After experimenting with several woods and finishes, Tom and his team chose Macassar Ebony and Goncalo Alves for its density and rich and colorful woodgrain. A custom fixture was developed to mill the drum shells to the proper thickness. After finish sanding, a clear coat was applied and then buffed out to a beautiful high gloss finish. With the addition of some stylish, customer-specified hardware, the drums were complete and ready for the spotlight.
After making a few well-received stave snare drums, Tom and the customer have teamed up to start a new custom-made stave drum company. Stay tuned!