Yes, Ford makes drums. While it's an old, familiar name, the Ford Drum Company is in no way associated with the Ford Motor Company. Rather, were named after one of the founders, Jimmy Ford, which is a more memorable name than Gaylen, the other partner. Jimmy Ford is a truly mesmerizing talent. For more than six years he was Lionel Hampton's "go-to" guy. He entertains guests at Disneyland Park regularly. Audiences throughout Southern California take delight in his playing with noted big bands, trios and quartets. He continually dazzles audiences the world over with his tribute to Buddy Rich. The other partner, Jay Gaylen, is a drum nut. He picked up the sticks at the age of seven. For most of his adult life, Jay's been a marketing guy having developed award-winning advertising campaigns for some of the biggest brands in the country. That list even includes musical instrument manufacturers such as Gretsch Drums, Gibraltar Hardware,Toca Percussion, Hamer, Ovation, Adamas and Takamine guitars. In early 2004, the company brought on yet another drum fanatic, Steve Rue. Steve, a.k.a. Zeke, is the shop production manager and a true drumsmith. An avid student of the instrument, Steve has long been intrigued with drum construction, physics, and acoustics. In addition to his wood working skills, Zeke has a strong background in electrical engineering and has designed proprietary machinery and processes for the company. Jimmy, Jay, and Steve know drums, and what drummers want. They know what it takes to build a drum that sings. And drums within a set that sing harmoniously. Which, by the way, is a really tough thing to do. They know that not every drum is right for every drummer or every gig. They only build drums to meet the needs of one particular player - you.