Sami Kuoppamäki got his first Kumu snare drum in February, 2001, and the entire set was finished in the fall of the same year. That white ClassicWoodHoop kit has become familiar to many, for instance, on television. It can also be heard on numerous Finnish recordings, where the styles range from very light tapping to absolute drumming thunder. The set still remains in active use, and it has proved its functionality many, many times.

A while ago Sami came up with the idea of a more compact set with a smaller bass drum and steel hoops - a set that would also fit smaller, quieter settings. We agreed on the details and the new kit was finished in early September. At the same time, the color was changed to a classy black, with a bit of sparkles added to it. The new set also features a new shell structure: the snare and the toms are 5mm / 8 ply and the bass drum 6mm / 6 ply, all without SoulRings. In addition to the SideHole, the bass drum comes with a riser, enabling the pedal beater to hit the center of the drumhead. This time Sami wanted the rack tom to be mounted on the bass drum, so a retro-style rail mount was chosen for this purpose. The drum sizes are: snare 14” x 5,5”, toms 10” x 7”, 12” x 7”, 14” x 12” and 16” x 13”, bass drum 20” x 12,5”.

In order to maximize the glitter of the chrome, the ornamental wood strips on the D-lugs were left out. The color of the set is very dark, a deep black stain with a touch of silvery dust in it. The snare drum has die-cast hoops, just like the one made earlier (with the same specifications) for Jaska Lukkarinen, who has revered his snare highly. The prototype set made for Jaska had the same shell thickness for the toms and Kuoppis liked them a lot - therefore these slightly thicker shells were chosen for the new set. However, 5mm / 8 ply is still a thin shell, so the sound is very much Kumu, open and warm. The bearing edges for the new shell are sharper and located more on the outer part of the edge, to make the feel of the drums differ from original Kumus.

You can hear - and also catch a glimpse of the new kit - on Channel 2’s Finland’s best choir, where Kuoppis acts as the musical director of the house band. The show is broadcast live on Saturdays during this fall. It’s worth watching: everything on the show is live and the choirs can truly sing, they sound really good!