NAMM 2013: In Pictures: Premier

NAMM 2013: We've had a flurry of gear announcements over the last few hours, and we should have known that Premier wouldn't disappoint.

The iconic Brit company has plenty to shout about, including the new Nicko McBrain 'Nicko's Sicko' snare drum.The 14"x5.5" drum features a silver shimmer outer ply of sycamore with hand rubbed oil finish and 2.3mm triple flange hoops.

And another from Nicko here, it is the Aces High snare. The drum, named after the iconic Iron Maiden track, consists of a 14" x 5.5" shell which is 10mm thick and constructed from 17 plies of sycamore.

The outer ply features a stunning handmade-inlay from dyed sycamore and cherry to recreate the camouflage of a Supermarine Spitfire. This intricate marquetry also incorporates a Royal Air Force target, a red, white and blue tail fin ensign and carries the LZ symbol of the Royal Air Force Squadron 66 who flew Mk6 Supermarine Spitfires. The inner ply is finished in a sky blue sycamore to represent the underside of the Spitfire.

The snare drum is fitted with Premier's Spitfire chrome plated solid brass tube lugs, themed on the front nose of the Spitfire to complement the shells unique markings. The snare is limited to just 100.

And now for a kit! Reinvigorated for 2013, the APK Series is to be launched in two distinctive models: APK offering standard modern-day configurations and APK Heritage, designed to offer more classic and traditional set-ups.

The APK Series have 100% 6-ply unsupported birch shells for a more full-bodied tone that is suited to any musical genre.

Packed full of features, the APK range includes new and improved low-mass lugs, a chrome-plated ISO mounting system and four stylish metallic sparkle wraps.

The APK Heritage features a matching birch snare drum whilst the standard APK comes with a steel shell snare drum only.

Back to snares, now, and here we have the Modern Classic. These steam-bent drums are hand-built in the UK and use new machining techniques and moulding processes to create a 100% solid steam-bent 10mm shell.

Available in 14"x5.5" solid beech and 14"x6.5" solid maple models, these snares are limited to just 50 each.

Premier has also unveiled this new Vintage Series snare. The 14"x5.5" drum is an 11-ply exclusive version of the models introduced last year. It also features an extra three plies of premium birch core from the original giving it a total of 9 plies of birch core with an inner ply of mahogany. This produces a more powerful vintage sounding snare drum with a little more crack yet still retains the warmth of the mahogany from its inner ply.

For more details head over to

www.premier-percussion.com

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