Joe Cox Drums
Vintage drum restorer, drum technician and online vintage drum shop.
Established 2013.
Based in Yorkshire, UK.
Vintage tubs playlist
Listen/watch to the playlist dedicated to tracks/live performances that have been recorded with vintage drums that came out of the workshop of Joe Cox Drums.
Featured shop items:
1965/66 Slingerland ‘Swing Master’ Outfit No. 63N sized 22x14", 12x8", 14x14" & 14x5.5" Deluxe Student Model in Maroon and Gold Lacquer
All original chrome hardware including chrome over brass hoops, original finish bass drum hoops, internal dampeners on toms, spurs, floor tom legs and mounts.
Legendary 3-ply shells with reinforcing hoops and bare maple interiors.
A delightful set in a fairly scarcely seen lacquer finish.
Stripped, cleaned and polished in my workshop and fitted with brand new Remo heads and Puresound wires (apart from the original bass drum reso head).
It really is in remarkable condition considering its age with minor scuffs, scratching and aging.
This set was originally bought in 1965 as a Swing Master outfit (22,12,14 snare) and in 1966, a 14” floor was added.
See photos for condition.
12×8”
No badge
No serial
Date stamp: Sep 30 1965
3-ply maple/poplar/maple shells. Bare maple interior
All original chrome hardware in great condition
Original maroon and gold lacquer finish
Fitted with Remo Vintage Ambassador and Coated Ambassador
14×14”
Niles, Illinois badge
Serial #102545
Date stamp: Apr X1 1966
3-ply maple/poplar/maple shells. Bare maple interior
All original chrome hardware in great condition
Original maroon and gold lacquer finish. Due to later manufacture, the finish is slightly different on this drum
Fitted with Remo Vintage Ambassador and Coated Ambassador
22×14”
Niles, Illinois badge
Serial #75274
Date stamp: Sep 65
3-ply maple/poplar/maple shells. Bare maple interior
All original chrome hardware in great condition including cymbal mount (ride cymbal is NOT included)
Original maroon and gold lacquer finish including bass drum hoops with gold inlay
There is an extra small hole underneath the tom mount. Perhaps a different mount was getting fitted. Who knows, but it is hidden.
Fitted with Remo Coated Powerstroke 3 and original bass drum reso head with Slingerland decal and a large port hole cut in.
14×5.5”
Deluxe Student Model Snare - 6 lug design
Niles, Illinois badge
Serial #75451
Date stamp: Sep 65
3-ply maple/poplar/maple shells. Bare maple interior
All original chrome hardware in great condition. One lug is duller than the rest.
Original maroon and gold lacquer finish.
I have replaced the old cork washer on the strainer with a new rubber grommet. The throw off now works as it should.
Fitted with Remo Vintage Ambassador and Ambassador snare side with brand new Puresound Custom Pro snare wires.
Early 1940s Ludwig & Ludwig ‘Victory’ 14x6.5” in White Lacquer
Here is a truly fascinating piece of history and design around the time of World War II that I am proud to offer up for sale.
In 1941, when America entered into World War 2, metals such as brass and steel were quickly needed for the production of war related materials.
In 1942, the American war production board and US government ordered a reduction in the use of non-essential items. Newly manufactured goods such as musical instruments had to be constructed using only 10% metal. This led to the halting of production for brass and wind instruments and for drum companies, they had to quickly adapt their production. There was also lots of saving and using household metals.
Whilst the limitations and restrictions that were in place between 1942-45 created problems overnight for American drum companies, it did lead to some very unique and creative designs. Ludwig & Ludwig offered 'Victory', Slingerland had 'Rolling Bomber' models, Leedy had 'Dreadnaut', WFL had 'Victorious' and Gretsch had 'Defender'. In my research, I found these Slingerland receipts from 1945 and 46 from coopersvintagedrums.com that state 'We don't have any cymbals' and 'Only cowbell available is 3 1/2".
I also found out that in 1943, the sale of sliced bread was banned to conserve the metal blades. To me, I find it amazing that this drum exists. There are others around but not many.
This drum is date stamped 1941 (amongst another stamp that I can’t make out) , although it could have been assembled later. The catalog states the drum as using ‘minimum critical metals’ and giving ‘maximum performance’, as well as some pretty intriguing connotations.
The drum is 3-ply maple shell with re-rings finished in original white lacquer which has crazed/aged beautifully with minimal aging or peeling.
6-lug design.
There is no lever on the strainer to remove or engage the wires so the wires are permanently engaged.
The drum features no butt end and instead uses an ingenious way of attaching the wires.
Whilst the lugs are wooden, there are metal inserts and springs inside.
There is some seperation in the original hoops, I think this is from over tensioning old calf heads by a previous owner.
See photos for condition.
Stripped, cleaned and polished in my workshop.
Fitted with brand new Remo Vintage Ambassador and Ambassador Snare Side heads.
1948-1950 Slingerland Radio King 'Hollywood Ace Swing Model' 14x7"
Solid 1-ply maple shell with maple reinforcing hoops.
Original ‘duco’ lacquer finish.
All original nickel over brass hardware including three point strainer, internal dampener, double flange Radio King stamped hoops and tension rods.
The drum shows signs of wear but is in great condition considering it’s age.
As often the case with old Radio Kings, the batter head is a little tight but does go on fine with some tension. The reso head fits fine.
There is some gaps in the reinforcing rings which is quite common for these drums.
See photos for condition.
Stripped, cleaned and polished in my workshop.
Fitted with brand new Remo Vintage Ambassador batter and Ambassador Hazy snare side, with brand new Puresound Custom Pro Steel wires.
See below for a video of this exact drum in action.
The M80 is engineered to control the resonance without sacrificing the brightness of the drum. The M80 has 4 different dampening settings and achieves more dampening than the M1 model. Its magnets allow for quick changes.
Try two M80’s on the same drum for more options and control. The M80 fits any size drum upwards of 8". Dampen in a snap or disengage even faster with the on/off feature.
Works with triple flange hoops, die cast, s-hoops, angle hoops, true hoops etc.
'My favorite and a must have!' - re: the M80 model, Jason McGerr, Death Cab For Cutie.
Worldwide shipping is available. Please get in touch for a quote.
Index Drums Shaker - Hoppy
All the way from Louisiana, USA; Index Drums Shakers are the original steel can shaker made from vintage beer and soda cans from a bygone era.
The 12oz is the perfect size to throw in a stick bag. They are much more durable than modern cans, with thicker walls and a stronger shape.
The Hoppy has a crisp tone, with medium attack and volume; rich metallic sound and good control.
The Smooth is much quieter than the "hoppy", and more suited for small venues. This is on the softer side, but with the same metallic flavor. Similar fill to the ever-popular egg shaker.
The Stout is a wild organic shaker with tons of personality. It kind of tumbles along, crunching it's way through your tracks, making everything a little better.
The Pony is similar to the Hoppy, but without the metallic attack and a little lower volume.
The Bonzo is a rowdy metal maraca. Lots of action, lots of energy, plenty of volume. If the Smooth is a 3 and the Hoppy is a 7, the Bonzo's is an 11.
Due to the age of these cans, they can show aging and have minor dents. This is all part of their charm and is to expected and celebrated.
Shakers will be posted with Royal Mail Tracked 24. Orders aim to be dispatched within 1-3 working days.
Joe Cox Drums Mustard T-Shirt
Design by Jake at Tyler & Co.
Gildan Heavy Black printed t-shirts with mustard and white screen printed Joe Cox Drums 12cm chest logo.
100% cotton, 185gsm weight.
Size guide:
Chest (to fit):
S - 34/36"
M - 38/40"
L - 42/44"
XL - 46/48"
XXL - 50/52"
T-shirt photographed is size L.
Worldwide shipping is available. Please get in touch for a quote.
Late 1960s Ludwig 'Standard S-320' in Charcoal Astro 22x14", 13x9", 16x16"
This is a truly delightful kit in a seldom seen finish.
The Ludwig Standard range was introduced in 1968 to compete with budget Japanese kits of the time, but these shells are the same legendary shells as all the other Ludwig ranges of the time only with different hardware which must have been cheaper to make. The astro finishes were only available on the Standard range and are unbelievably unique!
Stripped, cleaned and polished in my workshop.
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13×9”
Serial number: 4129
3-ply mahogany, poplar, mahogany with maple rerings and interior coating
Original tom mount and internal dampener.
Chrome in really great condition for age. Some minor scuffs, scratchings and marks present.
A previous owner looks to have had some sort of patch on the wrap, perhaps to avoid rashing, and this has left marks where someone has tried to clean/scratch it off.
See photos for condition.
Fitted with brand new Remo Vintage Coated Ambassador and Coated Ambassador.
16x16”
Serial number: 5124
3-ply mahogany, poplar, maple (inner) with maple rerings and interior coating
Original tom leg mounts and internal dampener.
Chrome in really great condition for age. Some minor scuffs, scratchings and marks present.
A previous owner looks to have had some sort of patch on the wrap, perhaps to avoid rashing, and this has left marks where someone has tried to clean/scratch it off.
See photos for condition.
Fitted with brand new Remo Vintage Coated Ambassador and Coated Ambassador.
22x14”
Serial number: 1511
3-ply mahogany, poplar, mahogany with maple rerings and interior coating
Original cymbal mount and spurs.
Original bass drum hoops with original inlay in nice condition.
Chrome in really great condition for age. Some minor scuffs, scratchings and marks present.
See photos for condition.
Original tom mount arm not included.
Batter side tension rods are era correct but are the ‘Super Classic’ style.
Fitted with brand new Remo Coated PS3 and Fiberskyn Diplomat reso with Ludwig Standard and Joe Cox Drums decals.
TOONTRACK - Fields of rock SDX
I was extremely honoured to work on the newly released extensive Toontrack SDX library ‘Fields of Rock’ as a drum technician at the legendary Rockfield Studios, Wales with engineer/producer Tom Dalgety and drummer Mat Hector.
You can view ‘the making of’ video below, and for more information, press the link above.
The Drummer's Journal - Issue Sixteen
Read Joe's feature piece on 'Vintage Drum Spotting' whilst on tour in America in the latest The Drummer's Journal.
