RL DRUMS HISTORY

Born in the early '60s in England, I grew up with my parents listening to music featuring drummers like Keith Moon, John Bonham, and Bill Ward. This early exposure sparked my interest in playing the drums.

When I was 9, our family moved to the USA. The music scene was very different from England's, and I started enjoying bands like Rush, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Black Sabbath.

Christmas of 1976, my parents bought me my first drum set. A Pearl, red sparkle, 4-piece set. As the years passed, I played drums in school marching bands and trumpet in school concert bands. In 1982, the year I graduated from high school, I got a band together and played a few gigs but with no good job at the time, the drums became a distant memory.

Fast forward about 35 years. COVID-19 took over the world. Despite having a great job as the president of a major hydraulic supply company in Ohio, the virus limited my ability to go out, so I needed a hobby. I decided to get back into drumming. After searching for the best sounding and most economical drum set, I settled on one and began building it up to resemble a Neil Peart set. Part of this setup included a set of black octobans I purchased on Amazon. However, I soon realized I wasn't happy with their sound, so I decided to make my own. I contacted a few companies that sold 6-foot long pieces of acrylic tubing, cut them myself, and drilled the holes for the lugs. Since then, I've found an excellent supplier in Asia who offers acrylic tubing in 12 different colors, allowing me to offer these colors in lengths up to 28 inches.

After a couple of years of supplying high-quality octobans, customers began requesting complete acrylic drum sets, which I now offer. Shortly after, I expanded to include drum sets made from various types of wood. Recognizing the importance of snare drums, I now provide them in acrylic, wood, brass, bronze, stainless steel, and steel, available in 12", 13", and 14" diameters with a variety of depths. Additionally, I offer a high-quality line of hardware, including double tom stands and weighted boom stands, among other items.

RL Drums is also the North American dealer of Omete cymbals.

CEO and Founder of RL Drums-Richard LeRoy