Phattie Drums - History

Phattie Drums was founded in Blacksburg, Virginia, in January of 2000. Through the years we've experienced steady growth in both the scope of our building abilities and the popularity of our products.

The journey from our humble beginnings in Blacksburg to our current facility in Asheville, NC, has been marked by many exciting events. The Nashville Custom & Vintage drum show we attended in 2001 lead to a long-term relationship working with Jeffrey Clemens of G. Love and Special Sauce. In the summer of 2003 we were able to work with the Physics Department at the University of Illinois to map the physical differences in energy transfer between a drumhead and shell using different bearing edges. At the Chicago drum show of 2005 we introduced the PhatRat lug, an exclusive design that was engineered in-house and features unique, mechanical styling and quick-release function. A year later, we introduced the Sounds Like Art series of snare drums at the 2006 Chicago drum show and raised the bar for quality, attention to detail, and innovation in the world of custom snare drums. 2007 saw the introduction of our new internal triggered lighting system, a variety of custom-shaped vents, new Sounds Like Art™ snare designs, the HCL bass drum development, and the PhD Innovation program.

Our current location in Asheville, NC, opened in May of 2008. Asheville offers a beautiful location filled with amazing musical talent and talented craftsmen. The perfect backdrop to continue building our tradition of quality, innovation, and craftsmanship.

Badge History

The original Phattie Drums badge. Drums bearing this badge were produced between January of 2000 and January, 2003.
The second Phattie Drums badge featured a bolder engraving for easier reading and a high gloss coating. Estimated to have been produced between February 2003 and October 2003.
This urethane dome on an aluminum mounting plate was the last badge used before expanding into our most recent facility, and is also the first badge to use the final version of the Phattie logo. This badge was used from October of 2003 through December of 2005. This badge was accompanied by a paper tag inside the drum containing the serial number and date of production.
The current badge is a work of art unto itself, a mission statement about the drums it represents. The Phattie logo and surrounding text is chrome plated onto a brushed stainless steel background. This badge went to production in April, 2006, and is currently in use with a matching internal plate that carries the serial number.
Not Pictured: Original Stauffer Drums This badge consisted of a silver aluminum plate engraved with Stauffer Drums above a 5-digit serial number, and set apart from our square badges by it's notched corners. Used between January of 2000 and Summer of 2002, this badge is mainly found on individual snare drums, cocktail drums, and a variety of jazz-styled kits. Serial numbers run from 00001 through 00275.

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