Quite Frankly Drums - The History

My introduction to drums came when I was perhaps 2 or 3 years of age when my parents bought me a child's toy set. I loved that little outfit right from the start, but sadly it didn’t last long as an over enthusiastic adult neighbour wrecked the set by breaking two of the three heads.

Unfortunately there are therefore no known images of me with that set of drums, although oddly, to this day some 55 plus years on, I still have the small bag that the tools came in and that has the outfit printed upon it.

My full appreciation of drums and drummers really started in 1971 when aged 8, I saw a 14 year old by the name of Simon Phillips perform with a drum trio at our school concert.

The sight and sound of three unaccompanied drummers tearing it up, just blew me away!

It took a further four year of tapping my hands on everything in sight before my father presented me with his own (all be it banana shaped) vintage drum sticks and brushes from his playing days in the 1950s.

That was December 31st, 1975 and like most things, I still have those brushes to this day.

My father's father, had also been a drummer, fronting his own 12 piece dance band in the 1920s - 1940s, while I understand that even my great grandfather was also a musician, so I guess it was in the blood?!

Below is a recently found image of my late Grandfather Frank Collins Snr, seen here at the microphone rather than on the drums with one of the bands, circa 1944 and with a fabulous Traps set in front of him.



Since that final day of 1975, I have always been around drums in some capacity and I was destined for a career within or around the music industry.

Even during a 24 years break from playing myself, I always kept two drums in my cupboard just to say to myself that I had some drums!

One was the last snare drum I'd purchased, a stunning Gretsch 14x8" that I that I bought new in 1983 after talking to Phil Collins who had recommended it.

Gretsch drums were actually the first sets that I fell in love with a decade earlier while my father was watching old black and white jazz TV shows.

That legendary logo left a lasting impression on my very young mind and there was something about their very different tone that clearly stayed with me...

Some 35 years later, that Gretsch snare would eventually join a very special set of Jazzette drums in my collection!

The only other drum I kept when I stopped playing was an original 10" Remo Roto-Tom.

During my working life in touring and travel, I have been fortunate to work alongside many legendary drummers.

Phil & Simon Collins, Taylor Hawkins, and Nick Mason remain among some of the favourites from the many hundreds that I have assisted or toured with in some capacity over the decades.

Over the last 15 years, I have also been incredibly fortunate to also acquire some wonderful and very historic drumming items and it all started with the center piece in my collection.

That kit is the former Phil Collins Pearl Concert Tom BLX set of drums that he played extensively on multiple tours, recordings and one off shows during 1982 & 1983 while I was on tour with him as a wide-eyed rookie in the touring business.

The Pearl drums were used on the following:

Genesis - 1982 'Three Sides Live' World Tour.
Phil Collins - 1982 'Hello, I Must Be Going' European Tour.
Phil Collins - 1983 'Hello, I Must Be Going' North American Tour.
Robert Plant - 1983 'The Principle of Moments'
Genesis - 1983 'Genesis' Album Sessions.
Eric Clapton - May 23rd 1983 - Civic Hall, Guildford
Peter Gabriel - July 9th - Selhurst Park, London
Robert Plant - 1983 UK Tour Rehearsals

Another iconic set that I had in the collection for 12 years was the former Pink Floyd Bird's Eye Maple DW kit from their 1994 Division Bell tour.

Only two were made, one for Nick Mason (who still has his to this day) and a second matching set for Gary Wallis who augmented Nick's playing on the tour and which can be seen on the wonderful P.U.L.S.E dvd.

I acquired much of Gary's massive set that is seen in the above image.

My initial main focus for vintage collecting was the often overlooked and long gone British AJAX drum sets along with their related drums and brands.

Having acquired a near mint 1950's set, I found there was little or no information about the brand on line so I set about changing that and that included setting up a dedicated AJAX page on Facebook that now has well over 800 members.

The more vintage drum research I did, I discovered that there is just something about most vintage drum sets that captivates me in general.

The 1920s - 1960s in particular interests me with many sets of drums featuring a high evel of craftsmanship, engineering and artistic design concepts, much of which has sadly been long pushed aside for economic or simply practicality reasons.

I next started to study and collect the great American Slingerland sets and snares.

I had unknowingly loved their sound since I was a young boy as it transpired that all of my father's favourite bands had drummers who back then, all played Slingerland!

Naturally I am talking about the likes of Louie Bellson, Jake Hanna, Rufus "Speedy" Jones and of course, Buddy Rich & Gene Krupa and therefore, I guess it was only a matter of time before an American Slingerland kit or two sat among all of my English kits and very special kits they are!

Gene Krupa was my father's original favourite drummer before Buddy Rich stole that accolade so naturally I had to explore those sets!

Some of the earliest records I bought in the 1970's were also at the time, unbeknownst to me, featuring Slingerland drummers. Bill Ward of Black Sabbath, Bev Bevan of ELO and Danny Seraphine of Chicago, then David Robinson of The Cars had a wonderful chrome over wood set.

Later, while I was working and touring with a very young Alanis Morrissette in 1995/1996, a then unknown Taylor Hawkins was playing a Slingerland set and he and I would talk drums and drummers for hours on the tour bus.

Along the way, through my various connections, I also gained an appreciation for the 1980's Pearl DLX / BLX kits which originally stemmed from my time touring with Phil Collins when he endorsed the Pearl brand.

Many top drummers played these kits in the 1980's and many still talk fondly of them today and at one stage I owned the majority of the DKX range.

My choice of 'modern' drums naturally now finds that it too has a retro feel to it.

My 'go to sets' come from either the stunning George H Way kits produced by the ever creative Ronn Dunnett or the incredible, retro, modern, chic - A&F Drums.

Ronn obtained the rights to George Way and George H Way drums and is now making astonishing and faithful modern retro recreations, of which I am fortunate to have three sets.

A&F Drum Co. President, Ramy Antoun found from his session and tour work with the likes of SEAL, he too had a passion for the vintage drum look and sounds, and he founded the brand in Austin, Texas in May 2016.

I currently have a Single Tension Raw Brass set at the heart of my sonic experimental kit, and that includes no less than five snares!

I also have my eyes on a second A&F set when funds and down time from work allow!




This Quite Frankly Drums website is essentially a record of my drum collection past and present along with the history behind each set of drums where known. 

I play the drums for pleasure, this site is about the drums I collect and not myself or my drumming abilities or lack thereof!

I am simply a self taught lover of drums and my limited time behind a drum set spans just 1976-1985, 2009-2013 and now, 2018 and long into the future I hope!

As mentioned on the home page, the site is dedicated with loving thanks to my late father, Frank Collins who along with his father, Frank Collins senior, set me on my lifelong drumming and music path.

Like the drums and music, this website is a labour of love, a slow build with items and information being added just when I am able and of course, as I perhaps uncover more historic information!

Thank you for visiting and I hope you enjoy your time here.
Graham Collins