(Courtesy of RJP Photography)
I saw Zac post on his facebook a while back about a new snare that was made for him by a company called Serenity Custom Drums. Being a drummer myself, of course I had to check it out. I went to his page and started clicking through the pictures and this thing was awesome! Considering this was the first time I had heard of Serenity drums, I wanted to get an outside opinion of the company and their drums, so I messaged Zac and asked if he would be interested in an interview. Being the awesome guy that he is, he said he was down to do it, so here it is. Enjoy!
Q. How did you hear about Serenity drums?
A. I had come across a few of their drums while browsing the internet. Coincidentally, one of the owners (Dan) hit me up about working with them and potentially becoming an endorsee. When I informed Dan that I was happily endorsing SJC, he offered me a snare.
Q. How was it working with Serenity?
A. Working with Serenity was amazing. Those guys have a passion for drum building that is fanatical, and it shows in the quality of their drums.
Q. What are the specs on the drum? (size, shell type, finish, etc.)
A. The drum is a 13x6 birch drum wrapped in bubinga. The "oh sleeper" verse and logo are hand burned/carved into the outer bubinga as to expose the birch. This unique design was completely conceived by Serenity. It's beautiful.
(Courtesy of Serenity Custom Drums)
Q. Do you usually use a 13 inch snare as apposed to 14, or was the intent just to change it up a bit with the 13x6?
A. I've always preferred 13 inch snares. The smaller size allows for more articulation without having to crank up the tension of the heads.
Q. What was your reaction the first time you played it?
A. Well at first I didn't want to play it. I thought it was too beautiful to hit with a stick! I was given the snare right before a show, so I was able to "field" test it. It was very snappy and responsive with just the right amount of ring. I absolutely loved it.
Q. Would you recommend Serenity drums to someone else?
A. YES YES YES ABSOLUTELY YES. As I said earlier, their passion for drums knows no bounds. They will give 100% to make sure the drum(s) you receive are exactly what you want and flawlessly designed.
Q. Fairly recently, you became a member of the SJC family. What made you choose SJC over all of the other custom drum companies?
A. When I joined Oh, Sleeper I was contacted by a few custom companies. One in particular was very interested, and came out to a show to film our set. Once I sent an e-mail to this company I was warmly greeted by four months of no reply. Once a reply did arrive the price was so ridiculously high I had to laugh out loud. Hardly what I expected from such a "reputable" custom company. On a whim, I filled out SJC's "automated kit builder". The one that, I thought, gives you a computer response with a quote. Instead, I had an e-mail literally 5 minutes from a guy at SJC (Geo) explaining that he was a huge fan and would do what ever it takes to get me on an SJC kit. It was a no brainer!
Q. How do you like the acrylic shells on your kit?
A. I really love acrylic. It sounds great and looks amazing. They are a lot louder than wood, so they tend to sound really awesome live.
Q. Do you have any plans for a new SJC kit in the near future?
A. I'm currently designing a full bubinga kit with SJC. I think I'll be going with two rack toms this time around. I never like to keep things the same. Changing my kit constantly helps keep me creative.
Q. I believe Oh, Sleeper just started writing for the new album. With your guitarist James leaving the band, and bassist Nate moving to guitar, should fans expect anything different with the upcoming album?
A. Nate brings a very unique skill set and sound to Oh, Sleeper. He shreds like no one I've ever heard before, so be expecting that on the new album.
Q. Are there any plans to tour before heading into the studio?
A. Yep! We are headed to Hawaii, New Zealand and Australia this January!
Q. Thanks so much Zac! Anything else you would like to add?
A. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!!! Also, thanks for having me Casey!
Well, there ya go! Be sure to check out Serenity Custom Drums, and be on the look out for a new Oh, Sleeper album, as well as a new SJC kit for Zac!
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Thanks guys!
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