People sometimes ask me why I own so many special drums. The honest answer is that I have never really seen myself as a collector.
When I was sixteen I bought my first vintage Ludwig. It was a White Marine Pearl from the sixties, and that is really where it all began. Not because I wanted to build a collection, but because I was looking for a certain sound. I noticed that some instruments had something I could not always find in modern drums. They responded differently, inspired me in a different way, and made me play differently too.
From that moment on I kept looking for instruments with a character of their own. Sometimes that was a vintage Ludwig, sometimes a Westend from The Hague, and sometimes a modern boutique snare from a builder who makes something special. Not because they are rare, but because they add something. To my playing, to my lessons, or to the music.
That is also why The Drum Vault is not a collection to show off. Almost everything here is simply used. During lessons, in the studio, on stage, or when I am tuning a drum kit for someone else. I believe instruments are made to be played. Of course I try to maintain them as well as I can, but in the end they are meant to make music.
There is a personal side to this collection too. My drum school is in The Hague, which is why it feels special to keep a number of Westend drums. That is a piece of local history I am proud of. Just as it feels special that my first Ludwig is still here. It is probably not the most valuable drum in the collection, but to me it may well be the most important one.
These days I buy far less than I used to. If something new arrives, it really has to add something. A different sound, a special story, or simply an instrument that makes me think: I am going to enjoy this for years to come. The collection does not need to grow as large as possible. I would rather have every instrument here for a reason.
Maybe that is what The Drum Vault ultimately is. Not a museum, not storage and not a showroom, but a place where my love for drums, drum sound and craftsmanship comes together. A place I love to talk about, to lend from, to teach with — and one I hope others get just as excited about as I do.
If you are ever at the drum school, feel free to ask if you can see one of the drums. Chances are I will happily tell you a story about it.
— Stefan van de Brug
