2007 marks my 7th trip to LA for the Winter NAMM show. Like all shows of this nature each one is unique and has it's own...flavor (for lack of a better word.) This show was a tough one. A busy fall season, some family illness, a trip overseas and the rush to get the George Way company up and operating all lead to delays in being fully prepared for the show. All that notwithstanding, what needed to be done got done and from the moment I landed it was clockwork.
In spite of the NAMM flu that was going around and that feeling of never stopping work, I pulled through and Dunnett Classic is well on it's way to another banner year and by the looks of things, so is the George Way company. At times it may appear to some that DCD is a large company but the truth is it's really still a 1 man deal. Or is it?
Year after year I continue to receive an incredible amount of support in all sorts of forms from everyone - from customers and well wishers to perfect strangers and my family.
You know who you are. I like to think that at some point I have thanked each of you personally for your contibution. Thank you lists often seem like afterthoughts but none of you are ever far from my mind. I am humbled by your caring. In no particular order...
Al Faminoff, Shane Wilson, Kerry & Patti Crutchfield, Ken Fredenberg, Paul Mason, Giovanni Chiarini, John Van Ness, Richard Miller, Mike & Lee (Drum Paradise), Pete Dubusoff, Jerry and Henry@Reliance, Paul and Mr. Liao, Bill Detamore, Nathan Weins, Todd Trent, Jim Catalano, Lorne Wheaton, DrumWorkshop, David Webber, Brad Papp, Nick & Kelly, the members of drumsmith.com. OK, who feels left out?
And to my 2007 NAMM show crew
Kris Fleming, Markus Kamp, Bob Hand
I could have done it without you but why would I?
And to my long suffering family...Chris & Jack
You can now have the living room back and me with it.
This is pretty much where it begins. After a 4:30 AM start and a 3 hour flight Iarrive at Drum Paradise to do an inventory check and load the displays and product...into that tiny little minivan!
...even if we DO say so ourselves!
Pete Stanbridge and Dunnett
Monday night coma.
My truly excellent Crewman Bob Hand (kanbasher) along to assist with load in and set up. I thought California was supposed to be warm. Dam near froze my oranges.
with the Paiste booth sits with it's red walls.
I usually arrive to find my booth space filled with gigantic crates belonging to Latin Percussion.
This year was no exception and it took an hour to get Freeman to fork the crates.
2 PM on Tuesday. The display has been hauled in and the snareracks are assembled.
The white kit required some finally assembly - the one thing I really dislike doing is what I call "build at show" or BS for short. Everything did come together as planned and the results speak for themselves...
Finally...after 28 hours of set up, the pay off.
The Dunnett Classic / Geo. Way Drum company booth in all it's glory.
About the kit...14x 26 / 8 x 12 / 9 x 13 / 14 x 14 / 16 x 16 6 ply maple / gum shells no re-rings.
Die cast hoops, R Class spurs, floor tom legs & U bracket. R logo round badge. Gloss white.
The J series single braced hardware is coutesy of
Gibraltar (notice how clean looking single braced stuff is).
Cymbals are 2oo2 courtesy of my friends at Paiste
ne of thosboom.
Wanna buy it? Contact Darren at West Coast Drums in Santa Ana, CA.
The snare racks.
The new George Way Drum Company product line up appears in the rack on the right. Top to bottom: heavy brass, 3 ply inSilver Marine pearl, Solid Maple and 4 ply Maple / Milkwood.
The bottom 3 are available from Bentley's drum shop.
The R Class U bracket for floor toms.
Geo. Way Solid Maple in Natural Oil finish. Street around $450. What's to think about?
Geo. Way 3 ply Maple/Poplar/Maple finished in Silver Marine Pearl
Ralph Penland - one of many dear friends and supporters who
stopped by...and there were many this year!
CLICK on the image to see an MPEG of Ralph playing the kit!
Australian inventor Don Sleishman - pioneer of the modern double pedal...and me...in a suit!
Suit by Calvin Klein, lanyard by Ducati.
Blue Man Jeff Quay and Paul Wertico.
UPDRINKY! My pal - the Master - Johnny Craviotto
The Mob. JR Frondelli and Al Adonolfi. 
Jeff Campitelli (Joe Satriani) and friend checkin' in.
Jason Bonham...the one guy who should have a stainless Bonham kit but doesn't.
and Kris keep mum about the whereabouts of the brushes.
Ah! The lovely NAMM nurses come by to make sure I gave, I mean got my flu injection.
the drum o
Ryan Hoyle & Bermuda Schwartz.
Dale Miller an me feckin' around
myspace minions?
Meet Olly - my most excellent dealer from Koln, Germany
Metalheads. Gregg Keplinger & moi. "One for the books" as Gregg says.
Kris Fleming, Markus Kamp, Nick Amoroso and Kelly Brady.
Logistics courtesy Mike & Lee (Drum Paradise)
Gary Gauger, Kelly Brady and Paul Mason
What would nurses be without - the Doctor AKA Ross "The Boss" Garfield of Drum Doctors fame.
Long John Aldridge
My crew of 2
Old pal Lorne Wheaton (Neil's tech) & new pal Michael Mosbach (Rush's security manager)
took the weekend off from mixing the new Rush album and flew in from Vancouver.
BTW - Lorne tells me the new album is one of the band's best ever...can't wait!
I can't believe I once shared a stage with these cats.
My pals and (very awesome drummers) Dom and Steve.
The lovely Kelly Brady...shal we dance?
At last! Will Calhoun - a source of grewat inspiration - takes home a 6513TI
The end of another successful show!
Very special thanks again to Bob Hand, Markus Kamp and Kris Fleming.
Next Stops:
4/07
Frankfurt, Germany
THE 2007 MUSIK MESSE
9/07
London, England
DRUMMER LIVE