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About The Shells
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| We offer two ply combinations for toms and kicks. The shell you choose depends on the type of sound you are looking for in your drums. Our standard shell configuration has been an eight ply tom with a ten ply kick drum. We find that these shells, with our bread and butter edge have a full sound with lots of projection. These shells are perfect for a drummer who plays hard and heavy, because they do not distort when played loudly (a problem with thinner shells). They have proven their metal from tiny rock club to big fat arena. |
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| The other choice is more akin to the shell of yesteryear. It is a six ply shell with a ten ply reinforcement ring. For these shells we recommend our rounded back cut. These drums provide a warmer muted tone reminiscent of the classic Ludwig, Slingerland, Camco, and Rogers drums this shell is in the spirit of. This shell is for someone who loves the sound of their vintage tubs, but can't stand the thought of taking them out of the house. A brand new drum with a classic look and sound built in a township called Gladstone, no less? How can you go wrong? This is the shell requested by Scott Minor of Sparklehorse. |
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| For snare drums we recommend a ten ply shell, and we think they sound good with or without reinforcement rings. We cut our snares with a sharp, lively edge and there will be a snare bed in the bottom. That way these drums will cut and project, yet maintain snare sensitivity at low volume. |
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| Our standard snare drum with reinforcement rings will have quite a lot of overtone, the kind of overtone that is not for everybody. That is why we also offer snares without reinforcement rings for a somewhat drier sound. |
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| We are happy to say that all of these shells are available in Maple as well as Birch. Maple has become the industry standard due to its fullness of tone and projection. Birch shells tend to be a little drier in tone and are noted for their attack. We are also willing to work with other ply configurations if you really have your heart set on it. |
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| As a new option we are also offering Keller's Vintage Series shell. These gorgeous shells consist of an outer and inner ply of mahogany with three plies of poplar in between. A ten-ply maple reinforcement ring completes this shell that harkens back to the classic drums of the 1950's. These shells will have our rounded back cut and tend to be darker in terms of tonal quality. The Vintage Series shell is bit more expensive than our maple and birch shells, but it is worth every penny if that is the sound you are looking for. |
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| Last, but far from least is the option of acrylic. These classic looking drums pack a huge sound and may be seen on stage with the likes of Kliph Scurlock with the Flaming Lips. These shells come in dozens of colors and types. Click here to see the varieties of options, and then have your local dealer hook you up with one of these incredibly fun and loud kits so all of your bandmates will have to go get bigger amps. |
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| We are now offering a black chrome over brass shell for snare drums as well. It is available in a 4 X 14, 5.5 X 14, or a 6.5 X 14. These bright and lively sounding shells make for a a versatile drum with a sought after sound. See Jason Kourounis of the Burning Brides putting one to work when they come to your town. |
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| With all of the options available it is easier than ever to get the sound of your dreams from your drum kit. A vintage tom sound with a six and ten shell, add a contemporary kick sound with our fat sounding ten ply. Make the toms maple and the kick drum birch, make the snare drum brass, or there is always the acrylic. |
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| The shell type is determined by the sound you are looking for. If you are a more aggressive player you will want to go with the eight ply toms and a ten ply kick drum. If you tend to use more dynamics you may want to consider the six and ten ply shell because the subtle nuances of these shells are appreciated more at a quieter volume. For warm resonant drums maple is the shell for you. If you prefer a drier sound with more focus and attack go with birch. Once you decide on your shells the next step is to pick out the lug and covering options that will give your kit it's customized look and fine tune it's sound. |
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| Lug Options |
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Die Cast Lug
The standard lug for toms and bass drums is a die cast lug. It is simple and elegant in design with an understated classic look to it. It has a self-adjusting insert with a rubber stopper to eliminate noise and tuning problems. |
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Tube Lug
If you are interested in an even more classic look you might consider the tube lug. This lug is made of chrome-plated brass and is as solid and reliable as it is good looking. When coupled with an old school sparkle or oyster pearl finish the result is a brand new kit with a vintage look guaranteed to turn heads. These lugs come in two styles: two piece, and stretch. Our standard tube lug (the two piece) is 1" long on toms and 1.5" long on bass drums with a row of lugs at the top and bottom of the shell. The stretch style tube lug is longer and is threaded at both ends so that one lug is used to tune both top and bottom heads. If the two piece tube lug creates a "throw back" look, the stretch lug creates a "throw way back" look and when placed on drums with a Genuine Abalone finish in smaller "bop jazz" sizes, the result is an instrument of a timeless classic beauty. |
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Button Lug
For those interested in the cutting edge of technology in the drum world we offer the patented C&C Button Lug. Designed by drum collector PAOLO SBURLATI. This lug is made right here in Kansas City, MO of precision machined high-grade aircraft aluminum. It consists of two parts and is completely self-tracking and aligning. A high polish of the natural aluminum is the standard finish, but it is available in a variety of colors for a truly customized look. |
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| Hoop & Hardware |
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Hoops
Our drums feature a 2.3mm chrome plated steel hoop as standard equipment. This is a solid hoop that provides reliable tuning and versatile range. Die cast hoops and stick saver type hoops are other popular options. We can even do wooden tom hoops and single flange metal hoops with clips if that is what you got your heart set on. Contact us, or your local dealer for information about hoop options. |
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Hardware
In the name of optimum sound quality, we equip our rack toms with a rim suspension type mounting system and your choice of a "Pearl style" or a "DW/Tama" style tom bracket. Floor toms can be suspended the same way, or they can be placed in a rim suspension system with legs, or the legs can be attached directly to the shell old school. They are your drums, and you should set them up the way you want. We even include a tom arm to make it easier for you. |
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| For optimum warmth and fullness of tone we use a 10 ply maple hoop on our bass drums. These hoops are usually finished to match the kit, but they can be left natural for a different look. To ensure ease and accuracy of tuning we use a key head tension rod and die cast claw. The claw is recessed at the top to fit the head of the tension rod. This eliminates any accidental detuning. Or you can get classic "slingerland style" claws. Other standard equipment on bass drums includes heavy-duty spurs from Gibraltar. These spurs are professional quality and user friendly, making for quick and easy set ups. As a rule we do not mount toms into the bass drum. We have found that you get a fuller tone from all of the drums involved if they are a bit more isolated. |
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| Finish Options |
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| Once you have determined which shells and lug options are right for you and after determining the type of mounting you would like and whatever other variables you can think of, it is time for one last decision. What finish do you want to go for? This is another area where C&C is offering some things no one else in the market is doing. Lets start off with the basic. |
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Laminates & Satin Stains
This is the most economical category and it features some realistic looking wood grain laminates from Pionite and some extremely bizarre looking computer generated laminates from WilsonArt. There are literally hundreds of finishes to choose from in this category. These finishes are applied with a contractor grade neutral contact cement using hand operated pressurized rollers. Laminate covered drums are "butt seamed" and the seam is in the back of the drum, under a lug. This category also features our hand rubbed stains for those who prefer a more understated and sublime look. |
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Vintage Coverings
This category includes the sparkles, pearls, satins flames, oysters, glass glitters, and 3-D bubble finishes we all know and love. These finishes are applied with the same cement we use on our laminates. We overlap these coverings and notch them at the top and bottom of the shell. This ensures an even back cut and proper seating of the head, and the notch is hidden when the drum is assembled. |
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The Stripe
The inlaid stripe has been a popular finish option since it began appearing on our drums in 1994. It seems as though somebody told one of our more energetic and defiant drum builders that it could not be done. This person thought that the covering would shrink and pull apart and that would be the least of your problems. This person also thought that no one would ever be interested in buying such a striped drum anyway, and that building one would be a waste of time. Well, wouldn't you know it, Mr. Cardwell had to be wrong once in his life and we are proud to say that these kits have been on stage with the Alkaline Trio, the Get Up Kids and the Hot Rod Circuit, among others.
What became of the first striped kit? Hard working Kansas City area drummer Mike Myers bought them before the ink was dry on the price tag and he plays them to this day most recently with Kansas City band The Life and Times. How's the stripe look on his kit after almost ten years of rock clubs and rehearsal spaces? It still looks amazing and Mike is as happy with the kit now as the day he bought it.
When choosing the colors for your striped kit we recommend that you choose two colors of the same kind of material, such as two sparkles, two satins, or two pearls. This is because different covering materials vary in thickness and an uneven surface is created when we start mixing sparkles and satins, and we don' t want that now do we?
Striped kits come in three basic favors:
- CENTERED AND GRADUATED - This describes a stripe that is in the middle of the shell depth wise and gets bigger as the drums gets bigger. This is a classic look inspired by field drums made by Ludwig and Slingerland back in the day.
- UNDER THE LUG - This baby is under either the top or bottom lug and its size is determined by the size of the lug. This is a sleek look with a bit more of a speed racer vibe to it.
- THE LUG TO LUG - This is a big stripe in the center of the shell that stops at the lug and leaves two small stripes at the edges of the drum. This is a look popularized by Derek Grant.
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Lacquer Finishes
Or perhaps you had your heart set on a high quality custom painted lacquer finish. Maybe a nice rich stain with a glossy clear coat to show off the grain of the shells or a hot automotive finish that will blow heads right off of bodies. Maybe a tobacco burst fade or a metal flake that looks deep enough to swim in. How about both? We paints, flakes, kandys and sparkles from House of Kolor and PPG, all are lovingly applied by our paint technician who has over ten years of experience, and like everyone else who works here Ð he's a drummer. Whatever finish you can dream up we help you realize. |
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Genuine Pearls, Engraved Drums & Mosaic Finishes
For those who want a truly customized look, we have this option available. This includes our drums covered in genuine pearl laminates available exclusively at C&C. Often imitated, never equaled, this is the material that inspired the look of white marine pearl and black oyster pearl. This vibrantly colored organic material is quite rare and varies considerably from batch to batch adding to the uniqueness of drums covered in this material. We cover these drums with a high gloss lacquer to enhance the color and protect the laminate, making for a functional work of art.
Other drums in this category include those in sparkle covering material with multiple stripes or inlaid shapes, and drums with customized painted finishes and engraved drums. |
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