Bass Drums
Both of the bass drums that the band carries are made by Premier, they both are at least twenty-years old.
The drums where painted by William Hewitt of Drums Sounds in Sandy Row, Belfast.
It’s hard these days to get a good sounding bass drum, both of our drums are playing well and we would hate it if we where to lose them.
Bass Skins
The band has indeed like most bands tried all kinds of bass drums skins, to try and get the sound or effect that all bands these days are having trouble finding.
The various companies are making new skins that have incorporated a new designed double skin. In our opinion they do not suit today’s Blood and Thunder bands, the sound effect is not the same as the old single type skins.
Since we do not like theses new skins the band has been able to source the single type skins from contacting friend in far away Canada, and which we have great pleasure in using these traditional sounding skins on parade.
Please click HERE to view some of the new skin designs that we shall be using in the forthcoming season. If you like what you see then please visit Hedley’s Marching Band Art (Site 1) & (Site 2) for further details to see if your band can benefit from Hedley’s fantastic artwork.
Side Drums
The white side drums are also made by Premier and they are HT700’s. In the whole history of the band we have never used any other make of drum apart from the Premier range.
Although we have tried all kinds of drum heads and drum skins that are used with Premier drums.
It is indeed hard to get a drum these days sounding and staying in tune, as we all know in this business drummers are hard people to please!
Flutes
Since the band was formed they have always played wooden flutes usually a two or three piece Miller Brown.
Due to a revamp of equipment about four years ago the band has now changed to an all metal flute made locally by Clifford Rea.
These flutes are high pitched and are played by a lot of Blood and Thunder flute bands today. They are a four key flute with a black mouthpiece.