Neil Peart -- The Latest News

At NAMM 2015 this week, DW announced that the Neil Peart R40 14 x 6.5 snare drum will be available for purchase. All Pro Percussion has a listing for the snare with an estimated delivery date of April 2015. It's listed for $1,499.55, which is the same price as the Neil Peart ICON Time Machine Snare. Note that this drum features the same level of exotic inlay artwork as well, meaning that the designs on the drum are produced by different wood types and colors (as opposed to graphics).

Here's the description:

In celebration of Rush's 40th Anniversary Tour, Drum Workshop, Inc. (DW Drums) is releasing the Neil Peart R40 snare drum. Just like Neil's R40 touring kit, this DW Icon series snare features exotic inlay artwork from previous Rush albums and gold plated hardware. Each snare includes DW's Mag Throw-Off with 3 position butt plate and a DW Deluxe Snare Drum Bag.

Labels: Drum Workshop, drums, R40

We're starting to get more details about the three DW Limited Edition "Icon" snares that were announced last week at the NAMM show. Here's what we know:

• There are three snares being produced, including a Neil Peart Time Machine design, as well as one for Nick Mason of Pink Floyd and one for Roger Taylor of Queen.
• DW is making 250 of each snare.
• The Time Machine Icon snare drum is a 6.5x14-inch 10-ply Collector's Series Maple VLT (Vertical Low Timbre).
• A portion of the proceeds will go to the charities of each drummer's choice. Neil Peart's charity is The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation in Toronto, Canada.
• As far as price goes, one drum store in England has listed the Time Machine drum for 1399 pounds -- or around (US) $2,308. Yes, this is a lot of money for a snare drum -- but these are limited editions being produced at a level of craftsmanship far above typical snares.
• To purchase a snare, DW recommends contacting a dealer from their locater map. In the past, Neil Peart limited edition items have sold out, so if you're interested I wouldn't wait.

DW has also released a handy inlay legend (PDF) detailing the different woods used in each drum. Just to be clear (because I didn't understand this at first), the designs and colors aren't created by stencils and paint, but by inlaying different woods into the drum itself.

• The dark wood used throughout the drum is padauk.
• The Time Machine symbols are made of natural maple.
• The gears surrounding the Time Machine symbols are made of dyed orange maple.
• The cogs around the lugs are made of natural walnut.
• The vertical borders are made of white poplar and dyed black poplar

A promotional video is now available from DW about these drums:

Neil says in the video, "This is made to replicate the exact snare drum that I use -- not only in concert, but on every one of our records since I started using it -- five or six years, I would suppose. It's a personal instrument in that it is the drum that I play, but it is an evocation of the design that we came up with for the live kit -- the Time Machine kit. This is a further development, if you like, of that technique of what it takes to do this kind of inlay, and what it takes to create such a beautiful piece of art and craft."

Here's a close-up of the inlays in the snares (from left to right, Roger Taylor, Neil Peart, and Nick Mason):

The "Icons" and their snares:

Labels: Drum Workshop, drums, Icon Limited Edition snare

At the NAMM 2014 show held this week, DW introduced three new Collector's Icon Series snares to honor Neil Peart (Time Machine), Roger Taylor (Queen's crest), and Nick Mason (Dark Side of the Moon). You can download the PDF brochure here.

You might be wondering how this version is different from previous Neil Peart Time Machine Collector's snares. According to the brochure, the Time Machine motif is "...is painstakingly laser-cut, then hand-inlayed from a variety of jaw-dropping exotic wood veneers."

This means the designs on the drum aren't painted -- they're laser cut from different exotic wood veneers and hand inlayed. The design and construction is illustrated in the DW video (at the 9:20 mark).

Here's a close-up of the snare:

Here's what the "gear" looks like before it's inlayed:

DW video:

Here's the text from the official brochure:

Created by DW Drum Designer, John Good, to pay tribute to some of the most iconic drummers in the history of Rock, the all-new line of Icon snare drums honors Neil Peart of Rush, Roger Taylor of Queen, and Nick Mason of Pink Floyd. The snare drums sizes and shell configurations are as played by each artist, with one dramatic new design element. The finish is painstakingly laser-cut, then hand-inlayed from a variety of jaw-dropping exotic wood veneers. For Neil Peart's drum, the Time Machine motif is realistically created in the wood, while Queen's ornate, Freddie Mercury-designed crest is depicted, as is Pink Floyd's famous Dark Side of the Moon prism and waveform image.

Each drum is protected with clear gloss lacquer and includes Collector's Series snare drum standard features such as our MAG throw-off system with 3P (3 position) butt-plate, True-Hoops, True Tone snare wires, True-Pitch tuning, and DW heads by Remo USA. Also included are a premium DW snare bag, certificate of authenticity, and a legend that describes the woods used for each specific drum. For more information on this iconic collection, visit: www.dwdrums.com.

There's no list price yet, but you can imagine with this level of craftsmanship, these snares are not going to be cheap.

Labels: Drum Workshop, drums, NAMM

Labels: Drum Workshop, drums, videos

Drum Workshop is now offering a "Time Machine" collectable reproduction snare. No word on pricing or where to buy at this point.

Collector's Series Specialty Snare Drums - Drum Workshop Inc.

Created to commemorate Neil Peart's latest drum set creation, "The Time Machine", each snare is an exact recreation of the drum Neil plays on tour. It's not a signature snare drum, but rather a collectable reproduction. The 6.5x14" Collector's series North American Maple shell with VLT (Vertical Low Timbre) technology provides optimal crack, warmth, bottom end and sensitivity. The drum is painstakingly finished with copper leaf-applied graphics and hand airbrush work. Custom copper hardware completes the look. Also standard is a MAG throw-off system with 3P butt plate, 3.0 True Hoops, True Tone snare wires and DW Heads by Remo USA. Available for a limited time only.

I have a feeling that "exact recreation/collectable reproduction" means this will be more expensive than the usual signature snare drum models from DW.

Thanks to Rushisaband for the head's up!

Labels: Drum Workshop, drums

I've posted some pictures of the "Time Machine" kit, which were taken by Dave Hermansen. Thanks for sending, Dave!

Neil's Time Machine Kit at NAMM 2011

Labels: Drum Workshop, drums, NAMM

Lorne Wheaton has posted that he will be taking Neil Peart's DW "Time Machine" kit to the NAMM 2011 show. The NAMM show (National Association of Music Merchants) takes place from January 13 - 16, 2011, at the Anaheim Convention Center in California.

From Lorne's MySpace:

I will have the full "Time Machine" tour kit on display at the DW booth at NAMM in January.

Note that NAMM is not open to the public -- only members of the music trade or people who have been invited.

Registration information

If you want to share any pictures that you take of the "Time Machine" kit, please send them to ac_olson@hotmail.com. 

Thanks to Rushisaband for the head's up.

Labels: Drum Workshop, drums, NAMM

DW posted an article about building the new DW NHL Logo kit for Neil Peart.

DW Builds NHL Logo Kit for Neil Peart's Rendition of the League's Official Theme Song

According to the article:

The set will be seen before each "Hockey Night in Canada" telecast and will also follow around the Stanley cup as it travels from arena to arena. Eventually, the set will wind up in the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, Canada.

Sabian artist rep Chris Stankee, who helped "tech" the sessions for the new Hockey Song, as Lorne Wheaton is on the road, also posted an article:

Neil Peart Records New Hockey Theme

There are some additional photos of the sessions on beyond20khz's Flickr account.

Finally, I found an interesting website that details the long negotiations between Delores Claman, composer of the Hockey Song, and CBC. After the negotiations collapsed and CBC announced a contest for a new song, CTV bought the song. The story is also detailed in this article in MacLean's.

Here's an excerpt from the MacLean's article, written on June 11, 2008:

Why the CBC would let (the Hockey Song) slip away is a puzzle for the ages. After years of trading on the cultural significance of its broadcast, the corporation appeared determined last week to jettison the hymn that called their fans to communion. On Friday, executives breezily announced a $100,000 contest to come up with a new theme, as if 41 years of tradition could be replaced in a summer jingle-off. A barrage of 1,500 calls and emails from angry viewers gave them pause, and on Monday they announced they wished to reopen talks with the help of a mediator. Yet, in words and in actions, CBC managers rejected the notion that the soul of the broadcast could be tied up in a few bars of music. "What Hockey Night in Canada is really about is hockey," Scott Moore, the executive director of CBC Sports, told one reporter. "Everything else is just window dressing."

Thanks to Rushisband.com for the head's up.

Labels: cymbals, Drum Workshop, drums, Hockey Theme, Sabian

Neil Peart and DW Drum's John Goode talk about DW shell technology.

SSC - Specialized Shell Configuration Part 1

SSC - Specialized Shell Configuration Part 2

Labels: Drum Workshop, drums, videos

There's an article in the latest DW Edge magazine, where Neil Peart and John Good discuss DW's latest shell technology. You'll need a PDF reader to read the article, which appears on page 15.

PDF article (4.94 MB)

Thanks to Eric at Power Windows for the head's up!

Labels: Drum Workshop

Update: This kit was sold 8/9/08.

For all you collectors out there who didn't pick up a DW Neil Peart 30th Anniversary Commemorative kit before they sold out, here's your chance. One owner is selling his kit--and even throwing in a few other goodies. You can look at the details and contact information at this link:

30th Anniversary Neil Peart Drums FOR SALE-negotiable

Labels: cymbals, Drum Workshop, drums

Neil Peart has penned a new article called "The Heart and Soul of a Drumset." The first chapter "Bass Drum Heartbeat" is available on the DW website.

In addition, there's a great video of Neil talking about the DW "X shell" and hybrid kit. In the video, there's a time-lapse sequence of Lorne Wheaton setting up the Snakes kit. Pay close attention to the song playing in the background.

Thanks to Rushisaband for the head's up.

Labels: Drum Workshop, drums, videos, web article