Joel emailed me that he has been away gigging and will get the forum when time permits.

Mister T (Yes, this is a mini- Mr T. Smiley. It made me laugh)

Thanks

David

Hi Pete,

You bring forth a very good point when you state, "you have to be comfortable with the instrument you are playing on a regular basis".

The brand of drum will go unmentioned....but in the early 80's I signed-on with a very popular company that was literally taking the drum world by storm- their drums were everywhere! The representatives from the company heard me on a date at the Jazz Showcase here in Chicago and felt that I would serve as a strong Endorsement Artist for their company. Shortly thereafter they delivered two of their top-of-the-line kits (including 2 hardware paks) to my front door...$8000.00 worth of equipment- free of charge!!

However, two distinct situations occurred early on in the endorsement. For one, I never heard from or met with the reps ever again! Thus, this great lack of communication resulted in little-to-no recognition of the fact that I was serving as an Endorsement Artist for their company. Secondly, I came to realize that the overall sound quality and feel of the instrument was greatly lacking from what I had previously been experiencing with Sonor.

Obviously, I learned a very important lesson: free equipment was not the answer to my continued success as an artist and my career. After three years into the endorsement I returned to performing on my Sonor kit, which had been in storage (5-piece Sonor-Phonic Series/Rosewood Finish In & Out). So after all of the generosity and kind words, I was back to playing Sonor- a company that I did NOT have an endorsement with! It was during July of 1987 when the Sonor Drum Company heard me performing in Chicago while the NAMM show was being held at McCormick Place, where Sonor was displaying their product line. It was at this time that I signed-on officially with Sonor. From 1987-2004 I consistently played Sonor Drums as an Endorsement Artist.

In early 2004, Steve Maxwell (Steve Maxwell Pro Percussion) informed me that Premier Drums was making a serious move in becoming a strong competitor once again in the market place with their new "Premier Series" line, and that he would like to introduce me to the VP of Premier Worldwide Marketing. I met with Premier and experienced the incredible quality, design, and detail of their new line of "hand-made" drums, as well as the unbelievable sound quality and "feel" of the instrument. Simply put, they proceeded to offer me the best endorsement package that was ever presented to me.

This was a unique case where the quality of the instrument and the endorsement offer were each of the highest level. Since the inception of my contract, Premier has been extremely supportive and actively promoting my efforts as a professional drummer. In fact, I will be appearing as a Guest Artist with the University of Illinois Concert Jazz Band at the "International Association of Jazz Educators (IAJE) Convention" in NYC, January-2006, where Premier Drums will serve as my featured sponsor!

Thanks for your interest and best of luck with your career as a professional drummer.

Sincerely,

Joel Spencer

Thanks for the response Joel. Very insightful. Do you find the sound of the Premiers much different than the Sonors? Do you use the same head combination and similar tuning? In regard to the artist relations I've always thought that a company should give support in addition to equipment to the artist. It also amazes me when I see drum companies splashing ads all over magazines featuring the latest hot band drummer. Some of these guys may or may not have the staying power to be very credible. Take a look at a Modern Drummer magazine from ten years ago and look at all the names who fit into the "where are they now category". It's amusing. I have a lot more respect for guys like you who are consistently influencing drummers through education instead of just having the hot name this month. Best Regards,

I'd like to reinforce Joel's comments regarding Premier drums. I was truly impressed when I saw the quality of the new drums being built by Premier, which is why I brought them into my shop as the only modern major drum manufacturer that we sold in our shop up until we added Gretsch this past year. Additionally, the management organization supporting Premier seems to be fully engaged in helping Premier strengthen their brand image world wide. The Premier Series is their high end line and these are truly incredible drums. At the present time, I think that many players are missing an opportunity to own a phenomenal set of drums if they do not check out the Premier Series. The sound quality is superb; fit and finish are flawless (the sparkle lacquer finishes will absolutely knock you out); the drums look great on stage; and the price is well within the range for a high end professional kit. Premier drums aren't as much of a household word as DW, Yamaha, etc, but trust me, these drums are as good, if not better, than anything out there today. It will take Premier some time to build their name back to what it had been in the 60s, but they are on the right track with their product line, and they have the right people supporting their vision within the organization.

Steve

Glad to hear the glowing review of Premier. I still consider them one of the classic drum companies. I have to admit I was not happy when they got in bed with the big box stores. Next time I'm in Chicago (probably January) I'll have to stop in and check them out. I'm becoming increasingly paranoid about taking my vintage stuff out to gigs. Thanks for the report Steve.