DW Drums – Why DW Drum Sets Are Famous
DW Drums are famous for a reason…the sound. Usually called DW for short, Drum Workshop is a world renowned drum manufacturing company. A 26 year old by the name of Don Lombardi, DW Drum Sets founder, began this business out of his drumming studio in Santa Monica, CA. In this studio he provided lessons and called it the Drum Workshop. After awhile he started selling books, drum sets, and even drum sticks from this location. A 17 year old student, John Good, decided to help Don out with the overseeing of the product sales.
Together, John and Don tried to think of different ways to improve the sound of various drum equipment. They realized they shared a mutual interest. Don designed an adjustable trap case seat, which was the duo’s first entry into the market. Being DW Drums first product, it only achieved moderate success. However, it helped creating drumming products to move forward.
The owner of the Camco Drum Company, Tom Beckman, who was also the father of one of Don’s students, wanted to sell his company. This occurred in the year 1977. Mr. Beckman eventually contacted Don to see if he had an interest in the company. Don borrowed money from some outside investors as well as his parents and ended up buying the machinery, tools, and molds. Camco had a product called the 5000 bass drum pedal which DW started manufacturing and rebranded under the new Drum Workshop name.
An industry standard, DW went on to patent the chain and sprocket bass drum pedal drive system in 1980. The 5000CX, which was DW’s first chain and sprocket model, was followed by the addition of a stabilizing footboard called the 5000T Turbo. They also developed the 5000A Accelerator which added an offset sprocket for quicker action. DW Drum Sets went on to lead the industry in the manufacturing of double bass pedals in the 1980s.
John Good was a big part of Drum Workshop’s accomplishments due to being a drum technician and experimenting with drum sounds as well as acoustics. Don continued to center his focus on hardware and pedals. Together, they were manufacturing just a few customized drum sets a month. However, once they gained acclaim and started to receive professional endorsements, the demand for these custom made sets exceeded their manufacturing capacity.
Today, Drum Workshop is a world leader of manufacturing custom made drum sets. They offer a wide variety of shell materials. These materials include brass, maple, copper, and aluminum. They also provide a wonderful selection of lacquered finishes. DW Drum Sets are one of a kind and once you hear them, you will know why