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Amateur drummer Tim Reed was not satisfied with one custom drum kit, so he followed up with a second unique set and then an acoustic snare conversion. The drumming doctor shared his experience with digitalDrummer editor Allan Leibowitz. TIM REED’S DW-INSPIRED Diamond Electronic Drums seven-piece bubinga kit with gold-plated hardware was a labour of love, both for the very particular customer and for the devoted drum builder. Reed explains that his Roland gigging kit had “all the usual e-advantages (the ability to turn the drummer’s volume down, no mics, silent practice, awesome sound) … but just didn’t crack it when gigging”.
“In my mind, they just don’t look any good. I have had some amazing kits, and they have all had stage presence and beauty which Roland can’t match.” Reed thinks the difference is more than aesthetic: “I think a full-sized kit makes you play differently. If you watch Roland drummers on YouTube, there is a similarity in the way they play – all very technical and often very accomplished, but quite introverted and similar in style to each other. “You need a full-size kit to be a full-size drummer – open, expressive, innovative.”
After a few attempts at building his own edrums, Reed turned to the professionals and settled on Diamond Electronic Drums in Stoke to create his dream e-kit.
Reed was very particular about the build – and Diamond owner Dave Chetwynd welcomed the customer’s involvement in the design specification.
hardware, Reed insisted on 24 carat goldplated trim.
While the materials are impressive, “the icing on the cake is Diamond Drums’ amazing triggers and quality assembly”. And was it just what the doctor ordered? “This kit is a true masterpiece – design, tradition, quality and cutting-edge technology come together to deliver an awesome feel, an open playing soundstage and, frankly, a beautiful looking kit,” he says. Band members and audiences loved the dream kit, but it was not to be the last kit for the Lumpy and the Lumpettes drummer, and not long after its completion, Reed was back with another challenge for Chetwynd.
“(We) play a lot of smaller venues – wine bars and pubs around Hastings and the Big Kit was just too big,” he explains. “With the old Roland pads, I could cut down the footprint and play on a small rack, but not so the Diamond kit.”
Inspired by Bellowhead’s stand-up cocktail kit, Reed returned to Diamond with a new request: an e-cocktail kit. Reed purchased a cocktail kit on eBay for conversion, sending it to Diamond for a red pearl rewrap for “a more sleazy, 50s, loungelizard” look.
The result is what Reed calls “modro”: modernity with a bit of retro.
But the real work was under the skin. ”Dave floated the triggers, and there is no cross-talk whatsoever through my TD-20. Brilliance again from Dave and attention to detail that is Diamond’s hallmark.”
The drums began their life as handmade birch shells which were veneered in gloss bubinga. Not satisfied with gold-coloured
Okay, so in the words of the classic, that’s one for the money, two for the show. So, there has
The kit is inspired by a DW Collector’s Series kit – with a few added touches.
digitalDRUMMER, MAY 2013
“It is such fun to play, and sparks conversation with drummers and non-drummers alike,” he says.
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