If you landed here for a great sounding drum that is suited best for a school, modern ensemble, etc., you may want to take a look at our Independence Model, or Custom drums. If you're looking for an authentically recreated historic instrument, you're in the right place!
If you landed here for a great sounding drum that is suited best for a school, modern ensemble, etc., you may want to take a look at our Independence Model, or Custom drums. If you're looking for an authentically recreated historic instrument, you're in the right place!
Loyal Drums specializes in creating historic drums that celebrate the rich traditions and craftsmanship of rope tension drums throughout the ages. In fact, drum maker Dave Loyal got his start in music reenacting field music from the Civil Ware period, and that's how he fell in love with classical rudimental drumming.
Historic instruments in our collection represent almost every decade of American drum building from the 1770s through today. There's a lot to say about historic drums, their construction, and their quality. We could write a book, but something to summarize is that the majority of military drums in the American Revolution through the Civil War were built to a level consistent with providing signals to military units, and not necessarily to the quality standard of a well-tuned instrument. That being said, we prefer to prioritize a balance of historical accuracy, with an instrument capable of a refined sound.
Pictured: An MEB Brown Snare, circa 1812.
From museum-quality copies of historic instruments, hand-forged components, and hand-planed wood, to nailed seams, hot hide glue (HHG), and oil paints/shellac/linseed oil finish, you'll find it here. If historical accuracy is the goal, we have the infrastructure to bring it to life. Many- if not most- Revolutionary War snare drums (including the one in our collection) lacked a snare strainer, and instead wedged gut between the hoop and the drumhead. We can replicate this, or use our hand-forged J hook strainer.
There is a time when the goal of teaching history doesn't involve the stitch count of your hand-sewn button holes (6 per inch). Calfskin is king for historic drums, and it's truly wonderful to play, but comes at a cost and can be limiting. The sound of un-muffled calf can be closely replicated with our stained Quantum* drumhead, and may be the right choice for some players. Calfskin or synthetic, players find their balance of history and practicality. Our instruments will be at home in historic ensembles of any type.
Give Dave a shout to talk about the level of historical accuracy that is right for your build!
*patent pending
Calfskin heads are suggested for historical accuracy, but since we are a custom shop, we can adapt the drum to fit your needs. Synthetic stained Quantum* drum heads are a much better replication of the look, sound, and feel of calf than Fiberskyn. Although not period-correct, Quantum heads are commonly used in schools and educational programs, and we recommend calfskin drums to serious living historians and progressive reenactors. Muffles and dampeners can be provided, but are not standard, nor historically accurate. Goat skin is not recommended due to its limited longevity.
*patent pending
These drums are designed with the look and feel of period-correct instruments but offer a higher standard than most original instruments. Our 18th century style drums have a refined bearing edge and stronger adhesives with more durable paints as options to your preferences. Custom art is available, including hand-painting on the shell or a replica tack pattern.
Our hemp is the finest on the market, and is a virtually exact replica of historic drum ropes in our collection. Together with our friend Will Chappelle, we import this high quality hemp rope from France.
Our hemp is the finest on the market, and is a virtually exact replica of historic drum ropes in our collection. Together with our friend Will Chappelle, we import this high quality hemp rope from France.
