Keller Drum Shells - What you didn't know!
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- Опубліковано 13 чер 2024
- Keller Products, Inc. has been making drum shells for 60 years and is the leading shell manufacturer in the drum making industry. They have largely stayed in the shadows and much of the information about them out is incomplete and/or misunderstood. In this video I cover the company's history, and get deep into their shell making process.
The list of drum makers who have used their shells is impressive and includes drum makers such as:
Gretsch Drums, Pearl Drums, , Slingerland, Drum Workshop, Pork Pie, GMS, CAMCO, WFLII, Nobles & Coley, Mapex, SJC, Orange County Drums & Percussion ........ Not to mention all the smaller custom drum makers out there.
VSS Patent
patents.google.com/patent/US7...
Drum History Podcast - Keller Shells
• EP 16 - The History of... 0:00 intro
CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction
01:45 Keller Group of companies
03:24 Their start in drum shell making
04:15 Partial list of drum makers
05:13 Specialty projects
05:53 Shell production
06:54 Keller distributors
07:20 Stagger Seam / VSS Patent
08:58 Shell catalog
10:30 Conclusion and special thank you
I’ve built 2 kits from Keller shells; 1 maple and 1 mahogany. They are both fantastic sounding and hard to tell that they are not a major company. Great video as always.
Thanks William! I got to really know a lot about Keller while I was making this video. I have no doubt those shells sound awesome.
@@eddieavakian yes, they're fantastic and sound as good as any purchased kit. Thanks for your reply 👍 🥁
I love it when people shine a light on the behind the scenes heros. Keller doesn't get the credit they deserve.
I agree. They are somewhat misunderstood and have an interesting history. The research for this video gave me a deeper appreciation for the company and the people behind it.
I had a VK Keller-shelled kit. The shells were simply the best shells I’ve ever seen. Absolutely flawless.
The more I learned about Keller while making this video, the more impressed I became with their process, people and products
I have 1994 DW custom made. Took ten months to get... I still have them and they are incredible.
Hey Robert! Yeah, I hear that a lot of early DW Keller peeps. Good stuff man. Thanks for checking in here!
Hey Eddie. Yah, my kit was a custom sized and colored.
I bought DW'S first tangerine orange clear laquer. Their first 24"x 20" bd.
The toms are:
10x9
12x10
14x14
16x16
14x7 ten ply rings snare
@@RCGC01 great finish! 👍👍
Still have mine from 1989 or 90 (can't remember exactly). DW was still in Ventura. Custom aqua stain.
@@eddieavakian🎉uu 6to the Bulk van 😊
I came for the shells and stayed for the journalism! What a great job of editing and in-depth, but not overwhelming, information! This is the first video of yours that I've seen. You have a new subscriber
Thank you so much!! If it wasn’t for Justin Owens at Keller being so helpful this video would not have been nearly as informative. I’m happy to have had the opportunity to deliver this information. Thank you for the editing compliments. I try to make each video better than the last in some way. ✌️✌️🙏
I wholeheartily agree also a subscriber and fan
@@eddieavakianI second Kaltrish’s comment. Great job getting to the point and passing on relevant and interesting information. What a fascinating story of a company that doesn’t seem to recognize the word quit. I’ve looked at these shells a lot but have never pulled the trigger on any projects I’ve dreamed up. This video has reignited my motivation. Thanks. I look forward to watching your channel.
@@flddoc2 I appreciate you taking the time to write such a positive and inspiring comment for me. Keller is a true success story and I leaned a lot myself in researching this. Fyi I have 6 drums kits but my favorite is a late 60s Rogers w Keller shells.
me to@@funkman0811
This video is incredible for a nerd like me looking at maybe buying a “pre collector” DW set and this helped a lot
Thanks man. I appreciate you saying so! Glad it gave you some info that will help you. I’ve gotten a lot of positive comments from people who have those Keller DW kits. Good luck on your search!
You should do a video on Nordic Shells
About 35 years ago, just for fun, I bought a thin maple Keller snare shell for like $40 with bearing edges and beds cut. Was a great experience, but after trying everything, I could never get it to sound how I wanted. I think went too thin, no re rings, trying to copy starclassics when they came out. Flawless shell, I’m redoing it now actually for the 3rd time, about to sand through the outer layer lol. Trying some new ideas to try to get it where I want it. About 5 years later, I built a 4 pc thin maple shell kit. It flooded in Katrina, still has mold stains in a few spots. Never delaminated, stayed round. Sanded mold off, treated it, stained it a little darker, they sound great. I had spent little money but now had a 100% maple kit. If you do buy shells, keep in mind all the drum companies get the lovely grain patterns so don’t expect a mind blowing pattern on all drums. Didn’t bother me. Started with die cast hoops but I hated them. Drums are BIG and still sound great. I built some RIMS mounts and Ft legs and brackets as well. Shells are good quality and must be really killer today. So many more options. Walnut is my next one! 2 gripes: BD hoops were a little flimsy. And the mahogany shells need some mahogany! I could build drums forever. Got 3 snares in the works, and one is 6mm carbon steel!!!
great content, I'm educated, didnt know so much company used their shells, subscribed, keep up the good work! Love from TAIWAN!
Thank you Drummer Andy! There are some good drums shells coming out of Taiwan right now. Both Rogers and the new George Way kits use the same factory in Taiwan and are making top quality stuff. You probably already knew that tho! Peace brother! Thanks for watching
I had an Orange County Drum and Percussion set custom made in 2003 before they were sold. They were made using Keller shells great sounding and looking drums.
I’d love to do a video on OCDP. They made a hell of an impact in their short history.
Great video!
I was blessed to be gifted 4 Keller shells from a fellow drum builder buddy and used them to make my own kit.
It’s one I gig with regularly and I enjoy them a lot. Mainly because it was my own hand that drilled, finished and assembled carefully chosen parts to make it my own.
But at the core are those great shells that I know give me the sound I wanted.
Such great history!
Thank you Ross! It’s great to hear from someone who actually built their own kit using their shells. I’m sure it sounds incredible! If you have any clips of it, please send me the link. ✌️🙏
Thanks Ed this is a very detailed account of the Keller shell history, and manufacturing process. Many drummers take the sound for granted. But it's obvious that shell dimensions and wood type determine its sound.
Thanks for watching. Definitely a lot goes into shell compositions. Keller spends a lot of time going back and forth on the proprietary shells w each drum maker to get them exactly the way they want them.
Shell design sounds a lot like Voodoo marketing.
Thanks for the link as my 1st Kit was a Rogers and I found out about Keller back when they (Rogers) were made in Cleveland. I wanted a wood snare to go with my Dynasonic so I picked up a Canadian Maple shell which I never put together and still have because a Koa Wood snare was made for me...
1961.
Precision Drum.
No joke there...
got a beautiful keller vintage mahogany set up about 16 yo from them, ...so gorgeous in sound AND sight! !
Great Shop.
Awesome! Great testimonial right there! 👊
I had a custom drum company based out of Arizona for a few years in the early 2000s. I used Keller exclusively. Excellent shells all around. All of my drums are gone now but I have one snare drum left with a Keller shell, a gorgeous Hillbilly Drum Company I will never part with.
Thank you for your expert opinion Michael! It great to hear from someone who made custom drums.
@@eddieavakian my pleasure. I enjoyed your well made video; it brought back good memories. I am in my "retirement" stage now but you may have just started me thinking about starting up the ol' router again!
Super informative. Thank you for posting this!
My pleasure. I enjoyed making it. A lot of this information wasn’t out there but needed to be. ✌️
Wow! Information overload. I had to watch this in segments so my little brain could absorb all the info. Another wonderful video by Eddie. Thank you.
Thanks man. I got good info on this from the inside and didn’t want to leave anything out. It was a super fun project for me and I learned a lot in my research.
Back in the old days before the internet some people would bring in a tape recorder and tape lectures to make sure they retain all the information
Excellent! Thank you for the effort. I've many Keller shells and love them all--especially my vintage DWs.
Thank you! I’ve got a Keller vintage Rogers and it’s sounds incredible.
Great video Eddie 👌 Thanks so much for the nice shoutout at the end - I can't believe that Keller show with Justin was almost 200 episodes ago! Very cool to hear and see so much info about Keller in the drum world and beyond. Keep up the great work brother!
Thank you so much Bart. Your episode was the main inspiration for this video. I owe you for sure. FYI I called over to Keller and Justin was the one who answered the phone. He couldn’t have been any nicer or more helpful. Happy birthday by the way! ✌️✌️
Fantastic eye opener! I knew some of the story but you laid it all out EXTREMELY well.
Thank you so much! I got a lot of cooperation from the people at Keller and was able to get some interesting information that was not previously out there. Thanks for checking it out!
This was awesome and very informative. Makes me appreciate my Rogers kit with Keller shells even more.
Thank you Jon! I got a Keller Rogers Kit as well. I love it. Incredible drums. I did a video on it if you want to check it out. It’s a late 60s in champagne sparkle.
@@eddieavakian Awesome! Rogers drums are my favorite and I’ll be sure to check out that video. Thanks for the heads up!
I think this is very interesting material presented in an organized video fashion!
Well then thank you Wendysyphurs1000! Glad you got something from the video.
I have a set of DW’s from 1996. They have Keller shells and I love them!
They no doubt make great shells. Thank you for you personal testament!
Hi. I have a set of DW's Collectors and the production date is nov. 20 1997. Do you know how i can verify if the shells are from Keller or not?
@@alancarver2511dw started making their own shells in 98. Yours are keller.
very interesting, thanks for this video
Thanks for checking it out Patrick
Excellent work, Eddie!
Thanks Randy! I appreciate you checking it out.
Very nicely donee, well presented.
Thank you Stephen. I’m working on a new one for Jasper shells. I’m still gathering information but I’m hoping to make that worthy of your time. Thank you so much for watching and commenting! ✌️
Great stuff
Thank you Jarrett
Nice job! I'm fascinated with the history of it all.
Thanks Alan. I agree. I love a company w an interesting back story and Keller doesn’t disappoint.
You do know they’re not in business anymore Nordic Drums makes
@@christophersimpson4968 Who is not in business anymore?
Damn man! I thought this was going to be a boring story for the first minute or so. I could see your eyes following a teleprompter and was prepared to click away. Then couldn't. Then I didn't want to. Nice job hitting all the points and laying out the story. Really well done!
Thanks man. I’ll get around to making some less scripted stuff but for this one I really wanted to cram a lot of research into it w/out the video being really long. Thanks for not clicking off and for you honest review and critique. Fyi I’m working on a Jasper video next. ✌️✌️
Very Inforamative.
Great vid! I remember buying a few Keller shells on eBay 20 years ago thinking I can make a drum with a ruler, a hand drill, and a paintbrush.
Thanks Alan! I hope you ended up making that kit. ✌️
If it has a rough looking amateurish paint job, it actually adds cool homemade character to it
Absolutely bananas good brother.
You're an inspiration.
Love it
Thanks man. And thank you for letting use your clip of Ben Strauss. It fit in perfectly with the history I was given by Justin!! 🙏🙏🙏
@@eddieavakian Anything you need that I have access to is yours brother.
Great! Thank you! Very interesting company.
Thank you for checking it out! 🙏
Great Video! Thank You!
Thank you for watching it!
This came across my feed and I'm glad it did! Superb Ed, as a drummer and owner of a DW Collectors Series kit and 1990's Pearl Masters MMX kit, I've heard of Keller maple shells before but has thought that was a DW thing. Thank you for educating me on the history of Keller Inc...I had no idea of the size of the company and the many other products they produce. Quite astonishing, really! I'm also looking at purchasing a WFL 111 kit , whom I believe William uses 3 ply Keller shells also.
Thank you Roger! It’s an impressive company with an interesting history. They’ve mostly stayed low key about their business, especially in the early days but they were kind enough to provide some visibility into their company for this video. I don’t know much about the WFL kits but I have no doubt that you’re correct on the them using Keller shells.
@eddieavakian you did a great job Ed. It's also amazing Keller had kept a low profile in the earlier days, but given the size of their company now and many other drummers like myself finding out about their history through your video, more drummers will be more aware.
I recently came across the WFL 111 Kits as I've been looking at adding a Ludwig Classic Maple series kit to the family, and not knowing too much about Ludwig other than Ringo Starr/Alex Van Halen playing them, once I dove a little into their history I found out that after William Ludwig started WFL drums after he'd sold Ludwig to Leedy but stayed on to run the company, he ended up leaving. Fast forward to 2016, William Ludwig, a 3rd generation Ludwig started WFL 111, so I guess you could say these drums are actually the legitimate Ludwigs! Aside from their vintage sound, they don't do wraps on their kits, they paint them, which for a classic finish like black oyster, is pretty impressive. They also offer different customizations that Ludwig don't offer. I haven't played or heard one yet as I'm based in Melbourne, Australia, but going back to my original comment, I did see William say he uses Keller shells.
@@RogerSmith-sm9en the Ludwig story is a wild one. I’ve covered alot of it in different videos but you may want to check out the drum history podcast with Bill Ludwig. He goes over the entire story of his drums. It was a good listen.
@eddieavakian will certainly do...and subscribe!
Great Video
Thank you
Fantastic video, thank you for making it!
Thanks Joel! I appreciate it you watching it.
And looking forward to Your next one!
Great video
Thank you James!
Thank you so much for the video.
You are so welcome! Thanks for checking it out.
So basically, the Keller group is next to the sole competition and must be a big inspiration to current Chienese manufactures replicating their business models... and their expertise span is hard to compute. Wow! No wonder they make great drum shells!
I think their expertise is probably not hard to compute if you have the right machinery and the correct wood knowledge. Which could be a reason why drums made in Taiwan and other countries are also excellent. If you know the recipe, that’s the fundamental
Luved it ! Thanks Eddie .
Thank you Kevin!
Thank you so much for mentioning us in the video! We worked with Keller shells for years, but even for us we got new information from your video! Great content! 👍🥁 Would you allow us to put a link of this video in our shop?
Of course! I would LOVE it if you linked the video to your shop. I appreciate the compliment! I am happy that the video got out to you and keep up the good work over there!
LOVED EVERYSEC OF IT 🤟🏼🤟🏼
Thank you Remy! I appreciate you letting me know. Means a lot.
I make custom drums and Keller products are the finest drum shells known to man. Great company/Great Products
Thanks for the taking a moment to share you expert opinion. After doing all my research, I couldn’t agree more! 👍
If I was a touring well known drummer I would use some kind of DIY Keller drum set. It would add a unique vibe to it like how some some famous guitar players use DIY guitars
Great Shells! I had a Great Kit Made Out Of Them.
Indeed they are. Great company, with talented people and an interesting history. Thank you for testifying to the quality. 🙏✌️
I’m not much of a drummer. I’m really a guitar player, but I bought a PDP Concept Maple kit about 10 years ago. Decked it out. Recently got back into drums and I was intrigued by Keller’s offerings. I’d like to build my own drums one day. It looks like a lot of fun.
IMO those PDP maple concept kits are one of the best deals out there. It’s always on my list of anyone looking for an inexpensive but serious entry into drums. Please make a video when you get that new kit done and hit me up. I’d love to see and hear it. ✌️
That was awesome!!!
Thank you Corrado! I appreciate the compliment and glad you enjoyed it!
I got my hands on a C&C 7"x13" all maple snare that is a Keller shell. It has the "Signature" stamp. I believe I found it on a forum from the previous owner and it dates back to the late 90's. Great sounding drum.
Nice! I didn’t mention C&C in the video but I should have.
Good job man!
Thank you! I appreciate it!
Fantastic video!
Thank you Duncan. I just checked out your premier unboxing video. I loved your live solo as the sound track. 👍
@@eddieavakian thanks! One of the few solos I’ve ever done but thankfully it wasn’t a total disaster 🤣
@@duncanstewart6982 😁.
Ok , Who's steppin' up to start the "Bazooka Drum co.?"🙃 Excellent show Eddie, very cool as alway's.
Haha. Right! Thanks for checking it out Sal!
This was a really great video with great info. I own a kit made out of very thin all maple shells by Keller. It sounds unbelievable. It has sustain for days. Every time I record with it the sound engineer pokes his head out of the booth and asks me what brand it is because there are no badges on it since it was a one off project kit a guy made for me. I’d love to watch a video of you putting together some drums made out of Keller shells for yourself.
Thank you for appreciation the video and the compliment! 🙏. Super cool that you own a kit like that! According to the VSS technology patent, it’s adds significant sustain to the shells so that’s probably what your experiencing. I’m not capable of making my own kit myself, but I think it’s a great video idea for someone who is. I may try and make that one!
Yes to the great video part. Late starting amateur here...I too have a kit of thin Maple Keller shells I bought from a custom builder in Brantford, Ontario in early 2000s (had him do the holes and bearing edges). I picked the depths for him to cut at, the hardware, and treated them myself with natural Tung oil, and assembled them. I love them, sound great, warm, and massive. (8x12 / 9x13 / 16x16 / 16x20) I had bought a nice Yamaha Oak Custom 7x14 snare from a friend - as first drum. Later replaced it (from same custom builder) with a one ply steam bent maple shell (5x14x1/4" w/holes/edges), and finished it myself again, this time with a nice acorn brown 'aniline' stain I mixed from powder form... anyway, still a really nice sounding Keller shell kit!
What a GREAT Informative Video. I learned so much from it. You have a New Subscriber and Please Continue to Education Us with Your Knowledge & Information.
Thanks Chris. I’ll certainly do my best to keep researching and posting as much as I can.
Very interestion information. Thank you, keep up the good sluth work on our drumming equipment. Shalom.
Thank you John!
In the beginning I was like - "oh cool, I will order some extra long tom shells from them..." and soon I realized that due to the huge volume of orders they will never even consider dealing with individual orders. Maybe I'll contact St Drums in Germany some day to place an order
They had some EBay store for a while and it’s still listed on their website but I was told it’s not really operational right now.
WOW!!! I’ve bought a couple Keller shells from Andrea at Precision Drum. Now that I’ve heard that there’s a 15 ply snare shell!! I’m gonna grab one!! Thanks bro for the video!! Cheers!!!
Nice. it’s got to be a beast of shell!
I've made 4 snares from Keller 15ply maple stock. It's a different feel and sound playing them + I find them more 1 dimensional.
@@doublea7054 what’s their “thing”?
It's hard to explain. Lacking nuance, dry? Just an opinion.
m.ua-cam.com/video/nVfIyy4uCnk/v-deo.html
Eddie you rock! ❤
Thanks Renee! Love you. 🥰
Thanks!
Thanks for checking it out!
Fascinating stuff . I have a junkshop Rogers Big R ' memri-loc' kit that I love . I bought it eons back so I didn't have to take my 60s Ludwig Super Classic on the road for three months and let roadies handle them . 20 x 20 kick , 14 x 10 rack tom , and an 18 x 16 floor tom that I later turned into a bop kick drum . When I was in my first band we had a manager from a proper band that let us open for them . He had a 65 Rogers Holiday kit , 22 in kick , 13 x 9 , 16 x 16 floor tom and the chrome Dynasonic snare ... I guess the Holiday kit would have been Jasper shells and my kit the Kellers ...
Thank you for checking it out. I’m not super familiar w Rogers after the CBS purchased them but if your drums are lates 70s or early 80s they’re probably Keller shells and great drums. The 1966 Rogers could be either Keller or Jasper. Keller actually started w Rogers in 1965 but kept buying Jasper shells as well. I have a both a Jasper and Keller Rogers kit and both are amazing.
I have 94 DW’s. They came in the mail the day they found Kurt. Anyways, they are basically the best sounding kit ever. I also bought a extra 18 bass for jazz in 96. That’s my story. Good night.
I have a DW kit as well. Got it 10 years ago. I live in LA so I was able to drive out there to pick it up. It was a lot of fun walking thru the place. Thanks for checking out the video and for taking the time to reach out. ✌️
I hear critiques of Keller shells. "OH gaps in the plies!" I had not had that issue in 15 years of DIY kits. Not to mention: the hardwood is real premium hardwoods. The maple and birch they use is MUCH more dense than most Asian woods. Rigid grain projects better than soft grained wood..
Thanks for weighing in Scott. First hand knowledge from someone who actually makes drums is valuable insight. 👍
Great video! You’ve got a new sub. Enjoyed your performance 😎👍
Thanks man! I appreciate it. I am alway looking for ways to get better at this so your compliment mean a lot!
i have a custom set from a drum company called Treehouse....i think they use keller...i have maple shells from 6" to 16".....they sound good, basic shell, 8 ply, no reinforcement ring......great info !!!
Treehouse sounds familiar. I can’t remember who but someone I know plays those. Thanks for checking in!
I have a Valley Drum Shop Snare circa 1987, I think it’s a Keller shell, great drum
Agreed!
1995 GMS CL 6 piece kit; Keller maple with birds eye outer ply’s. I bought them new and have never considered buying another set.
Sounds gorgeous! Love that Birds Eye finish for sure!
I would like to see a video on what drums are actually Keller. That is what line in a particular company are Keller. Most of the companies listed in your video have factory tour videos where you see the shells being made, but i guess they never said it was their factory. A little misleading, but I've known a lot of companies are just assemblers and finishers. There are some that probably still build from the ground up. It would just be nice to know what your paying for.
This is a deep rabbit hole, especially for the earlier years. Some companies only used Keller to get up and running, and then went on to make their own. Some outsourced as needed, and some companies bought other companies that may have outsourced their shells. There was certainly no efforts made to promote an outsourced shell. It's important to consider tho that the bigger drum companies formulated their own unique shells (in conjunction with Keller) and only had the basic manufacturing done by Keller. For modern drums, you may get more clarity. For example, USA made Gretsch drum are known to use Keller (proprietary recipe), while the Taiwan drums are made by DW.
Hello, if it is not a secret could you Please tell me where did you take the funky drum loop from ?
It is the sound that I’m looking for : )
Not a secret! I get most of my music (if I don't play the drums myself) from Epidemic Sound because they allow you to download just the individual stems, I usually just take the drums. That song is called "No More Escaping".
Wow
I exclusively play Magstar drums and have several kits and snares. All Keller shells and I absolutely love the timbre of these drums. Rob Kampa of Magstar/Worldmax is amazing at building kits that sound superior to most of the big name companies out there.
Love it. I’ve seen that name but had no idea who is behind it or the qualify. Thanks for the info!
Outstanding Video and very informative. I have Early 1970's Slingerlands Approx 1971 With the Gene Krupa Sound King Snare 5"x 14" . I have the 71 catalog I believe they had 2 different shells 3 ply maple with reinforced ring n a 5 ply maple with no reinforced ring . Mine are mahogany finish on the outside & no reinforced ring . I figure they are the 5 ply with no ring n they are very resonant n great . Can you comment on these shells thought slingerland made all there shells back then.
From what I understand Slingerland made their own shells early on and Keller didn't enter the picture until much later, like the 90s. I could be wrong tho! BUT I do know that you have one hell of a drum kit there man! Id love to hear it. If you have any videos please post me a link! Thanks so much!
@@eddieavakian Thanks Eddie I'll record a pro friend when he comes . Hope it sounds good enough from a phone . I also do have a few long time armenian friends one was my band member . Great people n i can tell your right there with them. Awesome video well said n too the point . I had no clue about the shells being done by another company . The reason i have that catalog is in 73 I bought all chrome veneered slingerlands n i sold them in 78 .I kept it n got lucky with this kit . I did not play except maybe 10 times between 1978-2018 . I should of started again long before now . I have a much better appreciation for the kit now even if i dont play well im always feeling much better afterwards . Its called an attitude adjustment for the better !
The Magnum shells are seriously good.
I have no doubt!
Excellent video! I have a wonderful set of signed Robert Keller shells that I have owned for over 20 years. I imagine he did not sign too many, and actually I think two or three are signed the rest are not but I was told they came from a batch of R&D shell for DW. Anyone have an image of his signature I could compare and confirm that it was actually Robert Sr. that signed them?
Hey man. Thanks for checking out the vid! I don’t have a signature but if you want to send me a pic I can send it to Justin Owens at Keller and see if he or one his Roberts sons can verify it. What amazing pieces those are!
@@eddieavakian It is most likely from the founders Signature Series that was produced in 1996, the 50th anniversary. His signature was burned into the inside of the shell.
That was good! Uhh there is a lot of lore involved but I heard that all Gretch shells from the fifties were Keller. Basically Gretch used them from the get go.
Thank you Russell! You’re correct about their being a lot of mystery out there. Part of it was that early on Keller stayed in the shadows and let the drum makers take all the glory. They still mostly do but they’ve definitely stepped out a bit and even had a booth at the NAMM show. As far as Grestch, I can only say that Justin at Keller has been there about 30 years and believes that Rogers was the first to approach them. Of course you’re talking about going back to before he worked there so there’s always a chance he wasn’t made aware of a Gretsch purchase from that period.
Not far down the road in Saugus Massachusetts is Eames Drums, arguably some of the greatest drum shells ever made.
Thanks for the info! Never heard of them but I’ll check them out.
@@eddieavakian
You should absolutely check them out. They have a 24 ply snare that is incredible.
Eames still around? Awesome
@@toddcapiton6285
Yes they are. They build birch shells in three thicknesses, and 15 or 24 ply snare shells. Last time I looked, the prices were fairly reasonable for what you get, which is a handmade shell made to order on site, not a rebranded shell mass produced by a furniture company.
I'm glad I bought a Gretsch USA Custom. I try to make purchase in the USA, since I live here, and the USA Custom line are Keller shells. I think Jasper went out of business in 2003, sadly. They would have been even closer to me.
I read that Grestch purchase a large quality of shell material before Jasper closed but it’s not known how long past 2003 they were able to use Jasper. Just thought I’d pass that little bit along. Thanks for watching!
@@eddieavakianFibes used Jasper shells, when they sold to Corder Drums in Huntsville, Alabama, Corder got their shell stock and continued using them until Corder went out of business. At that point, one of their drum builders bought their stock and equipment and built custom drums. He retired after Jasper went under and sold his large stock of Jasper shells and all of his drum making equipment to someone unknown to me. When he sold, he probably had the largest stock of new Jasper shells anywhere in the world, probably enough to make 40 or 50 sets, if not more. The Corder sets are very good drums, and the Jasper shells have a unique sound.
@@franktatom1837 Hi Frank. This is very very interesting! I’m actually working on making a Jasper video now. If you have any additional info, I’d love to discuss it w you.
@@eddieavakian I will see if I can reach the man that bought the Corder equipment and if he will be willing to talk with you. He redid some edges on two Ludwig 3-ply drums for me around 2000 with the original profile, he was very good at his craft.
@@franktatom1837 that’s very cool of you. Id love to speak w him if even for a few minutes. Any little bit of information is valuable. Thank you!
I have 20 plus years in the drum trade business, and you always know when someone is full of shit when they say, "They're just Keller shells"
Yeah there’s a lot of misconceptions out there about what they do. I leaned a lot myself speaking to Justin Owens. He was so accommodating with the information. They’re an impressive group and a real success story.
I have a Keller 2001 DW collector kit.
Solid!
Will you be at the Nashville Drum show?
I don't have any plans to be there. When is it?
@@eddieavakian the 29th and 30th of July every manufacture is there
@@christophersimpson4968 ah! I’m playing a few gigs on the west coast from 7/30 to 8/10. I’ll have it try and make it out next year. I’ve been meaning to check out Nashville and that sounds like the perfect reason!
Is the same VSS Keller with IRA treatment by Yamaha?
Hi Simon, I don't know much about Yamaha so I can't really say. Do you know if the IRA treatment is patented? If so I'd review the patent to see how they compare. I provided a google link to the Keller patent in my description. Since you mention it, I may add this to my list of research for future videos. Thanks for watching!
I’m surprised you mentioned precision. They’re close to me and their drums sound great
Hi Mike. Yeah Precision is one of the only 4 official Keller distributors. I’ve never purchased anything from them myself but I hear nothing but good things.
@@eddieavakian if you ever travel up this way there’s a local spot called the falcon and has a precision drum set in there great scenery. You’ll love it.
@@1mikeburns very cool. I’ll have to check it out next time for sure. I make out to NY about once per year
Don't forget Ayotte Custom Drums, one of the OG's of custom drum builders. The raw shells came from Keller. Still to this day Ray Ayotte will use Keller shells when making his custom kits.
That’s good to know! I’m not familiar with Ayotte drums but Ill check them out. Appreciate the info! ✌️🙏
@@eddieavakian Ayotte drums are/were amazing. They were the first modern company to offer wood hoops, the first to build bass drums with gull wing spurs, the first to create a snare throw-off with an incremental lever, the first to make a riser for small bass drums, and the first to do a one-way fade finish.
Unfortunately, Ray Ayotte lost control of Ayotte Custom Drums back in 1999. It's changed hands a couple times and I think it's pretty much a dead company now (I tried contacting them about ordering replacement parts a couple years ago, got no reply). Ray Ayotte consulted for Taye Drums until they had a falling out (I think they held the patents for things he designed for them, but I'm not sure), actually consulted for Ayotte for a short while in the mid-2010s (quit because they weren't listening to him), and has been making drums as RAYA for ~15 years.
BTW, Ray was the first person I know of to debunk the "they're just Keller shells" myth, when he described Keller's proprietary method for harvesting wood veneers and building drum shells specifically for Ayotte.
Didn't Vinny Appice play those drums for a minute ?
@@jc3drums916 great information! I’ll have to dig and catch-up on this history. Thanks for putting this out here!
@@williamboyle8918 Not sure. Matt Cameron was arguably their most famous endorser. The other endorsers I know of were Canadian - Tyler Stewart (Barenaked Ladies), Johnny Fay (The Tragically Hip), Jeremy Taggart (Our Lady Peace), etc. Wikipedia says Matt Chamberlain and Joey Waronker endorsed Ayotte as well.
Keller makes great sounding shells. I laugh everytime some kid tries to state "in house made" shells from other makers are superior just because it's "in house". There's a reason why top manufactures used them for decades.
Yeah that's not how it works. I think the misconception is that only "in house" shells can be unique. They don't realize that Keller makes proprietary formulas, and makes them at the highest level there is. Gretsch is a perfect example.
In the pizza industry, a lot of pizza places use the same tomato brands and also the same flour and cheese brands. But each place will still be different
Always heard Keller shells were sweet.
They’ve gotten the process down, literally to a science. Great company.
oh, kEller! I read killer.
Haha. Well they do make some killer shells! 😃
Are they as good as Jasper shells ?
Hi Gregory. I don’t have any deep knowledge on Jasper shells but I do have an early 60s Rogers kit w Jasper shells that sounds incredible. I will say that Keller has innovated and clearly mastered the process. Your question makes me want to look into possibly doing a video on Jasper next! ✌️
I have a Gretsch kit with jasper shells
@@gregorystinette8271 it’s my understanding that Gretsch purchased a lot of shells before Jasper closed in 2003 so they keep using them even after they switched to Keller.
I do not understand the connection with Rogers drums. Rogers drums were 3 ply shells.
Rogers used a 3 play shell from Jasper starting from the mid 50s. By the mid 60s they needed another source because of demand and they started purchasing from Keller. I believe those shells were 5 plies. I’ve actually done a video on both of my Rogers kits, one w Keller shells and the other w Jasper. If you get chance check those out. I get into the shells a little deeper. Thanks watching this video!
@@eddieavakian- no problem, I will check out those videos
I'm surprised that Keller doesn't do a Birch shell.
They actually did make a one but they recently discontinued it for some reason. They probably still make one for their proprietary lines but they don’t divulge those formulas.
Because birch sounds like doodoo.
@@toddcapiton6285 I had a Yamaha Recording Custom kit for many years and with its birch shells, it was one of the best sounding and playing kits I ever owned.
drum company was sold last year to nodic Drums
Wasn’t planning on it but when is it? Maybe I’ll try and make it.
I have a 9 piece DW (5 racks, 2 floors, and 2 bass drums) which has a mix of both keller and DW shells made in the 80’s, 90’s, and 00’s.
You wouldn’t hear the difference.
All great and thin shells with a tonne of tuning range.
DW got it right the first years if it needed to sound exactly the same.
I don’t know for sure but I suspect that DW worked closely w Keller to make their shells a specific way and because of this, they knew how to make them and were able to keep them consistent. Of course they later added so many more shell designs to their line up.
@@eddieavakian I think so too.
In the 10’s it changed (sometimes drastically).
I noticed Ludwig was not included. Hmmmm…..
Funny you mention that. I actually had Ludwig listed as a company that used Keller, but Justin Owens at Keller has no record of Ludwig ever purchasing Keller shells. In fact he himself had approached them several times w no luck. That’s not to say that it’s not possible that they purchased shells at some point but he just couldn’t verify it, so I choose to leave them out.
If you have information that they did purchase shells, I’ll leave an addendum in my description where I correct any mistakes In my videos.