Zildjian 400th LE Alloy Snare

I feel like the world has plenty of “perfect” drums.For a musical instrument, however, I find beautiful more inspiring and important than perfect. And I’m not sure how many of those "perfect" drums are going to hold up over time. Particularly metal drums, and on-the-drum hardware. In a hundred years, are they going to wear out, strip out, have lacquer crack off, have pitted plating and rust? Almost categorically, yes, if they last that long... or aren’t cast aside for something new and trendy.

Are they going to be as beautiful and inspiring, be something that we'll want to pass down to our kids, our grandchildren, our closest drummer friends or most dedicated students?

 
<sup>The most useful drums for me, as a working professional musician, have been instruments that have aged gracefully. Things that were intended to sound and feel good before all else, crafted from long-wearing materials that embrace wear, with timeless design, and with touch from human hands. And they’ve often been drums that have lasted nearly 100 years so far, with many more miles left to go.

So that’s what I set out to build. Drums that will inspire, sound amazing, look even better with age and use, and be just as musically useful for their 2nd and 3rd owners, a century or longer from now. Inspired by the great brass drums of the 1920s and 1930s, of course, but with a modern, minimalist aesthetic. And with fresh designs, for the music of today and the future.</sup>

^{Being individually hand-crafted with traditional methods, they are far from perfect, now or ever, but I think they're something much more important: these drums are beautiful, forever.}

^{-Aaron Latos}