That 70's sound
That 70's sound
In this blog, I will be analyzing drum-related gear from the 70s that I can actually afford to get my hands on!
My 1976 Hamma Rosetti-EMI kit
My first article about a unique piece of history I recently acquired.
For as long as I can remember I always wanted to own an old drumkit, one that looks really cool and sounds amazing. At at certain time I believed that in order to achieve this I needed to spend more money that I have laying around, but some time ago I proved myself wrong, and I would love to talk about it!
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Storytime.
As the article title states, I bought myself a Hamma Rosetti-EMI drumkit from 1976. For some drummers out there this might not even ring the slightest bell, including myself before I purchased this kit, so let me tell you all about it! :)
As I was scouring marketplace a few weeks ago I got in contact with a huge drum enthousiast that owns an amazing collection of mainly vintage drum-related stuff. He kindly showed me around and told me many things I did not know before entering his lovely home. That very day I left with an 22” Olympic (Premier Club) bass-drum dated from the mid 70’s. I was extremely happy with this purchase but I longed for more, I returned a week later to get my 1976 Hamma kit, which has a 22” bass drum, a 16” floor tom, and a 13” tom.
Premier Percussion was the face behind Hamma drums. From 1976 till 1980 Premier manufactured drum kits and snare drums for Rosetti-EMI (instrument dealer). This all happened in the then still standing Premier factory in Wigston (England), which got demolished in 2017.
Now the fun and interesting thing about Hamma drum kits is the fact that they are almost the exact same as the renowned ‘Premier Elite series’ that began production in the 1970s and which is now seen as their modern flagship product. They both use the same birch shells and share the same thin ply aged birch with beech re-enforcement rings. Truly, the only difference is the fact that it got re-badged.
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In the field.
The day I got the new kit I immediately went to my rehearsal space and recorded some audio, so I could show you people the sound and character of this absolute powerhouse of a drumset!
Together with the Hamma drum kit I was using a DW performance 14”x5,5” snare drum, and for the cymbals I was using a pair of 15” Istanbul Agop 30th anniversary hi-hats (thanks Joey) paired with a 21” Istanbul Jazz ride cymbal.
Regarding the setup of the recording, I decided to go with a single overhead microphone that was placed right above the middle of the kit. Additionally, I included a snare microphone and a bass drum microphone. This configuration allows me to give those crucial pocket elements an extra boost if needed, ensuring a well-balanced open sound overall!
(Disclaimer: I am not an audio engineer by any means)
In my upcoming explanation video I’ll go into detail about the mixing process and so forth.
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As a conclusion, I would like to express that this drumkit is truly an absolute delight! It has inspired me and motivated me to explore more and more vintage drum-related gear. You will definitely see me using this in the future during gigs, recording sessions, …
A huge thanks for reading till the end and until the next one!
Clementine 🍊
