Noble & Cooley
Encyclopedia
Noble & Cooley is a drum manufacturing company based out of Granville, Massachusetts
, mainly known for its snare drums.
s for the Union Army
. The company also made toy drum sets for children through most of the 1900s. In the early 1980s, company vice-president Jay Jones (Great-great-great grandson of James Cooley) decided to enter the professional drum arena. He worked closely with designer Bob Gatzen and pulled out of retirement a steam bending machine that was old enough to have survived a fire in 1889. Noble & Cooley first offered its SS Classic solid shell snare drums in 1983. Since then, the company has created many other professional wood and metal snare drums and complete drum sets.
In 1989, and again in 2003, Noble & Cooley teamed up with Zildjian to create snare drums made out of cymbal alloy. These drums were made in very limited quantities and are some of the most collectible drums on the market today.
), Dave Joyal
(Silent Drive
), Bob Mahoney (Bane
), and Mike Pedicone (The Bled
). Herman Rarebell
(Scorpions
), Alex Van Halen
(Van Halen
), and Steve White (Session Legend) have used Noble & Cooley snare drums in their setup, even though the rest of their kit is from a different manufacturer. Phil Collins
has played the 3 7/8x14" SS Classic Piccolo since its introduction, and Tre Cool
of Green Day
calls the 7x14 SS Classic his most prized and "still go-to" snare which he purchased for $600 before recording Dookie in 1993.
Granville, Massachusetts
Granville is a town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,566 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History and Description :...
, mainly known for its snare drums.
History
The company has been in operation since 1854, when Silas Noble and James Cooley starting building marching snare drumSnare drum
The snare drum or side drum is a melodic percussion instrument with strands of snares made of curled metal wire, metal cable, plastic cable, or gut cords stretched across the drumhead, typically the bottom. Pipe and tabor and some military snare drums often have a second set of snares on the bottom...
s for the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
. The company also made toy drum sets for children through most of the 1900s. In the early 1980s, company vice-president Jay Jones (Great-great-great grandson of James Cooley) decided to enter the professional drum arena. He worked closely with designer Bob Gatzen and pulled out of retirement a steam bending machine that was old enough to have survived a fire in 1889. Noble & Cooley first offered its SS Classic solid shell snare drums in 1983. Since then, the company has created many other professional wood and metal snare drums and complete drum sets.
In 1989, and again in 2003, Noble & Cooley teamed up with Zildjian to create snare drums made out of cymbal alloy. These drums were made in very limited quantities and are some of the most collectible drums on the market today.
Current products
- CD Maples - These are a set of custom designed drums (hence the CD) made to order. Drums in this series are made to individual requirements and the customer has some input in deciding what sizes of drums and hoops are to be used.
- SS Classic Snares - Still produced today, this solid-shelled snare was the first N&C drum model released for professional use in 1983.
- Alloy Classic Snares - Has an aluminum shell that is cast and machined rather than cold-rolled.
- CD Snares - Meant to complement the CD Maple kits.
- SE Snares - The SE in the name stands for "Special Edition". These snare drums borrow innovations from some of the other drums in Noble & Cooley's line.
Discontinued products
- Studio Classic Series - The Studio Classics series (kits and snares) were built with the idea of offering a high quality kit at a more affordable price. The kits were made from exactly the same shells as CD Maples but offered in a limited assortment of colors and sizes to reduce costs. The kits also used a different, less expensive, tube style lug that saved of the overall cost.
- Horizon Series - Horizon Series drums were designed to have similar sonic qualities to their discontinued Star Series drums which were solid shells. The Horizons had 6 plies of maple and one interior ply of mahogony to darken the tone. All but 2 plies (for stability) of the 7 plies of wood had horizontal wood grain orientation (hence the name "Horizon"), similar to solid shells as well. They had node mounted tube lugs and diecast hoops.
- Star Series - These drums went into production briefly around 1987. They were solid shell drums (made from one solid piece of maple, stem bent into a circle). These had node mount retaining hoops (required for solid shell drums), node mounted tube lugs and diecast hoops. The most outwardly noticeable characteristic of these drums is their shallow depths, half the depth of most drums made in the 1980s, a necessity since they were bent in the same machine that produced their solid shell snare drums. Sizes were 6x10, 6x12, 6x13, 7x14, 8x16. Bass drums were normal depths since they were not made of solid shells, but were instead 6 ply maple.
Endorsers
The company has a list of endorsers on its website, including Bill Stevenson (DescendentsDescendents (band)
The Descendents are an American punk rock band from Hermosa Beach, California. As of 2011, they have released six studio albums, three live albums, three compilation albums and three EPs. The Descendents broke up and reformed several times over the years, sometimes with different musicians...
), Dave Joyal
Dave Joyal
Dave Joyal is an American musician, and current member of Secret Secret Dino Club. He uses and endorses Noble & Cooley Drums, Paiste Cymbals, Evans Drumheads / D'Addario and Pro-Mark Drumsticks. He has filled in on occasion for RCA recording artists, Young And Divine, along with The Static Age...
(Silent Drive
Silent Drive
Silent Drive is a post-hardcore band from Worcester, Massachusetts. The band was formed from members of Ink Cartridge Funeral, Bane, Dasai and Drowningman...
), Bob Mahoney (Bane
Bane (band)
Bane, a hardcore punk band, began as a side project between Aaron Dalbec and Damon Bellardo. Aaron approached Matt Firestone to sing and they played under the moniker of Gateway for a few shows, before Firestone departed ways to focus on other projects...
), and Mike Pedicone (The Bled
The Bled
The Bled is a hardcore band from Tucson, Arizona. The group formed in 2001, originally under the name "The Radiation Defiance Theory", but changed it because of its length...
). Herman Rarebell
Herman Rarebell
Herman 'Ze German' Rarebell is a German drummer, best known for his time in the band Scorpions from 1977 to 1995, playing on 8 studio albums...
(Scorpions
Scorpions (band)
Scorpions are a heavy metal/hard rock band from Hannover, Germany, formed in 1965 by guitarist Rudolf Schenker, who is the band's only constant member. They are known for their 1980s rock anthem "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and many singles, such as "No One Like You", "Send Me an Angel", "Still...
), Alex Van Halen
Alex Van Halen
Alexander Arthur "Alex" Van Halen is a Dutch-born American musician, best known as the drummer and co-founder of the hard rock band Van Halen. Originally, his brother Eddie had taken lessons for drums, while Alex practiced guitar...
(Van Halen
Van Halen
Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...
), and Steve White (Session Legend) have used Noble & Cooley snare drums in their setup, even though the rest of their kit is from a different manufacturer. Phil Collins
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
has played the 3 7/8x14" SS Classic Piccolo since its introduction, and Tre Cool
Tre Cool
Frank Edwin Wright III, a.k.a. Tré Cool, is an American drummer, best known as the drummer for the punk rock band Green Day. He replaced the group's former drummer John Kiffmeyer in 1990...
of Green Day
Green Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
calls the 7x14 SS Classic his most prized and "still go-to" snare which he purchased for $600 before recording Dookie in 1993.