This excerpt is taken from the complete article that appears in the November 2015 issue,
which is available here.

Product Close-Up

Gaai
Sun & Stars Collection Snare Drums

One-of-a-kind hand-cut finishes and classic maple tones…with a twist.

Gaai Drums is a two-person operation based in Los Angeles, with Gaai Nakamura handling design and construction and his partner, Tomo, handling business and marketing endeavors. The company started in 2008, with a mission to produce meticulously handcrafted drums from the finest North American maple shells, often with painstakingly detailed custom-cut veneer finishes.

The three snares we have for review are from the one-off Sun & Stars collection, featuring playful designs created from contrasting wrap materials and veneer sheets. The trio comprises the 6.5×14 Five Stars model with a zebrawood/walnut/mahogany/maple hand-cut veneer and matching wood hoops, the deep 8×14 Golden Beam with a mirror gold/ginger glass spiral finish, and the specialty 9×10 Poppin’ Chiiko Blue with a blue/turquoise/white glass spiral finish. All of the drums feature 8-ply Keller maple shells.

Check out video demos of these drums, showing their entire tuning range, below.

For more on these drums, check out the complete review in the November 2015 issue, which is available here.

Michael Dawson
 

Gaai – Five Stars

 

Gaai – Golden Beam

 

Gaai – Poppin’ Chiiko Blue