Drumming News :
In February 2025, Marc Ferris of The Current offered readers a rare inside look at one of the collaborations in modern drum making: how master craftsman Aaron Latos was commissioned to build Zildjian’s 400th anniversary limited-edition snare drums. The story wasn’t just about a milestone for the world’s oldest cymbal company—it was about a builder who would rather spend every waking hour shaping metal and chasing sound.
To commemorate four centuries in business, Zildjian turned to Latos to create 400 snare drums made from the same bronze alloy used in their legendary rides, crashes, and hi-hats—the backbone of jazz and rock drum kits for generations. The recipients read like a who’s who of drumming royalty, including Sheila E., Steve Gadd (forever linked to Paul Simon’s “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover”), and Travis Barker of Blink-182, whose fame extends well beyond the kit.
Although the anniversary itself passed in 2023, Latos has been steadily working toward fulfilling the order. Now based in Beacon with his wife and two young children, he was still about ten drums shy of completion when Ferris visited. Between Zildjian commissions, Latos has been refining the manufacturing process for his own line of drums—snares, tom-toms, and bass drums crafted primarily from nickel silver. Nearly every step happens in his Newburgh workshop; only the washers and tension rods are machined elsewhere. By the end of the year, he plans to move his lathes, drills, and rollers into a Beacon space twice the size of his current shop.
At 36, Latos brings the sensibility of a working musician to the precision of a machinist. Raised in West Virginia, he once made his living touring and recording as a drummer, including stints with country singer Margo Price. Today, he still performs locally with the Stephen Clair Band, teaches select students, and takes on studio projects—all while building drums for some of the most demanding players in the world.
Recently he patented a snare drum throw-off system—“I’d have more patents,” he jokes, “but they’re expensive.”
As far as Latos knows, he is the first builder to make drums from nickel steel. He loves the sound, but admits the process is brutal—“like wrestling an alligator”—thanks to the metal’s frustrating resistance to cutting and shaping. Sheets of raw material arrive flat, like wooden plies, and are rolled, sheared, and brazed by hand. The resulting drums are loud, heavy, and unapologetic, echoing the powerful snares of 1920s and ’30s big band jazz, designed to project before microphones did the work.
Visually, the instruments are as striking as they are sonic. Thick shells are paired with stainless steel or solid brass hoops; bass drums feature warm brown wood hoops. Each piece feels closer to a sculpture than a mass-produced instrument. Prices reflect the labor and artistry: $2,000 for a basic snare and $10,000 and up for a full kit. Buyers range from doctors and lawyers to seasoned professionals, including jazz drummer Bob Meyer, the late Jeremiah Green of Modest Mouse, and Harvey Sorgen, known for work with Hot Tuna, Derek Trucks, and Paul Simon.
Despite the high-end output, Latos’ shop remains grounded and human. It’s tidy but lived-in, with gold and silver shavings scattered across the floor and a cozy corner outfitted with a couch, turntable, and a rotating stack of vinyl—Mel Tormé, Chuck Mangione, and Haitian group Bossa Combo among them. About every 22 minutes, he flips the record. “It helps me focus on what I am doing,” he says, “and what I should be doing.”
For Latos, whether finishing Zildjian’s historic commission or perfecting his own designs, the goal remains the same: stay in the shop, keep working the metal, and let the drums speak for themselves.
Read the original story HERE
Visit Zildjian HERE to learn more about the snare.
