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somasoul
Ferret
Joined: 30 Dec 2005
Posts: 121
Location: Baltimore
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 Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2006 1:54 pm Post subject: My Eddie Ryan's w/ a story |
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Look what I just got on Ebay:
This is more than just drums, folks. There's an interesting story to this.
These drums were made by a guy named "Eddie Ryan". Eddie Ryan drums come from England. Eddie Ryan used to work for Rogers making drums, among other companies. I didn't know any of this until yesterday. I saw the drums on Ebay, was interested in them, didn't know anything about them so did what any interested man does when it comes to toys........hit google.
This story gets better, hang on..........
So I hit google but google doesn't say much at all. At this point I had no idea who Eddie was, where the drums came from or anything at all. I learned they came from London but there's no website, no product reviews..........nothing. But I did come across two people.
Jenn Denitto
and
Mike Ellis
Both of whom had Eddie Ryan kits. So I asked 'em: "What do you think of your kit?"
Jenn is a punker from London and didn't know much. She did like her kit but wasn't overly ecstatic about the tom mounts. But Mike, ooohhhh, but Mike. Mike was helpful. Mike is Helpful.
Mike Ellis is a session drummer out of London. (Session-Drummer.com ; check his kits. Nice stuff there.) Mike knows all about Eddie's kits........Mike knows Eddie Ryan........himself, in the flesh. As I said, Mike was, and is, helpful. Mike said he loved his kit. Mike said the kit was great. Mike said it's probably worth $3500. Mike said lots of things. Among them:
| Mike Ellis wrote: | Hi Tim
Thanks for your mail.
I'm planning to compile a detailed biography of Eddie Ryan and the drums he made, it's just finding the time to compile the questions for him!
What I do know is he started out making drums for Boosey & Hawkes in the 1950's and worked on the Ajax, Edgware and English Rogers drums. When Boosey & Hawkes stopped making Ajax in 1970 and went over to marketing the Premier made 'Beverley' drums, Eddie was planning to continue making Ajax drums, but sadly couldn't get the tooling from Birmingham factory.
He set up Eddie Ryan drums in London, originally in the west end premises of the legendary Len 'Doc' Hunt, a pro drummer who offered sales and service for many years. His kits were all custom made to order and offered no catalogues or brochures with set ups, everything was to the drummer's own specification. Many name drummers in the 70's who were endorsed by the big manufacturers, would have their drums 'remade' by Eddie! He also had signature sticks made by Promuco for some big names including John Bonham.
Eddie continues making drums today, although not on the scale he did 30 years ago. Unless specified otherwise by the customer, his drums were made from birch which he still uses today. His kits don't fetch enormous sums these days as not many people actually know what they are! They are distinctive and recognisable by the square lugs, but unfortunately, the dies for these lugs were lost went the contractor went out of business some years ago and Eddie resorted to using generic Taiwanese lugs for a while.
Hope this helps, let me know if need any more info. Do you have an ER kit? |
More importantly than Mike's fetish with things you beat with sticks was his ability to get ahold of Eddie Ryan. Now (and this comes from Mike) Eddie said the kit looked familiar. Eddie said the kit was part of bigger kit that disappeared about 15 years ago.
Now, all this is leading to something, I swear.
The kit was made custom for a man named Ric Parnell. Ric is an Englishman who moved to L.A. who has played for a number of bands as a session drummer. His father was (or is) Jack Parnell, a lengendary jazzman and baritone, a classic drummer. ( http://www.televisionheaven.co.uk/le2.htm )
But Ric Parnell, his son, was also quite a guy. Now living in Montana he once played in Britan's legendary Prog Rock Group "Atomic Rooster" in the 70's. But in the states he's known for another work, a work that might not make him famous but certainly makes Mick Shrimpton famous. Actually, Mick Shrimpton was the drummer for Spinal Tap as well as Ric Shrimpton, his twin brother. Rick Parnell played both twin brothers who spontaneasouly combust onstage (What are the odds on that??!?!)
So that's how I wound up with a drumset made by lengendary drum maker Eddie Ryan, played by Ric Parnell son of Jack Parnell all for the low price of $450!!!!!!!!!
*Laughs Sadistically*
"as long as I have sex and drugs, I can do without rock ’n roll."
Me playing at church before I bought new heads:
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bytor
Admin
Joined: 12 Aug 2003
Posts: 5209
Location: Kansas
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| Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2006 6:49 am Post subject: |
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| Very interesting. Thanks for sharing, and congrats on the kit. The lugs are certainly distinctive. |
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somasoul
Ferret
Joined: 30 Dec 2005
Posts: 121
Location: Baltimore
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| Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2006 8:46 am Post subject: |
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| I came to hate the tom mounts and old english hardware. I dug up some old snare stands and have floor mounted all the toms. It was strange to get used to because the seperation is wider between them but I can angle them really well and extremely easily. They feel real secure too and I could lower the height mounted like that. |
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styles2281
Moderator
Joined: 23 Feb 2004
Posts: 6631
Location: Manchester, CT
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| Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2006 9:04 am Post subject: |
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Wow...cool story. Nice kit.
_________________
"One day I feel I'm on top of the world
And the next it's falling in on me
I can get back on, I can get back on
One day I feel I'm ahead of the wheel
And the next it's rolling over me
I can get back on, I can get back on "
- Neil Peart, Rush, Snakes and Arrows, Far Cry, 2007 |
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somasoul
Ferret
Joined: 30 Dec 2005
Posts: 121
Location: Baltimore
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| Posted: Mon Apr 17, 2006 4:48 am Post subject: |
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So I've had my drums for about two months now and I haven't really ever played them. The two times I have have been at church and I've haved to really tone it down.
On Easter Sunday I left my drums at church to out with the family. I came back later that night to an empty church and decided to really pound on 'em before I packed 'em up and took them home. The church was built in 1868 and has the high ceiling and the acoustics are great. Man, my drums sounded amazing!
Okay, so it was a tad creepy being in a 150 year old church all by myself. Especially since the place is utterly surrounded by graves.
So I admit it. I'm a wuss.
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tizzdizz
Grizzly Bear
Joined: 27 Jun 2005
Posts: 773
Location: Campbell, California
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| Posted: Sat Feb 10, 2007 10:43 pm Post subject: |
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dude I remember seeing those drums on ebay and passing them by, because I didn't recognize them or the brand. What a deal, and story to go along with it.
I'm glad you figured out better tom placement too. You'd have gotten a fair amount of criticism for those tom angles, I fear.
Hey, put this up in the "post your pics" section!
_________________
"Ray, when someone asks you if you're a GOD you say YES!!" |
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