From Muzik Etc - Drums Etc, Vol 14. No. 5

EPEK Drums Will Snare You


I was in the middle of a phone conversation with a Boston based drummer friend when a sample EPEK snare drum arrived via courier from Saskatchewan. I put my friend on the speaker phone while I began tearing open the box. He posed the sixty-dollar question, "Bruce, does the world really need another custom drum?" By this time, I was holding the EPEK drum, done in rich green sparkle lacquer. The clear logo badge revealed the company name against a silver foil backdrop. Elegant. I tapped the drum lightly with a fingernail and was amazed at the sensitivity. Then I struck it hard with a stick.

"Uhh Dave, I¹ll call you back in a few minutes, " I said. "But the quick answer to your question is yes!"

In the weeks to come, I put the EPEK drum through the paces. At all tunings, it gave me a useable sound, exhibiting a rare blend of high-end sizzle, rich mids, and ample lows. An orchestral press roll sounded as impressive as a rock rimshot. It reminded me of my prized old Camco Oaklawn 5" x 14". But here¹s the clincher: Ed Peck's drum was a piccolo ­ a 3" x 13" drum!

Later, at Long & McQuade, I played a couple of EPEK snare drums ­ 5" x 14" and a 6.5" x 14". Both displayed the hyper-sensitivity of the green sparkle piccolo. It was uncanny ­ as if maybe Ed Peck has discovered the secret of the dream snare drum.

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