6 2011
 We've been busy...
June already and this is the first newsletter for a year that kicked off with a very successful NAMM show where the indefatigable Harvey Sorgen and I presented the entire range of FHD snare drums and then some as well as a stunning figured Blackwood bebop
(same tree toms). That kit is now at the Steve Maxwell Vintage and Custom Drums shop in NY (click here).
We had a great time....it's a rare pleasure for me to hear my stuff, the warm and deep tone of premium Blackwood drums, in the hands of the incredible drummers who attended the booth. Wonderful to catch up with old pals and peers: John Craviotto, Canopus, Batteur magazine (salut les amis!), Mike Dawson (Modern Drummer
), Nicolai Schneekloth (Vintage & Rare), Ronn Dunnett, Andrew Shreve (Paiste) to name just a few..
Many special thanks to Paiste for providing the cymbals for the show, Remo for replacement heads at very short notice, Vic Firth for the great sticks and Emiliano Almeida for the hardware.
Thank you USA
See you there next year folks.
Please read on....
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FHD USA 2011 UPDATE
FHD is delighted to announce that Glenna Gaffney is now FHD A&R / Promotions manager. Glenna is LA based and brings with her a wealth of experience in the music industry including a number of years with Chaka Khan's management team. She also enjoys a working relationship with some of the leading US drummers. Welcome onboard Glenna!
Stephan Fidock is now responsible for all product and sales enquiries.
FHD manufacturing is the same crew since day one. Older and wiser without ever standing still.
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'It's a Fidock'
The A&R Promotions Department has this to say…
Wow! What is it??
“It’s a Fidock!” copyright © 2011.
That’s the buzz going all around the states. My department is gearing up for everyone in the drumming world to know, if you are an above the cut drummer than you should know of and be playing a cut above product, Fidock fits this profile, and we are looking for you!
We have some of the best drummers in the world interested and exploring the art of the Fidock perfection. Stay tuned and visit our website to hear and read what they have to say about Fidock Handcrafted Drums! (click here).
Welcome to the world of Fidock Handcrafted Drums, what makes our product different from the rest? Well, that’s what I want you to tell me, and in return, I will tell you what makes you a different drummer!
Please submit your statement to Glenna@fidockdrums.com, two statements will be chosen and posted on the FHD website and the chosen few will also receive a Fidock Handcrafted Drums tee shirt. I’m looking forward to hearing from you.
If you reside on the East Coast or just visiting, please take the time to visit FHD products at our exclusive US distributor Maxwell’s Vintage and Custom Drums in Manhattan (click here). Master Handcrafter Stephan Fidock along with Drumming sensation Jovol Bell will be hosting a Drum Building 101 crash course at Maxwell’s located at 723 7th Avenue, on Friday, June 17th, 2011 from 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM. Please join us; you don’t want to miss this!
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Glenna and I are well underway in week 1 of a 3 week promo tour that takes in both the West and East coasts of the US. We're traveling with serious snare drums and working to a tight schedule.
You can look forward to some exciting contributions to the website Artists Page and high quality entertainment on the FHD Youtube Channel and website
in the near future.
First up check out a stunning performance by Oscar Seaton hard at work on a Fidock Fatboy in very fine line up playing at the Blue Whale club (LA).
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WORKSHOP NEWS: EXCEPTIONAL TIMBER (Part 1)
We enjoyed some great orders and attracted a lot of interest from far and wide following the introduction of the Limited and Single Editions range (click here).
I have been seasoning highly figured mastergrade timber (compression timber) for Limited and Single Edition snares and drum sets in a customised container for some time now.
The Otway Ranges Blackwood (North West Victoria, Australia) is all from the first 1.6m of the tree (compression timber). No knots, no shakes, absolutely flawless quarter sawn timber. Including Fiddleback Blackwood as good as you will ever come across (AAA grade).
And finally... finally...enough Otway Ranges Blackwood is now moisture ready for our first run of mastergrade blackwood snare drums and a single same tree bebop. The shells and hoops will be ready within the next few weeks. A selection of these drums will be on display in the Fidock booth at NAMM 2012.
A Fatboy made with this timber is with me now, here in LA, and will be presented to one of your most renown drummers (LA) later in the the week before we head off to the East Coast.
In the Single Editions range, I was also fortunate to come across a small quantity of ancient Satin Box, a rare undergrowth of Blackwood and now off limits to commercial production (restricted growth). This highly tonal timber is extremely dense and very pale in colour, almost bone. We have now released a single edition 14x6.5" snare (click here) and a bebop and a fatboy are in production.
For further enquiries regarding drums from the Limited and Single Editions please click here.
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NEW HOOPS (Part 2)
How do you improve on tonal steambent solid timber hoops? You use higher grades of Blackwood for a start. And wherever possible use the same length to make up the pair. We did so by getting rid of the finger join. Then we considered the function of the bottom hoop. You want the wires to pull up as straight and evenly as possible... a vertical motion with as little friction and stretching as possible.
So we got rid of the slot. After all the strap simply has to freely pass the snare side head. We run it inside the hoop. Problem solved.
How does it sound? better.... less strained (forgive the pun) and certainly the hoops (we think) look a lot better now.
Keep a look out in drum publications for a product review of these little beauties.
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NEW SNARE (Part 3)
I am very pleased with the latest addition to the snare range: a 14x5.5" Blackwood stave featuring the standard Fidock specs and outstanding parts and low mass fittings.
The shell wall however is slightly thicker at 7mm.
The snare, as with all Fidock snare drums can be fitted with die-cast hoops .... stadium ready. Hit as hard as you like folks! (see above pic).
How does it sound? Some audio clips will be available soon but for now, I think Oscar said it best: "The difference between 14x5" and 14x5.5" is like the difference between a 5A and a 5B stick." I know what he means, and that's reason enough for me to go with it.. Thank you Oscar, I like this... a lot!
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FATBOY PRAISE
Fatboy continues to garner high praise from highly discriminating professionals across the globe. That a snare of such dimensions (13x9") delivers such an articulate, clean and fast response plus a ton of FAT is now widely acknowledged in the industry.
I leave you with this quote from a recent convert:
"Where I work, I need to have the greatest variety of high quality sounds as possible. At soft dynamic levels, Fidock drums are articulate and responsive. At high dynamic levels, they are never harsh in tone and project extremely well into the concert hall. Most importantly for me, at all levels, they are very warm and full of character."
"Tuned high, my 13" x 9" Blackwood Fatboy cuts through. Tuned low, it sounds like a warm and resonant orchestral field drum. When you apply that large tuning range to the kit, you have a high quality, highly versatile, handcrafted and individual snare drum."
Steve Peterka
Principal Percussion, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra.
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