NOBLE & COOLEY
Any drummer or recording engineer worth their salt will attest to the legend of Noble & Cooley drums. Since 1854, this family run company has focused on one thing; making the best drums out there. But, with the concentration on making the best possible product, the brand took a hit and fell into the background.
Resurrecting the brand began with digging into the company's history, manufacturing process, material sourcing - basically looking for what truly differentiated the brand. Believe it or not, in many cases, this is harder than it seems, especially with the commoditization of everything.
In Noble & Cooley's case...
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165 years old
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Still operated by family (now on their 7th generation)
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During the civil war, N&C made snare drums for the northern regiment
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Heck, they even made a drum for Honest Abe!
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Still making drums on the pre-civil war era machines they started with
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Phil Collins has his own signature snare
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N&C makes steam-bent drum shells from trees in their own backyard (no one does that)