description

Sonor in Weissenfels
For the first time, an extensive collection of historic facts from texts, pictures and documents of the Link family and the SONOR company has been compiled and reviewed by SONOR vintage expert Klaus Ruple. Thanks to his research in Weissenfels and to the present book, the company's unique and pioneering achievements in the area of German percussion instrument manufacturing now appear in new splendor. 240 pages Hardcover, languages German and English.

Italian Vintage Drums & Cymbals
by Luca Luciano. 150 pages. Complete view of Italian drum and cymbal makers. Hollywood, Meazzi, UFIP, Zanki, Spizzichino, Wooding, Alberti, Davoli, Di Berardino etc. etc. Written in English and Italian. Wonderful book featuring the great Italian designs of drummakers in the past and present.

NEW April 2013

The Ludwig Book
by Rob Cook, 306 pages, 64 pages full color. Complete business history and dating guide for all catalogued snare drums, outfits, and production clues such as badges, colors, etc. Includes Ludwig & Ludwig, WFL, Leedy & Ludwig, Ludwig Industries, and today's Ludwig. Includes CDROM with today's Ludwig catalog, 1:1 scans of 1980s endorser posters, and rare audio recordings of WFL Jr. and WFL Sr.

The Making of a Drum Company
Autobiography of Wm. F. Ludwig II; The most famous name on drums tells his own story, from childhood to today. It's all here: starting WFL, struggling with Buddy and Slingerland, the Beatle boost, the sale to Selmer. etc.

Ludwig 1912 catalog
reproduction First Ludwig catalog!

The Rogers Book
by Rob Cook. 2005 second edition. Complete business history and dating guide. 8.5x11, 221 pages, 32 color pages of topcollections.

Gretsch Drums
The Legacy Of That Great Gretsch Sound by Chet Falzerano. Softcover, 144 pages.
The history of Gretsch, with lots & lots of photos. 8 pages of color. Lots of endorsee information.

Gretsch 1941 Catalog
reprint

History Of Leedy
History Of The Leedy Drum Company by Rob Cook Catalog. 177 pages Lots of photos, charts, catalog pages, etc. in this complete business history of Leedy from the founding in 1900 through the years as the World's largest drum company and ultimate demise at the hands of the Conn company.

George Way's Little Black Book
Compiled by Rob Cook. 8.5"x11" paperback, 60 pages. A brief biography of George Way, followed by a reproduction of his vendor directory; personal notes from George to himself about where he got brass, felt, etc. Specifications are on many pages, and a few manufacturing notes such as not Leedy lacquered shells, etc.

Billy Gladstone by Chet Falzerano 8.5x11", 77 pages.
Admired by colleagues and the public alike, Billy Gladstone was the featured percussionist at New York's Radio City Music Hall for 18 years after its opening in 1932. He was also a consummate inventor, with more than 20 US patents to his name, not the least of which was the famous Gladstone snare drum. This book examines the man and the remarkable instrument he conceived, with great color photos in the "Gladstone Gallery."
"My roll is probably the best roll in the world outside of one other drummer, and I'm not modest. The greatest drummer that I have heard in my life as far as rudiments and the roll are concerned is Billy Gladstone." - Buddy Rich.

The Cymbal Book
by Hugo Pinksterboer 9x12 inch paperback, 212 pages.
THE definitive book on cymbals. Histories of all the cymbal companies as well as cymbal acoustics, selection and testing, setups, cleaning, repair, etc.

Guide to Vintage Drums
by John Aldridge. Paperback. Includes some of the most informative articles from the author's periodical NSMD (Not So Modern Drummer) as well as a few related articles.

The Drum Book
(The) Drum Book by Geoff Nichols. Updated second edition 2008. 8.5x11, 144 pages. $24.95 A must for any drummer's library; this book is jammed with useful historical information related to the evolution of today's drum set. Includes capsule histories of dozens of drum companies.

Gene Krupa, The Pictorial Life of a Jazz Legend
by Dr. Bruce H. Klauber. With over 200 photos that span six decades of jazz history, this most visual of performers, the man who made the drums a solo instrument, comes alive like never before and provides a definitive retrospective about Gene's music, drumming, drum setup, and important contributions to the evolution of the drum kit. The companion CD includes previously unreleased tracks covering five decades of Krupa's unmistakable drumming. 176 pages.

Gene Krupa, His Life & Times
By Bruce Crowther
The biography! SPECIAL PRICE!

The Baby Dodds Story
As Told To Larry Gara. The autobiography of the famous New Orleans drummer that has inspired drummers from Gene Krupa to Steve Smith.
This book was out of print until Rebeats republished it in 2003.

Good Vibes- A Life In Jazz
by Terry Gibbs, 334 page hardcover The autobiography of jazz vibist (and PAS hall-of-famer).

Hal Blaine And The Wrecking Crew
by Hal Blaine with Mr. Bonzai. 6x9, 128 pages. Updated edition (2003) includes new chapter on The Carpenters, and updates of Hal's activities since the release of the original edition of this book in 1990.

Cream and Ginger Baker
by Chris Welch. 192 pages. Complete group history with section on Ginger Baker by Geoff Nichols

Make sure to visit us when in Amsterdam! Email winnie@hidehitters.com