Q: Do you offer discounts to the prices listed on your web site?
A: The prices on our web site are the suggested retail price (MSRP). Contact
your local reseller to discuss any potential End User discounts off the
suggested list price.
Q: Why are your instruments expensive compared to some other custom builders?
A: In today's market there are custom drum builders offering products
in a wide variety of price ranges. Unless price is the only feature of interest
to the consumer, there are a number of other features to consider, including
quality of parts and workmanship. The San Francisco Drum Company product
line does not include entry-level or mid-level instruments, so it can be
misleading to compare them to lower-end offerings.
We use American-made materials and components (whenever possible) to avoid
using imported parts. We do not cut corners when it comes to the construction,
hand-sanding, hand-polishing, or final assembly of our instruments. All
of our labor is performed in the U.S. We encourage buyers to compare our
products to comparable products offering the same quality and craftsmanship.
You will find that our prices and lead times are similar, offering the musician
exceptional hand-crafted value.
Q: Why do the different finishes options affect the price so much?
A: The difference in price is based on the labor and materials required
for each specific finish. For example, our Piano
Black finish is not the same as a black poly finish applied in an
auto body spray booth - it is applied by one of the best finishers of
baby and concert grand pianos in the U.S.
Q: What is your standard turnaround time for custom order drums?
A: Our typical lead times are 120 days from receipt of order and deposit
from the reseller. Lead times can vary based on a number of factors, so
we notify the customer of the expected lead time when their order is processed.
Q: Why do your drums take so long to build?
A: Our lead times are based on the amount of time necessary for curing
the drums and for hand-finishing, and are consistent with other high-end
custom drum manufacturers. For example, our shells are pretreated with
a custom mixture of tung oil and polymers and this requires a minimum
of 30 days to cure. Our hand-finishing of both the inside and outside
of the shell adds significant hours of labor. By setting lead times appropriately,
we are able to ensure that our lead times are consistent and don't result
in unwanted "surprises" such as additional delays or lack of
communication with the customer. Our goal is to provide excellent customer
satisfaction, service, and support.
Q: Do you offer additional finishes besides the ones on your web site?
We can provide any commercially available wrap finish when specified on
your order. Unfortunately we cannot provide other finishes outside of
our standard offering.
Q: All I see on your web site are very big bass drums. Do you make
smaller bass drums?
A: Although we typically make the Civic Center model bass drums to be
the classic, larger sizes of the past,
we will make a Civic Center model bass drum all the way down to 18"
diameter. Our Fillmore and Bernal Beat model drums are also offered in
any diameter from 18" all way to 28".
Q: I like the clip-on spurs used on your bass drums. Do you make these?
Can I order these direct from you?
A: The clip-on spurs we currently utilize are made in the USA by Danmar
Percussion Products. You can order these directly from any of our authorized
resellers.
Q: Can I order a Civic Center bass drum with modern shell-mounted spurs
instead of the standard clip-on spurs?
A: By following a traditional thin shell design philosophy with the Civic
Center model bass drums, we feel the shell is too thin for mounting standard
shell-mount spurs. We also do not install any other shell-mount hardware
for toms or cymbals for our Civic Center bass drums. We suggest vintage-style
attachments that clip onto the counter hoop for mounting small accessories
to the Civic Center bass drums. Please note for a bass drum with shell-mount
spurs and cymbal mounts, we recommend the Fillmore or Bernal
Beat model bass drums which utilize a thicker shell construction.
Q: Why do you offer 12 lugs on your bass drum?
A: We offer 12-lug placement on our Civic Center model bass drums to provide
maximum tuning capability when no muffling is used. It also helps compensate
for the variable surface tension that can occur with an animal skin head.
Antique photos
often show drums with 12 (or more) lugs. The reduction of lugs in modern
drums is often to reduce manufacturing costs.
Q: Where can I purchase the larger size replacement heads for large
diameter bass drums?
A: Any one of our authorized resellers can order large size Evans, REMO,
or Aquarian heads for your bass drum.
Q: What is the "axial insert" feature of your lugs. Why is this
important?
A: The solid-machined lugs
that we use feature a threaded insert
that receives the tension rod. This insert rotates on an axis parallel
to the surface of the drum, permitting the tension rod to move closer
to or further from the shell without misalignment. The result is a unique
solid tube lug that prevents thread binding of the tension rod when tuned.
Check out our drums at your local reseller and you will find consistent
tension between all the lugs.
Q: Can I order other model snare strainers than the one I see on the
web site?
A: Other strainers are available through special order. Please note any
specific requirements on your quote request.
Q: Do you offer other rims beside the stick savers?
A: We can custom-order other rims for your drums as long as we feel the
quality of the third-party component is at least of equal quality of our
standard rims. Common custom requests we accommodate are antique-style
single flange hoops with clips or wooden rims.
Q: Are custom plating options available for my lugs besides chrome?
A: We can offer custom plating options for our lugs. Please note your
specific requests on your drum order.
Q: What supporting hardware and stands do you recommend using?
A: Your local reseller can help you determine the supporting hardware
that is best for your specific needs. We can always offer suggestions
if you have specific questions. Please note that we always advise customers
to avoid drilling our toms for mounting brackets. This will void the instrument's
warranty and will reduce the resale value of the drum. Instead, we recommend
suspension-style mounts. This offers flexible choices in hardware products
over the life of the instrument and also preserves the integrity of the
instrument.
Q: The inside of the drum is very smooth. Is that a clear spray finish
on the inside of the shell?
A: Although it may appear as a spray finish, what you are seeing and feeling
is the result of polymers and hand labor. Finishing this surface is a
time-consuming process of hand-sanding and burnishing the shells using
multiple grits of sandpaper and polishing papers. Afterwards the inside
surface is hand-polished with a final coat of antique tung oil and later
on with carnauba wax (the shells are polymerized prior to sanding).
Q: Why do you hand-sand and polish the inside of the shells? All the drums
I have owned were unfinished inside.
A : We believe that finishing inside the shell enhances the fundamental
tone and increases projection, making it worth the additional effort.
We saturate our shells with a custom mix of antique tung oil and additional
polymers that seal the wood and stabilize the grain. We believe this is
key to creating a durable thin-walled shell. The multi-step process of
hand-finishing and detailing that follows is craftsmanship not found in
many of today's mass-produced drums, and we believe that it also ensures
a lasting life of service for the musician.
Q: Why are the snare beds on your drums so deep?
A: We believe the deeper snare bed results in a wider range of adjustment
of snare sound, a wide variety of controllable snare sounds that stay
consistent from low to high volumes, and allows for better adjustment
of "sympathetic buzz".
Q: What kind of bearing edge options can you offer for my custom drums?
A: Our bearing edge has a unique combination profile that is part of our
design and contributes to the classic sound of our instruments. This vintage-style
bearing edge was inspired by many classic American drums. So to preserve
the value of our instruments we only use this unique bearing edge design.
Q: Can you re-cut the bearing bearing edges on my old drums?
A: We do not offer repair or refurbishing services of antique drums to
the general public. We recommend one of many vintage drum shops that offer
such services.
Q: Do you offer other wood shell options than maple?
A: We have built prototypes of other wood combinations, but currently
only offer maple because of its proven track record for both tone and
longevity. Our research on instruments over 40 years old showed that in
general, the all-maple shells held up exceptionally well over time as
compared to mahogany shells, which were brittle and cracked under stress.
Q: I have a specific list of shell sizes, third-party lugs and other
parts I want on my next new custom drumset. Can I get a quote from you
for how much and how long?
A: Unlike the builders who offer "build to your specs", we only
offer limited customization (modified shell depths, optional reinforcing
rings, etc.) to our standard product lines. If you are looking for a "one-off"
design of your own, we suggest that you contact one of the many fine drum
makers who specialize in building individual unique drums.
Q: Your website is great! Why don't you sell your products directly over
the web?
A: We sell exclusively through Authorized Resellers in order to provide
the best local service to our customers worldwide. We are always available
to discuss any special needs.
Q: There is not a re-seller in my local area. Do you sell direct?
A: Our list of Authorized Resellers is constantly expanding. Please contact
us directly if you cannot find a reseller in your area, and we will be
happy to connect you with the reseller closest to you.
Q: Do you have a brochure about your products?
A: We will be happy to mail a small brochure to you about our instruments.
Please send your request here.
Q: How do I obtain a quote on a custom kit configuration?
A: Feel free to contact us any time for a custom quote. We will provide
the quote to your local reseller, who can then provide you with the detailed
quote.
Q: I like the polishing cloth that was included with my instrument. Can
I order another from you?
A: Many of our resellers stock our polishing cloths. If you are unable
to locate a replacement product, please contact here.
Q: That's a cool logo! Do you have other "swag" besides your
t-shirt?
A: We plan on offering additional wearable items and accessories, however
at this time, our extremely comfortable, 100% cotton, screen printed in
USA T-shirt is available in sizes S, M, L, XL, and XXL.
Q: I really like your drums! Do you offer any endorsement arrangements?
A: We are always interested in discussing potential endorsement arrangements
with professional musicians playing music in our representative genres.
Please contact us directly to discuss potential endorsement arrangements.
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