Model 1 and Model 2 are our custom drum kits made in Poland. In photos they look almost the same, so I often get asked what you actually pay extra for in Model 1. The short answer: the wood is the same. The difference is the hardware, the heads and how much time we spend on each drum.
| Model 2 | Model 1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Wood | usually maple, 6 plies, 4.8 mm | same as Model 2 |
| Hardware | chrome | heavier-duty: lugs, claws, legs, mounts, tom holders |
| Heads | Polmuz branded or Remo Encore | Evans |
| Where it is made | in our workshop in Gdynia | in our workshop in Gdynia |
| Custom order, 20/12/14, natural wood | approx. PLN 5,500 | approx. PLN 7,400 |
| Example of a ready kit | 22/12/16 Champagne Gold Sparkle, approx. PLN 7,300 | 18/12/14 Satin Brown, PLN 6,400 |
What they have in common
You build both models around yourself: you pick the wood, the colour and the drum sizes, and we make the kit. Inside, everything is done the same way.
- Thin plywood, usually maple, six plies. In 2019 I ordered a whole pile of different plywoods and tested which one sounded best. This one won. Knock on a bare shell and you can already hear its pitch.
- A 45° bearing edge, milled, polished and waxed. The head sits on its flat part, so the drum tunes low and stays in tune.
- Holes drilled to within 0.2 mm. I draw the hole layout in QCAD, the same way I used to draw ship hull sections. The screws go in straight and do not rub against the hoop.
- Tom mounts that do not drill through the shell.
- A badge with the owner’s name in every drum and a lifetime warranty on the shell.
For both kits we recommend stainless steel mounting screws, acid-proof like in shipbuilding, and double waxing and oiling of the inside. That makes the kit practically indestructible: nothing in it goes mouldy or rusts over the years.
Model 2 – from approx. PLN 5,500
Model 2 is made in our workshop in Gdynia. A 20/12/14 custom order in natural wood costs about PLN 5,500. A colour, fade or lacquer adds PLN 500 per drum. The hardware is chrome. The heads are Polmuz branded or Remo Encore: clear, single-ply, with a muffling ring on the bass drum.
We also have ready kits in colour, for example the Model 2 Maple 22/12/16 in Champagne Gold Sparkle for about PLN 7,300.
This is how it sounds:
Model 1 – from approx. PLN 6,000
Model 1 is also built by us in Gdynia. The wood is the same as in Model 2, but the drum hardware is heavier-duty, for example the lugs, claws, legs, mounts and tom holders. The bass drum claws are cast, and the bass drum legs are massive, with retractable spikes. Evans heads come as standard. And we can spend more time on the details of every drum.
The smallest ready kit, 16/10/14, costs about PLN 6,000, and an 18/12/14 in satin brown PLN 6,400. A 20/12/14 custom order in natural wood is about PLN 7,400. The most expensive, most extended Polmuz we have ever made cost PLN 40,000.
Two examples. We built a kit in polished black fade for the Warsaw Philharmonic (Filharmonia Narodowa): maple finished with oil and wax. An orchestra needs drums that sound clean without muffling and stay in tune for the whole concert, and that is exactly what the edge and the precise drilling give you. The white and red kit with the eagle on the bass drum was made for the Polish Army.
Listen to a maple Model 1:
Which one should you choose?
If you want a custom kit made in Poland, in your own colour and sizes, Model 2 gives you the same shell, the same edge and the same drilling for less money.
Go for Model 1 if the drums are going to play on stage and last for years, and you want Evans heads and the strongest hardware we offer from day one.
Not sure? Call us (+48 797 317 035) or come to the workshop in Gdynia and turn the key on both.
Prices and ordering: Polmuz Custom Order on drumstore.pl or the order form on this site. I compare all our kits, from Model 4 to Model 1, in the guide How much does a drum kit cost and which one to buy?