uphold for over three years, he has put himself on the map and I truly believe that if Tristan utilizes strategy moving into the next transition of his brand that he has firmly established, the world could be his oyster in the music industry. You can find Tristan on Instagram and at his website www.tristankelley.com Music by: Instant Empire Songs in order: 1) Young Adult Fiction 2) Mirrored Mouths DrumGAB - Instagram | Website
Interview with legendary drum-smith Ronn Dunnett. We discuss his unique approach to drum construction, competition and receiving the International Titanium Association’s (ITA) 2016 Application Development award. http://www.dunnett.com Website Newsletter Become a Patron
Interview with legendary drum-smith Ronn Dunnett. We discuss his unique approach to drum construction, competition and receiving the International Titanium Association’s (ITA) 2016 Application Development award. http://www.dunnett.com Website Newsletter Become a Patron
What is the Stickman Drum Experience? Well, it is a fantastic drum retreat that is located 20 minutes NW of Regina, SK at the Living Skies Retreat & Conference Centre overlooking the absolutely gorgeous Qu’Appelle Valley. I have traveled by car all the way across Canada, and in my deliberately scenic travels, the Qu-Appelle Valley remains to me as one of the most breathtaking sites in Canada. It is a complete anomaly. Located in an otherwise flat province, the Qu-Appelle Valley is even more striking due to the contrast geographically. So, to host a drum retreat at this location is something I could get into. Could you imagine playing a drum set and overlooking this? I can. At Stickman you will have the pleasure of rubbing shoulders and eating meals with some of the worlds’ finest talent. For 2017 you’ll be meeting Brian Fraser Moore, Pat Steward, Tom Brechtlein, Aaron Edgar, Matt Johnson, Jim Riley, and of course your hosts Jayson Brinkworth and Chris Dimas. From what Jayson explained to me, Stickman sounds like a complete experience that begins with fellowship. “One of the biggest things is it's not competitive and there is so much support and everybody comes out feeling like they have really, really improved their skills as a human being and a drummer” is how Jayson described the human element to this event. For the artists, it must be a fantastic experience as well. It sounds like such a tranquil and yet stimulating environment that is filled with positive vibes and lots of opportunities for personal growth, perhaps you make a new friend, traded some great ideas or offered encouragement to your peers OR built your own snare drum under the tutelage of the legendary builder, Ronn Dunnett. A functional keepsake and a personal experience to take home with you, along with some fantastic memories. I commend the team at Stickman for combining their efforts to create such a great environment and experience for the drumming community. It is so great to know that there are such positive places left on the planet for people to share, be inspired, play, and learn. I want to thank Jayson for taking the time to speak with me on this podcast on such short notice. The podcast has just about everything covered in regards to Stickman and I believe that after listening to this episode, you will dream about this experience. I know I have been daydreaming all day about slamming some tubs in some beautiful landscape and connecting with my drum brothers and sisters. It sounds like paradise. For more information about the Stickman Drum Experience, please visit www.stickmandrumexperience.com
Welcome back to another episode of the DrumGAB podcast. It's only days away from Valentines' Day and ironically I interviewed Buddy Love from Love Custom Drums. Buddy and Steve make some beautiful kits and I don't think you can argue that. However, after speaking with Buddy, I am beginning to understand that this company is so much more than gorgeous drums. There is an overwhelming sense of...well....LOVE in this company. In the beginning, Buddy modified his DW drum kits. He had multiple kits and did everything from reworking bearing edges and even wrapping a shell in skateboard grip tape. After a while, he wanted a kit with tube lugs and DW was not able to hook that up. So what did Buddy do? He took matters into his own hands and began building drums. There was a problem that was beginning to occur, though. Every time he built a kit, it would sell. He saw this as his opportunity to begin Love Custom Drums. I ask Buddy a variety of questions regarding different wood shell construction. Ply vs Steam Bent vs Stave shells. It is interesting and educational what Buddy has to say about the different build techniques, which leads us into, my question as to why he feels the need to learn everything there is to learn about building drums. His response to this question is inspiring. We discuss another prospect with Love Custom Drums..."Old Steel". What is "Old Steel"? Well, it is kind of a crazy story about the original idea and how it was turned into something so much greater than Buddy could have imagined. Buddy goes into explaining how he prefers metal drums over wood and how the gnarly patina is where it is at for Buddy. Getting to the near end of the interview I thought it would be nice to talk about the late Johnny Craviotto and his fondness for him. This was Buddy's hero. He goes on to explain his encounters with Johnny and a special dinner invitation by Ronn Dunnett. A truly touching segment of the interview and it is just great to hear the level of respect that Buddy has for this true legend....plus we geek out about his 2002 DW Craviotto snare and my 2001 DW Craviotto snare...kinda cool that we both own this rare drum. I then ask Buddy to reflect on the past two years and try to imagine where Love Custom Drums might be in two years. You cannot deny the huge amount of growth and level of interest in the brand and that they had a successful year. I wish the Love team all of the best and it was an absolute treat to speak with Buddy on this incredible little company. Visit Love Custom Drums @ www.lcdcustomdrums.com Instagram @lovecustomdrums