A splash of colour

Richard Bates of Leicester, Massachusetts explains how he recently rewrapped his e-drums using some unusual material.

It all started when I got bored with looking at my normal drum set. I often change the outside appearance by taking off the lugs and using anything from contact paper to this colour-changing fabric sequin pillow material.

I’ve been customising drums my whole life, and I wanted to do something different with this recent electronic kit that I am ready to play out with live.

I found this fabric at the store and I thought it looked kind of like a tattoo, so I used it – basically just floating around the shells.

There’s no glue or anything else holding the cloth on besides the lugs.

To fit it, you stretch the material, put the first two lugs on and keep tensioning the cloth while adding lugs all the way around the drum shell. Then, you have to take the first lug off and fold the material over on the seam.

This ‘wrap’ is easily removable and also protects the shelves where the drums are stored.