Anchor Drums is a one man shop located in central North Carolina. What this means is absolutely everything goes through my hands from start to finish before being shipped out. I am extremely picky and very much a perfectionist. I have an art & graphic design background which aids in the design, look, and feel every drum has. It doesn't leave the shop until it's something I would personally take on stage. I may not be the fastest company out there, but I will never rush a kit out the door. Building drums takes an extreme amount of work and a lot of time to do it correctly. I would want my personal kit to be perfect, so I use that mentality when building yours.
The purpose of Anchor Drums is simple: I love music, I love drums, and I love God. When I sat down to pull together our ideas for this company, one thing was solid and obvious. I wanted to use my talents and love of music to create something others could use to further their career.
I come from a ministry family upbringing and want that to come through in the ideas and creativity for Anchor. But, just because that is something Anchor is based on, please don't let that put you off. I am not here to push anything on anyone. I am here to create kits for anyone and everyone regardless of your style or belief. I feel God loves everyone and I want to use my abilities to help you and your passion for playing music. The purpose of Anchor is to help, bring hope, and push you along in all you do. I want to be a family here at AD and would love for you to be a part of it! I love every style of music from cheese pop to blistering metal. Ultimately, I just love drums and want to build something you will love as well.
Shawn Skipper
Owner . Builder . Designer
Years Drumming: 31
Years Tinkering, Restoring, & Building Drums: 27
Favorite Bands: Way to many to ever list, but for the sake of this page...HUM, Face To Face, Jimmy Eat World, MuteMath, Jawbreaker, Thrice, Ryan Adams, Pelican, Failure, Appleseed Cast, Jawbox, Minus The Bear, Sunny Day Real Estate, Archers of Loaf, Matthew Good.....and the list goes on for miles. I am a music fanatic!
Hobbies: Creating & Building Drums, Playing them when I actually get a chance, Discovering New Music & Listening Constantly, Meeting New People
Bio: I started playing drums at age 16, later in life than most, but I found my passion! Now 30 years later I have grown to love every aspect of drumming and it has been non-stop ever since. I have had the opportunity to tour the states, play in numerous bands, and meet tons of people over the years. Now my focus is on building and making something unique that other drummers will love owning & playing. Creating a certain look, working out the fine details, and seeing the final piece come together is one of the best feelings ever! I love what I do and I hope you will also!
Email : info@anchordrums.com
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My first memory of the drums was watching my father pound away on an old 60's Apollo kit, in orange sparkle, at a camp talent show sometime around 1984. One set of hi-hats, a small crash, and a big ride all of which were tarnished and bent. I can't remember the beat, nor the song, but I will never forget the joy in his face as he rolled around the drums. That memory has been the driving force in my love of drums for years. I miss seeing him play. He always wore the same blue & red hawaiian shirt when he played. When I got older, I asked him if I could have it. The first time I ever played a show was in front of about 1000 people....and yes, I wore Dad's old Hawaiian shirt.
I have started this venture to build something that I love.....drums. I love all the tiny little aspects that make up the "sound" of a drum. I love the visual look and everything that goes into giving a drum it's "soul". I began taking drums apart and trying to understand every little aspect of them while I was in college, roughly around 1995. I began re-wrapping my kit all the time, mainly because I became bored looking at the same kit. I always wanted to create a new look and feel. I tried everything from shelf paper to outdoor turf. (Yes, I had a kit wrapped in blue astro turf....hey, I thought it was neat at the time.) Eventually, I started to dislike the deep toms of the time period. So, I began buying junk drums and trying to make them look and sound ten times better. Cutting them down, re-designing, wrapping, staining, new lugs, etc. Even at one point, during some down time from a tour I was on, stripping the finish off a Pearl Masters Kit, because I didn't like the color....yep a $3000 kit. I'm crazy, what can I say. But, the new finish came out great and I think looked a bit more classy than the candy apple red it began as.
I want to build beautiful drums that have a distinctive look and feel to them. No, I am not here to re-create drums or to be better than any other company. There are some fantastic companies out there doing some amazing things with drums! Anchor exists because I love drums. I want to create beautiful pieces of art that are also, as I call them, "beefy cannons". Sort of flows with the vibe and theme. I love the nautical/pirate aspect and hope to continue to make that an ongoing part of what Anchor is!
Ultimately, I love God, which is why Anchor are here and it is the undeniable basis for why this company was started. I truly feel he has given me this dream and I hope we can use it to glorify Him.
I have a lot of great designs ahead and many things I can't wait to get rolling! So stick with me and 'ol Anchor!
Thanks for stopping by and I hope to hear from you! Even if you are not a drummer, give me a shout! Would love to talk with you. That is the purpose, to be one big happy family and make everyone feel a part of what is going on here at the shop. Thanks and God Bless.
Shawn Skipper
Owner-Designer-Builder ...........and basically everything else you see under Anchor :)