FAQ

Sorry, no. Whitney Drums are handmade here in my California shop. We sell only direct to the customer. In order to keep prices as low as possible, we’ve cut out all possible costs, such as dealer or endorsement discounts and advertising.

The laws of “nesting physics” state that you must have a minimum 3″ difference in diameter. And the combined depths of two nested drums (i.e. snare and low tom) must be a minimum 2″ less than the drum they are nested into, and 1.5″ less for a single nested drum.

From one end to the other there are basically five parts glued together,

1. 6-ply birch bearing-edge ring the diameter of the head size and 1″-2″ in depth (depending on the type of drum).
2. 9-ply birch collar (like a Saturn ring) 1/2″ thick with outer diameter approx. 2″ larger than head size (2.5” on bass drums). T-nuts on the inside receive the tension rods (no lugs).
3. 3-ply birch “Maxi-shell” 1/8 thick (the “fat in the middle” part).
4. Resonant-side collar (on nesting drums there is a second collar here that is not glued to the other but held in place by 4 thumb screws, no change to tuning occurs when removed for packing nested drums inside.
5. Resonant side bearing-edge ring.

1. Greater airspace inside the shell means that a shallower drum will play “effectively deeper” than the same depth/diameter in a conventional shell.
2. Through most of it’s depth, the drum shell is 1/8” (3 mm) thick. Thinner than any other all-wood drum shell. This emphasizes the lower frequencies in the drum’s overtone structure.
3. Combining our thin shells with their absence of lugs, Whitney drums are lighter in weight than any other brand.

The shells are thin in areas where there is no inherent stress from head tension or mounting bracket.  The 1/2”, 9-ply collars receive these stresses.

In 17 years, no drum has ever come apart from frequent use or even misuse. I have repaired or replaced only a few drum shells that have been damaged by baggage handlers or shippers but none have been rendered unusable. Most drummers know from experience to only let other people handle your drums if they are well protected.

The thumbscrews are captive and can only be removed with purposeful effort. You can’t over-tighten them with just your fingers. They thread into embedded steel t-nuts and a rubber pressure washer keeps them from vibrating loose.

The tension rods are 5 mm (M5) as used by DW/PDP. They are widely available from stores that sell drum gear. In a pinch, you can substitute a M5 or even 10-32 machine screw of the appropriate length. The “standard” tension rod as used on most drums is a virtually obsolete 12-24 size. As a machine screw, you will find this size only at specialty hardware outlets.

Our nesting kits do not include a hardware bag but I have some recommendations: The Protection Racket 5036 is a good hardware bag. For more money several companies, including Ahead, make rolling bags. Or you can get a generic rolling duffel at Ross or other discount stores. My favorite is a large tennis bag which features multiple compartments. These can be found on eBay, Amazon or sometimes at a thrift store.

The quickstand is made of birch plywood and painted black. I recommend wrapping it in an old towel or suchlike to protect it from being scratched by the metal parts, unless you use a tennis bag which will have a compartment for just the quickstand.

Your kit comes with Aquarian heads: The toms and snare have single-ply coated on top, clear on bottom. The bass has uncoated “Force” (similar to Remo powerstroke) on front and back. This combination provides a lively sound and, I think, a good all-around setup. When it’s time to replace the heads, all brands of heads can be fitted. If you prefer a more “bassy”, focused sound, you can try two-ply heads. And/or on the bass, something with more muffling such as Aquarian superkick.

Your bass front head (Aquarian “Force”) will come with a porting ring that you can install yourself. A port will subtract some bottom end and add some attack. If you want to place a mic inside nesting-series bass, you don’t have to port the head. You’ll find a groove for a mic cable at the bottom front between the nesting collar and Maxi-shell. We have found that placing just a common vocal mic inside yields a sound suitable for most situations.

I will personally process all orders. Contact me by email and we will start a conversation that will, 1) Work out the details and, 2) Provide you with a quote/invoice. Most domestic orders are paid by old-fashioned “check-in-the-mail”. Due to the fees associated, I do not accept credit cards.  JT Whitney