Over the years a lot of very good questions have been asked
with regard to Tempus drums... I thought it was time I tried
to address a few of them using this wonderful digital
medium. And please, if you don't see your question and its
answer here, let me know; I'll reply privately and, if it's
pertinent, post the new Q&A's here.
Q. How thick are
Tempus shells?
A. It depends on the material used and the shell being
built. Fiberglass tom tom and bass drum shells are about
1/8" thick, Fiberglass snare drum shells a tad over
3/16". Carbon Fiber shells are, respectively, about 15%
thinner and somewhat lighter.
Q. What shape are
Tempus bearing edges?
A. The best answer to this came years ago from, as I
remember it, Gordy Knudtson, who likened the bearing edges
to "the long end of an egg". The shells are really
too thin to allow much in the way of precise angular
variations - 45 degrees outside, 62 degrees inside, that
sort of thing - and, as near as I can tell, very minor
variations on the basic theme make no audible difference to
the sound of the drum in question.
Q. What's that
smell?
A. It's fiberglassing resin, MEK catalyst, pastes, gelcoats
and a number of other top secret ingredients ( the sweat off
the craftsman's brow, the blood from the craftsman's
fingers, you know the sort of thing...? ) added to the mix.
After a while the exquisitely pungent aroma does dissipate
but it never really goes away completely. Kind of a
trademark, I like to think...
Q. What's the
difference between Fiberglass and Carbon Fiber?
A. Physically C/F shells are thinner than F/G shells, by
about 25-30%. Sonically, I'm told by those who own both that
the C/F shells actually produce a warmer sound than the F/G
variety. My ears tell me the same thing but it's difficult,
if not impossible, for me to be objective.
Q. Can I get a
catalogue?
A. Unfortunately, no, not at the moment. The last media
piece I did was beautifully designed and printed on
expensive paper; to produce anything less at this time would
be a let down, I think, and since I don't have anywhere near
the budget to put out anything of a similar quality, I'll
have to let the website do the job that a new catalogue
would otherwise do.
Q. Aren't Tempus
Drums expensive?
A. This all depends on your needs, wants and perspectives.
As a high-end product Tempus Drums fall somewhere in the
middle of the scale, cost-wise; there are many other
manufacturers whose top line drums cost as much as twice (
or more ) what mine do. On the other hand, if you're looking
for a budget-priced kit this is definitely the wrong place
to be looking.
If, however, you want a
totally unique synthetic shelled instrument which will
outlast you and several generations of your descendants...
Q. Can I get Tempus
Drums with a wood veneer on the outside?
A. It can be done but, really, what would be the point? Such
a process would detract from the basic function and
effectiveness of a seamless, dense and very thin shell.
Q. It looks as if
you've added a lot of new finishes in the last year or so;
how do you decide what to offer?
A. The finishes that I offer are those which my customers
ask me to create. Since all Tempus drums are made to order -
literally custom built - and since every customer has a
personal preference in so many detailed areas, it's lucky
that I'm in a position to be so flexible when it comes to
custom finishes. It's generally as simple a procedure as
having the customer send me a sample of the color to be
matched, me sending that same sample off to my
brilliantly talented lab technicians (well, not my
technicians, exactly, but it sounds impressive... ) and
leaving them to it for a day. When it comes to Glitter
finishes, the same process applies, except that I can more
easily choose the nearest matching metalflake from the
hundreds in stock at my supplier.
So, really, if I've added
"new" finishes, it's because you all have such
excellent tastes in such matters.
Q. What kind of
hardware do Tempus Drums come fitted with?
A. Tempus has exclusive signature lugs, but at the moment
doesn't have a line of stands and, as a result, the drums
can be fitted with whatever brand of mounts, spurs, legs
etc. that the customer desires. The only specific items I
use are the wonderful throw-off/butt combination made by
Greg Nickel and, since 1987, the beautiful Evans drum heads.
You may also buy Tempus shells un-drilled, and mount your
own lugs, hardware and heads. In fact this has actually
become quite a popular concept over the last few years.
Prices are available upon request.
Q. Who endorses
Tempus Drums?
A. Officially, nobody. Endorsement programs are notoriously
difficult and costly to run and, in all honesty, I just
haven't the resources to manage such a task. Tempus Drums do
tend to get included in the arsenals of a lot of players who
own a wide range of equipment made by a variety of
manufacturers ( most of whom do have endorsements with major
manufacturers ) but I don't think that there are many
players out there who use my instruments exclusively.
And, of course, any list I
might give you would undoubtedly, though unintentionally,
leave out some truly dedicated players who should have been
mentioned; after all, the word "endorser" does
seem to carry the connotation of the "notable" or
"celebrity" player and, to be sure, there are a
great many Tempus drummers out there who, while not
household names, are full time professional traveling
musicians. And, of course, there's the very real possibility
that mentioning those big names would simply look like a
vain attempt to pad out the list. Where, then, does one draw
the line?
With this in mind, and in the
hopes that nobody either on or off the list takes offense,
here's a catalogue of those players - and some of their
employers - who have, at some point or another through the
years, owned one or more Tempus drums ( and, with any luck,
some of 'em still do... );
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