IMMINENT RELEASE:
Stand-Alone Throwoff
and
"Craftsman Edition" Snare Drums
You asked for it!
I've developed a tweaked version of my throwoff that will be available in the late Fall as a stand-alone part. It's coupled with an all-new buttplate with a Patent Pending feature everyone who's beta tested has been very excited about (and said they've used every time they've used the drum). I know, "novel buttplate feature," but hang with me... this is a drummer-focused thing, no reinvented wheels or design-for-design's sake here, I promise!
This Fall will also see the launch of a new line of snare drums I've worked very hard to perfect, and that I truly believe to be a lovely compliment to the existing Nickel Silver line. The new line still comes out of my NY shop, is a continuation of my "timeless modern minimalist" design aesthetic, and has a unique proprietary shell... and happens to come in at a slightly more accessible price point.
The Nickel Silver line will stay for the immediate time being.
That said, I have very limited production capacity, several new products in R&D, and prefer to focus on getting one thing "just right" at a time, so I can't promise the Nickel Silver will always be available. So, if you've been on the fence for a Nickel Silver, now might be a wise time.
Best, and thank you for the interest and support. It's been an amazing year!
-Aaron
VISION
INSPIRATION IS THE PRIMARY STANDARD OF PERFECTION
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?
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.
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
Latos Drums
11 Spring St
Newburgh, NY 12550