Archetype Series Drum Kit Overview

Ultra Thin Solid Stave Constructed Shells

The Archetype Series is the Hendrix Drums Flagship line and is arguably the best sounding drum line that money can buy. You can learn all about our thin stave shell construction here. From the raw lumber to the finished product, each drum is meticulously hand crafted in our Hendrix Drums custom workshop. One set of hands builds, finishes, edges, drills, assembles, and tunes up every drum that leaves the shop. We use only the highest rated kiln dried lumber and complete every step of the build process in a climate controlled environment to ensure perfect precision from start to finish. There is not a better built drum available drum on the market. Archetype Series drum sets are completely customizable and will be an instrument that can be passed down for generations. They are available in a variety of different wood species; some of the more commonly used woods are Walnut, Cherry, Rock Maple, Mahogany, and Curly Maple. Below are examples of a 6 Piece Walnut in a Rock Configuration and a 4 Piece Cherry in a Jazz Configuration.

American Black Walnut

Walnut is our most popular wood species. Pictured above is a great example of our mirror gloss finish on walnut. It is a beautiful wood and sounds even better. Walnut is 30% softer than maple which gives it a warm tone, a naturally low fundamental note, and lots of body. This kit makes for an exceptional deep and punchy rock kit and can easily be tuned up for a full bodied jazz or fusion kit. Walnut is extremely versatile and can be tuned and tweaked to sound just about any way you want it to. It is our most popular wood for a reason.

American Black Cherry

Cherry is the softest of our Archetype wood species. Above is an example of cherry with our satin finish. Cherry is 35% softer than maple and produces a clear warm tone with lots of body and bright overtones. It is the jazz player's dream! This wood sings with a clear and resonant voice and has a very wide tuning range. Cherry has a natural tone that is reminiscent of some of the great vintage drums of the 50's. It is a wood species that is quickly growing in popularity within the drumming community and when you hear this kit you will know why.

When it came to designing the Archetype Series, our ambition was to build the most tonal, resonant, versatile, responsive, and attractive drums on the market. To put it simply, we wanted to build the best drums that money can buy, and the features below are a big part of how we believe that we have achieved just that.

Archetype Drum Kit Features

Ultra Thin Solid Stave Shells

The combination of shells made from solid wood in its natural unaltered state coupled with an extra thin shell wall produces unhindered pure wood tones, an extra wide tuning range, faster tonal response to light playing, a naturally low fundamental note, and incredible projection. There is no other way to build drum shells that will consistently sound and perform as good as our ultra thin solid stave shells. To read more about the benefits of and why we use this type of shell construction visit our Why Ultra Thin Stave page

Solid Aluminum Chrome Lugs

The proprietary HD lug is a small single point lug. The lug body is machined from solid aluminum, as opposed to being cast from steel as most lugs are. The idea behind this lug design was to create a lug that would cause as little hindrance to the shells' resonance as possible. The solid aluminum body allows vibrations to pass through the lugs very easily, resulting in an overall more resonant drum. They are also very light weight and only require one small hole to be drilled into the shell for mounting, which further aids in allowing the drum to resonate. Each lug is plated with decorative chrome that looks great and adds protection to the aluminum body. Lastly, the threaded insert floats in the lug body allowing it to be adjusted toward or away from the shell while remaining parallel to the shell body. This ensures perfect tension rod alignment regardless of head seating.

Polyester Mirror Gloss and Satin Finish

Archetype drums are available in two types of finishes, our Mirror Gloss finish and our Satin finish. The high gloss finish you see is not a "lacquer" finish, it is actually a polyester finish. True lacquer finishes are quite soft and can damage very easily. We use polyester for several reasons. It is very hard, so it is much more durable than lacquer, and the mirror gloss shine that it produces can't be beat. Admittedly this stuff is extremely expensive and difficult to work with but HD is all about the best, which meant polyester was the only way to go for our gloss finishes. Our satin finish gives the drums a classy vintage vibe and is also not made with traditional lacquer. It is made from a much more durable finishing product, but we can't give away the secret of exactly what it is.

Progressive Bearing Edges

The shape of the bearing edge plays a large role in the sound of each drum. So we alter the shape or the bearing edge according to the size and function of each drum. By doing this we are able to get the optimum sound from each type of drum. The Archetype snare drums are piercing and open, the toms are projecting, cutting, and full, and the kick drums are thunderous and punchy.

S-Hoops

Every Archetype drum is equipped with the S-Hoop on the top and bottom. S-Hoops bring the best aspects of flanged hoops and die-cast hoops together. They are rolled steel, like flanged hoops, so they are naturally resonant and allow the drum to remain very open and full bodied. They are also rigid like a die-cast hoop, so they generate loud cracking rim shots and cross sticks, without weighing down and choking the drum like a die-cast hoops tend to do. The S-Hoop is becoming more and more popular and many major brands are trying to mimic the it with their own versions, and for good reason, but the S-Hoop still remains the best.

SLEEVED WASHERS

SLEEVED WASHERS are a Hendrix Drums product that has exploded in popularity over the past year. They may be small but they make a big difference. You will notice the difference the moment you tune up your new Archetype kit. They eliminate all metal on metal contact between the hoop and tension rods, produce smoother and more accurate tuning, enable lower tuning without any "rod rattle", protect the chrome on hoops and rods, and reduce backing out of tension rods so the drums stay in tune for longer. SLEEVED WASHERS come as standard on all Archetype Series drums.