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These days most drums are made in the Far East. Be they Japanese or every other country looking for low cost manufacture. And so many old names have now disappeared. I'm talking before Mapex, Yamaha and Pearl etc came on the scene.
When I was a youngster and starting to play drums I had all the Drum catalogues which I used to drool over.
Recently I have been thinking of all those companies that used to make drums.
I have listed some but I am sure there must be others that I have forgotten and hopefully some of you guys out there will remember and add them to this list.
So here goes

Premier --- Beverly --- Olympic --- British
Ajax ------------ British
Gretch -------- American
Broadway -------- British
Autocrat ( The more expensive Broadway drums - I think ??)
Ludwig -------- American
Slingerlamd -------- American
Sonor ------- German
Was there a company called Royal Drums??

Any more ??

Wasn't Trixon another past brand?

There used to be Drouyn drums made here in Australia (used by Easybeats and many other Oz bands)

Pearl was available here in Oz in the mid '60's, Yamaha from about 1967.

Cymbals were usually Zildjian, Paiste and Zyn...

Sorry, can't recall any others off the top of my head- I'm a guitar and bass player, but I've always enjoyed working with drummers and have picked up a bit of knowledge and feel for drums and drumming! I can just about hold down various beats with a few drum breaks included..

Thanks for your comments -I had forgotton Trixon. German I think and Brian Bennett used to play them when he first joined the Shads. I had never heard of Drouyn drums.May be they were never imported into UK.
I've remembered another brand Carlton.
There must be more.

What about Gigster?

Their ad line used to be: "Man, they're fabulous, that's what the boys who play them say!".

JN

Rogers (made variously in the UK as well as their native USA)

Leedy (USA)

George Hayman (later known as just Hayman) (UK) - I once met the widow of George Hayman.

JN

Thanks JimN

You mention Rogers I'd forgotton that one
and Leedy were they in some way involved with Ajax or was another drum company in UK ??

robin_drums wrote:Thanks JimN

You mention Rogers I'd forgotton that one
and Leedy were they in some way involved with Ajax or was another drum company in UK ??

Leedy was an American company, a contemporary of Ludwig.

And like Ludwig, they also made banjos (it's substantially the same technology, of course).

Leedy uke banjos are objects of desire among George Formby aficionados.

See: http://www.leedydrums.com/since1895.html

Hollywood drums, made by Meazzi in Milan, Italy

http://www.vintagedrumguide.com/meazzi_history.html

Robin, I believe there was a drum manufacturer called John Grey drums.
Ron

Hello Robin, et al,

My first "proper" kit back in the day (1963-ish) was an Edgware "Beatmaster" in Blue Marine Pearl. This was the budget version of Ajax, made by Boosey & Hawkes, who also produced the U.S. Rogers brand under licence in the UK between 1961 & '67.
Happy Days - if only I'd had the kit I've got now, back then, when I had the energy and drive to be REALLY good!

Regards
Paul.