A specialized special shell formula comprised of North American Hard Rock Maple and Gum wood creates a decidedly warmer tone that is perfect for higher tunings that Jazz demands, yet versatile enough for any recording or touring situation. The definitive drum sound of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s, made-to-order in any California Custom Shop finish.

The DW Custom Shell Shop in Oxnard, California, is a state-of-the-art shell-making facility. There, DW Jazz Drum shells were born. The idea was to design a shell that offered different tonal possibilities than our Collector’s Series® or Classics Series® shells – something that was dark and warm, but still offered plenty of clarity and attack. Put simply, a shell that would sing. After much experimentation, a thin 8-ply shell with a gum wood core was born. It was no coincidence that this was the exact shell that had been so popular decades earlier. 

DW Master Drum Designer John Good then focused his efforts on the bearing edge. This was going to be an edge that lended itself to high tuning without being choked, an edge that provided a wide tuning range while remaining noticeably resonant despite the muffling quality of die-cast counter hoops. You guessed it: The Jazz Series “Butter Edge” was born. John Good Finally, unlike Collector’s Series and Classics shells, Jazz Series shells have no reinforcement hoops. This creates a less focused sound, but one that helps the instrument resonate as a whole, the way Jazz drums should. 

Let’s face it: There’s nothing more critical to drum construction than the shell itself. It’s the very foundation of any drum design. With DW Jazz Series shells it’s all there – innovation, quality and attention to detail. So why consider anything else?

Because the Jazz series drum have a number of different options in hoops, mounting systems etc, there is not standard pricing.
So please call us or email us should you have any questions

Click here to view all the available DW Jazz drum sizes

Click here for all the standard DW drum pricing, the difference between Jazz prices and Collectors prices should be minimal.

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