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Industrial grade elasticated polymer fasteners hold the split shells together

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• Review

Here we have an ingenious set-up from one of Britain's longer established bespoke drum makers, Jalapeno. David Nuttall has been handcrafting drums since 1998, using best Finnish birch and favouring thin shells which he bends using no heat, wetting or internal pressure. His drums are distinguished by their vertical inner and outer plies, and Jalapeno's own solid brass nut boxes.

Build

The Pack-Away is similar to Yamaha's Hipgig, although the concept is much older (Asba released a 'Russian Doll' kit in the 1970s). The idea is that you have a bass drum and a floor tom, made as normal then sliced in two so that the other drums can be packed away inside.

The review kit is 20"x18", 10"x9" and 14"x14", along with 13"x5" and 10"x4" snares. The Elite toms have extremely thin 3mm six-ply shells, and the Classic snare drums and bass drum have 6mm 12-ply shells, all with reinforcing rings. Snares boast smooth Nickel Drumworks strainers.

The small tom comes with a RIMS low-mass bracket attached to a Pearl Uni-Lock bass drum mount. A Gibraltar platform mount raises the 18" kick off the floor and ensures your bass pedal strikes dead centre. The kick also has a 150mmx35mm slot cut into the bottom so that you can insert an internal mic.

One big improvement on previous such kits is the use of industrial-grade elasticated polymer fasteners to hold the two split shells together. Each shell has three such fasteners, which are seriously tough and are not going to rattle or rust like metal catches.

The review kit finish is white satin wax with black chrome hoops and black nylon fittings, both finishes being harder-wearing than powder coating. It's a striking look, especially teamed with white Paiste cymbals. Finishing the shells entails multi-layers of oil, then several layers of wax, resulting in a hardwearing surface that does not mark easily. Finishing oils are also used to seal the insides.

In comparison with the super slick sanding offered by major manufacturers, Jalapeno's shell inners are a little rougher. Why? Nuttall suggests that you look inside a violin or acoustic guitar where the wood is left unsanded and untreated. OK, so you don't usually see inside violins, but David's point is that to maximise the woody timbre don't over-finish the insides. It's a compelling view and, indeed, the inners look like those vintage drums that have a great sound.