'Second to none:' Oxnard's Drum Workshop a mainstay among drummers for 50 years
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Some of the world’s top musicians have played these drums: Rush’s Neil Peart, Nick Mason of Pink Floyd and Charlie Watts, one of the original members of The Rolling Stones.
Don Lombardi, co-founder of Drum Workshop Inc. in Oxnard, turned a Santa Monica teaching studio into one of the leading drum manufacturers in the world.
The company, commonly referred to as DW, celebrated its 50th anniversary on April 21, but held a six-day-long celebration in Santa Monica last month.
“I’m still enamored myself when I watch TV and see somebody on a DW drum set,” said 77-year-old Lombardi.
To commemorate the milestone, Drum Workshop is releasing a 50th anniversary edition six-piece drum set and single and double bass pedals.
The company also announced a first-of-its-kind wireless electric drum set that can be converted into an acoustic kit. The drum set, called DWe, had been under development for years and will be released in 2023.
In September, Drum Workshop was acquired by Roland Corporation, a Japanese company that makes electronic drums and other electronic instruments, for $65 million. Drum Workshop’s founders and CEO “will continue to serve in their existing capacities at the company,” Drum Workshop and Roland said in a joint news release.
Now a well-known name among musicians, Drum Workshop was founded by Lombardi in 1972. He was joined by John Good in 1974 who is credited as co-founder.
Known as the company's wood whisperer, Good is also senior executive vice president of the company, focusing on drum design.
Lombardi started playing drums professionally in the early 1960s when he was 16. He played with a band called The Crickets, which was started by Buddy Holly. However, he later became a well-know drummer for club house bands across Los Angeles.
By the early 1970s, house bands were starting to disappear. To continue making money as a drummer, Lombardi would have to travel. Because he was raising a family, he looked at other options. That’s when he started Drum Workshop.
For its first five years, the company focused on teaching drummers in a seminar setting. Established drummers would come to the workshop to teach the young musicians.
Then in 1977, Drum Workshop purchased manufacturing equipment and started producing hardware and accessories for drum sets. Among the early inventions was the 5000 pedal, which has become a standard bass drum pedal among percussionists.
In the 1980s, Drum Workshop began experimenting with drums. Lombardi said the company built drum sets as a hobby but musicians were drawn to the kits.
Some of those earlier admirers were Danny Seraphine from the band Chicago and Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac.
One of those first drum sets was even featured on Mötley Crüe's 1989 album, "Dr. Feelgood." Lombardi said Tommy Lee, the band's drummer, was shocked when he first played the kit. Lee had never heard drums sound so good. He then purchased the drum set for $1,900.
Lombardi still has the check, but he did cash it.
In 1990, DW put together its first catalog of drums and took it to the National Association of Music Merchants trade show. Lombardi said he had hoped to sell 15 drum sets to help establish the company as a drum manufacturer. They sold 60.
The company kept upgrading to larger facilities throughout its first 28 years until 2000 when it moved to 3450 Lunar Court in Oxnard.
Danny de Hoyos, a collector and longtime player of Drum Workshop drums, said its the quality and care that goes into each kit that appeals to musicians.
Each drum set is custom made for the client. Prior to the drum set's construction, a representative will interview the customer to determine what kind of instrument and sound they want.
“These DW drums, they’re like nothing else,” de Hoyos said. "The resonance, the sound you get out of these things are phenomenal. They’re second to none.”
De Hoyo, a resident of Dallas, has over 30 Drum Workshop drums, including a replica of the kit used by Rush's Peart during the band's 30th anniversary tour. Only 30 were ever produced.
Drum Workshop drums are made out of multiple layers of wood. Depending on the desired sound, they’re made with a number of exotic woods, such as North American hard rock maple and almond wood.
The drums can come in multiple finishes, including hand-drawn designs and art.
Louie Garcia, a custom painter with Drum Workshop, said he has painted drums for Rush and Mexican singer Ramón Ayala. Last week, Garcia was busy finishing a snare drum for the band Journey. He said he was on a tight deadline because the drum had to go on stage this week.
“I wake up every morning, and I want to paint drums,” Garcia said. “The day I wake up where I don’t want to paint with passion, then I will turn in my two-weeks notice.”
In the 30 years Garcia has been with the company, that hasn’t happened yet.
Depending on the number of drums and the work that needs to be done, Lombardi said each drum set costs about $3,000 to $6,000.
Drum Workshop’s subsidiary Pacific Drums and Percussion offers kits at more affordable prices, ranging from about $700 to $2,000.
When he isn’t busy with Drum Workshop, Lombardi is focused on growing the Drum Channel, a website he started that offers virtual drum lessons by master drummers. The site has about 2,000 lessons for beginner, intermediate and advance drummers.
“You’re not going to have more people playing drums if you don’t have a way to continue to teach them how to play drums,” Lombardi said.
Staff writer Tony Biasotti contributed to this report.
Brian J. Varela covers Oxnard, Port Hueneme and Camarillo. He can be reached at brian.varela@vcstar.com or 805-477-8014. You can also find him on Twitter @BrianVarela805.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Oxnard's Drum Workshop celebrates 50 years as industry headliner
