About Our Products
Drum Kits | Snare Drums | Bearing Edges | Snare Beds | Wood Hoops |
What you can expect | Construction | Timbers | Finishes
| Parts | Drum Cases
What we do
Fidock Handcrafted Drums are
about elite drums for session
and live work.
Most contemporary drum sounds reflect the materials and construction methods in use today for high turnover of product.
At Fidock Handcrafted Drums, we make solid stave shells for all our drums, lathed thin and genuinely handcrafted.
Less glue, no harsh reflective coatings, tonal timber, thin shells, outstanding bearing edges, more tone and depth.
The result: Warm, musical, earthy and powerful drums, with all aspects of the construction and finishing processes directed towards elite recording instruments.
FHD Drum Kits
The logical progression of our work in solid timber snare drums is to apply the same principles to the entire drum set.
As with our snare drums, every aspect of a FHD drum kit is directed towards delivering an outstanding instrument for professional use.
Our timber of choice is Australian Blackwood. This sustainable timber is well known to serious instrument makers for its superior tonal and tensile qualities.
FHD drum kits are available by special order to meet any requirements*.
*96k 24-bit multi-miked wav samples are available by contacting FHD.
Serious snare drums
As drummers we spend our lives working on our skills and sound. When we are at the kit, it’s primarily our snare that will define our voice and command of our instrument.
Every Fidock snare drum is unique, a true reflection of our dedication and passion. From the construction process to the choice of parts, we offer a snare drum like no other.
The combination of our solid timber wood hoops and the characteristics of the shell construction make for a snare drum with a range of voices and ‘sweet spots’ across the entire playing surface.
We use eight lugs in order to leave as much of the shell as we can undisturbed along with consistent and reliable tension levels.
Bearing Edges
We use a double 45° round-over edge for all of our snare drums. This combination is designed to deliver warm earthy voices with controlled overtones and cutting attack.
Snare Beds
Fidock snare beds are cut to ensure an articulate full response with a clean finish.
Wood Hoops
Fidock wood hoops are made from the same high tone timbers as our shells.
They are exceptionally strong and resonant and matched to our stave shell deliver the full potential and unique character of our drums.
We use a single length of timber, which is cut and steam-bent to form 2 semi-circles. Each hoop features only 2 joins.
As a result, we make wooden hoops for regular use that will hold high tension levels and provide accurate and reliable tuning.
The use of solid timber delivers a well loaded, articulate click and a fuller rim-shot with plenty of cut and fat.
Another feature of our hoops is a slightly lower elevation. This provides greater dexterity for stick and brushwork and smoother access to the playing surface.
What you can expect
Fidock Handcrafted Drums are professional instruments. They are quick to tune, reliable and loaded with character and depth.
Our drums are unusually light, that’s because we work on the principle that a thinner shell produces increased resonance and volume.
Fidock drums are designed to suit a variety of acoustics, and particularly to deliver when the occasion calls for low volume, restrained playing. You won’t need to lay into our drums to cut through with plenty of tone and depth.
Fidock drums are articulate and full bodied across a wide tuning range.
FHD offer a new voice in contemporary drum sounds and a fresh approach towards meeting the needs of drummers and clients.
Construction
Our drums are all stave shell constructions. This means we use a bare minimum amount of glue and we can run the grain vertically.
These factors ensure that the resonance and tone of the timber are at their fullest.
We cut a very thin shell wall so our drums are loud with a defined, fat tone with nice depth and good projection.
To add strength to the shell and focus to the note, all our drums have reinforcement rings sculpted out of the shell wall.
Timbers
Australia is home to some of the world’s finest hardwoods, amongst them some truly formidable tonal timbers of striking appearance and unique acoustic qualities.
None more so than Blackwood, our primary timber.
After extensive R&D of a range of indigenous and non-indigenous timbers, Blackwood defines the FHD aesthetic in every respect.
Blackwood (Acacia Melanoxylon)
Blackwood is widely recognised amongst leading instrument makers as an exceptional tonal timber and has delivered some of the finest acoustic instruments heard to date.
Unlike most hardwoods, even highly dense Blackwood is subject to areas or ‘strips’ of open grain. This we believe is what gives Blackwood its unique warm, open and dynamic character.
And in a world of finite resources, Blackwood is a responsible choice. Small production practices in Australia operate under strict sustainable low impact harvesting guidelines.
 Plain Blackwood |
Figured Blackwood |
Compression Timber 'Butt Stump' Fiddleback |
All our timber comes from accredited suppliers who sell from source direct to instrument makers only.
All our timber is hand-selected and cut to our specifications to minimise waste.
From the word go, we make absolutely sure that all the timber we select finishes as a great drum.
Finishes
FHD shells and hoops are hand sanded using the finest quality sand paper. We meticulously progress through all grades up to 2000 grit prior to applying a finish.
Fine sanding to this extent maximizes the surface tension of the timber (‘pinching’) to enhance the acoustics of the inner shell and highlight all the features of the grain.
For oil based finishes, we use select organic oils; these are highly refined plant based and non-toxic.
We offer 2 types of finishes:
Satin: Burnishing oil with a genuine ‘Tung Nut’ base wet sanded and buffed to an elegant warm finish that highlights all the subtleties and features of the grain. Long wearing and non-toxic.
As with shellac, this oil dries and hardens at and below the surface of the timber which enhances the acoustics of the inner shell. Medium / High Gloss.
French Polish: Traditional method application with either natural or clear shellac. This refined finish ages with increasing character, highlights all the subtleties of the grain and is relatively easy to maintain.
The sealing properties and ‘dryness’ of shellac make this an ideal application for use on the inner shell. High Gloss.
Parts
We use low weight tube lugs on all our drums to maintain a low mass shell. They are well made, reliable and long lasting.
Snare drums come with the Fidock/Trick multi-step strainer and 20 strand wires (Canopus silver (wet) or Puresound). These items need no further endorsement; they are the best there is.
We use Remo heads. These skins are the perfect compliment to all our drums.
Drum Cases
Drum cases, handmade here in Australia by Claude Ragone for Fidock Handcrafted Drums, are the ultimate in hardwearing protection and built to last. You won’t find a better made or more durable snare case. Highly recommended.