Barry Wood's NAMM Oddities 2020 Edition

 Packrat Barry

Percussion

We're Gonna Need a Bigger Van

It's too bad that this drum kit didn't exist during the handful of years that the namesake band were somewhat relevant.

sjcdrums

Dali on Drums

Other than being notable as being the most difficult kick to get a head for, the fact that you could mount two kick pedals side by side was a selling point. That is, before the invention of the double bass drum pedal.

voxamps

The Basset Hound of Cymbals

If you own the Vox drum kit above, you simply have to pair it with these droopy cymbals.

istanbulcymbals

It's Not Subtle

If you'd like to go a little more industrial, the Junk Hat is just the thing for you.

baldmanpercussion

Artisanal Drum Bags

It came as no surprise to me that these drum bags have their origin in Portland, OR.

tackleinstrument

Airplane Mode Highly Recommended

If you're using your smartphone to create a drum accompaniment at a gig, you probably don't want calls or text message alert sounds to be part of the song… unless you do.

Nice Try

In attempt to make the NAMM Show drum ghetto survivable, SJC had these drums heads made for the show. I don't think they worked.

intheface

Multifarious Pleximetry

The Udu Wood and Hamgam provide a plethora of surfaces that you can tap, strike, rap, or otherwise hit.

majiddrums

Look Ma, No Drums

The latest entry into the virtual drum kit category is the Senstroke. This system uses sensors mounted on drumsticks that can detect hits as well as spatial position so you can annoy the living hell out of everyone in the general vicinity.

Stylish & Functional

I quite liked the design aesthetic and the clever rethinking of the drum rims and lugs. They also had ideas for the snare release and tension adjustment.

fireants

Migratory Inhibitor

If you play a lot of dive bars you'd better bring your own rug with you. The carpet in those places typically doesn't have anything left for velcro to grab onto.

kickblockproducts

Buzz Muzzler

The idea here is that this device presses against the snare just enough to keep them from buzzing sympathetically when other drums are hit. The only trick is getting just enough dampening without killing the tone.

snarebuzzmute

Testicular Lack

I'm thinking that they could have made a centrist political statement by instead naming this product "Wing Nuts B Gone."

nonutscymbalsleeves

Spin Me Right Round

If you aspire to do this you should probably consider starting small, with something like this little loop.

For Drummers With Small Cars

For half size, this super compact drum set didn't sound half bad. I like how the "floor tom" doubles as the kick.

wizzdrum

Odd Trifecta

Several products caught my eye in this booth. There's the kalimba with its own acoustic amplification by way of mounting it in a frame drum; the super-sized bass tongue drum; and the dual kalimba for the aspiring Michael Angelo Batio of the kalimba.

weplaywelltogether

Drum Head Superimpositions

The Snare-Bourine can be dropped on top of your drum head to add extra jingle. They also had the Quesadilla, which is a tortilla-like cloth pad to give you a deader, '70s kind of sound. I've picked up a set of those for my recording tool kit.

bigfatsnaredrum

Zills Around the Middle

If you're committed to a combination snare/tambourine sound, this is your drum.

pfeiferdrumco

Loud and Proud

Depending on your orientation, this cymbal can also be a symbol.

soultonecymbals

Assorted Flavors

These translucent drums would make a nice complement to the cymbal above.

dwdrums

Nominal Snare

The Malacacheta Vazada isn't much more than a slight frame to support the top and bottom heads. It's meant for Carnaval do Brasil drummers who have to carry a drum and play it for hours on end.

izzo

Modern Mallets

I'd somehow missed this in years past but it's cool enough to cover late. This collaboration between Pearl and pad experts Keith McMillen Instruments has created a modern mallet controller.

pearlmalletstation

Half Pipe Dreams

Someone at Pearl is enough of a skate fanboy to get them to license the Powell-Peralta graphics for their drums.

pearldrum

In the Jingle Jangle Evening

I'd hoped that these were sound or motion sensing, but they just light up in various preset patterns.

Fratricidal Tendencies

I don't have a clue why this finish is called "Cain & Abel" but I like it nonetheless.

pearldrum2

Septum Deviant

It would make me very happy if there was a fog machine inside the kick that made the guy on the drum head look even angrier.

dwdrums2

Context Matters

You'd think that someone beating on a piece of metal with a hammer at a trade show might be loud. That would be true…unless the trade show happens to be NAMM.

Next Up: Instruments

©2020 Barry Wood