This spectacular instrument is the result of a collaboration with sculptural artist and good friend John Goodyear. John has been exploring an interesting organic erosion motif in his wood art, and we both felt that it would lend itself well to the large canvas of a drum shell.
We decided on an uncluttered Walnut shell with a center band of African Blackwood and matching hoops for this project. The dimensions of the drum are 12 by 5.5 inches, and in order to facilitate the heavy texturing, I turned the shell to a full 5/8ths of an inch in wall thickness.
One side of the instrument is pristine, and as the piece is rotated the extent of the erosion accelerates, folding over the hoops in some places and culminating in a small cavity which pierces the shell wall.
John uses a variety of tools to create this effect, but the majority of the wood is painstakingly removed by hand with a tiny dental drill. To create the illusion of layers in the piece John undercuts the surface of the wood and employs several different textures and treatments. Both the drum and hoops are finished in a rich satin oil varnish, and hardware is 24K gold.
This instrument boasts a full-bodied voice with a tuning range that makes it capable of serving as either a workhorse or an effects drum. And it also just happens to be one of the coolest pieces of art I’ve ever seen.
The Erosion Drum
